America's Leading Lawyers for Business 2005: Insurance (Coverage Litigation)
Chambers & Partners has compiled their independent and objective list of America's Leading Lawyers for Business based on comments gathered from thousands of interviews with clients and lawyers from Maine to Hawaii. This guide -- which is designed to reflect market opinion -- contains a view of the firms and attorneys who are considered leaders in their field.
In Chambers' 2005 review of national legal talent in the area of "Insurance: Coverage Litigation," our Firm and our lawyers are listed among the best in the country.
Chambers' comments:
Illinois Ranking: 2
The Firm: True to the firm's overall reputation, this is a litigation-focused practice group, dedicated to the representation of policyholders. Many of those it represents are drawn from the firm's broader client base; however, the group also attracts new clients thanks to its renowned trial capabilities. The view from the market is that the firm "has the capability to litigate an insurance claim to a successful conclusion, and the insurance carriers know this." The market further applauded the team for its practical approach and meticulous preparation of cases. Environmental contamination, toxic torts and products liability appear on the firm's resume, alongside directors and officers' liability and business interruption claims.
The Lawyers: Clients say this group offers them "a slew of talented individuals" from which to choose. The key individual is Michael Foradas, whose common sense and aggressive approach have been successfully imported from his commercial litigation practice. One client explained Foradas' appeal: "He digs deeply into the issues, understands them very well and prepares heavily for hearings and conferences." In the past year he steered a large business interruption case for Republic Engineered Products and continued providing advice to Dow Chemical and Union Carbide on a variety of insurance and non-insurance matters.
The Clients: Alcon Laboratories; BP; Dow Chemical; Dow Corning; Motorola; NL Industries; Gaylord Container; Honeywell; Union Carbide; Raytheon; Siemens and Republic Engineered Products.
Reprinted with permission from Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2005 - www.chambersandpartners.com.
