Jim is a partner in, and deputy practice group leader of, the firm's Insurance Recovery Group. Jim is "extraordinarily hard working, fantastic in terms of client relations and very much attuned to the cutting-edge issues" and "[h]e has an unbelievable knowledge base of coverage law and can easily identify the esoteric points," reports Chambers USA based upon interviews with clients and lawyers in the insurance coverage community. His national litigation practice focuses on representing policyholders in insurance coverage disputes involving product liability, product recall, product contamination, first party property and business interruption losses, additional insured and vendor endorsements, historic coverage for environmental and asbestos claims, cyberliability, director's & officer's liability, professional liability, employment practices liability, commercial crime and fidelity bonds, workers' compensation liability, domestic and UK insolvencies, and UK solvent schemes. Jim regularly is engaged to tackle emerging insurance coverage issues such as global warming liability, he assists the firm's Renewable Energy Practice with insurance counseling and claims litigation, and he is a member of the firm's multi-disciplinary teams on Import Safety and Nanotechnology.
Jim also has served extensively as trial counsel in commercial disputes involving breach of contract, indemnity, construction, sales practices, environmental compliance, shareholder and partnership, RICO, and unfair competition. He views litigation as just one means for his clients to achieve their objectives, and develops facts and arguments for any matter in the way most likely to reach the desired end – through trial, settlement or alternative dispute resolution.
His representations have encompassed clients ranging in size from Fortune 50 corporations to family-owned businesses. He is familiar with a wide spectrum of manufacturing and service industry sectors, including retail, pharmaceutical, energy, financial institutions, food manufacturing, construction, real estate and consulting.
In addition to his policyholder practice, Jim regularly publishes and speaks on insurance recovery topics. He is the co-editor of the American Bar Association Section of Litigation Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee's website, he serves on the Committee's long range planning committee, and he previously chaired the Committee's Annual CLE Conference for 2008 and 2009, the Emerging Issues Subcommittee (second term), and the Programming Subcommittee.
