Insurance and Reinsurance

The Insurance and Reinsurance Practice Group has successfully represented insurers and reinsurers in high-stakes, complex matters for more than 50 years.

Our insurance specialists are accomplished trial and appellate lawyers who have litigated matters to successful conclusion throughout the world.  Our work extends across all types of insurance claims and includes those related to:

• Environmental and toxic tort coverage (including pharmaceutical liability)
• Directors and officers liability
• Property insurance
• Comprehensive general liability
• Catastrophe coverage
• Professional liability
• Health policies
• Managed care programs

The Insurance and Reinsurance group has represented insurers and reinsurers, including many of the world’s largest, in arbitration and litigation of many of the principal issues in reinsurance.  These have included:

• Allocation and aggregation of complex environmental and other long-tail losses
• Coverage of defense and declaratory-judgment expenses
• Rescission for nondisclosure in underwriting
• Arbitrability of disputes in insolvency
• Late notice of claim
• Pre-award security
• Statute of limitations

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Insurance and Reinsurance group has been litigating major latent injury/damage coverage disputes for years.  The California Coordinated Asbestos Insurance Coverage Cases are but one example.  Other latent injury exposures we have litigated include construction defect and products claims involving, among other things, breast implants and claimed mold infestation.

Gibson Dunn plays a central role in efforts to limit, both legislatively and judicially, punitive damage awards.  In addition to lobbying and educational campaigns, we have pursued these efforts in U.S. state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.  We are proud of our expertise in defending punitive damage claims and have successfully tried many to defense verdicts.  Although historically we have concentrated on insurers and reinsurers, practice group lawyers also represent insured clients in selected cases where no conflict exists.

We have acted as national coordinating counsel for insurers in a variety of disputes.  We establish efficient procedures for early evaluation and cost-effective resolution, whether through carefully considered settlement, dispositive motion or a successful jury verdict.

Our involvement in the many aspects of insurance company liquidations includes representing claimants and reinsurers of the insolvent entities.  We also have worked with state regulators in negotiations leading to settlement and/or commutation of millions of dollars of reinsurance recoveries.