European & Other International Coverage Work

• We represent corporate policyholders in very substantial London insurance coverage arbitrations against “Bermuda Form” carriers and others whose policies include London arbitration clauses, principally in the product liability insurance field.

• We represent corporate policyholders in a variety of complex coverage disputes in the English Courts.
• We counsel policyholders with regard to dealings with London Market carriers and represent them in negotiations and in litigation to enforce their rights, for example in relation to UK solvent schemes of arrangement proposed by insurance carriers.
• We also handle litigation in the English Courts related to or arising from London arbitrations.
• We counsel and represent US policyholders with regard to dealings with insolvent London market carriers and represent those policyholders at relevant London meetings.

• We have provided strategic advice to European multinational corporations on insurance coverage disputes that involve insurance policies underwritten by US insurers and London Market and European insurers, including issues involving conflicts of laws. We also advise companies in the renewal process.

Representative Matters

• We are representing Merck in two related London arbitrations involving insurance coverage for claims relating to Vioxx.
• We are assisting a number of clients including Exxon Mobil Corporation, Goodrich, Goodyear and Textron in opposing efforts by solvent London Market companies to use so-called "solvent schemes of arrangement" to curtail their coverage obligations to policyholders facing long-tail liabilities, such as asbestos, silica or environmental claims.  We have recently won two key victories in UK courts challenging solvent schemes of arrangement in relation to The British Aviation Insurance Company Limited (“BAIC”) and the Willis Faber Underwriting Management pool companies (“WFUM”) respectively.
• We have represented Goodyear in an insurance coverage arbitration against a Bermuda Excess insurer in London.
• We have acted for Pilkington in product liability insurance coverage litigation before the Commercial Court in London.
• We handled an arbitration-related injunction proceeding before the Commercial Court in London for Owens Corning.
• We have represented clients who manufacture medical devices and pharmaceuticals and who conduct clinical trials in insurance coverage matters with European aspects.  In these representations, we often partner with regulatory lawyers in our London and Brussels offices where the underlying claims involve clinical trials or products subject to European regulation.

Accolades

• The UK Legal 500 (2006) listed Covington as one of three firms recommended in 2006 for insurance and reinsurance litigation for policyholders only.