SAN FRANCISCO —The Recorder has named Covington partner Gretchen Hoff Varner a finalist for its Office Managing Partner of the Year award as part of the 2026 California Legal Awards. The California Legal Awards, presented by The Recorder, a premier California legal publication and part of ALM Media, celebrate the lawyers and law firms driving the state's dynamic legal landscape. Winners will be announced at the California Legal Awards ceremony in June 2026.
Gretchen is the managing partner of Covington's San Francisco office and one of the nation's leading insurance policyholder attorneys. She represents major companies across the health care, technology, consumer products, and financial services industries in high-stakes coverage litigation and arbitration, and has recovered more than $1 billion from insurers. She has a substantial health care insurance recovery practice and advises leading technology companies, including those developing or deploying AI, on coverage strategy and claims arising from cyber, privacy, and other technology driven risk. She is a noted trial lawyer who has successfully arbitrated or tried multiple insurance cases. Chambers USA ranks Gretchen as one of the leading insurance policyholder attorneys in California.
Gretchen has been named a Business Insurance Woman to Watch, a Law360 Insurance MVP, a Leading Commercial Litigator by the Daily Journal, and one of the San Francisco Business Times' Most Influential Women. She was recently admitted as a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel. This is the second consecutive year she has been named a finalist for Office Managing Partner of the Year at the California Legal Awards.