Routinely instructed by a range of P&C, life, specialty, and emerging insurers as well as key reinsurance players, the team at Dentons remains a go-to for clients embroiled in disputes over a truly expansive array of coverage, bad faith litigation, enforcement actions, and other insurance-based disputes, and gained significant experience advising various clients on COVID-19 exposures, environmental cleanup and chemical matters, and opioid crisis-related disputes. NY-based litigator and practice co-lead Sandra Hauser is particularly well-versed in life insurance annuities and class actions, and other co-head Keith Moskowitz, who is based in Chicago, has a broad practice and is a go-to for major catastrophic exposures, including environmental liabilities, sex abuse, and war risks. The third and final practice leader is Shari Klevens, who serves as the firm’s bad faith expert and has been highly engaged insurer-side in COVID-19 coverage matters, notably serving as Zurich North America’s lead trial counsel for a slew of pandemic-related property loss coverage claims. Newly-appointed New Jersey partner Erika Lopes-McLeman concentrates on class actions, coverage litigation and counseling, and insurance defense work.

 

 

Led by ‘fierce and talented’ trial lawyer Lynn Neuner and flexible commercial litigator Jonathan Youngwood, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP counts a large chunk of the largest insurers and reinsurers in the market as clients, who turn to them to handle a range of high-stakes and high-value coverage disputes, bad faith suits, class actions, and more. The team litigates and arbitrates a broad range of substantive issues across the US, UK, and Bermuda, taking on cases connected to some of the country’s key areas of coverage disputes, from PFAS and environmental liabilities, to the opioid crisis, to war risks and sexual abuse. The bench is filled by veteran litigator Bryce Friedman, who has seen the full spectrum of insurance disputes, with particular expertise in fraud and the False Claims Act, Joshua Polster, who is notably adept at navigating actuarial matters that arise during disputes, and new partner Summer Craig, who is trusted by a range of insurers to handle coverage disputes at the trial and appellate levels. All lawyers mentioned are in New York.

One of only a few disputes-only boutiques in the space, Chaffetz Lindsey LLP‘s New York-based team advises insurers and reinsurers in intricate and high-stakes litigation and arbitration, leveraging the firm’s deep experience with international arbitration to handle matters that traverse several markets, including London and Bermuda. The group is staffed by an experienced team of commercial disputes partners, including veteran practitioner Steven Schwartz, whose experience spans trial, appellate, and arbitration work for insurers and reinsurers, Cecilia Moss, a founding partner with extensive insurance and reinsurance experience that has touched many major industry controversies including COVID-19, asbestos, and environmental contamination, and Charles Scibetta, who takes on high-stakes cases for clients such as AIG concerning a variety of environmental liabilities and other high-profile issues. With over 40 trials and arbitrations under his belt, Peter Chaffetz handles high-profile matters in the reinsurance and insurance spaces, including insolvencies, asbestos, application of aggregate limits, mass torts, and surety disputes, to name a few. Most recently, he was appointed as US counsel for the insolvency practitioners investigating the reinsurance collapse caused by Insurtech company Vesttoo’s fraud. Another cornerstone of the boutique is ‘intellectual powerhouse’ Andrew Poplinger, who is well-versed in reinsurance disputes, P&C speciality lines, London-seated Bermuda form arbitrations, and various environmental and extreme weather-related coverage issues. Joshua Anders is trusted by some of the US’s largest insurers to handle coverage disputes concerning product liabilities, defamation, business interruption, fraud, and environmental contamination, and Erin Valentine advises insurers with regard to a vast array of coverage disputes.

 

The team at Boston-based Choate, Hall & Stewart represents some of the largest reinsurers in the states and worldwide, and has been involved in a host of high-stakes and highly mediatized disputes concerning a broad spectrum of coverage claims into the billions. The group has counselled reinsurers on matters concerning cat and tandem perils like bushfires and wildfires, environmental risks such as PFAS and asbestos matters, sex abuse matters, and has developed a sub-specialism in formal life reinsurance disputes. One of three practice heads is reinsurance veteran David Attisani, who has vast experience handling reinsurance disputes involving international insurers such as Sompo International. Experienced litigator J.P. Jaillet also leads the team, working primarily with reinsurers, and while reinsurance constitutes the lion’s share of the firm’s practice, the team is also active in the direct-side insurance space, an area where third co-head Robert Kole is trusted by heavyweights like Liberty Mutual, notably in connection to billions’ worth of disputes arising from the opioid crisis, and lawsuits relating to mass shootings. Kevin Finnerty is another player on the reinsurance side of the practice, counseling some of the firm’s largest clients, and Caroline Trusty specializes in litigating on behalf of insurers.

 

DLA Piper LLP (US)’s insurance team is primarily based in New York, handles the full spectrum of insurance and reinsurance disputes, and is led by Aidan McCormack, who litigates and arbitrates an array of contentious matters on behalf of insurance and reinsurance giants. Its stellar client list is also advised by Mark Deckman, who acts for insurance carriers in domestic and international coverage disputes concerning various insurance lines, from directors’ and officers’ liability to first-party property claims in the energy sector, and reinsurance matters. Robert Santoro is a key name for high-exposure claims under primary and excess policies written on claims-made and occurrence bases, and down in Dallas, Rob Hoffman was notably active in litigations arising from pandemic business losses and is a key contact for clients facing post-M&A insurance issues. In Houston, Brett Solberg navigates COVID-19-related litigation before numerous state Supreme Courts, and federal and intermediate appellate courts. Also integral to the group is LA associate Erik Buzzard, who takes on contract disputes to toxic torts, and back in New York, Joseph Finnerty is tapped for M&A transactional liability matters. Robert Brian Seibert’s practice includes international dispute resolution, and Megan Shea advocates for the interests of insurers in a wide range of matters.

Under the direction of Los Angeles-based class actions specialist Deborah Stein and Washington DC-based Geoffrey Sigler, whose practice encompasses healthcare and life and annuities matters, ERISA claims disputes, and more, the insurance team at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is a key resource for major insurers facing various contentious matters. The group taps expertise from other departments within the firm to handle disputes at the convergence of insurance and matters such as insolvency and antitrust, and is also seasoned in navigating disputes stemming from the use of Insurtech. The bench houses Los Angeles-based Heather Richardson, an adept domestic and international arbitrator who has represented insurers before state and federal trial and appellate courts, and decorated litigator Richard Doren, who has a varied caseload that includes bankruptcy proceedings in the insurance industry. Also in LA, Matthew Hoffman litigates complex insurance and reinsurance disputes. Kahn Scolnik is trusted to handle class actions against brought against insurers, an area where Bradley Hamburger is similarly sought-after.

With particular expertise in life insurance class actions, the team at Sidley Austin LLP works with a range of carrier-side stakeholders to handle class action litigation, regulatory and white-collar investigations, reinsurance disputes, and appellate work. Hailing from the Chicago office, practice co-head Eric Mattson is noted for his defense of life insurance class actions. New York-based Ellen Dunn is a go-to for contentious regulatory matters and insurance insolvency proceedings, routinely representing life insurers before regulatory bodies, and back in Chicago, Thomas Cunningham is a key contact for insurance and reinsurance litigation, arbitration, and regulatory investigations. Based between Chicago and Dallas, Brian Kavanaugh specializes in acting for health insurers, and Chicago-based Christopher Assise’s practice includes reinsurance litigation and class actions against P&C insurers.

Steptoe LLP offers a team well-equipped to handle highly challenging direct-side and reinsurance matters involving a wide variety of hot insurance topics, particularly prolific defending insurers’ interests during COVID-19-related coverage litigation. The group is a resource for major insurers in high-stakes disputes concerning large-scale environmental damage and liabilities cases, pandemic business interruption claims, insurance-related bankruptcies, Bermuda form arbitrations, life and health insurance coverage disputes, building risk claims, and cyber policies. DC-based practice head Sarah Gordon, whose experience encompasses complex coverage disputes and reinsurance arbitrations, ERISA litigation, and professional malpractice matters, served as national coordinating counsel for Hartford Financial Services Group’s COVID-19 matters. Gordon is supported by a convoy of partners, including DC-based ‘excellent negotiator’ Antonia Ianniello, who has litigated for insurers in courts all across the country, seasoned disputes expert Roger Warin, who has a strong trial and appellate record across a variety of insurance disputes, and NYC-based Michele Jacobson, who guides clients through high-stakes litigation and conduct investigations by regulators and other regulatory and compliance matters. Also in DC is Harry Lee , who focuses on long-tail direct-side disputes, an area where coverage and class action John O’Connor is also active. In New York, Robert Lewin specializes in claims stemming from natural and man-made disasters. New York-based Beth Clark’s practice spans a range of contentious insurance and reinsurance matters, and Johanna Dennehy was recently engaged in COVID-19 business interruption alongside colleagues in Washington DC.

 

The practice at Akerman LLP spans a spectrum of salient contentious insurance matters, with the nationwide team handling class actions, coverage disputes, and bad faith suits for a wide range of insurer clients. The team’s first co-head Lawrence Rochefort  is based in West Palm Beach, other co-head Jason Oletsky handles matters from the Fort Lauderdale office, Amy Doehring leads the team from Chicago, and final co-lead Michael Weiss is based in LA. Key Miami-based litigator Gary Guzzi is central to the team, as is Dallas-based Matthew Schroeder, who specializes in high-stakes environmental litigation and compliance issues, including PFAS exposures and COVID-19 coverage disputes. Also in Dallas, Elliot Strader is tapped for personal injury and oil and gas-related insurance disputes. In Atlanta, Anthony Morris acts for global insurers in various litigations, and Robin Johnson is a key contact for bad faith matters. Antonio Morin sits in the Miami office, navigating bad faith, appellate, breach of contract, and declaratory judgment work. Jason Heep focuses on environmental torts.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP‘s group of insurer advocates specializes in securities class actions in the insurance industry primarily in the life and annuities, P&C, financial guaranty, and health insurance matters. In the New York office, practice head Maeve O’Connor is entrusted by a broad base of major US insurers to handle various complex securities disputes, and Susan Reagan Gittes is equipped to advise on regulatory and contentious matters including D&O disputes, securities litigation, and disputes stemming from transactions and M&A within the insurance sector.

Based primarily in Washington DC, the group at McDermott Will & Emery LLP has experience across a range matters impacting insurers, from coverage litigation to complex underwriting. Margaret Warner co-leads the team, a highly experienced insurance litigator who has handled matters concerning antitrust, class action, mass tort, product liability, reinsurance, and many other types of disputes at trial and appellate level. Other co-chair Ryan Smethurst is a go-to for policy drafting guidance and various contentious insurance matters, from high-profile class actions, tax, ERISA disputes, and insurance litigation arising from large transactions, and is also an experienced advisor of captive insurers. Recent engagements span matters connected to PFAS, asbestos, and several sexual abuse matters, including the representation of Allianz in coverage litigation related to sexual abuse cases brought against the Roman Catholic Bishop of Orange County.

Led by seasoned coverage litigator Kim Marrkand and reps and warranties, life, and P&C specialist Nancy Adams , both based in Boston, the country-wide team at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. has experience litigating various key coverage issues across state, federal, and bankruptcy courts and is notably active in P&C, reps and warranties, and bad faith disputes, as well as in assisting transactional risk insurers and reinsurance stakeholders. Also on the team is Washington DC-based Deirdre Johnson, whose practice encompasses class actions, securities litigation, and international insurance arbitration, and Ellen Farrell, who focuses on the arena of long-tail claims, sexual abuse and human trafficking matters, and Bermuda Form policies. From the New York office, Marc Abrams advises insurers, reinsurers, and brokers in high-stakes litigation and arbitration, and first-chair litigator Suman Chakraborty acts for insurers and reinsurers in the segments of P&C and life. Strengthening the New York bench further is Mark Haas, a practitioner well-versed in representing insurers in a wide selection of coverage disputes.

 

 

New York-based team at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP is known for its work on high-profile disputes, class actions, and qui tam lawsuits, often involving multiple jurisdictions. The team is led by a trio of litigators; Michael Carlinsky, whose practice incorporates complex international insurance litigation and South American matters; Corey Worcester, who concentrates on high-stakes litigation concerning coverage, insurers’ practices, and regulatory matters; and Maaren Shah, who specializes in assisting insurer clients in disputes in the art, fashion, design, entertainment, and finance sectors. Another key name is  Renita Sharma, who acts for a variety of insurer clients in court and in regulatory investigations.

Based in Uniondale, New York with a growing caseload in Florida, Rivkin Radler’s team is regularly trusted by a variety of major US insurers to handle high-exposure disputes such those connected to the opioid crisis, sexual abuse and the Child Victims Act, asbestos, construction defects, environmental liabilities, and many more. Practice head Alan Rutkin contributes several decades of experience handling a true assortment of insurance coverage disputes, and also on the team is seasoned insurance specialist William Savino, who litigates coverage disputes and class actions. Another key team member is Michael Kotula, who acts for insurance in a diverse array of high-exposure claims, from opioids and asbestos to sexual abuse and product liability, and professional liability specialist David Wilck comes highly recommended for matters including malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and conspiracy. Greg Mann is involved in the team’s extensive environmental claims practice.

Active in both the direct-side and reinsurance spaces, the Troutman Pepper Locke LLP insurance team is well-versed in handling bad faith suits and insurance coverage disputes related to COVID-19, opioids, lead paint, asbestos, sports injuries, environmental contamination, and more. In the Washington DC office, seasoned coverage litigator and practice lead Richard Pratt is notably experienced in mass torts and insurance concussion law. Working alongside Pratt in DC is Bill O’Neill, whose broad practice tends towards reinsurance arbitrations concerning various lines of insurance such as P&C and life, and Charles Blair, who takes on mass torts, multi-site environmental matters, general liability, and extra-contractual exposures. In California, Kevin Kieffer acts for insurers in coverage litigation including professional liability, D&O policies, general liability, and EPL, and Terrence McInnis handles disputes across all commercial lines of insurance, including environmental liability. Richmond-based Charles Jones litigates a range of professional and general liability disputes, and in DC, Leslie Davis’ experience encompasses mediation, arbitration, and litigation on behalf of insurers and reinsurers. Associate Daniel Cohen concentrates on emerging risk areas such as cyber liability.

Christopher St. Jeanos serves as practice head at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, leading a team that has litigated an array of coverage disputes and insurance-related bankruptcy matters for major insurers such as AIG. St. Jeanos is joined in the New York office by seasoned litigator and mediator Mitchell Auslander , who plays a notable role in the group’s opioid-related work, and James Fitzmaurice , a key name in public nuisance matters. The team is supported from Washington DC by agile coverage litigator Elizabeth Bower and P&C specialist Joseph Davis, and in San Francisco, Laura Leigh Geist‘s practice incorporates the defense of Insurtech companies facing claims related to policy pricing, Cost of Insurance, consumer fraud, and more.

Principally based in Washington DC, Arnold & Porter‘s practice reaches across insurance and reinsurance, housing a team of litigators who are well-versed in a broad array of disputes, including complex D&O policy litigation, professional liability, mass torts, bankruptcies, and more. Based in DC is co-head Scott Schreiber , a seasoned litigator who has seen notable success before the Delaware Supreme Court in D&O-related coverage disputes, and Arthur Luk, who represents insurers in coverage disputes in state and federal courts at the trial and appellate levels, and is experienced in dealing with government agency investigations. William Perdue takes on complex coverage matters at trial and appeal, and in Denver, Reeves Anderson is particularly adept in cross-border disputes.

Husch Blackwell LLP houses a team of insurance litigators well-versed in coverage disputes involving the full spectrum of insurance lines, from P&C and auto to D&O and fiduciary, and are experienced in handling class actions, receiverships, declaratory judgment actions, disputes with state and federal regulators, malpractice claims, and more. In Kansas City, practice co-chair Kirsten Byrd serves as the team’s key contact for insurance receiverships, and Milwaukee-based co-chair Jason Fathallah’s recent engagements include COVID-19 business interruption litigation. Also in Milwaukee is third co-lead Dieter Juedes, whose practice focuses on defending insurers in high-exposure disputes, and bad faith claims. In the St. Louis office, the fourth and final co-leader David Sobelman litigates prolifically in courts across the country and has developed experience in commercial fraud coverage claims, contractual disputes, toxic torts, ERISA claims, and professional liability matters, among others. In Denver, Ashley DeVerna advises insurers in life and health disputes and those stemming from cyber and environmental liabilities.

The cross-disciplinary team at Mayer Brown is particularly well-versed in class action defense, notably handling putative class actions stemming from COVID-19 coverage claims. Clients are served by a professionally diverse team, including LA-based co-head Bronwyn Pollock , who acts for insurers and reinsurers in policyholder actions, and other co-heads David Alberts and Stephen Rooney , who are basaed in the New York office. Also in New York is Joseph De Simone , who is best known for litigating securities class actions and is a key point of contact for multinational insurers. In Los Angeles, Mitchell Hendy litigates a variety of coverage and class actions involving multiple jurisdictions, and Douglas Smith handles trial and appellate work including putative class actions connected to COVID-19 loss claims. Houston-based Robert Harrell is well-versed in D&O coverage disputes.

 

Closely integrated with the firm’s transactional and regulatory insurance practice, the team at Norton Rose Fulbright is based across several key US jurisdictions and is adept at handling a range of high-stakes coverage disputes, securities litigations, Bermuda Form arbitrations, and other insurance-related actions. Trusted by a wide array of insurers and reinsurers, the group is jointly led by San Antonio-based Neel Lane , a seasoned litigator of class actions, coverage disputes, and reinsurance arbitrations, and New York-based Mina Matin , who specializes in Bermuda Form, leveraging her admission as a barrister and solicitor in England and Wales, Bermuda, New York and California. Houston-based Jeannie Nguyen acts for carriers in various coverage disputes concerning breach of contract, bad faith, and requests for declaratory relief, and Manuel Mungia is an experienced litigator.

 

Deeply involved in Californian insurance matters, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP specializes in class action and bad faith defense, and is also well-versed in handling coverage disputes across numerous lines of insurance, from personal liability, E&O and D&O, to toxic torts, life, and auto insurance litigation. The works under the stewardship of Orange County-based property and casualty expert Jeffrey Crowe , San Diego-based insurance trial lawyer Peter Klee , and Theona Zhordania, who maintains a diverse practice from the Los Angeles office. Other integral group members include San Diego-based John Edson and Charles Danaher , who both focus on bad faith and unfair competition litigation, with Edson also engaging in fraud and bankruptcy matters. In Orange County, Marc Feldman assists carriers in disputes stemming from first and third-party claims, bad faith, class actions, and claims under California’s Business and Professions Code.

Based mainly between the firm’s Chicago and Kansas City offices, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP ‘s insurer-side team is co-led by four seasoned insurance specialists, including three in Missouri: first-chair trial lawyer Rob Adams, Doug Beck, general liability and appellate-focused Sarah Lynn Baltzell, and two in Chicago: environmental liability specialist Matthew Sitzer and versatile litigator David Schoenfeld. The group is routinely engaged by major carriers to navigate coverage issues related to toxic torts, fiduciary liability, fraud, advertising injury, personal injury, and more, and garnered significant experience handling COVID-19 business interruption cases and various other high-exposure matters. Another key area of work is bad faith disputes and extra-contractual litigation, an area where Beck specializes, and Chicago-based Matthew Wolfe‘s practice encompasses coverage disputes sparked by data, IP, and privacy matters, mass torts, construction defects, and product liabilities. In Kansas City, W. Clark Richardson acts for clients in a wide array of coverage and bad faith actions, and Taylor Markway is adept in state and federal appeals.