Lippes Mathias’ Insurance Recovery, Counseling & Litigation Practice Team assists clients in resolving complex coverage disputes, securing carrier participation in defense and settlement of claims, and maximizing insurance recoveries. Our attorneys have successfully handled high-stakes insurance coverage litigation and related bankruptcy proceedings, and have represented clients in sophisticated mediations in state and federal courts nationwide. We provide guidance to clients when an insurance company has denied them coverage, reserved its rights, or refused to take a position on a claim, and they turn to us when facing a lawsuit, or when considering commencing their own legal action.
Our Team proactively counsels clients on insurance-related issues, including analyzing coverage for claims, evaluating corporate insurance programs and policies for potential coverage gaps, tailoring insurance programs to meet clients' unique risks, negotiating favorable policy wording, and drafting contractual indemnity and insurance requirements.
Our experience includes all lines and types of coverage, including:
- general liability
- excess/umbrella
- professional
- pollution
- cyber
- auto
- property
- builders risk
- employee dishonesty
- directors and officers, and
- wrap-up programs.
We strive to help clients avoid coverage issues and maximize insurance recoveries, protect their balance sheets, and minimize administrative burdens, so they can focus on running their businesses. We regularly collaborate with risk managers, brokers, in-house counsel, defense counsel, and other stakeholders to tailor solutions to our clients' specific businesses and risks.
Representative Experience
- Serving as insurance counsel to a Fortune 500 company in insurance recovery and related Bankruptcy Code Section 524(g) reorganization for asbestos-related claims.
- Preparing proofs of claim and negotiating insurance recoveries in foreign and domestic insolvencies and schemes of arrangement.
- Securing insurance for corporate successor liabilities.
- Prosecuting bad faith and extra-contractual claims.
- Drafting and reviewing contractual indemnity and insurance requirements.
- Drafting policy language.
- Providing claims handling assistance in highly complex, high-stakes litigated matters.
- Rendering coverage opinions and litigating complex coverage issues, including additional insured, advertising injury, construction defect, directors and officers, employment practices, environmental and mass tort, priority of coverage, professional liability, public entity, and workers' compensation issues and disputes.
Team
|
Mark C. Davis | Partner | mdavis@lippes.com | 716.853.5100 x1253 |
|
Thomas J. Gaffney | Partner | Team Leader - Construction Litigation | tgaffney@lippes.com | 716.853.5100 x1225 |
|
Donell L. Gibson, Jr. | Associate | dgibson@lippes.com | 716.853.5100 x1327 |
|
Margaret A. Hackbarth | Of Counsel | mhackbarth@lippes.com | 202.888.7610 x1603 |
|
David M. Knapp | Partner | dknapp@lippes.com | 716.853.5100 x1380 |
|
Emma B. McEvoy | Associate | emcevoy@lippes.com | 716.853.5100 x1219 |
|
Kevin T. Merriman | Partner | Team Leader - Insurance Recovery, Counseling & Litigation | kmerriman@lippes.com | 716.853.5100 x1216 |
