Melissa Maravich
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Melissa Maravich

Melissa Maravich is a partner at Burch, Porter & Johnson in Memphis where she has a diverse litigation practice. Melissa has appeared before state, federal, and appellate courts in numerous jurisdictions. Her practice primarily focuses on commercial & business litigation, insurance defense and coverage, catastrophic claims, and transportation cases.

Ms. Maravich is currently the managing member for the firm’s largest insurance company client and handles general commercial liability, catastrophic claims, complex commercial litigation, and coverage issues on behalf of insurance companies and corporations. Ms. Maravich also represents corporations and municipalities in employment, property/zoning matters, and large commercial lease disputes.  Ms. Maravich participates in various national transportation and insurance defense practice groups and defends corporations in wrongful death and property damage cases.

Prior to her defense work, Ms. Maravich had an active plaintiff’s practice focusing on civil rights litigation against municipalities, employment discrimination, wrongful death actions, and products liability. She has experience in mass tort, class action, and multi-district litigation matters.

Ms. Maravich has been a Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 Mediator since 2002 and served as a voluntary mediator for Shelby County Criminal Court Pretrial Services for several years. She regularly speaks at seminars regarding trial practice and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.  Melissa is a Memphis Bar Foundation Fellow and has served on the Board of Directors for Girls, Inc. of Memphis, the YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South, and the Community Legal Center. Ms. Maravich served as Chair of the Fee Dispute Committee of the Memphis Bar Association for several years.

Education

  • Middle Tennessee University, B.S., 1979
  • University of Memphis, J.D., 1989

Admitted to Practice

  • Tennessee, 1989

Professional or Trade Affiliations

  • Federal Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Tennessee Bar Association
  • Memphis Bar Association
  • The Association of Trial Lawyers of America
  • Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association
  • Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators since May of 2017
  • Mid-South Community Justice & Mediation Center, Inc. – Pro-Bono Mediator

Honors and Awards

  • Certified Rule 31 Mediator by the Tennessee Supreme Court
  • Fellow, Memphis Bar Foundation
  • Litigation Section, Memphis Bar Association; Tennessee Bar Association; American Bar Association
  • Member, Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Group Committee, U.S. District Court, W.D. Tennessee (1995-2000)
  • Chair, Fee Dispute Committee, Memphis Bar Association
  • Judicial Clerk to the Honorable Jerome Turner, Judge, U.S. District Court of the Western District of Tennessee (1989-1990)

Publications

Reduce the Risks at Trial by Choosing Mediation, February 2023