Melissa A. Federico

Melissa Federico is a trial attorney practicing in the areas of complex commercial litigation and insurance coverage and recovery.  She has litigated and advised clients in complex commercial disputes, including breach of contract, unfair trade practice claims, violations of the Lanham Act, shareholder disputes, and other various business tort cases.  She counsels policyholders to obtain insurance coverage under a wide array of insurance products including general liability, D&O, excess and umbrella and reinsurance. She has also counseled corporate risk managers regarding their insurance portfolios.  She has tried cases in both federal and state courts, and has represented clients in arbitration and mediation.  She is also a member of the Firm’s Appellate Practice Group.

Representative matters include:

• won a bench trial awarding insurance coverage to a Roman Catholic diocese for settlements of negligent supervision claims involving sexual abuse by clergy.  Hartford Roman Catholic Diocesan Corp. v. Interstate Fire & Cas. Co. 199 F. Supp. 3d 559 (D. Conn. 2016).
• won arbitration judgment in favor of former franchisee on grounds that the franchise agreement was unenforceable due to the claimant's prior material breaches, obtaining fees and costs for the arbitration as well as reimbursement of attorneys fees for defending related injunction.
• blocked preliminary injunction in federal court case in which plaintiff alleged breach of restrictive covenants, violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act and violations of the federal Lanham Act.
• successfully negotiated full indemnification funding from reinsurer on behalf of hospital's captive excess insurer.
• counseled bankruptcy trustee to obtain insurance coverage in suit against officers of debtor corporation.
• counseled bankruptcy trustee of pharmaceutical company to obtain maximum insurance coverage for creditor claims.
• represented municipalities to obtain insurance recovery under various property and casualty policies.
• counseled environmental client regarding insurance coverage for contaminated site remediation and demolition.   

In 2014, Melissa was selected by the Connecticut Law Tribune as one of Connecticut’s “New Leaders in the Law.”  The award honors lawyers under the age of 40 who have excelled in the courtroom, in client service and cultivation, in service to bar associations and in performing pro bono work or community service in a volunteer capacity.

Melissa has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Connecticut Rising Star in Insurance Coverage, 2013-2016.

Melissa is also a volunteer attorney and Board Member for Lawyers for Children America, a child advocacy organization protecting the rights of children who are victims of abuse, abandonment and neglect.

• Labor and Employment
• Litigation
• Business Litigation
• Insurance Recovery
• Health Care
• Appellate Practice

• Connecticut Bar Association, Insurance Law Section, Executive Committee
• Hartford County Bar Association, Board of Directors (2017 - present)
• American Bar Association, Section of Litigation
• American Bar Association, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS)
• The Risk Management Society (RIMS), CT Valley Chapter

• Connecticut Law Tribune 2014 New Leader in the Law
• Listed as Connecticut Super Lawyers® Rising Star in the area of Insurance Coverage in 2013 - 2016 (Super Lawyers is a registered trademark of Key Professional Media, Inc.)
• Feinstein Institute for Legal Service Public Service Award

• Clerk for the Honorable Judith C. Savage, Providence Superior Court

• Board Member, Lawyers for Children America

• July 18, 2017 - Melissa A. Federico Elected to Board of Directors of Lawyers for Children America
• May 17, 2017 - Melissa A. Federico Elected to Board of Directors of The Hartford County Bar Association
• September 30, 2014 - Connecticut Law Tribune Names Murtha Cullina Attorneys New Leaders in Law
• Melissa A. Federico Joins Murtha Cullina LLP

• Murtha Cullina Sponsors CBIA's Annual HR Conference

• November 22, 2016 - Insurance Recovery Group News: Bad Faith Ruling Against The Travelers Affirmed In Massachusetts
• August 2014 - Insurance Recovery Group News: Supreme Court Allows Insurers to Seek a Declaration Allocating Defense Costs to Fellow Insurers
• July 2014 - Construction Group News: Supreme Court Finds Duty to Defend in Law School Library Case
• The Connecticut Appellate Court Limits CGL Coverage For Electronic Data Breaches

• August 16, 2016 - CommunityBankingInsights.com: What Community Bank Board Members Need to Know About D&O
• December 9, 2015 - Article by Ryan M. Suerth and Melissa A. Federico Published in CT Law Tribune's Special Insurance Section
• May 16, 2014 - Health Law: Data Breaches In Health Care
• Connecticut Law Tribune Quotes Murtha Cullina attorneys

• June 12, 2017 - Melissa Federico Speaking on Insurance Recovery at the CT Legal Conference
• June 7, 2017 - FREE Half-Day Cyber Security Conference: Protecting our Businesses, State and Nation
• March 28, 2017 - Bob Kaelin and Melissa Federico Speaking On Advanced Contract Issues to CT Institute for Supply Management
• February 8, 2017 - Ryan Suerth and Melissa Federico Speaking on Captive Insurance to CT Chapter of Risk and Insurance Management Society
• February 26, 2016 - Marilyn Fagelson and Melissa Federico spoke at a CBA CLE entitled “Getting to Less: Symposium on Strategies for Reducing Discovery in Insurance Coverage CLE.”
• November 2014 - Melissa A. Federico to present on “Litigating Managed Care Contract Disputes,” at the Healthcare Financial Management Association - Connecticut Chapter in November 2014
• June 2014 - Melissa A. Federico to present on "Insurance Discovery In Motion,” at the 2014 Connecticut Bar Association Annual Meeting in June 2014
• May 2014 - Melissa A. Federico to present at the Construction Law Annual Update CLE, Connecticut Bar Association
• April 2013 - Melissa A. Federico is the Co-author, “Cover Yourself (and Your Client): Critical Insurance Considerations When Prosecuting or Defending Civil Actions,” for the Connecticut Bar Association, Insurance Law Section Symposium held at University of Connecticut School of Law, Hartford, Connecticut

• Connecticut
• U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

• Roger Williams University School of Law (J.D.)
• Stonehill College (B.A.)