North America - United States • Insurance
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.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Rikke Dierssen-Morice is an exceptional attorney, with years of experience in the insurance space. As an attorney to companies of all sizes and reach: large, small, local, national, and global, Rikke is able to not only bring the academic, legal and technical expertise to her clients, but balances it with a level-headed and practical approach as well. This in combination with Rikke's amazing people skills and authenticity in her relationships makes her an unbeatable, unmatchable, and incomparable attorney and advisor in the insurance space. ’
‘A really tight knit team - they have worked together for many years - and it shows. They are well oiled machine - sharp lawyers who run a smooth operation.’
‘Mary Craig Calkins is a force of nature. She is relentless, intelligent, experienced and insightful. I have worked with her on several different matters over the years and she has ALWAYS delivered exceptional results. She gets results and that's what matters.'
‘Jim Carter is both technically gifted and immensely clever. His ability to develop manuscriptal policy language that both addresses the concerns of the Insured and that is also acceptable to Insurers is particularly noteworthy.’
‘Of the insurance recovery firms with national practices, Blank Rome is certainly among a small group with the deepest bench and talent. They are in every area of insurance recovery and work on the largest and complex matters with success. They are highly pragmatic and strategically resolution focused and value civility and professionalism in a very strong way.’
‘I cannot say enough about Jim Murray and Jared Zola. Alot of large law firms, of course, have the expertise to litigate. However, Jim and Jared along with their litigation expertise put their clients first and try to find ways to resolve matters in the best interests of the client. They have a common-sense approach to litigation that some others do not. Jim is one of the finest trial lawyers I have seen and if a case needs to go to trial, he is the lawyer you would want in front of a judge or jury. However, it is not practical to litigate all cases to death and Jim and Jared have that rare combination of legal expertise, common sense, and loyalty to the interest of the client that make them ideal for any policyholder that needs a coverage lawyer.’
'The lawyers I know in this practice group are aggressive, painstakingly careful, and fearless. So many lawyers are anxious about taking a client's case to court - this group thrives on courtroom work because they know it will benefit their clients. Of course they are smart, but more than that they are "insurance smart" meaning they know the policies often far better than insurance company counsel and know how to use them to benefit their clients.’
‘Natasha Romagnoli and Dave Thomas are an amazing team that provides expert advice and fiery advocacy for their clients. They are unafraid to jump into the deep end of large cases and take the reins. I would highly recommend them to any of my clients for future use.’
Key clients
- New Archdioceses: New Orleans, San Diego, Baltimore; Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (California); Roman Catholic Bishop (Diocese) of San Diego (a corporation sole)
- Nooter Corporation
- Urban Edge
- Goldman Sachs
- Yelp Inc.
- Surf Style Retail Management, Inc.
- Varsity Brands
- Bimbo Bakeries, USA
- FAT Brands Inc.
- Flintridge Riding Club
- Lionsgate Entertainment
- Life Fitness L.L.C.
- High-net-worth investor group, including entities affiliated with Bryn & Associates, Chemtov Mortgage Group, Horvitz Group, and Moncler Motors, LLC
- International Micro Industries
- Yeshiva University
- M.A. Mortenson Company
- Vanguard Soap, LLC
- NGI Capital, Inc., dba Apex IT
- Donaldson Companies, Inc.
- Andersen Corporation
- 3M
- Accenture
- WSP Global Inc./ The Louis Berger Group (“LBG”)
- Chiquita Brands, International
- North American Automotive Services
- The Rockefeller University
- Kraft Heinz
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Tory Burch
- Arthrex, Inc.
- Sargent & Lundy
Work highlights
- Argued and defeated Allied World Assurance Company’s motion for summary judgment, which was one of only a small handful of victories in the entire country over an insurance company’s bid to reject coverage for a major COVID-19 business interruption insurance claim.
- Acted as counsel for The Rockefeller University in connection with what is currently the nation’s largest sex abuse coverage case for a single institution.
- Represented Vanguard Soap, LLC in a litigation on stock-throughput insurance coverage against 24 Lloyd’s syndicates which participated in two $8 million STP policies and denied coverage for a $3.8 million soap product loss and recall in 2019.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading lawyers
Blank Rome LLP
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
Blank Rome LLP
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.
Blank Rome LLP
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
Next Generation Partners
Blank Rome LLP
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
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
John Gibbons, Linda Kornfeld, Jim Murray