Hard Work and the Road to Leadership with Melissa D’Alelio

Melissa D’Alelio has been in the workforce in some capacity since she was 12 years old. Throughout high school, college and law school she worked as a waitress in restaurants to make ends meet. As a young student, D’Alelio was always curious – a sponge for learning – so navigating the political landscape of a restaurant was a challenge she was up for. Managing the cavernous divide between the front of house wait-staff and the back of house kitchen workers all while smiling for the expectant customers was a delicate art – sometimes, a complex dispute. She might not have known it back then, but she was preparing for a life in law.

“My life work story, in many respects, is my leadership story,” says D’Alelio. “Every experience trained me. Each shift was a good training ground for negotiation and client service life. It also kept me humble and grateful when working hard through law school and law firms.”

A former life as a teacher also informs the way D’Alelio approaches the law. A sophisticated insurance practice at Robins Kaplan has the partner focused on liability and property claims where she represents clients in the investigation, litigation and trial of a wide array of matters. Additionally, D’Alelio handles general business litigation, contract disputes, labor and employment, products liability and personal injury.

“I always loved teaching, advocacy, reading and writing,” says D’Alelio. “I found a profession that combined all those things.”

In Ascent Hospitality Management v. Employers Insurance Company of Wausau, D’Alelio succeeded in securing Liberty Mutual's first appellate victory in a Covid-19 coverage case against Ascent. The district court’s ruling was affirmed by the 11th Circuit, stating that Ascent had not suffered any physical loss in terms of direct damage to a property as a result of Covid-19.

D’Alelio’s considerable background and vast experience in resolving policy interpretation disputes offers her invaluable insight – and not only in the courtroom. She also counsels insurers who are drafting customized policy forms and endorsements. Additionally, her knowledge and skill set are equally as valuable for advising or training clients regarding compliance with insurance regulations, state and federal statutes, changes in policy provisions, protocols, procedures and more.

“My favorite work is collaborating with my clients to tackle their most pressing enterprise concerns, including teaching and training their growing claims and litigation teams.”

D’Alelio is passionate in her commitment to the advancement of women in the insurance industry as well as diversity in the legal profession at large. At Robins Kaplan, D’Alelio is a leader in the firm's Diversity Committee and she co-founded the firm’s quarterly newsletter, Insurance Insight, a publication that offers a platform to feature and highlight women’s voices in the industry.

Lawdragon: Can you describe for our readers the mix of work you do within your practice?

Melissa D’Alelio: I am a Partner, Executive Board Member, and Chair of the Insurance and Catastrophic Loss Group of Robins Kaplan in Boston. I counsel clients in cases involving a wide variety of insurance lines, including commercial property and homeowner’s policies, and represent them in litigation and trial. I defend litigation over collapse, design defect, business interruption, earth movement, environmental exposure, and catastrophe claims such as tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, fires and windstorms. I also help my clients quickly and efficiently resolve measurement disputes in appraisal and reference. 

My insurance practice also includes the resolution and litigation of liability coverage issues under commercial and other standard form and manuscript policies. I advise insurers in complex coverage disputes involving advertising injury coverage, additional and other insured questions, the application of misrepresentation defenses, and exclusions under claims made and occurrence-based policies. I work with my clients to avoid the escalation of conflict and to achieve reasonable and cost-effective determinations, counseling my clients on effective ways to minimize exposure to extra-contractual “bad faith” liability claims.

My life work story, in many respects, is my leadership story. Every experience trained me.

LD: How did you first become interested in developing this type of practice?

MD: I fell into insurance law. I knew I wanted to litigate and began my law firm life in a firm’s business litigation department, focusing on labor and employment cases. My initial office was positioned between two insurance partners: one did insurance defense and the other did insurance coverage. Since I was the closest first-year associate, they often walked next door to staff me on their files. Before too long, I had become an insurance coverage specialist, with experience in both liability and property. While it all happened by accident, the continued focus and growth have been purposeful. I really enjoy the work I do with our insurance clients and engaging with my colleagues in the insurance industry on first- and third-party coverage matters.

LD: Did you have any jobs between undergrad and law school? What were they and how did they contribute to going to law school?

MD: I have been working since I was 12 – and often the work was far from glamorous. My life work story, in many respects, is my leadership story. Every experience trained me. I waitressed through high school, college and law school. I did this even while interning at our Massachusetts State Senate and in Massachusetts Federal Court, as I was working to pay for my education. Having to navigate the front and the back of the house, engage constantly with customers, management and coworkers, and work incredibly hard each shift was good training ground for negotiation and client service life. It also kept me humble and grateful when working hard through law school and law firms.  

LD: Why did you pursue a career in the law in the first place?

MD: I always loved teaching, advocacy, reading and writing. When I finally fell upon law, it was because I found a profession that combined all these things. My favorite work is collaborating with my clients to tackle their most pressing enterprise concerns, including teaching and training their growing claims and litigation teams. 

LD: Was there a course, professor or experience that was particularly memorable or important in what practice you chose?

MD: Teachers and education have been so profoundly important in my life. Being the first to go to college, let alone law school, I relied so heavily on some fabulous teachers and their guidance and mentorship along the way. In law school, I was drawn to our Domestic Violence clinic and litigating on behalf of victims of domestic abuse. 

LD: What advice do you have now for current law school students?

MD: Embrace it all! Keep an open mind. The beauty is in the journey, and seldom do you land precisely where you envisioned you would.

LD: What do you do for fun when you’re outside the office? 

MD: I love spending time with my large, loud, extended Italian family. I love playing with our three young children (ages 10, 8 and 6), and enjoy traveling and cooking. I try to get us to the Maine ocean as much as possible. It is a special place for us.

LD: If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you be doing now? 

MD: What I wish I’d be doing is that I’d be on a Broadway stage acting, dancing and singing. But perhaps more likely is, I’d be teaching English Literature to 6th and 7th graders.