Mr James Murray > Blank Rome LLP > Washington DC, United States > Lawyer Profile

Blank Rome LLP
1825 EYE STREET NW
WASHINGTON DC 20006
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
United States
James Murray photo

Work Department

Insurance - Advice to Policyholders

Position

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.

Lawyer Rankings

United States > Insurance > Advice to policyholders

(Leading lawyers)

James Murray – Blank Rome LLP

Blank Rome LLP excels in navigating a diverse spectrum of insurance matters with a specific focus on policyholders, with expertise spanning various industries and underpinned by considerable trial experience. Noteworthy achievements include leading a $25m lawsuit for Urban Edge Properties related to coronavirus business interruption and advocating for religious organizations in cases involving sexual abuse claims. In Washington DC, negotiation and trial expert John Gibbons and James Murray, recognized for his work on institutional liability for sexual abuse of minors, co-head the practice, alongside high-stakes litigation expert Linda Kornfeld from Los Angeles. Also in LA, Mary Craig Calkins supports the practice currently handling diverse coverage matters arising from the 2020 election fraud allegations and media defamation claims. In Washington DC, the team also includes Omid Safa, specializing in insurance issues for high-profile individuals, Kyle P Brinkman managing complex insurance coverage matters, and veteran John Heintz in corporate insurance coverage and complex litigation. In New York, Jared Zola focuses on high-stakes litigation and corporate transactions, while Natasha Romagnoli brings notable experience in sexual abuse coverage, discrimination claims, directors’ and officers’ liability, and errors and omissions. Noteworthy additions in March 2023 include partner Minneapolis-based Rikke Dierssen-Morice, joining from Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP, recognized for expertise in food contamination/recall, crime, and construction coverage, and Jason Frye, joining from Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP in Chicago, marking the firm’s continued expansion into the Midwest.