Advice to policyholders

Partner

Senior Counsel

Partner Mary Craig Calkins has more than 35 years of experience handling and litigating all aspects of insurance recovery for policyholders in complex, high-value matters. She has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for companies and individuals under directors and officers liability, management liability, and professional errors and omissions policies through litigation, arbitration, and mediation, and facilitated settlement of some of the most complicated directors and officers liability issues in the country. Mary has substantial experience in other areas of insurance recovery, including entertainment and intellectual property claims, securities, cyber liabilities, e-commerce and technology claims, labor and employment claims, construction defects, first party property and business interruption losses, FinTech, and broker liability claims. She also advises in-house counsel, senior executives, and company management on how to maximize insurance protection and recovery under primary and excess policies. Chambers USA notes Mary is a “market leader” who has been praised as “best in class in insurance recovery matter—she is dedicated, creative, authoritative and knows how to drive results.” “She’s as good as they come and wonderful to work with through complicated insurance issues.” “Mary is an outstanding guide and advocate—I recommend her without any reservations.” “Mary is fantastic, clients love her.” She is a past president of the American College of Coverage Counsel, an honorary association recognizing the preeminent coverage lawyers in the nation, and is a past chair of the Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association Litigation Section. She has been ranked repeatedly in insurance by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, and other national and international ranking associations. She also has served as an arbitrator and expert witness, and frequently lectures and publishes on a wide variety of topics relating to directors and officers liability coverage and other litigation topics. She also currently serves as national Revenue Officer and member of the Executive Committee of the ABA Litigation Section. For Mary's full biography please visit Mary Craig Calkins | Blank Rome LLP

Partner

Partner

Partner

Jim Murray is co-chair of Blank Rome’s policyholder-only insurance recovery practice, formerly the insurance practice of Dickstein Shapiro LLP. Jim is the only policyholder trial lawyer in the country who is a Fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers (“ACTL”) and the American College of Coverage Counsel (“ACCC”). He has litigated cases in 24 states for top-tier corporate clients and has represented individuals and an array of religious institutions and government entities. Jim’s industry recognitions span more than 20 years. Jim is ranked nationally in insurance by Chambers USA as well as in Band 1 in Washington, D.C. Best Lawyers named him its 2020 “Lawyer of the Year” for Insurance Litigation in Washington, D.C. BTI Consulting Group designated him a 2019 “Client Service All-Star.” The National Law Journal named Jim a “D.C. Trailblazer” in 2020 and, in 2017, a “Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Trailblazer” (one of 15 nationally in all practices areas). In both 2020 and 2017, the National Law Journal named Blank Rome as the D.C. Litigation Department of the Year for Insurance. Law360 has twice named him an MVP in Insurance Coverage. For 2022 through 2024, Lexology, Inc. named him the “Exclusive Winner of the Client Choice Award for Insurance & Reinsurance for the USA” (finalists can only be nominated by corporate counsel). Jim served on the District of Columbia State Committee of the ACTL for five years. Membership in the ACTL is extended only by invitation, after extensive investigation, to those trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility, and collegiality. He is also listed in the National Trial Lawyers’ “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” for the District of Columbia (Civil) and was selected as a member of the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel (“NADC”) in 2022.  For more information about Mr. Murray, please click here to view his full biography.

Partner A highly skilled litigator with more than 20 years’ experience, Natasha counsels a wide breadth of clients, including corporations, investment funds, universities and high schools, religious institutions, non-profits, and individuals, on issues in connection with a broad range of insurance coverage claims and disputes. Natasha regularly appears in state and federal courts across the country and in arbitration, representing her clients on matters related to insurance recovery, employment practices liability insurance (“EPLI”), and sexual abuse coverage. She has also handled several general commercial litigation disputes concerning broker malpractice, breach of contract, securities, and tort claims. Natasha is highly ranked in insurance by Chambers USA - New York and in Legal 500 United States. For Natasha's full biography please visit Natasha Romagnoli | Blank Rome LLP

Partner

Kyle Brinkman is a partner in Blank Rome’s policyholder-only insurance recovery practice. He helps companies and their directors and officers understand and obtain payment from their insurance coverage—from preemptive analysis of coverage for potential risks, to claim advocacy and negotiation, through alternative dispute resolution and litigation. Having focused his practice exclusively on insurance recovery from day one of his legal career, Kyle has helped clients understand and resolve coverage disputes involving nearly all major commercial insurance types. For Kyle's full biography please visit Kyle P. Brinkman | Blank Rome LLP

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Partner

Associate