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William F. Greaney

Senior Counsel

Washington +1 202 662 5486

+1 202 491 8375

  • About
  • Representative Matters
  • Credentials
  • About

    William Greaney is a nationally recognized commercial litigator who concentrates on insurance and environmental dispute resolution. Chambers USA has ranked him in the highest tiers of insurance practitioners, both nationally and in the District of Columbia. He has been characterized by Chambers as “go-to lawyer” for corporate policyholders who "thinks outside the box" and has “deep expertise in a variety of insurance matters.” Bill has represented both private and public entities in coverage disputes before federal and state courts throughout the country, including disputes over coverage for underlying asbestos, environmental, lead paint, breast implants, mass tort, product recall, intellectual property, construction defects, securities, directors and officers, and errors and omissions claims. He also has extensive experience representing policyholders in disputes arising under first-party property policies, including coverage for physical damage, extra expense, business interruption and contingent business interruption losses resulting from hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, 9/11 and other catastrophes, and disputes arising under cyber, crime/fraud and fidelity policies. Bill also has litigated CERCLA contribution and enforcement actions in various federal courts.

    Bill has represented numerous policyholders in alternative dispute resolution proceedings, including binding arbitrations under CPR/AAA/JAMS rules, proceedings under the London and Swedish Arbitration Acts and mediations.  He also has served as a party-appointed arbitrator in multiple arbitrations involving insurance coverage disputes.  He also has an active non-litigation and counseling practice.  For example, he has negotiated coverage-in-place agreements, structured settlements and policy commutations with foreign and domestic insurers on behalf of many policyholders facing "long-tail" liabilities.  He also has advised numerous corporate clients on how to structure their insurance programs to eliminate potential gaps in coverage, and has negotiated modifications to standard policy wording to conform the coverage to policyholders' specific risk profiles.

    Bill has written and spoken extensively on insurance coverage topics, has served on several ABA committees addressing environmental, insurance and litigation issues.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Practices and Industries
  • Representative Matters
    • Represented the State of Minnesota in seven separate actions against more than 50 insurance companies for responsible parties under the Landfill Cleanup Act, which generated substantial recoveries for the cleanup of more than 100 contaminated landfills.
    • Represented Blackstone Group in coverage litigation in Louisiana, Florida and Texas for property and business interruption losses related to hurricane damage to hotels.  
    • Represented the State of Minnesota in a natural resource damages action against a major corporation in state court.
    • Special insurance counsel to Garlock Sealing Technologies LLC in a major asbestos-driven bankruptcy proceeding in North Carolina.
    • Represented major utility, private equity fund affiliate, and consumer products companies in resolving disputed claims under DoD policies and upgrading terms of DoD insurance programs.
    • Represented Irving Oil in litigation in Maine and New Hampshire addressing insurance coverage for MTBE product liability claims.
    • Represented Payless Rental Car Systems in successfully defending an insurer's equitable indemnity lawsuit in Arizona federal court, the Ninth Circuit and the Supreme Court of Arizona.
    • Represent an infrastructure equipment and technologies supplier in asbestos-related coverage litigation in North Carolina state court.
    • Represented National Grid in environmental and insurance litigation in West Virginia and Massachusetts.

    • Represented a national rental car company in obtaining insurance coverage for hurricane-related business interruption losses in Florida.  
    • Represented The ESAB Group in South Carolina litigation and Swedish arbitration addressing insurance coverage for underlying welding consumable personal injury claims.
    • Represented The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. in California litigation and London arbitration addressing insurance coverage for underlying product liability class action settlements.
    • Represented The Procter & Gamble Company in AAA insurance arbitration for contingent business interruption losses resulting from a major earthquake in Turkey.
    • Represented a major consumer products manufacturer in securing insurance coverage for significant property damage and business interruption losses from Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and a tornado in Tennessee.
    • Represented ExxonMobil Corporation, Textron Inc., ITT Corporation and Goodrich Corporation in successfully challenging solvent schemes of arrangement by UK-based insurers in English and Scottish courts.   
    • Represented Sears Holdings Corp. in California state court litigation to obtain coverage for a crime and fidelity loss.   
    • Represent Brooklyn Union Gas Co. and KeySpan Gas East Corporation in litigation addressing insurance coverage for government-mandated cleanup of former manufactured gas plants.
    • Represented a major transnational utility provider in pursuing insurance recovery for first-party property losses and underlying lawsuits resulting from Superstorm Sandy.
    • Represented Brown Shoe Company, The Gillette Company, IBM Corporation, Quantum Chemical Corp., Massachusetts Electric Company, and numerous other clients in environmental insurance litigation in California, Massachusetts, Missouri and Rhode Island courts.
    • Represented Coltec Industries Inc., Garlock Sealing Technologies LLC, Greene, Tweed & Co., Howden North America Inc., The Marley-Wylain Company, and numerous other clients in arbitrations and asbestos insurance coverage litigation in Indiana, New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania state and federal courts.
    • Represented Millennium Partners in construction defect coverage litigation against multiple insurers resulting from water infiltration and other damage at a five-star luxury hotel in Washington, DC.
    • Represented a home builder in Colorado and Texas federal courts to secure coverage from multiple insurers for underlying lawsuits alleging defective home construction.
    • Represented a national home builder in Texas federal court to secure insurance coverage for underlying copyright and trademark infringement lawsuits.
    • Represented Titeflex Corporation in Pennsylvania litigation and New York arbitration to obtain insurance coverage for underlying product liability pollution lawsuits.
    • Have filed and defended multiple CERCLA contribution lawsuits on behalf of Covington clients.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Credentials
    Education
    • Harvard Law School, J.D.
    • University of Maryland, B.A.
    Bar Admissions
    • District of Columbia
    • New York
    Judicial Clerkship
    • Hon. Norma Holloway Johnson, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
    Accolades
    • BTI Consulting Group, Client Service All-Star
    • Best Lawyers, Washington, DC Insurance Lawyer of the Year, 2012
    • Best Lawyers in America, Insurance
    • Chambers Guide to America's Leading Business Lawyers, Band 1 Insurance
    • Benchmark Litigation, National Rankings (Insurance)
    • International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers - Insurance and Reinsurance
    • The Practical Law Company (PLC) - Insurance and Reinsurance, The Law and Leading Lawyers Worldwide
    • Washington DC Super Lawyers
    • Euromoney's Guide to the World's Leading Insurance and Reinsurance Lawyers
    • Legal 500 Leading Litigation Lawyers
    Memberships and Affiliations
    • American Bar Association, Litigation Section

    Areas of Expertise

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