- August 21, 2026
Tamiko A. Dunham
Partner
Biography
BIOGRAPHY
Tamiko has extensive experience counseling domestic and London-based clients on novel and complex issues involving various coverage lines, including commercial general liability, professional liability, first-party property, commercial auto, public entity, reinsurance, and cyber liability.
Tamiko also represents insurers in insurance coverage and bad faith disputes and has successfully litigated coverage issues in state and federal courts. As monitoring counsel, Tamiko regularly advises her clients on claims handling strategy and navigating high-exposure matters through to favorable resolution. Tamiko also assists clients in drafting policy language, evaluating underwriting issues, and responding to Department of Insurance inquiries.
Tamiko also represents insurers in insurance coverage and bad faith disputes and has successfully litigated coverage issues in state and federal courts. As monitoring counsel, Tamiko regularly advises her clients on claims handling strategy and navigating high-exposure matters through to favorable resolution. Tamiko also assists clients in drafting policy language, evaluating underwriting issues, and responding to Department of Insurance inquiries.
Memberships
- Bar Association of San Francisco, Insurance Practice Section, Chair
- California Lawyers Association, Business Law Section, Insurance Law Standing Committee, Vice Chair of Publications
- Asian American Insurance Network, Member
Awards & Rankings
- Best Lawyers®, The Best Lawyers in America®, 2021-2027
- Northern California Super Lawyers® (Insurance Coverage), 2013-2018 (Top Woman Lawyer, Rising Star), 2023-present (Super Lawyer)
Before Nicolaides
Before joining Nicolaides, Tamiko was a partner in the insurance coverage practice of a law firm in the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to that, she worked as a law clerk with the State of California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement and as an enforcement intern with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.- Secured trial-court judgment for London insurers in contribution lawsuit against co-primary liability carrier seeking recovery of defense costs; obtained affirmance on appeal.
- Obtained summary judgment for insurer in lawsuit for indemnity and contribution involving the interpretation of manuscript policy language addressing the qualification of additional insureds; secured affirmation of judgment on appeal.
- Secured summary judgment for London insurers in contribution lawsuit involving recovery of defense costs from other primary insurer that asserted excess language and challenged allocation.
- Obtained summary judgment for insurer that personal and advertising injury claims against insured were excluded by exclusion related to publication of material that was first published prior to the policy period.
- Secured summary judgment for insurer concerning application of manuscript automobile exclusion to claims of concurrent negligence by insured resulting in injuries during the use of an auto.
- Successful assertion of coverage defenses in indemnity and contribution suit brought against insurer client seeking in excess of $3 million in damages, resulting in a dismissal of client in exchange for a cost waiver and release of claims.
- Successfully denied coverage for vandalism and burglary claim and obtained rescission of first-party property policy following investigation and using Examinations Under Oath to successfully establish misrepresentations and concealments in insurance application.
- June 30, 2026
- February 17, 2026
- January 21, 2026
- January 5, 2026
- September 17, 2025
- August 21, 2025
- June 30, 2023
- February 1, 2023
- November 15, 2022
- August 18, 2022
- February 17, 2021
- August 7, 2019