I have had the pleasure of working with several very, very smart lawyers during my thirty-year career. But I have never worked with anyone who could grasp the legal issues and the larger strategy as quickly and thoroughly as Merril. Merril sees where everyone will end up before most us even know the direction that we’re headed. That’s a wonderful talent for a litigator – and a wonderful talent for neutral.

– Clay Warner, Senior Managing Attorney, Air Line Pilots Association

Merril Hirsh is an organized and experienced litigator who gets things done! He has been chairing a special ABA Committee relating to Special Master appointments. I have worked with him on this project for the past 18 months. He is efficient and effective. He encourages others to work with him and with each other. These traits would make him an outstanding mediator, arbitrator or court-appointed neutral.

— Hon. Shira A. Scheindlin, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (ret.)

While a senior Claim Officer at Chubb, I worked with Merril for over twenty years on many of the most complex and highest-value matters. His insight and analysis of the issues was always clear, well-balanced and thoughtful. He brought to his work the experience of a litigator and the skills of someone adept at developing and executing effective resolution strategies. In fact, each such claim resolved successfully through litigation (including trial), mediation or settlement discussions. I would highly recommend Merril to anyone seeking excellent services in any of his many areas of expertise.

– Kim Hogrefe, principal Kim Dean Hogrefe, LLC (former Senior Vice President of Chubb serving as the Worldwide Specialty Claim Manager and Worldwide Claim Technical Officer)

I have known Merril for the past decade as a friend, but it began much earlier in a professional capacity when I hired Merril and his firm to litigate a highly controversial agency rulemaking on behalf of our trade association. Most observers considered us to be in the proverbial David versus Goliath role vying against a powerful federal agency. The resulting surprise decision in our favor, after nearly two years of litigation, led to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacating the rule in its entirety. While Merril successfully managed our case from beginning to end, and correctly identified the weak points in the rulemaking, I was equally impressed afterward when he reached out to the prime architect of the rule during an industry conference. I also know that person well, and how proud he was of the rule that Merril was instrumental in dismembering. While litigators are born with competitive DNA, my experience working directly with Merril suggests to me he has another kind of DNA, one that allows him to rise above the fray and objectively surveil not only the legal environment, but also the emotional currents that often produce unproductive results and additional legal costs. I strongly commend Merril as someone who will serve an invaluable, impartial role analyzing the facts and helping both parties reach a middle ground with integrity and fairness.

— Duane Thompson, AIFA, Principal of Potomac Strategies, LLC (former Managing Director DC Office, Financial Planning Association)

Merril Hirsh’s many years of experience litigating some of the largest and most complex cases on behalf of the United States of America and for private entities stand him in good stead to evaluate, advise on, and resolve the thorniest and most intractable issues. Merril has litigated successfully against some of the most formidable opponents, bringing cases to a positive resolution for his clients. His legal skills and creativity have garnered positive recognition by all who encounter him. Merril is uniquely well qualified to sift through facts and analyze the law to bring closure to the most difficult of matters.

— Elizabeth Sarah (“Sally”) Gere, Former Deputy Attorney General of the District of Columbia