Adelle Greenfield

Adelle Greenfield is an experienced litigator who represents insurers and employee benefit plans in life, health, and disability matters.  Her practice focuses on individual and group life insurance, disability insurance, and accidental death claims, including insurance bad faith and ERISA litigation.  Adelle also represents health plans in disputes with providers and plan participants.  She handles class action litigation on behalf of her insurer clients, and has successfully defended complex class actions in state and federal courts.  

Adelle also has experience representing health care facilities, higher education institutions, construction firms, and commercial retailers in employment matters. She has successfully defended claims for wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, disability accommodation, and violation of leave and wage and hour laws.

Adelle represents clients in state and federal courts in California and Washington, and in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Admissions

• California
• Washington
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
• U.S. District Court, Central, Northern, Eastern and Southern Districts of California
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

• Lundquist v. Seattle School District No. 1 and Standard Ins. Co. (King County Superior Court 2023). Won summary judgment dismissal of all claims against disability insurer in certified class action, including alleged violation of Washington’s Insurance Fair Conduct Act. 
• MAO-MSO Recovery II, LLC, et al. v. Mercury General Corporation (9th Circuit 2023; C.D. Cal. 2021). Secured dismissal of putative class actions brought under the Medicare Secondary Payer Act’s private cause of action against auto insurer client while class certification motions were pending. Prevailed on appeal in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Scott v. Standard Ins. Co. (C.D. Cal. 2021). Obtained judgment for disability insurer in ERISA action following cross-motions for judgment and bench trial on administrative record. The Court affirmed the insurer’s termination of long-term disability benefits and denial of life insurance waiver of premium benefits on de novo review.
• Employment arbitration for commercial retailer (2020).* Won summary judgment dismissal of all claims against employer client, including race discrimination, disability accommodation, and FMLA claims.
• Singh v. University of Washington (King County Superior Court 2019).* Won summary judgment for employer on all claims including wrongful termination, disability accommodation, breach of contract, tortious interference, conversion and statutory wage claims, following a successful motion to dismiss claim for interference with protected leave.
• Williby v. Aetna Life Ins. Co. (C.D. Cal. 2018). Obtained judgment for ERISA disability claims administrator on remand from Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Hodjati v. Aetna Life Ins. Co. (9th Circuit 2017). Represented disability claims administrator in appeal of judgment affirming denial of benefits under ERISA.
• Abubakar v. Aetna Life Ins. Co. (C.D. Cal. 2016). Secured dismissal of ERISA long-term disability benefit claim on de novo review by successfully arguing that the claims administrator correctly applied the plan’s pre-existing condition exclusion.

*Denotes experience at another firm.

Presentations

• Speaker, Hot Topics and Trends in Healthcare Class Actions, DRI’s Life, Health, Disability and ERISA Seminar, Philadelphia, March 2024 

Education

J.D., University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, 2014

B.A., Communication, University of Washington, 2006

Honors

Best Lawyers in America® Ones to Watch distinction in Commercial Litigation (2021-2025), Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (2022-2025), Litigation - Trusts and Estates (2022-2025)

Super Lawyers® Rising Stars distinction in Employee Benefits, Employment Litigation, Appellate, and Health Care (2023)

Best Lawyers® Women in Law 2022