Contacts
Samuel Hoar, Jr. John D. Monahan
Practice Profile
The firm's extensive insurance practice includes both the defense of insured parties in liability actions and advice to and representation of insurers and policyholders on a wide variety of first- and third-party coverage issues. Regular clients of the firm include more than 50 property, casualty, life, accident and health and specialty lines insurance companies.
Areas of Concentration
Areas of particular concentration in our Insurance practice include the following:
- Insurance Coverage
The firm provides coverage opinions, analysis, and advice to both insurers and policyholders on a wide range of insurance coverage issues. The firm has considerable experience and depth in all aspects of insurance coverage, having been lead counsel in many of Vermont's leading reported decisions in the field. We have particular expertise in the litigation of environmental and other complex coverage cases, having been lead counsel in the only environmental coverage case in Vermont yet to have been tried to a jury verdict, as well as several other leading cases, reported and unreported, in the area of environmental coverage and complex coverage in general.
Bad Faith
As an adjunct to our insurance coverage practice, we regularly counsel clients on bad faith issues arising in all phases of the insurer-policyholder relationship. Our advice commonly focuses both on avoiding bad faith claims, as well as on defending against such claims when brought.
Regulatory Services
We frequently represent insurers in dealings with the Vermont Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities, and Health Care Administration. We provide advice and representation on routine matters such as licensing and approval of forms, and in less routine matters such as consumer complaints and other regulatory investigations or proceedings.
Workers' Compensation
The firm maintains a substantial expertise in the defense of workers' compensation claims, representing both insured and self-insured employers. In connection with the representation of employers and their carriers, the firm represents them at hearings and proceedings before the Vermont Department of Labor and Industry, Vermont trial and appellate courts. The firm also provides counsel in connection with employment issues and regularly contributes articles to the Vermont Employment Law Letter on worker's compensation issues. As part of its workers' compensation practice, the firm also assists insurers and self-insured employers in perfecting and executing their statutory rights of reimbursement.
Insurance Defense
As a part of our general litigation practice, we provide defense representation of insureds in a wide range of third party litigation. The firm is approved panel counsel for many of the leading writers of third party liability insurers operating in Vermont. We have unequaled trial and appellate experience in all civil courts in Vermont.
Client Resources
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