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  1. Insurance litigation: for policyholders
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‘Quality outfit’ Allen & Overy LLP has a good reputation for policyholder representation, and Bermuda Form excess liability and pharmaceutical product liability claims are strong areas of practice. The dedicated team successfully handled various claims in 2010, including financial line professional indemnity and D&O liability, and also first party loss and third party liability claims directly arising from the Madoff fraud. Richard Farnhill, Richard Smith, Judith Gill QC and practice head Joanna Page are recommended.

Covington & Burling LLP’s London practice undoubtedly benefits from the firm’s US coverage practice, with transatlantic coverage matters a key area of work. Recent matters include commercial coverage disputes, London coverage arbitrations (mainly in product liability), and challenges to solvent schemes of arrangement. The team continues to represent Textron, ExxonMobil, Goodrich, ITT and Zapata in their challenge to the Scottish Lion solvent scheme. Clients appreciate the ‘easy access to senior lawyers’, and highly recommend Roger Enock and of counsel Richard Mattick.

Herbert Smith LLP is a ‘knowledgeable and well-respected operator’ in policyholder litigation, with key areas of strength being the financial institutions and property sectors. In the energy sector, it advised BP on insurance recoveries connected to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and successfully represented Chevron in a dispute arising from the Buncefield explosion. Christopher Foster and Alexander Oddy are ‘quick to appreciate the context of the policyholder’s situation’, and are recommended along with Paul Lewis and practice head David Reston.

K&L Gates acts exclusively for policyholders, and clients appreciate the absence of conflict with insurers and the team’s related ability ‘to drive hard for the client’. Key areas of expertise include financial institutions, construction and engineering, trade credit, and political risk and energy insurance. The firm has been retained by Man Group to review financial lines policies. Group head Jane Harte-Lovelace and Sarah Turpin are ‘knowledgeable, and considerate to all issues’, and ‘follow through with their advice and strategy’.

Reed Smith’s insurance recovery group, headed by Peter Hardy, works closely with the energy, trade and commodities group, which has generated new instructions on coverage disputes. The team is acting for a client in a multimillion-dollar arbitration relating to D&O policy claims. Clients include AT&T, Credit Agricole, and Anadarko Petroleum. Mark Connoley is recommended.

Addleshaw Goddard LLP joins the ranking, with a rapidly growing reputation in policyholder representation. Practice head Richard Leedham led the team in acting for Standard Life in a £100m professional indemnity coverage claim testing liability to third-party customers for alleged mis-selling of pension funds.

The ‘highly experienced’ Michael Whitton heads Edwin Coe LLP’s insurance team, which has ‘an ability to focus on the most important issues from a very early stage’, and exhibits ‘wide experience and formidable intellect’. Roger Franklin is recommended along with associate Nicola Maher, who recently joined and is ‘a very valuable addition to the team’. Clients include Synergy Healthcare and Kidde Products.

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