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Suzan Charlton has represented policyholders in insurance coverage disputes for more than 20 years. Clients trust her with coverage problems that demand creative solutions and zealous advocacy when litigation is called for. Her practice includes clients from a wide range of industries, including high-tech government contractors, oil and gas companies, energy utilities, industrial manufacturers, railroads, food and beverage companies, and hospitality businesses. Ms. Charlton has handled all aspects of complex insurance coverage litigation, from filing a complaint through trial and appeal, and has successfully negotiated numerous substantial insurance coverage settlements.
Ms. Charlton lectures extensively on insurance and other topics in CLE programs, industry conferences, and at universities, including past service as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, University College, and as a guest lecturer at the University of Connecticut School of Law. Ms. Charlton is a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel and has been recognized as a SuperLawyer since 2013.
- Represents food manufacturers in insurance disputes regarding domestic and international food contamination incidents and recalls.
- Represents major industrial companies in asbestos-related insurance coverage litigation, mediation and negotiations involving multiple insurers, including negotiated coverage-in-place agreements.
- Represents a pharmaceutical company in D&O insurance coverage claims related to government investigations.
- Represents a mortgage institution in professional liability insurance coverage claims, including claims involving class action litigation and government investigations.
- Represents a major U.S. railroad corporation in prosecution of a $150 million environmental insurance coverage claim against more than 40 domestic and international insurers.
- Achieved substantial recoveries from a wind energy company’s property insurer and a battery manufacturer’s liability insurer for losses arising out of a catastrophic fire.
- Achieved a settlement substantially in excess of policy limits for an individual accident victim under an assignment of the tort-feasor’s insurance
- Secured full coverage for high-tech government contractor in insurance coverage dispute involving qui tam and employment liability allegations.
- Represented a hotel chain in litigation, through successful trial verdict, regarding insurance coverage for damage caused by defective windows.
- Represented major oil companies and utilities in complex, multi-party insurance coverage negotiations, resulting in substantial multi-million dollar insurance recoveries for environmental cleanups.
Pro Bono
- Secured dismissal of a business conspiracy and defamation case filed against several state legislators and other citizen defendants who had protested a gun store’s opening in their community.
- For the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, briefed the constitutionality of a Maryland statute barring the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in Kolbe v. O’Malley, No. 14-1945 (U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Cir.).
- Successfully represented a national non-profit organization in an employment insurance dispute.
- Handles commercial leases and license agreements on behalf of a charitable organization.
- Successfully negotiated a health insurance claim on behalf of an indigent client.
- Ms. Charlton's pro bono work is profiled in the September 2008 issue of Pro Bono Saves Lives.
Memberships and Affiliations
- Fellow, American College of Coverage Counsel
- Co-Chair of the Professional Liability (E&O and EPLI) Committee of the American College of Coverage Counsel (ACCC)
- American Bar Association
- ABA Section of Litigation, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee
- WIN Conference Co-Chair (2016)
- Social Media Managing Editor (2015-present)
- Food & Drug Subcommittee, Co-Chair (2013-present)
- Food Contamination Articles Editor (2012-present)
- Annual Conference Co-Chair (2012-2013)
- Annual Conference Vice Chair (2011-2012)
- Products Liability Subcommittee, Co-Chair (2009-2012)
- CGL Subcommittee, Co-Chair (2005-2009)
- Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia, Insurance Law Forum, Co-Chair (2008-2015)
- Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital
- Service Unit Manager (2014-present)
- Service Unit Recognitions Chair (2011-2015)
- Troop Leader (2007-present) (Outstanding Leader Award, 2010-2011)
August 23, 2017, Strategic Risk
May 11-12, 2017, American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel
March 7, 2015, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar
News & Developments
February 18, 2015, ABA Section of Litigation, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee
February 18, 2015, American Bar Association, Insurance Coverage
REBUTTAL: Pa. Coverage Law Hasn't Traveled Back To '80s
January 16, 2015, Law360
Covington's Suzan Charlton authored this article on Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s recent 3-2 decision in Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Co. v. St. John, No. 86 MAP 2012, 2014 Pa. Lexis 3313: "In the wake of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s recent 3-2 decision in Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Co. v. St. John, No. 86 MAP 2012, ...
Product Recalls: Measuring and Recovering Financial Losses
May 1, 2014, FDA News Webinar on Recall Management for Medical Devices
March 5, 2014, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar
October/November 2012, Food Safety Magazine
From Soup to Nuts: Regulatory, Legal and Communications Issues Involved in Food Recalls
June 26, 2012, Thomson Reuters Webinar
July 2011, Practising Law Institute, Hot Topics in Commercial Insurance Law 2011
ICLC Idol
March 2011, Litigation Skills Presentation, American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar
The Club Manager’s Survival Guide to Construction & Renovation Projects
February 2011, Club Managers Association of America, 84th World Conference on Club Management
Product Liability Insurance: Overview and Recent Developments
January 2010, Practising Law Institute, Current Developments in Insurance Law 2010
The Club Manager's Survival Guide to Construction & Renovation Projects: Key Legal, Environmental and Insurance Coverage Issues
September 27, 2009, Club Managers Association of America, Assistant Managers Conference
Product Liability Insurance: Overview and Recent Developments
April 2009, Practising Law Institute, Understanding Insurance Law 2009
Not Your Father’s Allocations: Practical Solutions for Modern Long-Tail Claims
March 7, 2009, American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar
Insurance Coverage for Product Recalls
October 21, 2008, D.C. Women’s Bar Association, Insurance Law Forum
Product Liability Insurance: Overview and Recent Developments
April 2008, Practising Law Institute, Understanding Insurance Law 2008
Stuff Happens: Will Your Insurance Cover It?
February 1, 2008, Club Managers Association of America, World Conference on Club Management
Insurance Coverage for Food-Related Liabilities and Recalls
February 2008, American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar
Scones and Schemes: London Market Insolvencies Are No Tea Party
March 2, 2007, American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar
Are You Covered? Key Liability and Insurance Issues Facing Private Clubs
February 24, 2007, Club Managers Association of America, World Conference on Club Management
Legal Update: Legal and Insurance Issues Facing Private Clubs
September 10, 2006, Club Managers Association of America, Leadership/Legislative Conference
Number of Occurrences: Whose Cause Is It Anyway?
March 3, 2006, American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar
- Washington DC Super Lawyers, Insurance Coverage (2013-2019)
- Ms. Charlton is profiled in the September/October 2008 issue of Diversity & the Bar.
- Benchmark: The Definitive Guide to America’s Leading Litigators, “Star” attorney in the field of Insurance (2007)