David M. Knapp | Lippes Mathias LLP

Bio

David M. Knapp focuses his practice on insurance coverage, insurance counseling, and complex commercial litigation. His experience covers a broad array of coverages, including general liability, excess/umbrella, D&O, pollution, builder’s risk, auto, property, employee dishonesty, professional, tech E&O, and cyber. He counsels clients on insurance coverage issues, performs detailed policy and insurance program reviews, drafts insurance procurement requirements in contracts and subcontracts, and works with insurance brokers to optimize coverage for clients. David has litigated complex insurance coverage issues, such as environmental, asbestos, personal and advertising injury, trigger of coverage, allocation, priority, anti-stacking, late notice, bad faith, and more.

He frequently speaks and writes on insurance coverage issues, including as an Expert Commentator for the International Risk Management Institute (IRMI).

Articles & Publications

Author, "Courts Rule on Insurance for Violations of Biometric Privacy Laws" IRMI Expert Commentary, International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), July 2022
Author, "NY High Court Rules Disgorgement is Not a Penalty," IRMI Expert Commentary, International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), December 2021
Author, "Lessons from Recent COVID-19 Business Interruption Decisions," IRMI Expert Commentary, International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), September 2020
Author, "The Two "I's" of Risk Transfer: Indemnity and Insurance," IRMI Expert Commentary, International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), June 2020
Author, "Coverage for Ransomware Losses Under Property Policies," IRMI Expert Commentary, International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), February 2020
Author, "Why Insurance Policy Language Matters," IRMI Expert Commentary, International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), December 2019
Author, "Beyond the Eight Corners - Additional Insureds and Workers Comp," IRMI Expert Commentary, International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), August 2019
Co-Author, "Social Media Liability Exposures," Journal of Insurance Regulation, vol. 38, no.8, July 2019
Author, "More Confusion Regarding the ‘Damage to Property’ Exclusion," IRMI Expert Commentary, International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), May 2019
Co-Author, "Avoiding Subcontractor Insurance Pitfalls," Risk Management Magazine, Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS), May 2019
Co-Author, "Effective Risk Transfer: Indemnification and Insurance in Construction Contracts," ROBEX Magazine, Builders Exchange of Rochester, November 2018
Co-Author, "Social Media: Liability and Coverage," PLRB/LIRB Annual Claims Conference, 2014

ADMITTED TO PRACTICE

New York
U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York

Education

Brooklyn Law School, J.D., cum laude, 2007
- Articles Editor, Brooklyn Law Review
State University of New York at Geneseo, B.A. Political Science, magna cum laude, 2004
- Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
- Pi Sigma Alpha, National Political Science Honors Society

Professional Associations‍

New York State Bar Association
Monroe County Bar Association

Honors & Awards

The Best Lawyers in America©, 2024
Litigation Counsel of America
- Associate Fellow
New York State Bar Association, Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law Section, Sheldon Hurwitz Young Lawyer Award, 2017

Community Involvement

Pancreatic Cancer Association of Western New York
- Planning Committee

Speaking Engagements

"Insurance for Today's Social Media Risks," Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Chamber Counsel, Rochester, June 2019
"Demystifying Insurance Coverage Requirements and Indemnity in Construction Contracts," Rochester Home Builders' Association Seminar, 2018
"Insurance Coverage: Additional, Horizontal, Vertical or Some Other Way," New York State Bar Association Seminar on Labor Law Claims, Coverage & Litigation, 2016
"Effective File Handling: Discoverability of Claim Files, Requests for Reserve Information, Bad Faith and More," New York State Bar Association, Law School for Insurance Professionals, 2015
"Declaratory Judgment Actions, Discovery & Trial," New York State Bar Association, Insurance Coverage Update, 2015