Melissa K. Eaves

Ms. Eaves is a special counsel in the Government Contracts and Regulated Industries practice group in the firm's Los Angeles office.

Areas of Practice

Ms. Eaves currently focuses her practice in complex civil litigation, fraud, white collar criminal defense, FAR MDR, investigations, and appellate work.  She has been practicing more than 20 years and has substantial experience in False Claims Act litigation and insurance insolvency litigation on the regulator's side. Ms. Eaves represented the California Insurance Commissioner in the Executive Life Insurance Company, First Capital and Mission Insurance Group insurance insolvencies and reinsurance litigation, involving over 300 reinsurers worldwide, representing recoveries in excess of $1.3 billion.  

Ms. Eaves has substantial experience in both state and federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court, enforcing judgments abroad, and supervision of domestic and foreign outside counsel.

Education

• J.D., Pepperdine University School of Law, 1985
• B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, 1982

Admissions

• US District Court, Eastern District of California, 2000
• US District Court, Southern District of California, 1993
• United States Supreme Court, 1992
• US Court of Appeals, Eighth and Ninth Circuits, 1991
• US District Courts, Central and Northern Districts of California, 1991
• California, 1986

Notable Engagements 

• Quackenbush v. Allstate Ins. Co. (517 U.S. 706, 1996).
• Quackenbush v. Allstate Ins. Co. (121 F.3d 1371, 1997).
• Quackenbush v. Mission Ins. Co. (62 Cal. App. 4th 797, 1998).
• Quackenbush v. Mission Ins. Co. (46 Cal. 4th 458, 1996).
• In re Mission Ins. Co. (Imperial), (41 Cal. App. 4th 828, 1995).
• Sunburst Bank, N.A. v. Executive Life Ins. Co. (24 Cal. App. 4th 1156, 1994).
• Prudential Ins. Co. v. Garamendi (3 Cal. 4th 1118, 1992).
• California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan v. Garamendi (232 Cal. App. 3d. 904, 1991).

Articles

• Sheppard Mullin Signs Six from Mayer Brown, The Recorder, January 5, 2009

Events

• Sheppard Mullin & Control Risks FCPA Workshop, May 12, 2010, Preventing Corruption: Good Business Practices = Good Business