The Defense Research Institute, the leading organization of defense attorneys and in-house counsel, has appointed Gordon & Rees San Francisco partner Matthew S. Foy as vice chair of DRI’s Insurance Law Committee.
In a Sept. 11 letter to Foy announcing his vice chair appointment, DRI president-elect John Parker Sweeney noted the appointment is for a one-year term and is effective at the conclusion of the DRI Annual Meeting, which will be held Oct. 22-26 at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis. The appointment paves the way for Foy’s selection as chair of the Insurance Law Committee in 2016. In addition to the Insurance Law Committee, Foy is a member of DRI’s Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation and Steering Committees.
Foy is the co-national practice group leader for the firm’s property and casualty insurance practice as well as the practice group leader of the San Francisco insurance group. He has more than 15 years of experience representing national insurers at the claims stage, in trial and on appeal. Foy’s practice focuses on insurance coverage and bad-faith litigation and advice involving primary and excess liability policies with an emphasis on complex personal and advertising injury, cyber-liability, environmental, asbestos, other mass torts, and construction defect matters. He also handles all aspects of insurance cases involving professional liability insurance, inland marine, first-party property, and life, health, and disability matters. He assists clients with drafting policy language and claims manuals and provides in-house client seminars on coverage and claims handling issues, as well as litigation planning. In addition to his insurance practice, Foy represents corporate clients in connection with contract negotiation, dispute resolute, and related litigation.
Foy is a frequent speaker on issues confronting the insurance industry and he recently contributed a chapter in DRI’s 2014 “Coverage B: Personal and Advertising Injury Compendium.”