Tia Welch Maerz C.V.
In addition to her experience as a mediation lawyer, Tia Welch Maerz has had a diverse legal career, from trying cases as a Senior Trial Deputy for the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office to practicing maritime law with Kelly, Cox, Wootton, Welch, Gill & Sherburne, to joining the litigation boutique firm of Chan & Welch LLP where she acted as “general counsel” to many Bay Area companies and organizations.
Chan & Welch LLP
Litigated employment claims arising from discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage & hour, class actions, leave of absence, pregnancy rights, disability rights, failure to accommodate, employment agreements, non-competes, trade secrets, severance, defamation, privacy rights, attorneys’ fees
Managed $250M clean energy procurement program for investor-owned utility
Kelly, Cox, Wootton, Welch, Gill & Sherburne LLP
Founding partner of maritime firm with a focus on Jones Act, unseaworthiness, Limitation of Liability, longshoring, stevedoring, transportation, maritime contracts, coverage opinions, marine insurance, protection & indemnity clubs
San Francisco City Attorneys’ Office
Senior Trial Deputy assigned to the trial team defending personal injury, premises liability and civil rights claims. Managed parallel civil, criminal and internal investigations for the San Francisco Police Department and Sheriff’s Department
Memberships & Associations
California State Bar
Hawaii State Bar
Ninth Circuit, Court of Appeals
Northern, Southern, Central and Eastern Districts of the U.S. District Court
Maritime Law Association, Proctor in Admiralty
San Francisco Bar Association
Articles and Public Speaking
American Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Magazine, September 2024, Mediator Neutrality
San Francisco Attorney, Winter 2024, Mediator Neutrality, https://www.sfbar.org/sfam/q4-mediator-neutrality-mediators-from-a-defense-background/
San Francisco La Raza Lawyers, 2024, Top Ten Pitfalls at Mediation
Marin County Bar Association, 2024, The Art of Bracketing
The Mediation Society, 2024, The Art of Bracketing
Contra Costa Bar Association, 2024, The Art of Bracketing
Community Service
Board Member, Executive Committee, GirlVentures
Faculty, Trial Advocacy, University of San Francisco School of Law
Master, Edward J. McFetridge American Inn of Court
Mentor, Bar Association of San Francisco, School-to-College Program
University of California, Berkeley, Cal Alumni Scholar Selection Interviewer