Scott C. Hecht 816.691.3120e-mail| vCard
Insurers and policyholders alike hope to avoid loss, but both realize losses are inevitable. The provision and procurement of insurance can and should result in a mutually beneficial relationship in which each party is provided the benefits of the bargain. The attorneys in our Insurance Group have wide-ranging experience and a depth of expertise across a full range of insurance issues, including transactional and adversary matters as well as insurance consulting. We bring our knowledge to bear to not only ensure that policyholders have appropriate coverage, but also to manage the policyholder/insurer relationship to avoid the inadvertent compromise of benefits, and to litigate, if necessary, to enforce the benefit of the negotiated bargain.
Scope of Service Adversary Matters We litigate and arbitrate on behalf of corporate policyholders that have disputes with insurers concerning Property, Business Interruption, and other types of first-party policies, as well as Commercial General Liability, Pollution Liability, and other types of liability policies. We litigate and arbitrate on behalf of corporate policyholders and insurers that have disputes concerning Directors & Officers (D&O), Errors & Omissions (E&O), Fiduciary, Employment Practices, and other types of executive liability policies. We litigate and arbitrate on behalf of insurers that have disputes with underlying or excess insurers and reinsurers. We litigate and provide representation in the context of administrative claims procedures on behalf of insurers that issue group and individual health, accident, life and disability insurance policies. Insurer/Policyholder Relationship Management We advise corporate policyholders concerning relationship management in dealing with insurers that have accepted an obligation to defend and/or indemnify against claims against those policyholders under D&O, E&O, Fiduciary, Employment Practices, Pollution, Commercial General, and other types of liability insurance policies. We advise corporate policyholders concerning their rights and relationship management with respect to those insurers that have “reserved rights” or declined coverage for pending claims or litigation. We act as monitoring counsel to insurers that may be obligated to defend and/or indemnify against claims against corporate policyholders under D&O, E&O, Fiduciary, Employment Practices and other types of liability insurance policies. nsurance Consulting We review our corporate clients’ risk management portfolios in light of their unique circumstances to ensure that the nature and scope of their insurance coverage is appropriate, and we provide the same services with respect to corporate directors, officers and fiduciaries to temper the risk to their personal assets, including coordinating corporate D&O indemnity provisions with insurance. We work closely with insurance brokers and consultants to tailor programs from the inception and address issues on renewal that respond to our clients’ risks and concerns, including where necessary, drafting endorsements and entire insurance contracts. We assist public and private companies facing both man-made and natural catastrophes in creating favorable posture to maximize immediate and future insurance recoveries. We support transactional attorneys in the merger & acquisition context by making certain the acquired actual and potential liabilities are appropriately managed through the combination of insurance and indemnification. We assist financially distressed companies, including financial institutions and others under regulatory order or contemplating receivership or bankruptcy, creating favorable insurance posture for inevitable future claims. Of Note We strive to understand our clients’ businesses, the risks that they face, and other institutional factors that dictate approaches to risk management and problem-solving. Our insurance attorneys also understand the technical aspects and subtleties of the law that generate risks covered by specialized insurance products – our fiduciary liability insurance lawyers have expertise in ERISA; our pollution liability insurance lawyers are also environmental lawyers; our D&O liability insurance lawyers understand corporate and securities laws. In addition, our insurance attorneys are able to call on the experience and substantive specialties of the other 300+ attorneys of Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP who practice in virtually every substantive area of law relevant to insurance coverage. View the Insurance Group's representative experience.
We strive to understand our clients’ businesses, the risks that they face, and other institutional factors that dictate approaches to risk management and problem-solving. Our insurance attorneys also understand the technical aspects and subtleties of the law that generate risks covered by specialized insurance products – our fiduciary liability insurance lawyers have expertise in ERISA; our pollution liability insurance lawyers are also environmental lawyers; our D&O liability insurance lawyers understand corporate and securities laws. In addition, our insurance attorneys are able to call on the experience and substantive specialties of the other 300+ attorneys of Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP who practice in virtually every substantive area of law relevant to insurance coverage.
View the Insurance Group's representative experience.