SERENA Maria MERGEANI

SERENA MERGEANI 7020 Rembrandt Drive, Plano, Texas 75093 •-•- LEGAL EXPERIENCE The Willis Law Group, Dallas, Texas Associate Attorney, September 2017 – Present  Represents individuals involving personal injury, premises liability, including contested insurance coverage matters  Focus in insurance defense involving Texas Guaranty Association, including all related Texas Insurance Code issues  Maintains a litigation caseload from inception to trial Clerkin, Sinclair & Mahfouz, LLP, Frisco, Texas Associate, April 2017 – August 2017  Placed on special assignment in creating firm’s new Texas insurance defense practice from scratch  Drafted shells for use in litigation files, including legal correspondence, pleadings, written discovery, motions, trial documents, subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum  Represents insurance carriers and their insured in various litigation involving personal injury and property damage, including UM/UIM (uninsured motorist/underinsured motororist) claims, and all related matters such as breach of contract, fraud, and Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act claims  Focus on negotiating settlement in the most cost-effective manner Payne & Blanchard, LLP, Dallas, Texas Litigation Associate, September 2015 – April 2017  Represented individuals involving personal injury, premises liability, including contested insurance coverage matters  Litigated eight civil jury trials to verdict as second-chair counsel and one as first-chair counsel, achieving two defense verdicts and seven favorable awards below final settlement offers  Handled and managed own caseload from inception to trial  Conducted and attended more than 60 discovery depositions and mediations  Presented motions for full and partial summary disposition, resulting in a claim dismissal exceeding $50,000  Drafted and presented various contested motions before the court, including motion to compel, motion to transfer venue, motion to quash, and motion to exclude expert opinions  Communicated effectively with clients, insurance adjusters, opposing counsel, court personnel, office staff and partners AmerisourceBergen Specialty Group, Frisco, Texas Legal Intern, May 2014 – August 2014  Examined and drafted transactional documents regarding pharmaceutical distributions  Conducted legal research and analysis on various drug laws, both state and federal including issues with the New Drug Approval application procedure The Honorable Lance S. Baxter of Collin County Court #3, McKinney, Texas Judicial Intern, May 2013 – July 2013  Researched in preparation for motion hearings and trials  Observed oral arguments before the court and discussions of judge’s rulings in his chambers EDUCATION SMU Dedman School of Law, Dallas, Texas Juris Doctor, May 2015 Southern Methodist University, Dedman College of Liberal Arts, Dallas, Texas Bachelor of Liberal Arts in International Studies, May 2010 PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS Admitted to the State Bar of Texas, November 2015 Dallas Bar Association Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Texas Association of Defense Counsel SKILLS AND INTERESTS Fluent in French and Romanian Interests include community theater, improv, and volunteering with Operation Kindness