Carlton Fields Insurance Group Named to Law360’s 2023 Practice Groups of the Year

TAMPA, FL – Carlton Fields’ insurance group was named one of Law360’s 2023 “Practice Groups of the Year.” The award honors the attorney teams behind litigation wins and major deals that resonated throughout the legal industry this past year.

Carlton Fields’ insurance group was recognized for its work on behalf of some of the largest insurers in the world in class actions, complex commercial litigation, and regulatory matters. Some of the firm’s major wins contributing to the recognition include:

• Obtaining a first-of-its-kind ruling at the federal appellate level affirming the dismissal of a nationwide class action, claiming that anyone with an insured trip canceled due to COVID-19 should receive a partial refund of their travel insurance premiums. Markham Leventhal and Michael Wolgin were lead attorneys on this matter.
• Achieving a series of pivotal COVID-19 business interruption coverage wins for insurers, including a win in the Fifth Circuit and another persuading a Florida state court to recognize that business interruption coverage requires direct physical loss or damage even without specific policy wording. Steve Brodie and Heidi Raschke were lead attorneys on these matters.
• Obtaining judgment in insurer’s favor in one of the largest antitrust class actions in the U.S., finding that directors and officers liability policy did not cover claims in an underlying antitrust dispute wherein numerous entities sought coverage under their directors and officers and errors and omissions policies. Steve Brodie and Heidi Raschke were lead attorneys on this matter.
• Successfully guiding one of the world's leading reinsurers in a series of matters involving rate increases under YRT life reinsurance treaties, including several significant arbitrations, and another global insurance company in a dispute to recover amounts billed under a reinsurance treaty. Rob DiUbaldo was the lead attorney on these matters.
• Facilitating client’s development of first-of-its-kind group annuity products used to fund health savings accounts, addressing state insurance law, federal securities law, and administrative and operational issues. Ann Black was the lead attorney on this matter.

Law360 published an Insurance Practice Group of the Year profile, with insights from Steve Brodie, co-chair of the firm's Property and Casualty Insurance Practice and Insurance Industry Group; Rob DiUbaldo, co-chair of the Property and Casualty Insurance Practice; and Ann Black, co-chair of the Life, Annuity, and Retirement Solutions Industry Group.