The law firm of Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP is pleased to announce that Ronie M. Schmelz has joined the firm as a partner in the firm’s Insurance and Reinsurance Department. She will divide her practice between the firm’s offices in Los Angeles and New York.
For more than 25 years, Schmelz has represented clients in all aspects of insurance and reinsurance, including reinsurance disputes and coverage and bad-faith actions. As a litigator, she advises clients in governmental investigations, complex commercial litigation and consumer class actions. Her practice encompasses domestic and international clients in a wide range of industries, such as consumer products, hospitality, real estate, health care, insurance and reinsurance, employment, unfair competition and business torts.
“We are very pleased to welcome such an accomplished partner to our team. Ronie’s deep experience in insurance and reinsurance litigation will be a great asset as we meet the increasing demand from our clients on the West Coast and in New York,” said Alan J. Levin, the chair of Edwards Wildman and co-chair of the firm’s Insurance and Reinsurance Department. “Insurance and reinsurance is a core strength of Edwards Wildman, and we look forward to expanding our capabilities with the addition of a talented and well-regarded litigator like Ronie.”
Before joining Edwards Wildman, Schmelz was a partner in the Los Angeles office of Sidley Austin. A member of the California and International Bar Associations, she is admitted to practice in California, New York, and the District of Columbia. She is also licensed to practice in the US Court of Federal Claims in Washington, DC, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, and the US District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Central Districts of California.
Schmelz earned her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law. She is involved with ARIAS-US, a member of the Association of Professional Insurance Women and on the Los Angeles steering committee of the Women’s Leadership and Mentoring Alliance. She is a member of the board of directors and executive committee for Bet Tzedek Legal Services, as well as past president of the Legal Aid Foundation in Los Angeles.
