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Practices

Biography

Michele is a Partner in Frost Brown Todd’s Product, Tort, & Insurance Litigation practice group. She handles a broad range of insurance defense and coverage matters, both litigated and non-litigated. Her experience includes rendering coverage opinions, managing first-party property and automobile claims, conducting examinations under oath, and overseeing insurance defense litigation involving personal injury, suspicious first- and third-party claims, and bad faith actions.

In addition, Michele has handled cases across various areas, including general tort, subrogation, labor and employment, business, probate, and civil rights, as well as contract matters. She has experience in both public/municipal law and private sector litigation and has tried several cases to verdict in state and federal courts, including jury and bench trials.

Before and during law school, Michele worked in the insurance industry as a senior claims examiner for Safeco, a Liberty Mutual company, and as a claims examiner for 21st Century, now a part of Farmers Insurance Company. Her background as an adjuster and attorney encompasses subrogation, products liability, property, automobile, premises liability, and general liability bodily injury claims. She also has substantial experience handling insured and uninsured suspect automobile accident claims, as well as SIU-related first-party property claims involving arson, theft, and vandalism.

Michele is well-versed in commercial and personal lines insurance policies. Prior to completing law school, she completed the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s advanced course, which provides fraud resources and education on detecting, deterring, and stopping insurance crimes. Additionally, she currently serves as Chapter Counsel for the Claims Conference of Northern California, and has also has served on the Board of Directors for the Southern California Chapter of the International Association of Special Investigative Units as an arbitration forums panelist for Inter-company Arbitration, Inc.

Other Info About Michele

Experience

Legal Work Highlights

Represented numerous insurance companies by conducting examinations under oath resulting in millions of dollars of savings for the carriers by assisting in the evaluation of potentially suspect claims, providing and assessment and evaluation, and by identifying potentially fraudulent insurance claims – ranging from commercial property losses to automobile insurance fraud rings.

Successfully represented the City of Long Beach before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on an election law matter, as well as an insurer before the California Court of Appeals successfully defeating an appeal in a bad faith suit.

Education

Law School

Southwestern University School of Law, J.D., 2004

Undergraduate School

California State University, Northridge, B.A., Political Science, 1993

Bar Memberships

Michele is licensed to practice in the following state(s):

California, 2004

Courts

Michele is admitted to practice before the following court(s):

United States District Court

Central District of California

Eastern District of California

Southern District of California

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Recognition

Local & National Recognition

International Association of Special Investigative Units – Southern California Defense Attorney of the Year, 2022

Super Lawyers Magazine – Southern California Rising Star, 2009-2010

Professional Affiliations

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

International Association of Special Investigative Units

Claims Conference of Northern California

Presentations

Michele was invited to speak at the following events:

Conducted countless training courses for industry groups and individual insurance carriers. Presented at the National Conference for the International Association of Special Investigative Units, in Nashville, Tennessee, as well as at the annual Anti-Fraud Alliance conference in Monterey California, and at the annual conference for the Southern California Fraud Investigator’s Association in San Diego, California. Topics range from AI in claims, policy limits demand, to file documentation, to property claims handling.

Presented at various non-insurance groups from non-profit organizations such as Ronald McDonald House Charities, to departments within the City of Long Beach on topics ranging from Service Animals to employment litigation.

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