Insurance: Policyholder
USA Guide 2024 : California
Band 2
Contact number
+1 424 239 3400About
Provided by Blank Rome LLP
• Among few policyholder-dedicated CA firms
• Our trial/appellate successes recovered $8 billion+ from insurers, brokers over last decade
• For 30+ years we’ve broken ground, set precedent for insureds in specialties (bankruptcy, business-conduct and environmental liability, employment, energy, political risk, business interruption, sports) and the cutting edge (cyber/data privacy, child sex abuse, #MeToo, D&O liability, representation and warranties, credit risk)
• CA team works with Washington, D.C., NY, Houston colleagues and with government contracts and M&A practices on overlapping insurance issues
• Practice size has doubled; 70+ % of additions are women, including CA lateral partners
• Our plaintiff-style approach focuses on maximizing benefits, recoveries for clients (often tort defendants)
• Cutting-edge experience in sexual abuse liability, second to none in the U.S., has recovered $1 billion+ in insurance proceeds and multi-million recoveries for victims
• Advise on insurance aspects of billion-dollar+ transactions for corporations, private equity firms, hedge funds) including due diligence and securing representations and warranties and tax insurance
• Expanding cybersecurity/data privacy insurance representations in CA includes advising on GDPR and CCPA compliance
• CA practice part of Firm’s Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Team, which helps businesses and people across the U.S. access their insurance after devastating weather-related losses
Chambers Review
Blank Rome is experienced in representing policyholders in a broad array of coverage disputes, including issues related to bankruptcy, cybersecurity and political risk. The firm has additional expertise in issues concerning sexual abuse liability in the entertainment and sports industries, and serves a broad client base that includes financial institutions, universities, real estate developers, retailers and manufacturers.
Work Highlights
- Blank Rome represented FAT Brands, its CEO and a related entity in a lawsuit seeking insurance coverage for more than $20 million losses incurred responding to government investigations by the DOJ and SEC.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"They understand the business imperatives of their clients."
"They understand the business imperatives of their clients."
Notable Practitioners
Linda Kornfeld is cochair of Blank Rome's insurance recovery practice and very experienced in complex coverage matters, including those in emerging areas such as cybersecurity. She also has expertise in high-value claims concerning business interruption and construction defect losses. She represents a range of eminent clients, including major figures from the sports and media sectors.
"Linda is the best policyholder coverage attorney I have ever worked with. I refer her everything I can."
"She is a top-notch advocate who builds a strong practice wherever she goes."
Mary Craig Calkins is a market leader in D&O and other professional liability disputes, especially those pertaining to claims of sexual abuse and harassment. She frequently represents clients from the entertainment industry.
"Mary Calkins was always available and helped walk us through each step of the process in order."
"She is brilliant, very analytical and has a lot of experience, so she knows how to approach problems to get the best results."
David Thomas is recognized for the strength of his insurance practice, which sees him acting for a diverse range of clients on coverage disputes and bad faith claims. His expertise includes business interruption and financial institutions insurance, among other policy types.
"David is easy to talk to and frames complex insurance issues in a way that's easy to understand."
Ranked Lawyers at
Blank Rome LLP
California