Lawrence Hobel advises domestic and international clients on policyholder coverage and complex environmental matters and litigation.
According to the latest edition of Chambers US (2015), sources say that Mr. Hobel is “very creative in his approach to insurance issues and looks at a complicated problem and finds two or three ways to solve it that others wouldn’t,” and that he is “well spoken, has a fantastic grasp of the case law, is a good strategic thinker and is an all-around strong coverage attorney.”
Mr. Hobel has served as lead counsel in numerous major coverage actions, and has secured in excess of $1.5 billion dollars in insurance recoveries for extraordinary losses. He has represented policyholders in litigation and negotiations on a broad range of insurance recovery claims and coverage, including first party property damage and business interruption loss, D&O and E&O disputes, privacy and data breach claims, third party toxic tort, asbestos, product liability, property damage claims, and environmental liability coverage.
Mr. Hobel also co-chairs the firm’s Environmental Practice. Clients seek his counsel and representation on a broad range of environmental issues, including waste and hazardous materials and substances, air, water, natural resources, Proposition 65 and other disclosure laws, and land use siting and permitting. He has represented clients in corporate transactions in due diligence and to resolve environmental issues, including risk and cost allocation, structuring, use of insurance. He has defended clients in governmental enforcement litigation and negotiations, provided regulatory counsel and representation on federal, state and local environmental regulations impacting both project development and ongoing operations, and litigated CERCLA, private property damage and toxic tort disputes.
Mr. Hobel has recently focused most of his pro bono practice on representation of veterans in benefits disputes.
Mr. Hobel has been an Assistant Adjunct Professor of Insurance Law at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and a panelist at numerous programs on insurance coverage and environmental issues.