Ms. Neff has devoted her career to civil defense and the advancement of critical civil defense issues. Ms. Neff’s practice includes the areas of insurance coverage and bad faith issues, unfair claim and trade practice suits, products liability, commercial liability, construction defects, personal injury, property damage, workers’ compensation, and appeals. She has tried multiple cases to verdict in both bench trials and jury trials, and her appellate experience is reflected in several State Court of Appeals and Supreme Court opinions.
Ms. Neff received the prestigious rating of AV Preeminent from her peers under Martindale-Hubbell’s peer review system, based upon a finding that she meets the organization’s very high General Ethical Standards and that she practices at the highest level of professional excellence. In 2013, Ms. Neff was named Young Lawyer of the Year by the New Mexico Defense Lawyers Association. Every year from 2015 through 2020, she was named a Southwest Rising Star by Super Lawyers, an honor bestowed on no more than 2.5% of the lawyers in a state. In 2018, she was selected by America’s Top 100 Attorneys to earn its Lifetime Achievement designation. From 2020 to 2022, she was honored as a Super Lawyer for the State of New Mexico in the area of Civil Defense. Every year since 2022, she was honored as a Michigan Rising Star by Super Lawyers.
In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Neff devotes time to a variety of organizations and publications. From 2012 to 2020, she served on the Editorial Board of Defense News, which is the quarterly publication of the New Mexico Defense Lawyers Association. She served as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Defense News from 2014 to 2018. Ms. Neff served on the Board of Directors of the Albuquerque Bar Association from 2013 to 2022, including a term as Vice President in 2021. Ms. Neff has also been an active member of the H. Vearle Payne American Inn of Court.
Ms. Neff believes that mentorship and volunteerism are critical both personally and professionally. She enjoys mentoring associates and staff at the firm and, in her personal time, often volunteers at a local Montessori program and various community organizations.
A native of Montana, Ms. Neff enjoys hiking, camping, climbing 14ers, kayaking, and otherwise exploring the outdoors with her family in her spare time.
Bar Admissions
- State of Michigan
- State of New Mexico
- United States District Court for the District of New Mexico
Education
- University of New Mexico School of Law, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- J.D. Degree, 2010
- Honors: magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, Dean’s List
- Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah, Georgia
- Bachelor of Health Science, 2006
- Honors: magna cum laude, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, completed doctoral level Physical Therapy courses and externship during undergraduate period.
Publications
- New Mexico’s Legal Community Maintains Year-Round Tradition of Generosity, Defense News, Winter 2012/2013
- Medicare Secondary Payer Reform: The Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers Act, Defense News, Spring 2013
- Untangling the Web: Differentiating Between Raskob and Hovet Claims to Determine the Proper Scope of Discovery, Defense News, Fall 2013
- For Those of You Scratching Your Head Over Double Costs Awarded in Estate of Lajeuenesse v. Board of Regents … Good News!, Defense News, Winter 2013/2014
- Co-Editor-in-Chief, Quarterly Publications of Defense News, 2014 to 2016.
Awards & Honors
- Martindale-Hubbell Rating: AV Preeminent
- Young Lawyer of the Year: 2013 (New Mexico Defense Lawyers Association)
- Super Lawyers: 2015-2019 Southwest Rising Star
- Super Lawyers: 2020-2022 (Civil Defense, New Mexico)
- Super Lawyers: 2022-Present Michigan Rising Star
- Lifetime Achievement Selection by America's Top 100 Attorneys
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- New Mexico Defense Lawyers Association (Editorial Board Member: 2012 — 2020; Co-Editor in Chief: 2014-2016)
- American Bar Association
- State Bar of New Mexico
- State Bar of Michigan
- United States District Court for the District of New Mexico Bar
- Albuquerque Bar Association — Board of Directors (2013-present); Executive Board (2020 — present)
- Washtenaw County Bar Association