William
M.
Demlong
Biography
William M. Demlong has been an attorney for over 30 years and serves as the firm's president and chair. In both the first-party and third-party contexts, Mr. Demlong's work entails the investigation and litigation of complicated insurance claims and coverage. In significant commercial, construction defect and personal injury cases, he has successfully argued in both federal and state courts. Mr. Demlong has fought claims in Louisiana, New Mexico, Montana, Alaska and California in addition to Arizona, Nevada and Illinois, where he has tried cases. All sorts of insurance policies were covered by his insurance litigation practice, with a focus on life, health, disability, coverage, general liability, construction faults, personal and commercial automobiles, and personal and surplus lines.
Mr. Demlong has actively participated in proceedings at the United States District Court of the District of Arizona. He served as an arbitrator for the District Court, was a part of the court's technology committee, and served as the Arizona lawyer representative for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals' former chair. Additionally, he twice in the previous year presided over the District Court's Magistrate Selection Committee.
Mr. Demlong has lectured on issues such as insurance bad faith, coverage and related ones throughout his career to lawyers, claims specialists and other audiences.
Over the years, Mr. Demlong has participated actively in volunteer work and invested a significant amount of time in a number of boards and community organizations. The most unique volunteer work that Mr. Demlong had done was as a reserve police officer for the City of Tempe, where he spent hundreds of hours a year working as a patrol officer. In an effort to combat childhood obesity, he has also been active with Chances for Children Arizona, a group that offers fitness and nutrition programs in Arizona schools.
Practice Areas
Industries
- Automotive
- Construction
- Defense Contractors
- Financial Services
- Healthcare
- Homebuilding
- Insurance
- Legal
- Manufacturing
- Professional Practices
Representative Matters
Bad Faith
- Defended hundreds of first-party bad faith case including life, health, disability, property and casualty, auto, commercial general liability, and specialty lines.
- Tried cases in Arizona, Nevada, and Illinois and litigated in a number of additional western states.
- Prosecuted over 100 interpleader actions in state and federal court, some which included a claim of filing a bad faith interpleader.
- Instituted numerous declaratory judgment actions to determine the insurer’s obligations to policyholders under its policies.
- Represented carriers in rescission actions based on misrepresentation on the policy application.
- Multiple jury trials in both state and federal court alleging insurance bad faith.
Insurance Coverage
- Assisted dozens of insurers in providing hundreds of coverage opinions relating to property and casualty, auto, commercial general liability, and specialty lines.
- Instituted or defended numerous declaratory judgment actions related to coverage issues in multiple states.
- Defended scores of coverage litigations matters relating to property and casualty, auto, commercial general liability, and specialty lines.
Personal Injury
- Has provided a third-party defense to numerous insured from personal injuries primarily suffered in a commercial setting or as the result of alleged products liability. A number of cases included serious bodily injury or death.
Education
- The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas
- J.D. - 1988
- Honors: with Honors
- Arizona State University
- B.S. - 1982
- Major: Accounting
Bar Admissions
- Arizona, 1989
- Nevada, 2011
- U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 1989
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 2003
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1989
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2000
- New Mexico, 2017
- U.S. District Court District of New Mexico, 2019
Honors
- Southwest Super Lawyers, 2009 – 2022
- Southwest Super Lawyers, Arizona’s Top 50 Lawyers list, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating 2022 Lawyer
- AZ Business Magazine, Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona, 2015 – 2019
- The Best Lawyers in America, 2017 – present, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, and Construction Law
- PHOENIX Magazine Top Lawyers in Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith (2022)
Past Positions
- Arizona, Certified Law Enforcement Officer, 1994 to 2001
Certified Legal Specialties
- Certified Public Accountant, Texas, 1985 - present
- Certified Law Enforcement Officer, Arizona, 1994 - 2001
Published Works
- Co-Authored chapters on Insurance Bad Faith, Punitive Damages, and Construction Defect, Arizona Tort Law Handbook
- Co-Edited revisions to Couch on Insurance 3d (ch. 7 "Introduction to Group Health Insurance and Government Regulations," ERISA, and ch. 8 "Group Health Insurance: Rights and Obligations")
Classes & Seminars
- "A Practical Guide To ERISA For Claims Examiners and Investigators,", Western Claims Conference, 1997
- "What You Need to Know About Presenting and Defending ERISA Claims for Benefits,", Maricopa County Bar Association, 1998
- "Analyzing and Handling of Insurance Claims Subject to Interpleader Actions,", Eastern Claims Conference, 2001
- "Insurance Bad Faith Claims in Arizona,", Lorman Education Services, 2001, 2002
- "Disability Insurance Claims in Arizona,", Lorman Education Services, 2003
- "Insurance Bad Faith Claims in Arizona,", Lorman Education Services, 2003 to 2006
- "Attorney Professionalism,", State Bar of Arizona and a Mandatory Course for Newly - Admitted Arizona Attorneys, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011
- Panelist, CLE by the Sea, regarding the difference between State and District Court Litigation, Arizona State Bar, 2007
- "Bad Faith 101,", National Business Institute, 2012
- "Accidental Death Claims,", International Claims Association, 2012
- "Current Development in Disability Claims,", National Business Institute, 2012
- "Disability Claim Hot Topics,", International Claims Association, 2012
Pro-Bono Activities
- Member of Class IX, Tempe Leadership, Tempe, Arizona, 1993 - 1994
- Board of Directors, Tempe Leadership, Tempe, Arizona, 1994 - 1999
- President, Tempe Leadership, Tempe, Arizona, 1997 - 1998
- Reserve Police Officer , City of Tempe Police Department, 1994 - 2001
- Board Member, Tempe Communities in Schools, Tempe, Arizona, 1999 - 2001
- Board Member, The Centers for Habilitation, Tempe, Arizona, 1999
- Vice-Chairman, The Centers for Habilitation, Tempe, Arizona, 2003
- Chances for Children, 2005 – 2011
- The Centers for Habitation, Board Member, 1999 – 2005
- The Centers for Habitation, Vice-Chairman, 2003
Professional Associations
- American Bar Association
- Arizona Bar Association
- Nevada Bar Association
- New Mexico Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- Defense Research Institute
- International Claims Association
- Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel
- Arizona Association of Defense Counsel
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Lawyer Representative, 2003 – 2007
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Chair, Lawyer Representative, 2006 - 2007
- U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, Chair, Magistrate Selection Committee, 2007, 2009

