Doug is firmwide head of Reed Smith's Insurance Recovery Group, with more than 80 full time, exclusively policyholder focused attorneys in offices throughout the United States, as well as around the world, including Europe and, most recently, Singapore. Doug also serves as a member of the firm's Executive Committee. He is involved in all areas of civil litigation, including complex insurance coverage disputes, asbestos property damage and other products liability cases, intellectual property litigation, trade secret/ restrictive covenant disputes and general commercial disputes.
Since 1985, Doug has devoted a significant amount of his practice to representing policyholders in insurance coverage matters under virtually every type of commercial insurance policy. In particular, Doug has counseled on, negotiated, mediated and litigated complex insurance coverage disputes for commercial policyholders involving coverage for toxic torts and product liability claims (including asbestos exposures), environmental contamination, intellectual property and general business torts, as well as claims involving Directors & Officers, Errors and Omissions, professional liability, and employment liability insurance coverage.
As a result of multiple mortgage insurers walking away from billions of dollars in coverage obligations during the foreclosure crisis of 2009, Doug, along with several Reed Smith Insurance Recovery Group partners, was retained by a number of large financial institutions to represent them in litigation, arbitrations and negotiations regarding the mortgage-related insurance issues that followed. Most notably Doug represents Bank of America and Countrywide, the leading originator of mortgages for most of this decade, to fend off claims of rescission by mortgage insurers and other financial guaranty companies.
Doug has advised and represented clients in substantial insurance coverage disputes in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout the country, including Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Ohio, and in various arbitrations and alternative dispute resolutions. On behalf of his clients, Doug has negotiated, mediated and litigated coverage disputes resulting in the recovery of more than $1 billion in insurance policy proceeds.
Doug also has had significant experience litigating complex commercial cases, including products liability (including several substantial trials involving asbestos-containing building products), trade secrets/restrictive covenant and intellectual property cases. He has advised and represented clients in complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Vermont, California, Massachusetts, Florida, Kentucky, Washington and West Virginia.
