My name is Miguel Martinez, and I’m pleased to have recently joined Merlin Law Group’s New York office. Before joining the firm, I worked for insurance companies.
At Gallo Vitucci Klar, I defended insurers and their insureds in New York Supreme Court. I worked directly with adjusters and saw how claim files are built from day one. Before that, I served as an Assistant Corporation Counsel at the New York City Law Department, where I defended the City of New York in tort claims.
What I learned on the defense side
Most denials and underpayments don’t turn on what a policy says. They turn on how it’s read. Coverage grants get read narrowly, exclusions get read broadly, and requests for “additional documentation” can drag a claim out for months. Carriers have adjusters, engineers, and attorneys reviewing every word. Most policyholders face that team alone.
Where this started for me
I was born in Long Island, New York, and spent eight years of my childhood in Colombia before my family settled in Cape Coral, Florida, where I grew up. In Florida, hurricane season is a fact of life. I still remember Hurricane Charley vividly—the wind, the damage across our neighborhood, and the long recovery that followed.
What stayed with me even more were the phone calls with my parents when their insurance company denied coverage. They had paid their premiums for years and did everything they were supposed to do. When they needed their policy to work, they were met with denials, partial payments, and explanations that didn’t match what they saw with their own eyes. I could hear the frustration in their voices every time.
My parents didn’t have an advocate. They didn’t know they could request the claim file. They didn’t know an unclear exclusion should be read in their favor. They didn’t know the carrier’s first answer wasn’t the final word. Many families in Southwest Florida were in the same position, and many of them simply accepted what they were offered. Those calls are a big part of why I’m here.
Florida was only the beginning. Two years in Boston brought nor’easters and heavy snow loads. During my three years in Oklahoma, I lived through hailstorms, tornado warnings, and snowstorms that can damage a roof, siding, or an entire home in minutes. Since moving back to New York three years ago, I’ve seen how flooding and burst pipes during a hard freeze can turn a normal week into a major loss.
Each of these perils raises its own coverage questions, from wind versus water to sudden damage versus wear and tear. Having lived through them, I understand both the damage and the disputes that follow.
What I bring to Merlin’s clients
I know how the other side builds a denial, so I know where to push back. I know which documents carriers rely on, how to demand them, and when a coverage position is supported by the policy versus just a negotiating stance.
I will bring the same approach to every claim: read the policy carefully, hold the carrier to its words, and make sure my clients recover what they’re owed. As a native Spanish speaker who also speaks French, I can work directly with clients who are more comfortable discussing their claim in Spanish or French.
My parents deserved someone in their corner. Every policyholder does.
