William F. "Chip" Merlin, Jr.

The founder and president of the Merlin Law Group, P.A., in Tampa, Florida, William F. "Chip" Merlin Jr. is a plaintiff's insurance law attorney who has been representing insurance policyholders in Florida, Mississippi and other areas since 1983. While he is knowledgeable about a broad array of insurance disputes, from claims dealing with life insurance and medical bills to residential and commercial property claims, Mr. Merlin has established a considerable national presence as an advocate for clients whose livelihood and property have been devastated by hurricanes. He represented clients in storm damage claims litigation following Hurricane Hugo near the beginning of his career, and he went on to litigate claims on behalf of victims of Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina in 1992 and 2005, respectively. He has authored numerous articles on hurricane damage claims, indemnity and losses, and wildfire claims.

Mr. Merlin also represents clients in bad faith claims, coverage disputes, agent negligence and business income loss cases. In addition to litigation, he handles alternative dispute resolution matters and takes appeals cases. He is board certified by The Florida Bar in civil trial law.

Mr. Merlin earned his law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he served as the executive editor of the university's law review. He is licensed to practice in several states, including Florida, California, the District of Columbia, Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Middle District of Florida and the Southern District of Texas. Widely respected among his peers, Mr. Merlin received the highest possible rating with Martindale-Hubbell, AV-Preeminent* in 2011, 2012 and 2013. He was also listed among Florida Trend magazine's Legal Elite from 2004 to 2012.

^{*AV-Preeminent and BV-Distinguished are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.}