Speaker Bios

Melissa draws upon more than 30 years of legal experience to resolve a variety of civil litigation matters including construction defects, all types of personal injury, landlord-tenant, and habitability matters. A part-time private mediator, arbitrator, and special master since 2010, she made the decision in 2016 to follow her passion and transitioned to full-time neutral work. She volunteered as an arbitrator, mediator, and settlement judge for local courts before embarking on her private mediation practice and has served as a judge pro tem and settlement officer for the Sacramento County Superior Court for over two decades.

As an Arbitrator and a Referee, she has earned a reputation for being neutral, flexible, and thoroughly prepared. She prides herself in managing efficient hearings and allows everyone to feel heard and respected.

As a Mediator, Melissa’s friendly demeanor, combined with her direct and persistent approach, provides a sound foundation for the candid dialogue required to achieve resolution. She has the insight and experience to efficiently identify issues and discern on a case-by-case basis how to get parties engaged in bringing about resolution. Her goal is “to bring to the negotiation table a distinct set of problem-solving skills that will assist the parties in resolving their disputes on their terms so that they can get back to what they care about most in their lives – their families, their businesses, their passions.”

Scott Calkins concentrates on litigating complex tort and property claims in California and Arizona. Over the course of his 25-year civil litigation practice he has become recognized as a state-wide leader in construction law and an advocate for residential and commercial developers and builders.
 
He has litigated large, complex property loss claims and taken construction and toxic tort cases to trial.
 
Mr. Calkins recently received a defense verdict following trial on behalf of the developer of a mid-rise condominium project and a large, planned development community in Riverside County. He has tried and won one of the only breach of fiduciary duty cases brought by an association against a developer in the State of California.
 
Memberships
American Bar Association
Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
San Diego Bar Association

Anthony Gaeta’s practice concentrates on complex construction defect litigation, personal injury defense, employment litigation, premises liability and hospitality law. He has defended several large real-estate developers and home builders in both residential and commercial construction cases. Mr. Gaeta received a defense verdict on behalf of a national developer in one of the only breach of fiduciary cases brought by a homeowner’s association against a developer in the State of California. Recently, Mr. Gaeta received a defense verdict following one of the only SB800/Right to Repair Act cases to be tried to a jury in California.

Mr. Gaeta represents several hospitality groups, advising clients on leases, contracts, business formation, employment, and liability issues. Additionally, Mr. Gaeta has been providing sexual harassment prevention training to employers for a number of years. Mr. Gaeta has also presented continuing education seminars to insurance adjusters and industry professionals.

Licenses/Registrations/Designations
General Contractor – California State Licensing Board No. B 783635
California Contractors License C-36 (Plumbing)
Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan Certified (SWPPP)
OSHA Safety Certification
Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing Certification (CSST)

Areas of Focus

Standard of Care
SB800 Investigations
Cost of Repair
Construction Site Accidents

Project Expertise

Single Family Residences
Multi-Family Residences
Custom Residential
Light Commercial Projects

Areas of Expertise

Forensic Investigation
Document Analysis
Waterproofing
Structural
Repair Recommendations
Roofing
Subcontractor Allocations
Plumbing
Contract Disputes
Mechanical
Building Code and Materials Research
Electrical
Standard of Care
Scheduling/Trade Coordination
Expert Witness Testimony
On-Site Supervision

Education

Pipe Trades Apprenticeship Program Certificate of Completion, Foothill College/Union Local 393, San Jose CA 
 

Mr. Veksler is a Complex Claims Manager - Construction Defect with Selective Insurance. He oversees a team of claim professionals who handle high exposure construction defect matters countrywide. Prior to joining Selective, Mr. Veksler worked at AIG, QBE and a small, regional third-party administrator. Claims management is Mr. Veksler’s second career as he previously engaged in the practice of law for 14 years. He is licensed to practice law in CA, NV and FL. He previously represented general contractors, developers, subcontractors, and design professionals in various construction matters. He also represented insurance carriers in coverage disputes. He has spoken at prior CLM Construction Seminars as well as other national, regional and local organizations.