Insurance

The Insurance Group at Gordon & Rees LLP specializes in coverage advice and litigation for the insurance industry including:

• Commercial and Personal Lines Coverage
• Property & Casualty
• Directors & Officers
• Professional Liability
• Aviation
• Maritime
• ERISA
• Life, Health and Disability Insurance
• Annuities
• Agents & Brokers
  • Errors and omissions issues for Insurance and Financial Service Products
• Regulatory and Statutory Compliance and Formation
• Reinsurance (Reinsurer and Cedent)
• Product Development
• Contract & Policy Wording
• Legislation

Expertise Based on Experience

Gordon & Rees has one of the largest and most active insurance practices in California.  The firm’s Insurance Group has, over the years, acquired extensive experience representing primary insurers, excess insurers, life, health and disability insurers, reinsurers, and claims management organizations in a complete range of matters involving third and first party insurance and bad faith issues.  These include issues associated with asbestos, products, pollution, construction defects, advertising injury, commercial disputes, sales practices, rescission actions, incontestability clauses, and employment litigation.

The Insurance Group provides its clients with a full range of pre-litigation counseling services, which encompass: evaluating the legal and factual bases for policyholders and beneficiary requests for insurance coverage or benefits, and responding to such requests; assessing and handling demands for Cumis counsel; providing written opinions as to the existence and scope of insurance coverage, if any; and advising clients on practical alternatives to litigation.

A Record of Success

If litigation is necessary, Gordon & Rees has substantial experience and expertise.  The Insurance Group handles a variety of cases, from simple to complex multi-party cases, in both state and federal courts in California and other states.   Reported decisions in which members of the Insurance Group were counsel of record include Montgomery Ward & Co. v. Imperial Casualty & Indemnity Co., 81 Cal.App.4th 356 (2000), Acceptance Ins. Co. v. Syufy Enterprises, et al., 69 Cal.App.4th 321 (1999), Hartford A&I Co. v. Superior Court (Whitecliff Homes), 37 Cal.App. 4th 1174 (1995), Hartford A&I Co. v. Superior Court (Syntex Corp.), 23 Cal.App.4th 1774 (1994), Microtec Research, Inc. v. Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., 40 F.3d 968 (9th Cir. 1994), and Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co. v. Dynasty Solar, Inc., 753 F.Supp. 853 (N.D.Cal. 1990).

Beginning in 1980, with the filing of the Coordinated Asbestos Insurance Coverage Cases, California has been the venue for much litigation involving major coverage issues of concern to the insurance industry.  Gordon & Rees has represented insurers in many of these lawsuits, including the Coordinated Asbestos Insurance Coverage Cases, and was counsel of record in Aerojet-General Corp. v. Transport Indem. Co., 17 Cal.4th 38 (1997) and Shell Oil Co. v. Winterthur Swiss Ins. Co., 12 Cal.App. 4th 715 (1993).