Melissa Gardner is a partner in the Phoenix office of GRSM.  Ms. Gardner is also licensed in Illinois and is a member of the National Trial Practice Group. She is an experienced litigator who handles sophisticated legal disputes. She currently handles all aspects of litigation, from claim inception through resolution at trial or on appeal. Ms. Gardner has first chaired numerous trials and arbitrations, both before the judge and jury. She regularly counsels corporate and private individuals alike in the defense of a wide array of legal actions. Ms. Gardner has actively litigated cases involving medical fraud, auto accidents, trucking and transportation, personal injury, premises liability, product liability, wrongful death, breach of contract, insurance coverage and bad faith issues to name a few.

Admissions

Arizona
Illinois
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court, District of Arizona 

Honors

• CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Trial Advocacy, 2014

Memberships

• Arizona Women Lawyer’s Association
• State Bar of Arizona
• State Bar of Illinois
• Chicago Bar Association

Representative Experience

• (Salt Lake City, 2023) Obtained defense verdict in multimillion dollar insurance coverage class action suit wherein Plaintiffs alleged that the insurance company failed to provide UM/UIM coverage and failed to inform the class of the existence of UM/UIM coverage due to an ineffective waiver. Plaintiffs sought damages for the amount of coverage; loss of peace of mind and punitive damages.

• Pifke v. Meherally (Cook County, IL, 2023), Obtained defense verdict in rear-end MVA case. Plaintiff alleged neck and back injuries, emergency room, pain management and orthopedic treatment, injections and permanent pain and suffering.

• Gates-Brown v. Carlson (Cook County, IL, 2023), Obtained defense verdict in T-bone MVA case. Plaintiff alleged left knee and back injuries, emergency room and chiropractic treatment.

• Trent v. Berg (Will County, IL, 2022), Obtained defense verdict in rear-end MVA case wherein defendant admitted liability prior to trial. Plaintiff alleged neck and back injuries, pain management treatment and numerous injections, and ongoing pain & suffering)

• Dardawoud v. Rickoff (Cook County, IL, 2021), Obtained defense verdict in motor vehicle accident where defendant reversed into the plaintiff’s vehicle and plaintiff alleged neck and back injuries and on-going pain & suffering.

• McLain v. Barstatis (DuPage County, IL, 2019), Obtained defense verdict in rear-end MVA case wherein plaintiff alleged neck disc protrusions, shoulder injury, radiculopathy, ablation procedures and ongoing pain & suffering.

• Venice v. Eckersberg (Will County, IL, 2019), Obtained defense verdict in rear-end MVA case wherein plaintiff alleged lumbar fusion, neck injury, several epidural injections and continuous pain.

• Papandria v. Raczak (Will County, IL, 2019), Successfully defended rear-end MVA on highway wherein Plaintiff alleged neck, shoulder and TFCC wrist injury.

• Burton & Ellis v. Thomas (Cook County, IL, 2019), Successfully defended rear-end MVA wherein Plaintiff alleged being hit twice by the defendant on a highway at 70 mph. Plaintiffs' claimed soft tissue injuries and continuing pain. Jury awarded less than the ER bills and found the plaintiff driver to be 40% at fault.