Biography: Insurance & Reinsurance

David A Attisani is co-chairman of Choate Hall's 20-lawyer insurance and reinsurance practice group, which was named first (winner) in reinsurance by Reactions 2010 survey and top-ranked by The 2011 Legal 500 guide to preeminent firms.

Mr Attisani was named one of Law360's '10 Most Admired Insurance Attorneys in America' (2010) out of 1016 nominations. He is one of only 11 reinsurance lawyers listed in The Legal 500's elite "Leading Lawyers" category (2011). Mr Attisani was also elected to The International Who's Who of Insurance & Reinsurance Lawyers (2005 to 2011); World's Leading Insurance and Reinsurance Lawyers Euromoney Guide (2006 to 2010); and Best of the Best USA (2009 to 2011) in insurance and reinsurance, along with only 25 other US industry professionals. Mr Attisani is also co-chairman of the ABA's reinsurance subcommittee. He currently serves as the reinsurance editor of Appleman Treatises' Law of Reinsurance (2012).

Among other significant and successful public reinsurance engagements, he served as counsel in: Compagnie de Reassurance v New England Re (1st Cir 1995); Odyssey Re (London) v Stirling Cooke Brown (SDNY 2000) ('Sphere Drake'); and Commercial Union v Swiss Re America (D Mass 2003). Mr Attisani has also handled a variety of confidential matters implicating (among other liabilities): 9/11 losses; financial and finite issues; clergy abuse; workers' compensation; losses emanating from intermediary (broker, MGA) conduct; asbestos and pollution; hurricane (Wilma, Katrina, Ike) and other storm losses; underwriting disputes; fraudulent inducement; and bad faith.

Mr Attisani graduated, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Williams College, and cum laude from Harvard Law School. He also studied English literature at Oxford University. Before starting his practice, Mr Attisani served as a law clerk in the US District Court for the SDNY. From 1997 to 1998, he was a special assistant district attorney in Suffolk County, Massachusetts (Boston), where he tried 19 cases to verdict.