Wargo French Singer’s insurance coverage attorneys have a broad and deep level of experience across insurance products and disputes. Whether first party or third party, general liability or P&C, or specialty insurance products, Wargo French Singer attorneys focus their client service on preventing disputes before they materialize and resolving disputes as efficiently as possible. Accordingly, a significant portion of Wargo French Singer's coverage work is outside of litigation, solving problems before they occur.
Wargo French Singer's coverage attorneys are repeatedly called on to handle high-profile, multi-million dollar coverage disputes. Among the most recent:
- Scottsdale Insurance Co. v. Dickstein Shapiro LLP, 389 F.Supp.3d 794 (C.D. Cal. 2019) (client underwriters of primary insurance policy obtained summary judgment against excess insurer in case seeking a declaration that primary policy limit was not exhausted or eroded by payment of sums in settlement of disputed claim);
- First Mercury v. Westchester, 731 F. App’x 716 (9th Cir. 2018) (client insurer obtained summary judgment holding that it could not be bound to insure contractor under additional-insured clause, even where insured subcontractor had agreed to indemnify contractor for contractor’s own negligence, then obtained affirmance of judgment on appeal);
- First Mercury Ins. Co. v. Great Divide Ins. Co., 203 F.Supp.3d 1043 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 29, 2016) (client insurer obtained summary judgment finding that competing insurer under an additional-insured endorsement owed a shared duty to defend security company implicated in a severe fan beating at the San Francisco 49ers Levi's Stadium; competing insurer appealed, but voluntarily dismissed appeal after briefing was completed);
- San Diego Gas & Electric v. Lamorak Ins. Co., No. 3:15-cv-00636-WQH-JLB (S.D. Cal. filed Mar. 23, 2015) (Insurance carriers settled coverage dispute over the historic $50 million cleanup of the San Diego Harbor);
- Apatow v. Am. Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla., No. 16-198, 2016 WL 7422288 (C.D. Cal. Dec. 21, 2016) (American Bankers prevailed on a motion to dismiss Judd Apatow’s million dollar property insurance claim);
- Columbian Chem. Co. v. Nat’l Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, PA v. Century Indem. Co., No. 2014-L-000526 (Circuit Court, Third Judicial Circuit, Madison County, Illinois 2014) (pursued and settled coverage claim against carrier relating to secondary asbestos exposure);
- Interland, Inc. v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s, London, No. CV-OC-0506184, (District Court, Fourth Judicial District, Boise, Ada County, Idaho 2006) (pursued and settled coverage claim against carrier relating to wage and hour class action lawsuit).
When litigation is unavoidable, Wargo French Singer attorneys have developed litigation strategies to reduce both risk and legal spend in cases involving coverage disputes, allegations of fraud, and allegations of bad faith. Wargo French Singer’s attorneys have briefed and litigated virtually every significant policy term and condition and know what works and what does not. Wargo French Singer is able to focus the dispute on the client's best argument, efficiently maximizing leverage for resolution. This is our distinction with a difference.