Blank Rome LLP

Insurance - Advice to Policyholders

Justin Lavella is a partner in Blank Rome’s policyholder-only insurance recovery practice, formerly the insurance practice of Dickstein Shapiro LLP. Justin focuses his practice on representing corporate policyholders, debtors’ and creditors’ committees, professional partnerships, federal employees, and other parties in insurance coverage disputes relating to the full spectrum of insurable losses, including mass tort liabilities, directors’ and officers’ liabilities, professional errors and omissions liabilities, employee theft, product contamination and recall, and first-party property damage. He represents companies in all aspects of risk management and insurance recovery, including litigation, arbitration, mediation, and bankruptcy proceedings, as well as counseling clients regarding prospective insurance placement.

Justin is a versatile litigator and negotiator with experience handling a wide array of insurance disputes. He has worked with companies and professional partnerships seeking coverage for mass tort claims, including asbestos, environmental contamination, and lead paint claims, as well as various directors’ and officers’ liabilities and professional errors and omissions claims. He was involved in insurance litigation related to interrogation services provided at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison. He also served as counsel in a professional errors and omissions case involving a high-profile lobbying matter.

Justin also has experience with deal-specific or industry-specific insurance policies, including representations and warranties insurance and food contamination insurance. He represented several federal employees in securing insurance coverage for the costs associated with congressional, agency, and criminal investigations.

In the realm of bankruptcy, Justin has worked with creditors’ committees, debtors, as well as the former directors and officers of debtors, to secure insurance coverage for alleged business torts and mass tort liabilities. He has also advised policyholders on issues involving first-party losses, including property damage from natural disasters, business interruption losses, data breaches, and employee theft.

Justin also maintains a vibrant consulting aspect to his practice concerning the placement and underwriting of insurance coverage, with particular emphasis on directors’ and officers’ liability and errors and omissions liability policies. In this aspect of his practice, he has advised numerous Fortune 500 companies regarding coverage enhancements available in the insurance marketplace. For more information on Mr. Lavella, please click here for his full biography