As founder and president of Merlin Law Group, Chip Merlin has dedicated his practice to the representation and advocacy of insurance policyholders in disputes with insurance companies nationwide.
Chip was noted as the “Babe Ruth of Hurricane lawyers” in the Asbury Park Free Press for his work on behalf of 23 municipalities and hundreds of policyholders following Superstorm Sandy. The Tampa Bay Times dubbed him “the Master of Disaster” for his nationwide catastrophe work and helping policy holders following Hurricane Katrina.
He was honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards by United Policyholders as well as the Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters for his advocacy on behalf of policyholders. He was named Person of the Year by The National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters in 2009. He is on the Board of Directors of United Policyholders, has been a guest commentator on CNN and Fox News and is past Chair of the Insurance Bad Faith Litigation Group of the American Association of Justice.
Bar Admissions
-
- Florida
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- California
- District of Columbia
- Illinois
- New Jersey
- New York
- Tennessee
- Mississippi
- Arizona
Practice Areas
- First and Third Party Property Insurance Litigation
- Bad Faith Insurance Litigation
- Commercial & Residential Property Insurance Litigation
Education
- J.D., University of Florida College of Law (1982)
- Law Review
- Moot Court
- B.S. (Business Administration), University of Florida (1980)
- Florida Blue Key
Professional Associations & Memberships
- American Association for Justice (President’s Member)
- American Association for Justice, 1996 – 1998 (Chairman, Bad Faith Insurance Litigation Group
- American Association for Justice, Fire and Property Insurance Litigation Group, 1993 – 1995 (Secretary)
- American Bar Association, 1988 – 1998 (Vice Chairman, Subcommittee on Property Insurance Law)
- National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (Associate Member)
- Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (Associate Member)
- Community Associations Institute (Associate Member)
- Risk Insurance Management Society (Associate Member)
- Windstorm Insurance Network (Board Member)
- Citizen’s Property Insurance Corporation Mission Review Task Force, 2008 (Present Member)
- Southern Food and Beverage (SOFAB) Board Member