McKool Smith Launches Insurance Recovery Practice

NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- McKool Smith has announced the launch of the firm's insurance recovery litigation practice with the joining of 14 attorneys, including seven principals, two senior counsel, and five associates, led by preeminent insurance litigator Robin Cohen.  Ms. Cohen and her team will be based in the firm's New York office and focus their practice exclusively on maximizing corporate policyholder insurance recoveries. The group has handled and tried some of the country's largest coverage cases, and has obtained more than $5 billion in insurance-related recoveries for a wide range of clients.

"We are very excited about the arrival of Robin Cohen and her entire practice group," said Mike McKool, a founder and Chairman of McKool Smith. "Robin and her team are first-rate trial lawyers who have secured a number of massive wins for their clients. Their addition to the firm not only launches our insurance recovery practice, but adds significant depth to our already deep bench of first-chair trial lawyers."

"As a trial lawyer, I was naturally drawn to McKool Smith's reputation as one of the country's most-respected and prominent trial firms," said Ms. Cohen. "When you consider the firm's success, particularly the number and size of its verdicts, it's really astounding.  Such an impressive trial record, combined with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a close-knit culture make for an ideal home to continue to grow my practice. This is a great fit for our team and a win for our clients."

McKool Smith's new principals are widely recognized for their trial-ready approach in securing insurance recoveries for plaintiffs. The group's successes include recoveries for claims ranging from mass tort liabilities to securities claims, class action settlements, first-party property and business interruption losses, directors' and officers' liability, crime and fidelity losses, products liability, environmental claims, intellectual property, communications liabilities, and a host of other areas.

Practice leader Robin Cohen is a seasoned trial attorney with more than 25 years of experience trying and litigating many of the industry's most significant and cutting-edge insurance coverage cases.  Ms. Cohen has been named one of the "50 Most Influential Women Lawyers in America" by The National Law Journal, and is ranked Band 1 both nationally and in New York for insurance dispute resolution by Chambers USA.  The publication's 2015 edition notes that Ms. Cohen has a "huge reputation as a leader of an increasingly prominent insurance practice" and describes her as an"accomplished coverage attorney who leads on big-ticket policyholder jury trials."  For the past three years, she has been named an Insurance MVP by Law360 based on her massive recoveries and many successes in high-stakes insurance recovery disputes.  In addition to Ms. Cohen's law practice, she focuses on activities promoting the advancement of women into leadership positions in legal and other professions.

Joining Ms. Cohen at McKool Smith will be firm principals Elizabeth A. Sherwin, Adam Ziffer, Kenneth H. Frenchman, Keith McKenna, Natasha Romagnoli, and Burt M. Garson; senior counsel Michelle Migdon, and John "Jack" Winsboro;  and, associates Mark Ladd, Jillian Raines, Kristen Rossetti, Alexander Sugzda, and Gordon B. White.

Elizabeth A. Sherwin represents policyholders in all types of insurance coverage litigation, with an emphasis on mass tort liability coverage.  She is recognized as a "Local Litigation Star" by Benchmark Litigation.

Adam Ziffer represents policyholders in all types of insurance coverage disputes, with an emphasis on procuring coverage for directors and officers, and institutional defendants, for claims arising out of capital markets and the financial services industry.  He has been recommended as a leading insurance litigator by The Legal 500, and named a top 10 insurance "Rising Star" by Law360.   

Kenneth H. Frenchman has significant trial, appellate, and counseling experience in insurance coverage litigation, with a focus on multi-layered insurance programs involving multiple insurers.  He is ranked as a leading lawyer for insurance dispute resolution (policyholder) by Chambers USA and The Legal 500.  

Keith McKenna has a diverse commercial litigation background, with an emphasis on insurance coverage litigation and counseling for large corporate policyholders. He is ranked as a leading lawyer for insurance dispute resolution (policyholder) by Chambers USA and The Legal 500.

Natasha Romagnoli represents a wide-range of clients, including major financial institutions, real estate developers, and telecommunications companies, among others, in a variety of insurance recovery and complex commercial disputes.  

Burt Garson has extensive experience representing policyholders in high-stakes insurance coverage actions. He has obtained significant insurance coverage recoveries for liabilities relating to asbestos, products, toxic torts, environmental, directors and officers, errors and omissions, first-party property damage, and business interruption. 

With more than 175 trial lawyers across offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Marshall, New York, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C., McKool Smith has established a reputation as one of America's leading trial firms. Since 2006, the firm has secured nine nine-figure jury verdicts, and ten eight-figure jury verdicts. The firm has also won more VerdictSearch and The National Law Journal "Top 100 Verdicts" over the last eight years than any other law firm in the country. Courtroom successes like these have earned McKool Smith critical acclaim and helped the firm become what The Wall Street Journal describes as "one of the biggest law firm success stories of the past decade." McKool Smith represents clients in complex commercial litigation, intellectual property, bankruptcy, and white collar defense matters.

For additional information, please contact Michael R. Coston at 212-402-9450 or [email protected].

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