Blank Rome LLP represents policyholders exclusively, with recovery specialists across Washington DC, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and several other key locations, acting for a variety of blue-chip clients in disputes spanning most of the key drivers of first and third-party losses of recent years, including asbestos, environmental damage, PFAS and toxic torts, COVID-19, and more, notably representing CVS Health Corporation in relation to the liabilities arising from its dispensation of opioids, and various religious institutions in coverage disputes connected to sex abuse cases. Reputed coverage partner James Murray leads the practice alongside Los Angeles-based Linda Kornfeld, who has significant experience in Bermuda Form arbitrations, and seasoned trial lawyer John Gibbons is particularly active in emerging risk areas such as media liability, biometric and data privacy, reps and warranties, and various professional liability and first-party loss insurance. Also filling the bench is seasoned recovery veteran John Heintz and  Washington DC-based Robert Jacobs, who comes highly recommended for Bermuda Form arbitrations and has recovered significant sums for clients in the chemicals industry. In New York, trial lawyer Jared Zola is a key contact for high-profile clients, and in Los Angeles, Mary Craig Calkins has over 35 years of experience litigating high-profile coverage disputes. Lisa Campisi handles disputes for PE firms, financial entities, and various Fortune 100 companies, and is experienced in catastrophic weather events. Omid Safa‘s broad practice includes guiding clients on cyber liability matters and reps and warranties claims. Chicago-based Rikke Dierssen-Morice is particularly noted for her construction and product recall coverage practice, Natasha Romagnoli is a key contact for schools and non-profits, and Helen Michael handles a wide range of coverage disputes from DC. Jeffrey Schulman joined the team in August of 2024 from Pasich LLP, and specializes in sex abuse claims. Kyle Brinkman is another name to note.

Under the leadership of Los Angeles-based policyholder heavyweight Tyrone Childress, the nationwide insurance recovery team at Jones Day has pursued a diverse load of high-stakes coverage litigation worth hundreds of millions into the billions on behalf of multinationals and domestic clients, from school districts and universities to multinational corporations. The group is well-versed in handling cross-border matters arising from losses connected to crises, events, and phenomena such as war and political risks, PFAS, opioids, COVID-19, sex abuse, technology errors & omissions, cyber liabilities, mass shootings, and catastrophic weather events. Childress is supported from the New York office by partner Jason Lissy, who specializes in cat property losses, mass tort claims, data breaches, and D&O claims, with over 1 billion recovered for clients thus far. Edward Joyce ’s varied practice encompasses professional liability, business interruption claims, and more, and Michael Ginsberg focuses on environmental liability disputes, toxic torts, and bad faith lawsuits. Tara Kowalski assists clients with disputes connected to a wide range of insurance products, from general liability to employment practices liability, and Cleveland-based Mike Andreini handles claims made in relation to corporate acquisitions and restructurings as well as those triggered by environmental and toxic torts.

 

Latham & Watkins LLP  has recovered billions of dollars for a variety of policyholders through its broad disputes practice, counselling policyholders across all major commercial lines of insurance. Noted for its success before the appellate courts, the firm’s victory before the California Supreme Court in the Montrose Chemical Corp v. Superior Court case impacted insurers’ ability to deploy pollution exclusions, and practice head John Wilson boasts a particularly strong history of overturning precedents. At the Boston office, Robert Gilbert deals with claims arising from COVID-19, natural disasters, and various complex long-tail matters, and Austin-based Brook Roberts is reputed for his success in bad faith and business interruption litigation. David A. Barrett is based in  Washington DC, acting for policyholders fighting claims related to COVID-19 and mass torts, most notably recovering hundreds of millions for Michigan State University in connection with the Larry Nassar scandal. Also on the sizeable team are D&O liability expert Drew Gardiner, San Diego-based Steven Lesan, who counts Fortune 500 companies as clients, and LA-based Kirsten Jackson, whose flexible practice includes various types of professional and commercial liability. Paul Moura advises on risks associated with emerging technologies.

The insurance recovery group at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP represents policyholders across a plethora of sectors and secures large recovery wins for clients with figures stretching into the billions, utilizing the firm’s global network to handle complex claims disputes concerning a variety of key contentious areas including PFAS, war and political risks, the opioid crisis, extreme weather events, and more, and counseling companies on their policy purchases and insurance-related corporate matters. The team is led by Washington DC-based duo Sergio F. Oehninger, who led recovery efforts connected to leased UK and US aircraft now stranded in Russia, and leads the group’s work in LATAM and Spanish-speaking regions, and Daniel E. Chefitz, a specialist in the representation of captives as policyholders. Leading alongside them from California are Jeffrey S. Raskin and David S. Cox, who head work in the Northern and Southern parts of the state respectively. In Texas, Brad Nes leads the Dallas team, specializing in legacy liabilities, and Houston-based Brady Edwards’ practice is oriented toward toxic torts and environmental damage liability as well as receivership and bankruptcy. Nancy Patterson represents a broad client base between the two cities. Also central to the team is Gerald P. Konkel, who has arbitrated across the US, London, and Bermuda, and was recently engaged in opioid-related coverage litigation in multiple jurisdictions. Lauren Silvestri Burke and Teri Diaz are names to note. Paul A. Zevnik has retired.

 

 

Led by versatile litigator Syed Ahmad, the Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP team exclusively acts for policyholders, trying and appealing coverage disputes across almost all commercial lines of insurance. Noted for their success in COVID-19 business interruption cases, such as those for food and retail giant Bloomin’ Brands, the group has a strong track record recovering vast sums for a varied selection of policyholders in high-stakes disputes with their insurers. On the team are reputed coverage expert Lorelie S. Masters, Michael S. Levine, who leverages a decade of past experience representing carriers to strategize for policyholders, Miami-based Walter J. Andrews, and Lawrence J Bracken, who handles a range of matters, including issues at the convergence of bankruptcy and insurance from the Atlanta office. Andrea DeField is trusted by executives facing cybersecurity crises, natural disasters, and bet-the-company allegations, and Koorosh Talieh‘s varied practice spans D&O, product liability, and an array of first-party property and business interruption disputes. In the Boston outpost, Geoffrey Fehling is highly experienced with D&O and management liability insurance, and in Washington DC, Latosha M. Ellis specializes in cyber and media liabilities, and Jorge R. Aviles counsels corporate and governmental policyholders on issues such as cyber risks. Based in Atlanta, Rachel E. Hudgins is occupied by coverage and bad faith litigation.

A sizeable chunk of Pasich LLP’s recovery team made the move to McGuireWoods LLP in the summer of 2024, with Kirk Pasich and Shaun Crosner joining Anthony P. Tatum as practice co-chairs. The team, who notably secured a significant win before the Vermont Supreme Court for Huntington Ingalls regarding their COVID-19 business interruption claims, exclusively represents policyholders in pursuit of recovery across all main commercial lines of insurance, and is regularly instructed to handle disputes connected to natural disasters, data breaches, and cyber security incidents, often communing with the firm’s London office to handle Bermuda Form arbitrations. Supporting the trio of leaders is a nationwide team that includes Atlanta-based veteran litigator Shelby S. Guilbert, who is well-versed in Bermuda and London markets, and acts for manufacturers, financial institutions, and healthcare providers in a spectrum of coverage disputes, New York-based litigator Stephen G. Foresta, Los Angeles-based Michael S. Ghert is notably busy with property and business interruption actions, as well as political risk. Joseph M. Englert handles a variety of complex disputes from the Atlanta office, and, also in Georgia, Nicholas G Hill guides various clients through contentious and non-contentious coverage issues. In LA, Craig Hirsch’s practice runs the gamut, and Christopher T Pasich handles crime and cyber claims alongside a wide range of first and third-party loss matters. Aaron F Jaroff is a key contact for clients in the financial services sector in NYC, and working between the East and West coasts, Mikaela Whitman is another cornerstone of the practice.

 

Counting only policyholders as clients, the insurance recovery practice at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP has represented a diverse selection of clients in the full spectrum of insurance coverage disputes. Standout matters on the team’s desk this year include representing Hilton Worldwide Holdings in a $1.7bn business interruption claim before the Nevada and Virginia state courts, and assisting CITGO Petroleum Corp after its chartered crude oil tanker was seized by Venezuelan authorities. The group, co-led by Los Angeles-based veteran trial and appellate attorney Robert Wallan, is a notably popular choice for clients in the construction sector, as well as clients in hospitality, banking, pharma, and more, taking on high-stakes, often international matters and building a track record of recovery work in the the growing area of cyber risks. Also co-chairing the operation is Peter Gillon, who splits his time between Miami and Washington DC, and is routinely engaged in D&O, P&C, securities, and other types of coverage disputes. Washington DC-based Mark Plumer is a key contact for policyholders in the sectors of public utilities, oil, and mining, New York-based Joseph Jean is well-versed in litigating business interruption matters, and David Klein has a broad practice in DC that includes marine cargo and aviation coverage. Also in DC, Melissa Lesmes specializes in assisting construction sector clients with a range of policy disputes, as does flexible litigator Eric Gold. Brendan Hogan focuses on cyber losses. Experienced trial lawyer Colin Kemp heads the San Francisco team, and over in Houston, Tamara Bruno handles a plethora of high-stakes coverage disputes. Partner Jeff Kiburtz arrived from Covington & Burling LLP in September of 2024.

 

 

John E. Failla leads the policyholder team at Proskauer Rose LLP where he is supported by Nathan Lander, who principally concentrates on acting for private equity firms. The practice specializes in representing private equity firms and hedge funds in recovery efforts and other disputes with insurance carriers and provides non-contentious services, advising on policy language, program structure and negotiations, transactions and M&A, use of captives and alternative risk vehicles, and claim evaluation. Aside from this core workstream, the team is equally equipped to handle a wide array of recovery disputes, including those concerning product recall, business interruption, life insurance matters, M&A insurance, and cyber liabilities, among many other commercial risks. All lawyers mentioned are in New York.

 

With a special focus on the energy sector, Bracewell LLP's Texas-based team assists a broad base of corporate clients with coverage disputes concerning a wide range of commercial insurance products, notably serving as lead counsel in an international reps and warranties coverage lawsuit for PE firm Yellow Wood Partners. The team is routinely tapped by clients from the fields of architecture, construction, and chemicals sectors, and has helped companies recoup losses resulting from extreme weather events and natural disasters, environmental cleanup, pandemic business interruption, and more. The team is led by litigator Vincent Morgan, supported by ‘extremely talented attorney’ Suzanne F. Day, who joined the team after a stint working in-house.

Pittsburgh-based David F. McGonigle co-leads the insurance recovery practice at K&L Gates. The team is regularly tapped by a variety of corporate entities for assistance with the full spectrum of coverage disputes. Lawyers filling the US bench include Washington DC-based Jonathan Cohen, who specializes in product liability, product recalls, supply chain, and cyber incident matters, and Geoffrey J. Greeves, an experienced trial lawyer well-acquainted with business tort litigation. In Newark, Donald W. Kiel acts for a broad selection of clients before various courts, and Anthony La Rocco, whose practice spans a true variety of sectors and policy types. Pittsburgh-based commercial litigator John Sylvester is well-versed in environmental and product liability matters as well as a range of first-party claims disputes, Laura Veith handles long-tail asbestos and environmental liabilities as well as professional and general liability and business interruption issues, and  Lucas Tanglen advises policyholders on renewals and wording negotiations.

Under the leadership of seasoned coverage litigator Angela Elbert, Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP’s Chicago-based insurance recovery team acts for corporate policyholders in courts across the country. The team has significant experience handling matters including those connected to chemicals-related claims, mass torts, environmental damages, D&O, professional liability, and more. Key partner Jill Berkeley, who, in addition to serving in various positions for arbitrations with the American Arbitration Association, has a practice encompassing toxic torts, environmental liabilities, construction, intellectual property, and business interruption litigation. Further strengthening the bench is Paul Walker-Bright, who covers a wide variety of coverage disputes, and trial and appellate attorney Andrew May, who is well-versed in litigating a broad array of disputes before various courts. Eric Choi‘s experience includes business torts and fiduciary recovery claims, and counsels policyholder clients on an assortment of recovery issues.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP ‘s policyholder practice concentrates on life settlements and Cost of Insurance litigation, representing a diverse roster of clients, with a focus om those on the financial services and tech sectors. Orange County-based Khai LeQuang leads the practice alongside commercial litigator Barry Levin, who co-chairs from San Francisco. LeQuang specializes in life settlement litigation and COI matters, representing investors and insureds against life insurance carriers, and also handles matters concerning cyber risks, construction, and environmental liabilities. The two leads are supported by ‘exceptional litigator’ Rich Krebs in the Orange County office.