A trial and appellate lawyer, Mike Metta demonstrates vast expertise in a broad range of commercial litigation and employment matters. A senior member of the firm’s ERISA practice group, Mike works directly with the chair to support ERISA clients in all litigation endeavors. He is also proficient at assessing, defending, and resolving the full range of fiduciary duty and benefits claims. His recent experience at the Firm includes defense of ERISA fiduciaries in class actions directed at the trustees of ESOP and 401(K) Plans pending in U.S. District Courts in multiple states.

Mike also evaluates, defends, and resolves employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour (including, among other things, FLSA collective actions and California PAGA representative actions), unfair competition, and wrongful discharge and similar claims under federal law and the law of multiple states. His appellate experience is particularly helpful to colleagues attempting to enforce arbitration agreements in the trial and appellate courts of California.

On the insurance litigation front, Mike has successfully defended life, health, and disability insurers in claims governed by ERISA, which are adjudicated by the court, as well as non-ERISA claims, which may be tried to jury. Mike also has substantial experience mitigating bad faith insurance risk on behalf of insurer clients in Florida and, most recently, Georgia.

Moreover, Mike routinely welcomes the challenge of complex commercial litigation matters, including disputes involving the sale of securities, failed real estate deals, and other business disputes pending in the state and federal courts where he is licensed. When necessary, Mike will relentlessly pursue the claims of the firm’s institutional clients, as plaintiffs, to judgment or settlement as a courtesy to the partners with whom he affiliates and their valuable clients.