David B. Goodwin

David Goodwin is partner in the firm’s San Francisco office and a member of the Insurance Coverage and Appellate practice groups.

Mr. Goodwin is one of the nation’s leading insurance coverage practitioners, ranked in the highest tier by Chambers USA both nationally and in California.  Law360 has named him one of the country’s top three “most valuable players” in the insurance practice area.  With more than 25 years of experience representing corporate policyholders in insurance coverage disputes and litigation, his practice runs the gamut of insurance issues, including major property damage and business interruption losses, errors and omissions, fidelity, and director and officer claims, mortgage and financial guarantee insurance disputes, and products liability and environmental matters.  Mr. Goodwin also is a highly experienced appellate advocate who has argued more than 50 appeals.

Mr. Goodwin is a vice-chair of Covington’s litigation practice.  He also has served as an adjunct professor at The University of California at Berkeley Law School, where he taught courses on insurance law.

Representative Matters

• Represented an oil refinery in a significant business interruption insurance claim that resulted in a multi-hundred million dollar recovery for the insured.
• Represented a paint manufacturing company in a successful jury trial and two dozen successful summary adjudication motions resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars of coverage for the client’s asbestos liabilities.
• Represented a financial institution in a successful trial affirmed on appeal, to obtain errors and omissions insurance coverage for consumer tort claims.
• Obtained summary judgment in favor of a hospitality industry client on a nine figure builders’ risk insurance claim arising out of a construction accident.
• Represented a major utility in a successful trial involving insurance coverage for environmental liabilities.
• Obtained summary judgment for a technology company in a significant business interruption claim arising out of employee sabotage.
• Represented a major oil company in litigation concerning builders’ risk insurance for numerous construction projects.

Honors and Rankings

• Law360 - MVP, Insurance (2011)
• Best Lawyers in America - Lawyer of the Year, Insurance Law (2011)
• Chambers USA (highest tier of policyholder lawyers both nationally and in California)
• Euromoney’s World’s Leading Insurance and Reinsurance Lawyers
• Legal Media Group Guide to the World’s Leading Insurance and Reinsurance Lawyers
• The Practical Law Company (PLC) - Insurance and Reinsurance, The Law and Leading Lawyers Worldwide
• Super Lawyers of Northern California
• Who’s Who Legal: Insurance and Reinsurance
• Woodward/White Inc.’s “Best Lawyers in America”
• Legal 500 US (Recommended as a Appellate Lawyer)

Memberships and Affiliations

• American Bar Association
• Bar Association of San Francisco Insurance Coverage Section, former President
• Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS)
• San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute, Chair of the Board of Trustees
• State Bar of California Insurance Law Section, former Member, Board of Directors

Publications and Speeches

• Mr. Goodwin has spoken at nine of the last eleven Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) annual conventions and dozens of Bar Association trade groups and other seminars.

• "Business Interruption and Other Business Coverages," California Property Insurance Law and Litigation (CEB) (2011), Co-Author
• "Business Interruption: Coverage, Claims and Recovery," 2d ed. (2011), Co-Author
• "Insurance Coverage for Trademark Matters," McCarthy on Trademarks and Unfair Competition (rev. ed.) (2011), Co-Author