
Practices
Industries
Representative Experience
Mr. Demlong’s practice involves the analysis and litigation of complex insurance claims and coverage in both the first-party and third-party context. He has litigated substantial commercial, construction defect and personal injury matters in both federal and state courts. Mr. Demlong has tried cases in Arizona, Nevada and Illinois and has also litigated matters in Louisiana, New Mexico, Montana, Alaska and California. His insurance litigation practice has included all types of policies with particular emphasis on life, health, disability, coverage, general liability, construction defect, personal and commercial automobile, and personal and surplus lines.
Mr. Demlong has been active within the United States District Court of the District of Arizona. He was an arbitrator for the District Court, a member of that Court’s Technology Committee and is past chair of the Arizona Lawyer Representative for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He also served as Chair of the District Court’s Magistrate Selection Committee on two occasions in the past year.
Throughout his career, Mr. Demlong has given presentations to attorneys, claims professionals and others relating to insurance bad faith, coverage and related topics.
Mr. Demlong has been active in community service over the years and has devoted a substantial amount of time to various boards and community groups. Mr. Demlong’s most unique volunteer service was as a reserve police officer for the City of Tempe where he volunteered hundreds of hours a year as patrol officer. He has also been active Chances for Children Arizona, an organization provides fitness and nutrition programs in Arizona schools in an effort to help fight childhood obesity.
Associations & Activities
- 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
- The Centers for Habitation, Board Member, 1999 – 2005
- The Centers for Habitation, Vice-Chairman, 2003
- Tempe Communities in Schools, Board Member, 1999 – 2001
- City of Tempe Police Department, Reserve Police Officer, 1994 – 2001
- Tempe Leadership, President, 1997 – 1998
- Tempe Leadership, Board of Directors, 1994 – 1999
- Tempe Leadership, Member of Class IX, 1993 – 1994
- Chances for Children, 2005 – 2011
- Certified Public Accountant, Texas
Awards & Recognition
- Southwest Super Lawyers, 2009 – 2019
- Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition for Insurance, 2010 – 2014
- Southwest Super Lawyers, Insurance Law, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015
- Southwest Super Lawyers, Arizona’s Top 50 Lawyers list, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
- Martindale- Hubbell Preeminent Rating
- AZ Business Magazine, Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona, 2015 – 2019
- Best Lawyers in America, Construction Law, Insurance Law, Litigation-Insurance, 2017, 2018, 2019
Bar Admissions
- Arizona, 1989
- Nevada, 2011
- New Mexico, 2017
Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2000
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, 1989
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, 2003
- U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, 1989
- U.S. District Court, District of New Mexico, 2019
Education
- University of Texas (J.D., with Honors, 1988)
- Arizona State University ( B.S., Accounting, with Honors, 1982)
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 under its policies to policyholders.
- 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 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 the result of alleged products liability. A number of cases included serious bodily injury or death.
News & Publications
Cavanagh Law Firm Attorneys Named Top Lawyers in Arizona
Senior Members William M. Demlong, Timothy R. Hyland and Steven Plitt on Prestigious List The Cavanagh Law Firm is proud to announce three of our attorneys have been recognized in Arizona Business Magazine as among the Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona. Each year, Arizona...
Attorneys Named in 2018 Edition of Best Lawyers in America©
Named for this honor are Helen R. Davis, Philip C. Gerard, William M. Demlong, Timothy R. Hyland, Steven Plitt, Scott A. Rose and Terry L Rakow.
2017 Super Lawyers Top 50 Arizona Lawyers List Announced
William Demlong, Timothy Hyland and Steven Plitt were included in the Top 50 Arizona Lawyers list by Super Lawyers.
15 Attorneys Named as 2017 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
Southwest Super Lawyers selected 12 senior attorneys for its 2017 honor. Named for this honor are Helen R. Davis, William M. Demlong, Philip C. Gerard, Connie T. Gould, Christina S. Hamilton, Ralph E. Hunsaker, Timothy R. Hyland, Steven Plitt, Elliot H. Wernick, Richard J. Woods and Jerry D. Worsham II. Steven J. Gross, Jordan R. Plitt and John K. Wittwer were named as up-and-coming, Rising Stars.
Attorneys Named to 2017 Top 100 Lawyers List by Arizona Business Magazine
Senior Members William Demlong, Timothy Hyland and Steven Plitt were selected by the AZ Business magazine to its Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona list. Selections are based on each lawyer’s professional success, impact on his or her law firm, impact on the communities she/he serves and impact on the legal profession.
Best Lawyers in America List for 2017 Is Announced
Ten lawyers from the Firm were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017 (Copyright 2014 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC). Helen Davis – Family Law; Philip Gerard – Family Law; Terry Rakow – Litigation – Real Estate, Real Estate Law; Scott Rose – Land Use & Zoning Law, Real Estate Law; Richard Woods – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants; Ralph Hunsaker – Litigation – Insurance; Scott Salmon – Product Liability Litigation; Timothy Hyland – Insurance Law; Steven Plitt – Insurance Law; William Demlong – Insurance Law, Litigation – Insurance.
Three Attorneys on 2016 Southwest Super Lawyers Top 50 Arizona List
Three Senior Members were honored by being named to the 2016 list of the Top 50 Arizona Southwest Super Lawyers. William Demlong, Timothy Hyland and Steven Plitt practice in the areas of Insurance Coverage, Bad Faith, Insurance Defense and Civil Litigation Defense.
2016 Southwest Super Lawyers Named
Ten senior attorneys were named as 2016 Southwest Super Lawyers. In the practice area of Family Law, Christina Hamilton, Helen Davis and Philip Gerard were honored; Richard Woods and Ralph Hunsaker were named in the Personal Injury Defense–General category; Kerry Griggs was listed in the Personal Injury Products – Defense category; Timothy Hyland and Steve Plitt were named in the Insurance Coverage category; and William Demlong and Elliot Wernick were honored in the Civil Litigation: Defense category.
Three Attorneys Named to the AZ Business Magazine’s Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona 2016 List
Senior Members William Demlong, Timothy Hyland and Steven Plitt were selected by the AZ Business magazine to its Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona list. Selections are based on each lawyer’s professional success, impact on his or her law firm, impact on the communities she/he serves and impact on the legal profession.
The Cavanagh Law Firm is Home to 23 Super Lawyers (2015 list)
Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor.