John C. Pitblado

Overview

John Pitblado has extensive experience representing the insurance industry – with a focus on commercial, financial, title, and cyber lines – from complex claim investigations, to coverage and other corporate litigation, including class action, ERISA, bad faith, statutory unfair insurance and trade practices, RICO, fraud, and misrepresentation claims.  John also has experience handling regulatory matters, including market conduct examinations and complaints before state insurance regulatory authorities.

In addition, John specializes in commercial premises liability defense and indemnity issues, particularly for the sports and entertainment and educational institution industries.  John has handled numerous high profile, high-value matters for concert and sports venues, prep schools, colleges, and universities. 

John regularly handles cases before Connecticut's state and federal trial and appellate courts, including matters on the complex litigation docket, and in bankruptcy court. In addition, he handles cases in numerous other state and federal trial and appellate courts as pro hac vice counsel, in pretrial proceedings, at trial, and on appeal. His extensive experience also includes alternative dispute resolution. He has represented insurance companies and other commercial clients in numerous private and court-annexed mediations, appraisals, and arbitrations.

John is a member of the firm’s Insurance Industry Group, Property Casualty, Real Property Litigation, and Privacy and Cybersecurity practice teams.  He counsels clients, speaks, and writes on a range of insurance issues, and is an editor of the firm’s  property casualty and reinsurance blogs.

John has been recognized for his pro bono work, including civil rights matters, educational outreach in underserved communities, and representation of minor children subject to neglect and abuse petitions brought by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) in Connecticut’s juvenile courts. Since 2013, John has served on the board of directors of Lawyers for Children America Inc., a nonprofit organization providing legal representation to children subject to DCF proceedings.

John is co-chair of the firm’s national Cannabis Group, with an emphasis on insurance issues in the cannabis space.

Featured Insights

Litigation and Trials

2020 Connecticut Super Lawyers Honors Carlton Fields Attorneys

News

Litigation and Trials

2019 Connecticut Super Lawyers Honors Carlton Fields Attorneys

News

Experience

• Daconto v. Howard, 68 Conn. L. Rptr. 3, 2018 WL 7821676 (Conn. Super. Ct. Sept. 19, 2018) (granting summary judgment to insured client on premises liability claim arising from soccer-related traumatic brain injury claim).
• Mason v. Liberty Mutual Ins. Co., 64 Conn. L. Rptr. 809, 2017 WL 3481533 (Conn. Super. Ct. July 12, 2017) (granting motion to strike all counts against insurer staff counsel law firm on bad faith/subrogation/assignment of legal malpractice claim).
• Snyder v. ACORD Corp., No. 1:14-cv-01736, 2016 WL 192270 (D. Colo. Jan. 15, 2016), aff’d, 684 F. App'x 710 (10th Cir. 2017), cert. denied, 138 S. Ct. 392 (Oct. 30, 2017).
• McCaffree Fin. Corp. v. Principal Life Ins. Co., 811 F.3d 998 (8th Cir. 2016) (amicus) (drafted brief on behalf of amicus ACLI in support of prevailing party in excessive fee 401(k) dispute between plan sponsor and insurer)
• Bozelko v. Webster Bank, N.A., 123 A.3d 1250 (Conn. App. Ct. 2015), cert. denied, 128 A.3d 954 (Conn. 2015).
• Rochow v. Life Ins. Co. of N. Am., 780 F.3d 364 (6th Cir. 2015) (drafted brief on behalf of amicus ACLI in support of prevailing party in participant denial of benefits disability claim)
• Chen v. Hopkins Sch., Inc., 86 A.3d 482 (Conn. App. Ct. 2014).
• Merrimon v. Unum Life Ins. Co. of Amer., 758 F.3d 46 (1st Cir. 2014) (amicus counsel in support of appellant/cross-appellee/prevailing party insurer in retained asset account class action against service provider/insurer).
• Leimkuehler v. Am. United Life Ins. Co., 713 F.3d 905 (7th Cir. 2013) (amicus counsel in support of appellee/prevailing party plan service provider in 401(k) fee dispute).
• Nationwide Life Ins. Co. v. Haddock, 460 F. App'x 26 (2d Cir. 2012) (amicus counsel in support of appellant/prevailing party plan service provider in 401(k) fee dispute).
• Nw. Mut . Life Ins. Co. v. Gil, No. 3:07-cv-00303, 2009 WL 276086 (D. Conn. Feb. 5, 2009), aff'd, 351 F. App'x 515 (2d Cir. 2009).
• Phones Plus, Inc. v. Hartford Fin. Servs. Grp., Inc., No. 3:06-cv-01835, 2008 WL 11376616 (D. Conn. Sept. 30, 2008) (denying plaintiff’s motion to dismiss counterclaims in 401(k) fee dispute between plan sponsor and service provider).
• Royal Indem. Co. v. King, 512 F. Supp. 2d 117 (D. Conn. 2007).
• Nichols v. Salem Subway Rest., 912 A.2d 1037 (Conn. App. Ct. 2006).
• Waldman v. Jayaraj, 874 A.2d 860 (Conn. App. Ct. 2005), cert. denied, 882 A.2d 680 (Conn. 2005).

Recognition

• Connecticut Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Magazine (2019–2020)
• New England Rising Stars, Insurance, Super Lawyers Magazine  (2009–2013)
• Pro Bono Honor Roll, Connecticut Lawyer (2010)

Professional & Community Involvement

• American Bar Association
  • Co-editor, Class Action and Derivative Suits Quarterly Newsletter
• Connecticut Bar Association
  • Insurance Law Committee (2010–present)
  • Insurance Law Executive Committee, Secretary (2019-present)
  • Co-Chair, Appellate Committee, Young Lawyers Section (2007–2009)
• Lawyers for Children America Inc.
  • Board of Directors (2013–present)
  • Interim Treasurer (2020-present)

Speaking Engagements

• "ERISA, Anti-subrogation, and Collateral Sources," Connecticut Bar Association Insurance Law Section (January 12, 2021)
• "A Practical Look at Directors and Officers Insurance," Connecticut Legal Conference, Hartford, CT (June 11, 2018)
• "Have You Been Robbed? Fidelity and Crime Insurance in a Nutshell," Connecticut Bar Insurance Association, Hartford, CT (May 8, 2017)
• "Cyber Security, Wire Transfers, and Insurance," The Regulatory Fundamentals Group (February 28, 2017)
• "Cybersecurity Issues for the Contract Examiner and Market Conduct Examiner," Career Development Seminar and Regulatory Skills Workshop, Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society, Scottsdale, AZ (August 8, 2016)
• "Latest Developments in Cyber Risk," IRI Cybersecurity Forum 2016, Washington, D.C. (July 19, 2016)
• "Fifty Shades of Indemnity," Connecticut Valley RIMS Chapter Meeting, Hartford CT (October 14, 2015)
• "What Insurance Lawyers Need to Know About Claims Handling Software," ExecSense Webinars (July 7, 2011)
• "What Insurance Lawyers Need to Know About the New Generation of Pollution Legal Liability and Related Environmental Insurance Policies and the Potential for Litigation Over Duty to Defend Under These Policies," ExecSense (December 3, 2010)
•  "The Instant Impact on Insurance Lawyers of Baker v. National Interstate Insurance Co. (Cal. Ct. App. Jan. 11, 2010) on Products and Completed Hazards Exclusions and Negligent Service Claims," ExecSense (February 5, 2010)

Credentials

Areas of Focus