Overview
(March 21, 2023) – The North Carolina Court of Appeals issued an opinion affirming Steptoe's trial win for client AIG in D&B Marine, LLC v. AIG Property Casualty Company. The case involved a 72-foot yacht that sank off the coast of North Carolina in 2016. In the dispute, the insured (D&B Marine, LLC) alleged that the sinking occurred because of inadequate repairs from an accident that occurred in 2013 when AIG was its insurer. After a two-week trial, the jury agreed with Steptoe that the insured had not proven a connection between the 2013 repairs and the yacht’s sinking three years later. On appeal, the North Carolina Court of Appeals affirmed in all respects, agreeing that the trial court properly granted summary judgment on the bad faith claim and did not commit error at trial.
Partners Roger Warin and John O’Connor, and associate Ryan Evans represented AIG at trial and on appeal.
About Steptoe
In more than 100 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.
The diversity of the firm is a critical factor in its success. The firm’s Chair is a woman; the majority of the firm’s elected executive committee is female; the majority of Steptoe's nine offices are managed by women; and the majority of Steptoe’s practice groups have women as leaders. The firm's eight-person professional business services leadership is equally diverse, with half the c-suite made up of women, including three women of color, and other leaders who openly identify as LGBTQ+.
