Most Highly Regarded Firms: Illinois 2008 - Insurance & Reinsurance
The insurance and reinsurance chapter was the largest in the previous edition and this year is no exception.
Clients and peers recommended a total of 45 lawyers from 24 firms for entry in the chapter, with large, full-service firms rubbing shoulders with specialist insurance boutiques. On the following pages regulatory experts can be found alongside lawyers who exclusively represent corporate policyholders, concentrate their practices on insurance dispute resolution or act for industry clients in various matters, for example in mergers and acquisitions, demutualisations, securities offerings and corporate restructurings. Where none of them differ, however, is the high regard in which they are held by clients and peers alike.
In terms of numbers Sidley Austin LLP leads our research this year, with five highly rated individuals on the following pages. James Stinson co-chairs the 90-lawyer insurance and financial services group and leads the reinsurance and insurance insolvency practices. Reinsurance forms a large part of his practice, as do issues relating to insurance company insolvencies. Stinson recently spent time in the London office, helping to set up the firm's practice there, and is known for his knowledge of arbitration proceedings. William Sneed comes recommended as "very solid, a leader and well recognised in the sector" and is rated by rivals as "an outstanding litigator". His dispute resolution work on behalf of reinsurers, receivers and ceding companies in the property and casualty and life and health arenas was brought to the attention of researchers. Susan Stone is an "outstanding reinsurance litigator" and co-head of the firm's global insurance and reinsurance disputes practice. Kenneth Wylie, like Stinson, also spent time in the London office and comes recommended as "first-rate for regulatory matters". Michael Goldman co-chairs the insurance and financial services group with Stinson and has a focus on the transactional side of the industry. With such a deep and varied bench it is unsurprising that one rival noted, "Sidley is as good as the competition gets" while another remarked that "its strength in the reinsurance and transactional spaces really marks it out from other firms".
The October 2007 merger between Chicago-based national firm Lord Bissel & Brook LLP and Texan outfit Locke Lidell & Sapp PLLC created a 700-lawyer firm with offices in 11 US cities and London. The combined entity retains Lord Bissel & Brook's sterling reputation for insurance and reinsurance with four partners making the chapter. Nick DiGiovanni leads the firm's reinsurance group and "stands out by a country mile" according to one prominent international source. Recommended as "very personable with strong interpersonal skills", DiGiovanni has been involved in many of the largest and most prominent reinsurance disputes including the representation of a health-care insurer in a US$300 million dispute in Texas regarding the sale of two health maintenance organisations. The "first-rate" John Gurley is "vastly experienced" according to sources who recommend him for his transactional and regulatory expertise. John Haarlow is a "top-tier insurance coverage litigator" with 20 years' experience in the sector. He has handled a number of high-profile cases including the Dow Chemical Sarabond, Dow Chemical environmental pollution and the Goodyear asbestos and pollution cases. Rivals "think very highly of" Stephen Murray who completes the quartet. Like Haarlow, he comes recommended for insurance coverage disputes, particularly relating to environmental pollution and mass torts. Murray is said to be "great to work with and does a great job for his clients" who include or have included multinationals such as General Electric, Royal Dutch Shell, Marathon Oil and Kraft.
Lovells LLP is internationally renowned for the strength of its insurance practice, setting up an office in Chicago in 1995. According to sources, the firm's strengths lie on the contentious side; however, the group is also active in the regulatory and transactional arenas. Joe McCullough heads the US insurance and reinsurance practice and co-chairs the international reinsurance dispute resolution practice. The group represents a large number of reinsurers and ceding companies in litigation and arbitration and McCullough is said to offer a "creative and commercial approach" to cases. His work in the sector led one prominent source to label him, "my number-one lawyer in the state". Eric Haab "displays a quiet intellect" and comes recommended for complex reinsurance disputes. Haab has acted for cedents and reinsurers in the US, London, Europe and Asia, many of which have been "bet-the-company" cases. Neal Moglin's arbitration expertise was mentioned on a number of occasions and he comes recommended as "knowledgeable and hard-working". The "well regarded" Gail Goering completes the firm's featured practitioners, and her practice focuses on international reinsurance disputes. The firm's reputation in the sector is well noted; one high-profile respondent to our survey commented, "I have heard good things about what's going on at Lovells," while another remarked "the firm has an excellent reputation in the field."
Jenner & Block LLP has increased its contingent in the publication thanks to the strong performance of Christopher Dickinson in our latest research. Dickinson comes recommended as an "excellent policyholder lawyer who is good to work with and very knowledgeable". He has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of his clients from domestic, London and Bermuda insurers and was praised to researchers as a "smart and diligent attorney". John Mathias is another strong policyholders' lawyer with "great trial experience". Mathias chairs the insurance litigation and counselling practice and he has represented clients such as CSX Transportation, AM International and American National Can Company, to name but a few. Joel Pelz co-chairs the reinsurance practice and is "someone I always look forward to working with," according to a prominent source. Praised as "extremely bright and talented" he forms part of a group that is recommended as "very well-known and a serious player on the policyholder side".
Reed Smith LLP is new to the chapter this year, thanks in part to its March 2007 combination with leading mid-sized Chicago firm Sachnoff & Weaver. Carolyn Rosenberg joined when the two merged, and has "great scope and breadth of knowledge of D&O coverage on the policyholder side - she helped put D&O coverage on the map as a speciality." Thomas Marrinson joined the firm from Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP in December 2007 and brings with him an "excellent reputation in the area of insurance coverage for environmental issues". One rival noted, "if I were a policyholder then he would be one of my first ports of call." John Vishneski is another new recruit to the firm, having joined from Mayer Brown LLP at the end of 2007. Vishneski "has an excellent reputation for D&O counselling" and comes recommended as "very bright and does a great job for his clients, achieving cost-effective resolutions". John Shugrue joins the firm from Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP and comes recommended as a "strong defence lawyer for policyholders".
National insurance boutique Butler Rubin Saltarelli & Boyd continues to feature prominently in our findings with two lawyers featured - Robert Hermes and James Rubin. Hermes is an "outstanding trial lawyer" particularly for reinsurance. During his career he has been involved in over 25 major trials and 65 reinsurance disputes. Rubin is "well known in the reinsurance community", within which he "enjoys both stature and gravitas" according to sources. Rated as "one of the best trial lawyers in the state" his arbitration expertise was also noted. DLA Piper LLP also boasts an excellent reputation in the market with both Stephen Schwab and David Mendelsohn singled out for recognition. Schwab displays "excellent skills", according to one corporate respondent, and he currently coordinates the firm's global insurance practice steering committee. His practice runs the gamut of contentious, regulatory and transactional matters. His work on insurance company insolvencies was mentioned on a number of occasions with one prominent player labelling him "an absolute star". Mendelsohn is similarly well regarded and comes rated as "very good for transactional and regulatory work". Howrey LLP has increased its contingent on the following pages to two this year, thanks to the strong performance of David Anderson in our research. Anderson is said to be "exceptional on the policyholder side", particularly relating to large environmental matters. Jill Berkeley, co-chair of the firm's insurance recovery practice, joins him on the following pages. Berkeley is another top-drawer policyholder lawyer who is said to attract "a lot of environmental and traditional claims work".
Mark Goodman joined Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP from Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell in March 2008, bringing with him a reputation as "a very solid lawyer with an excellent transactional practice". Goodman is also strong on the regulatory aspects of the industry, with his work for guarantee insurers noted on a number of occasions. James Dwyer is another former Lord Bissell partner now at Dewey, and he comes recommended as "strong for insurance company M&A". Dwyer splits his time between the firm's Chicago and New York offices. His highlights include representing Munich Re Group in its acquisition of The Midland Company for US$1.3 billion. Bates & Carey LLP enjoys a reputation as "one of the top firms in the state" and founding partner Robert Bates once again emerges as one of the leading lights. Bates concentrates on insurance coverage litigation on the insurer side and also has a strong reinsurance practice, an area in which he has been engaged in a number of high-profile arbitrations. Fellow founding partner Scott Carey also features prominently, with one source praising him as "top in the Bermuda market".
Attorneys at Tribler Orpett & Meyer PC are primarily engaged in the representation of insureds and self-insureds in the defence of civil litigation. Mitchell Orpett comes recommended for his insurance coverage and reinsurance work with one source noting, "I would trust him with anything". Rivals recall what a "good experience" it is to work with Wesley Sunu and, like Orpett, he comes recommended for coverage litigation. Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP is the final firm with two entries in the chapter - Donna Vobornik and Robert Johnson. Vobornik serves as vice chair of the firm's insurance practice group and was praised as a "strong litigator for coverage defence cases". Johnson heads the litigation practice in Chicago and sources "can't say enough positives about him". He "gets great results for his clients", which include St Paul Travelers, Swiss Reinsurance and Allstate. Such is Sonnenschein's reputation in the field one rival concluded, "I am always extremely happy when they are on cases with me".
David Spector is the sole entry from Schiff Hardin LLP in this chapter. Spector is rated as "one of the best and most experienced reinsurance litigators around" and currently serves as co-leader of the firm's reinsurance and insurance practice group. Edward Zulkey, general counsel at Baker & McKenzie, comes recommended as "practical for his clients and reasonable to deal with". An "exceptional, tenacious and senior litigator", his clients are drawn from insurers, policyholders and self-insureds. Steven Gilford joined Proskauer Rose LLP in April 2008 from Mayer Brown. Gilford focuses on the representation of major corporations in insurance litigation and "has a lot of respect in the industry". Gilford helped set up Proskauer's Chicago office and he enjoys a reputation as "a decent guy to work with who looks for cost-effective resolutions for his clients".
Robert Soderstrom practises at Tressler Soderstrom Maloney & Priess and is a new addition to this year's publication. Soderstrom focuses on insurance coverage disputes and reinsurance and his work on the arbitration front is also said to be strong. Lori Nugent is the sole entry from international firm Cozen O'Connor. Nugent chairs the firm's enterprise risks group and focuses on the containment of transnational exposures, punitive damages and cyber perils. Her work in the punitive damages arena is said to be particularly noteworthy and she "does a good job for her clients". Stanley Nardoni is counsel at Mayer Brown and his insurance coverage work spans sectors as diverse as environmental, antitrust, IP and D&O. Scott Seaman at Meckler Bulger & Tilson is another new entry this year. Seaman focuses on litigation relating to general liability, D&O, product liability, defence of costs and reinsurance and he "writes well", particularly on long-tail coverage claims. His work relating to construction defects litigation was brought to the attention of researchers. Alan Martin at Barnes & Thornburg LLP also features for the first time this year with sources recommending him as "a fantastic litigator, particularly for policyholder clients". Martin co-chairs the firm's insurance recovery and counselling practice and highlights include representing a client in a US$360 million property damage and business interruption insurance litigation involving an ammonium nitrate plant explosion.
Michael Pope heads the product liability practice group at McDermott Will & Emery LLP and "would be on anyone's shortlist" according to a source. Pope's insurance practice focuses on the interpretation of excess and umbrella liability insurance policies and he also comes recommended for professional liability and complex litigation in the sector. Paula Litt is a partner at Schopf & Weiss LLP and enjoys a "very solid reputation" among clients and peers. Litt is said to be "a great insurance coverage lawyer" with one source noting, "I can't say enough good things about her". Litt represents policyholders from sectors ranging from national retailers to international manufacturers and financial services companies. Michael Foradas at Kirkland & Ellis LLP is another "fantastic policyholder lawyer from a fantastic firm" and a "first-class litigator". Sources have had "great experiences working with him" and highlights include serving as lead counsel for General Motors in an arbitration under the English Arbitration Act relating to a US$103 million underlying product liability judgment rendered in Florida state court. Foradas and his team settled the case on favourable terms in May 2007.