Insurance Recovery

For more than 30 years, Covington has been successfully assisting corporate policyholders maximize their available insurance coverage. We help policyholders recover insurance—both in the U.S. and abroad—for a wide variety of claims, including mass-tort liabilities, property and business interruption losses, marine, and D&O, E&O, and many other types of exposures. We have more than 100 lawyers (including 25 partners) in our coverage practice, and a long history of successfully negotiating with and litigating against virtually all major insurers.

More than $20 billion in recoveries

Our successes include numerous recoveries in excess of $100 million, including recoveries ranging from $600 million to $1.5 billion each for Merck in connection with Vioxx claims, Armstrong and Owens Corning for asbestos claims, Dow Corning for breast implant claims, and Exxon for the Valdez grounding. Over their careers, our coverage lawyers have helped policyholders recover well in excess of $20 billion.

A recognized leader

According to legal rating guides published by Chambers, The Legal 500, and Benchmark Litigation, Covington alone has the top-ranked policyholder practice in the U.S., the District of Columbia, and California, as well as one of the leading practices in the UK.

For more than a decade, Covington has been the only law firm ranked in “Band 1” by Chambers USA in its policyholder category. The firm has also been awarded the “Chambers Award for Excellence” in policyholder-side insurance a numerous times over since the awards’ inception. The Legal 500 has written that “clients and peers agree that ‘there is no comparison’ and its practice is ‘truly best in class.’” Confirming the unmatched depth of our policyholder coverage practice, Chambers USA and UK identify 15 of our lawyers as among the best in the field—far more than any other policyholder firm.

We have achieved coverage victories in trial and appellate courts, as well as domestic and international arbitrations. We also have a leading negotiation practice in the U.S. and abroad, helping policyholders reach business resolutions with their insurers both in direct negotiations and in mediations. And a significant portion of our practice involves advising our clients as to how best to position themselves for future coverage disputes or to avoid such disputes altogether. We also advise clients on wording and other issues in connection with renewals, particularly in the D&O and E&O areas. We have experienced policyholder coverage lawyers practicing in our London, New York, San Francisco, and Washington offices.