Insurance

When it comes to representing insurance and reinsurance companies in their most important coverage disputes, the Paul, Weiss Insurance Group sets precedents, both in courtrooms and arbitration forums around the globe.

Why Paul, Weiss?

An international leader in insurance litigation, Paul, Weiss represents foreign and domestic insurance and reinsurance companies in a broad spectrum of matters. Our renowned litigators have acquired a deep reservoir of experience in this area, addressing issues of importance to the parties directly involved, as well as to the insurance industry as a whole. We have represented some of the biggest names in insurance – AIG, Chartis, Chubb, ING and Swiss Re – in addition to a number of insurance industry groups and associations in litigation of industry-wide significance.

Our insurance group has handled landmark and precedent-setting cases regarding disputes over insurance and reinsurance coverage, and we regularly represent insurance companies who act as primary insurers, captive insurers and reinsurers. Recently, we obtained a precedent setting victory for a Canadian oil and gas captive. And our litigators have handled matters large and small in a wide variety of coverage areas – from 9/11 property damage and business interruption and continued business interruption disputes to life, disability, D&O and political risk insurance disputes.

In addition to our experience handling complex disputes over insurance and reinsurance coverage, our lawyers also regularly represent insurance companies in a variety of other matters, including securities class actions, antitrust challenges to industry practices and state regulatory matters, and disputes arising from mergers and acquisitions of insurance companies. As appropriate, our litigators work very closely with our corporate and tax partners, who are equally experienced in representing insurance industry clients.

 

Representative Engagements

Chubb & Son in:

• a number of 9/11 property damage business interruption, and continued business interruption claims.
• litigations arising from the sale of disability insurance policies.
• an arbitration and related appeal confirming an award of $20 million due Chubb as reimbursement for legal fees advanced in connection with InterDigital, Inc.’s patent litigation against Ericsson.
• claims arising out of a wrongful death action.

ING in several actions involving stranger originated life insurance policies.

A global oil and gas company’s captive insurer in a dispute with its reinsurance carrier regarding property damage coverage for a Gulf of Mexico oil platform destroyed by Hurricane Ike.

A large independent crude oil and natural gas producer’s captive insurer in an arbitration against their reinsurer regarding a dispute arising out of damages suffered at an off-shore oil platform. The panel rejected the reinsurer’s defenses, finding that our clients were entitled to complete coverage under the policy.

A New York-based Bermudian reinsurer in two major arbitrations raising first-impression issues under finite-risk excess of loss retrocession agreements.

A major European reinsurer in connection with the receipt of a subpoena from the SEC and the New York Attorney General relating to a formal investigation of industry practices involving loss mitigation products.