National US firm Barnes & Thornburg has hired a 12-lawyer group from Lowenstein Sandler, including eight partners, in a move that adds a strong East Coast presence to its existing Midwest and West Coast insurance recovery practice.
The team has joined across Barnes & Thornburg’s New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia and Atlanta offices and significantly enhances its insurance recovery group’s capabilities in insurance litigation and risk management, the firm said in a statement.
It is led by partner Lynda Bennett, who will serve as co-chair of the insurance recovery group. Partners Arthur Armstrong, Alexander Brown, Craig Dashiell, Rachel Hudgins, Eric Jesse, Jeremy King and Heather Weaver round out the group, along with four associates.
Barnes & Thornburg managing partner, Andrew Detherage, said the team was joining “at a pivotal time as we execute on our vision to build on our national areas of strength and provide market-leading service to our clients”.
Its hire follows the firm adding a 39-lawyer public finance and infrastructure group in February from Ballard Spahr, in a move that saw it open offices in Baltimore, Denver and Phoenix.
The incoming team represents corporate policyholders in insurance coverage disputes, and Barnes & Thornburg said they had secured billions of dollars in recoveries for their clients across lines that include D&O, representations and warranties insurance (RWI), cyber, product liability, environmental, construction, employment and severe bodily injury claims.
“This team’s industry prowess is an incredible addition and asset for our clients,” said litigation department chair Randy Brown. “They are extremely knowledgeable about the global insurance industry and seasoned litigators when it comes to insurance coverage and bad faith matters.”
Bennett will co-chair the insurance recovery group alongside Los Angeles-based Lilit Asadourian and Kevin Dreher, who works out of Chicago. With the new arrivals, the group now includes 50 insurance lawyers across the US.
“Our team is effective because we are a known quantity within the insurance industry and we understand how the market works,” Bennett said. “We’re excited to join Barnes & Thornburg because the combination of our two insurance teams creates a coast-to-coast powerhouse of coverage practitioners who will leverage the firm’s national platform to serve our clients wherever they need us.”
Lowenstein Sandler chair Gary Wingens said the firm had launched a new insurance litigation and advisory practice that will serve clients across the full spectrum of complex risk, coverage and advisory matters. The practice will be led by longtime Lowenstein partner Michael Lichtenstein.
He added: “Lynda Bennett and our former insurance recovery team are talented and committed lawyers. They leave the Lowenstein community with our deep respect and genuine friendship.”
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