Representative Experience

Pillsbury is engaged in numerous significant and often headline-grabbing coverage disputes for our clients, including:

  • Secured a $54 million jury verdict on behalf of CITGO Petroleum Corporation in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against a marine cargo insurer under the Institute War Clauses for losses arising from the seizure of a cargo of Venezuelan crude oil by a regime not recognized by the United States. After a week-long jury trial, the jury returned a verdict for our client.

  • Served as lead counsel for utilities in North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia over first-ever coal combustion residual insurance litigations for closure costs under federal and state statutes for impacts to groundwater by coal ash. The underlying environmental claims well exceeded $5 billion in value. After aggressive multi-year litigation by Pillsbury lawyers in lawsuits in North Carolina and Ohio, all insurers settled before trial.

  • Represented aerospace and defense contractor Northrop Grumman in coverage litigation seeking D&O coverage for the defense and settlement of securities class action. Reached successful settlements after the Delaware Superior Court ruled in our client’s favor on every key issue and established new precedent on the scope of the “bump-up” exclusion.

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  • Natural Disasters and Other Catastrophic Events
    • Representing a renewable energy company in pursuing insurance coverage for the destruction of a power plant due to a volcanic event.
    • Litigated to conclusion a $90 million excess verdict bad faith case against primary insurer that refused all reasonable settlement offers for a traumatic brain injury claim. Resolution included complete coverage for uninsured amount and recovery of all legal fees incurred.
    • Representing preeminent global technology company in coverage and bad faith litigation, where multiple layers of excess insurers refused to contribute to settlements in mass tort MDL litigation.
    • Assisting renewable energy company in claims for property damage and business interruption resulting from two separate fire incidents at its refinery.
    • Represented a university and medical center in major litigation against insurers for over $2 billion in losses suffered due to Superstorm Sandy. Recoveries to date of over $1 billion from FEMA and $100 million from insurers.
    • Representing three prominent Big Sur businesses seeking in excess of $22 million in damages from their property and business interruption insurers following severe mudslides.
  • D&O
    • Represent dozens of public and private companies and their boards in resolving securities class actions, derivative actions, merger objection, event driven litigation, and Delaware appraisal proceedings, serving as coverage and settlement counsel. Clients include the largest public utilities and energy companies, and leading financial institutions, IT, software, entertainment, healthcare and transportation companies.
    • Represented Cocrystal Pharma in litigation seeking D&O coverage for shareholder lawsuits and SEC investigation into an alleged pump-and-dump scheme and go-private transaction, obtaining a Third Circuit reversal of prior summary judgment against Cocrystal and favorably settling on the eve of trial.
    • Settled a contested D&O claim for Teva Pharmaceuticals that resulted in the resolution of a multibillion-dollar securities litigation for $420 million.
  • Cyber
    • Advising major multistate car dealership organization on denied claims arising from widespread cyber and ransomware attacks impacting entire U.S. automotive dealership industry.
    • Representing a major energy company on a dependent business interruption claim arising from a cyber event.
    • Negotiated recovery on large cyber insurance claim arising from ransomware attack on international e-Discovery vendor, where hacked data is subject to protective orders mandating confidentiality.
    • Handling a fintech company’s claims arising out of malware that disrupted virtual inspections during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and caused substantial losses.
    • Advising a prominent retailer on claims resulting from a ransomware attack against a vendor that impacted the retailer’s operations.
  • Product Liability and Recalls
    • Represented a mechanical pipe joining manufacturer and secured a jury verdict for breach of contract, bad faith and punitive damages, including attorney’s fees and punitive damages, after denial of coverage for defense of product liability claims by AIG. This was one of the largest insurance jury verdicts in California at the time.
    • Representing Japanese manufacturer regarding coverage for alleged bodily injury claims arising out of largest product recall (airbags) in U.S. history.
    • Representing product manufacturer against seven insurers seeking CGL coverage for products liability for class action claims. Successful duty to defend motions were followed by defense and indemnity recoveries with trial pending against Fireman’s Fund.
    • Represented multiple construction and real estate clients in pursuit of insurance recoveries for Chinese drywall claims from insurance carriers.
  • Pollution
    • Representing a global metals and mining company based in Canada in a declaratory judgment action concerning general liability coverage of environmental claims.
    • Representing Rayonier, Inc. in long-running environmental insurance coverage litigation. Related settlements for historic environmental contamination exceed $100 million to date.
    • Represented a significant oil rig stakeholder in pursuing coverage under multiple insurance programs for claims arising from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Business Interruption
    • Representing more than 100 companies, including retailers, global hospitality chains, casinos and medical centers, among others, for COVID-19-related business interruption matters.
    • Represented an oil refiner in an insurance coverage jury trial against AIG and 13 other insurance companies arising from the rupture of a crude supply pipeline. Jury awarded our client’s full demand of $72 million for contingent business interruption losses, the largest insurance verdict of the year.
    • Representing oil refiner and waste-to-energy company in separate litigations over measure of damage for shutdowns due to facility fires.
    • Represented leading airline in recovery of business lost due to Japan earthquake and Fukushima nuclear accident.
    • Represented a Fortune 500 utility and recovered hundreds of millions for repairs and power replacement costs stemming from a nuclear energy plant containment failure in Florida.
  • Construction

    • Represented the general contractor on construction defect claims and insurance coverage issues arising from alleged faulty construction of high-rise condominiums in South Florida, with multiple recoveries in the tens of millions of dollars.
    • Representing CBG Building Company through trial in connection with an insurer’s wrongful denial of coverage for extensive mold damage in a large apartment complex in Charlotte, N.C. called Mallard Pointe. After a three-day jury trial, CBG was awarded 100% of its requested damages and a final judgment was entered in September 2023 for over U.S.$5.8 million. The presiding judge said the jury’s quick return of the verdict “may have set a record for a civil case.”
    • Representing a joint venture on construction and insurance issues arising from the sinking and leaning Millennium Tower in San Francisco.
    • Representing an EPC contractor in pursuing recovery of more than $200 million of insurance claims arising out of the construction of enhancements to four coal-fired power plants. Tenth Circuit sided with our client, who can now pursue coverage for construction defects at the plants in question.

Practice Area Highlights

  • Nationally ranked by Chambers USA: Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder (2018 – 2024), Insurance in Texas (2014, 2019 – 2024) and Insurance: Policyholder in Washington, DC (2015 – 2024).
  • Recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. (2017 – 2024).
  • Five-time Law360 Insurance Practice Group of the Year (2022, 2020, 2016, 2015, 2010).

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  • U.S. News – Best Lawyers Best Law Firms 2025 National Tier 1 Insurance Law ranking.
  • Pillsbury is recognized as among the most feared law firms for litigation by BTI Consulting Group.
  • Shortlisted by Chambers USA for 2021 Insurance: Policyholder, Law Firm of the Year, and finalist for 2018 Award for Excellence in Insurance.
  • Team lawyers are lauded by Best Lawyers and Who’s Who Legal in the field of insurance.