• Bio
  • Credentials
  • Admissions
  • Publications

Sally Mermelstein

Of Counsel

Ms. Mermelstein’s entire legal career has been devoted to ERISA employee benefits, an area of law she first became familiar with when a hand problem permanently disabled her from her former career as a violinist. Having been a disability claimant herself, Ms. Mermelstein understands the devastation that employees feel upon losing their ability to work, and of the importance of securing specialized first-rate representation to ensure that this loss is not compounded by the additional hardship of an improper benefits denial.

Ms. Mermelstein has a nation-wide reputation for her deep understanding of the ERISA law and her insight is widely sought by plaintiff-side ERISA attorneys.

Ms. Mermelstein specializes in disability claims but will eagerly take on important ERISA issues that arise in life, AD&D, or pension cases. The majority of her time is spent drafting briefs to trial and appellate courts throughout the nation and, where necessary, drafting memoranda to facilitate mediation and settlement.

Social Media

Education

  • Juris Doctor JD, University of Minnesota Law School, 2003
  • Master of Music – Violin, The Juilliard School, New York, 1985
  • Bachelor of Music – Violin, The Juilliard School, New York, 1983

Notable Decisions

Some of the most recent examples of Ms. Mermelstein’s work are found in:

  • Collier v. Lincoln Life Assurance Co. of Bos., 53 F.4th 1180 (9th Cir. 2022)
  • Tekmen v. Reliance Standard Life Ins. Co., 55 F.4th 951 (4th Cir. 2022)
  • Wolf v. Life Ins. Co. of N. Am., 46 F.4th 979 (9th Cir. 2022)
  • Kay v. Hartford Life & Accident Ins. Co., No. 21-55463, 2022 WL 4363444 (9th Cir. Sept. 21, 2022);
  • Yates v. Symetra Life Ins. Co., No. 4:19-CV-154 RLW, 2022 WL 19211 (E.D. Mo. Jan. 3, 2022), in which she achieved success for the clients.
  • Shupe v. Hartford Life & Accident Ins. Co., 19 F.4th 697 (4th Cir. 2021)

In addition, Ms. Mermelstein briefed or was instrumental in the following resolved matters:

  • Williby v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., Case No. 18-56674; Williby v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., Case No. 18-56021 (9th Cir.)
  • Nathans v. Unum Life Ins. Co. of Am., No. CV 20-4977-RSWL-MRWX, 2021 WL 3053390 (C.D. Cal. July 20, 2021)
  • Myers v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., No. CV 19-9555 DSF (KSX), 2020 WL 7423109 (C.D. Cal. Dec. 17, 2020)
Admissions
  • State Bar of Minnesota, 2003
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit