The Legal 500

Within Insurance: advice to insurers, SNR Denton is a second tier firm,

The product of the merger of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP and Denton Wilde Sapte LLP, SNR Denton holds a firm presence in the insurance market, with over 60 partners focused on insurance dispute resolution. The firm’s two largest litigation groups are based in the Chicago and New York offices, with an outpost in San Francisco giving the firm a West Coast reach. Robert Johnson and Donna Vobornik win plaudits as ‘phenomenal insurance coverage and class action litigators’ who can ‘appear in any court in the country’. Coverage disputes handled by the team include environmental, property and casualty (P&C), workers’ compensation, directors and officers (D&O), and financial, and it is noted for its experience in major class actions. Head of the firm’s litigation and disputes practice Michael Barr is leading the team in representing insurers in litigation that will ultimately determine which financial institution will bear the huge losses resultant from the alleged fraud (via a Ponzi scheme) of Commercial Money Center. Co-chair of the international insurance litigation and coverage practice group Ronald Kent is the lead trial lawyer in a significant enforcement action brought by the California Department of Insurance, in PacifiCare Life and Health Ins, in which the Department is seeking up to $9.9bn in fines for Californian regulatory and statutory breaches. Clients of the firm include Travelers, Allstate, United Healthcare Group, ACE USA and Genworth Financial. Reid Ashinoff is recommended.

Within Insurance: non-contentious, SNR Denton is a third tier firm,

The product of the merger in September 2010 of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP and Denton Wilde Sapte LLP, SNR Denton is held in high regard within the insurance industry. Aligning the traditional strength of Sonnenschein’s insurance practice with the international platform provided by Denton Wilde, the firm is ‘unparalleled’ when it comes to regulatory issues, and has ‘real leadership in this area, and access to regulators’. Co-chair of the insurance regulatory practice Kara Baysinger is recognized for her capacity to ‘handle difficult and politically sensitive issues’, Gary Hernandez, with longstanding experience on the regulatory side, attracts praise as ‘pragmatic, reasonable and focused on results’. While the practice has historically had more of a regulatory focus, through the Sonnenschein side, it has a growing practice in insurance-related capital markets and other transactions. Led by Paige Waters, the firm continues to advise Starr International Insurance Company and its subsidiaries on all corporate and regulatory matters. It also advised First Mercury Financial on the acquisition of an insurer, including handling all regulatory approvals. Other clients include Aviva USA, Jackson National Life Insurance, UPS Capital, National Australia Bank, Hiscox and CareSource Health.

Within M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m), SNR Denton is a third tier firm,

Following its global merger between Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal and UK firm Denton Wilde Sapte LLP, SNR Denton’s sector focused M&A practice can boast offices in 18 countries and relationships with investment banks, accounting firms and lenders throughout the world. Washington DC-based Joseph Andrew chairs the business and regulation department, which includes the firm’s corporate, real estate, capital markets, bankruptcy, tax, public policy, energy, insurance regulatory, employee benefits and executive compensation, trusts and estates, and emerging company practice areas. In recent years, Andrew has acted on three Fortune 500 mergers in the health care and insurance areas. ‘Highly regarded’ Chicago partner Michael Froy advised Workhorse Custom Chassis in its acquisition of the P-Chassis Product Line of General Motors, acted for Molex in its acquisition of Cardell Corporation, a manufacturer of precision automotive stamped parts for electrical distribution systems, and assisted the board of directors of Kellwood Company in its defense against a hostile bid by Sun Capital, and its ultimate $560m sale to Sun Capital.