Overview
In his career of over 40 years, Bob has worked both at the trial and appellate levels in domestic and foreign jurisdictions. He has successfully tried cases that have resulted in nine-figure awards. He has served as lead counsel in multiparty cases and appeals.
He has particular expertise in claims arising from natural and man-made disasters, including COVID-19, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Enron, and Hurricane Katrina.
Bob is renowned for creative thinking; he applied a novel legal theory of liability to recover in excess of $70 million from Lloyd’s of London in one dispute. He also led a team of US, British and Bermudan attorneys in successfully defending an insurer against a $100 million misrepresentation claim.
He has handled contentious and non-contentious insurance regulatory matters. He was responsible for a successful Form A proceeding involving the divestiture of an insurance subsidiary over significant policyholder objections and another Form A involving the demutualization of a life insurer.
Bob has served on the Board of Directors of the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest since 1999. He is active in professional organizations and has served as a speaker at conferences.
He's been named to Chambers list of America's Leading Lawyers for Business for many years, with one client calling him a "bulldog with adversaries" and another adding "Bob is a great problem solver and the go-to guy for the hard problems." He also has been recognized by Super Lawyers and Who's Who Legal as among the country’s top lawyers and was named 2023 "Attorney of the Year" for Insurance Law in New York City by Best Lawyers in America.
- New York
- Supreme Court of the United States
- US District Court, Southern District of New York
- US District Court, Eastern District of New York
- US District Court, Western District of New York
- US District Court, District of Colorado
- US Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
- J.D., New York University School of Law, 1977
- B.A., Johns Hopkins University, 1974
Representative Matters
- Arbitrations on behalf of life insurers in connection with efforts by reinsurers to increase rates on term and universal life policies.
- Arbitrations in connection with COVID-19 workers compensation losses.
- Litigations on behalf of insurers relating to environmental damages under CGL and EIL policies.
- Arbitrations on behalf of ceding companies and reinsurers relating to asbestos and environmental claims.
- Defense of an insurer at trial challenging efforts by the regulator to place the insurer in liquidation.
- Litigation defending an insurer and its directors in a class action for alleged violations of law in connection with a sponsored demutualization. (Grossman v. Akker, No. 652402/15, 2016 WL 4272450 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Cty. Aug. 8, 2016))
- Litigation on behalf of a ceding company enjoining a reinsurer from collaterally attacking a final arbitration award. (Arrowood Indemnity Co. v. Equitas Ins. Ltd., No. 13 cv 7680, 2015 WL 4597543, * 1 (S.D.N.Y. July 30, 2015))
- Arbitrations on behalf of ceding companies and reinsurers over 9/11 World Trade Center property claims.
- Arbitrations on behalf of ceding companies and reinsurers relating to hurricane losses under catastrophe and clash treaties.
- Arbitration on behalf of a reinsurer against a ceding company relating to excess workers’ compensation treaties.
- Arbitration awarding rescission of a property treaty based upon cedent’s material misrepresentations.
- Litigations and arbitrations on behalf of ceding companies against reinsurers asserting late notice and bad faith.
- Litigation challenging the reinsurer’s efforts to replace a party arbitrator in connection with a pending arbitration.
- Litigation on behalf of an insurer in which the New York Court of Appeals determined that pro rata allocation was the appropriate method of allocation where the policy provided that the insurer would pay all sums for an occurrence happening during the policy period. (Consolidated Edison Co. of N.Y. v. Allstate Ins. Co., 98 NY2d 208 (2002))
- Litigation on behalf of a financial guarantee insurer against parties fraudulently transferring assets.
- Litigations and arbitrations against program managers for violating their obligations to insurers.
- Appointment as a Discovery Special Master by an ARIAS Reinsurance Arbitration Panel.
News & Publications
Media Mentions
Media Coverage of Steptoe's Expansion of Financial Services, and Insurance and Reinsurance Teams
July 28, 2023
Noteworthy
- Best Lawyers in America, Attorney of the Year, Insurance Law (2023)
- Super Lawyers (2023)
- Who's Who Legal, Insurance & Reinsurance (2023)
- Chambers New York, Insurance Dispute Resolution: Insurer (2023-2024)
- The Legal 500 United States
Publications
- "Will Business Interruption Insurance Provide Coverage for Coronavirus Losses?," Corporate Governance Advisor, July/August 2020
- "Preparing For Reinsurance Fallout From COVID-19 Pandemic," Mealey's Litigation Report, Mealey's Catastrophic Loss, May 6, 2020
- "Is My Arbitration Final Or Is It Groundhog Day," Dispute Resolution Journal, Vol 71, No. 4, 2016
- "Emerging Insurance Issues in the Debate over 'Fracking'," Insurance Coverage Law Report, December/January 2013
- "The Access to Records Clause," ARIAS-U.S. Quarterly, Volume 13, Number 3, Third Quarter 2006
- "Obtaining Discovery from Reinsurance Intermediaries and Other Non-Parties – Updated Caselaw and Commentary,” ARIAS-U.S. Quarterly, Third Quarter 2005 and Mealey's Litigation Reports: Reinsurance, Third Quarter 2005
- "Obtaining Pre-hearing Discovery from the Uncooperative Reinsurance Intermediary: The Current State of the Law and Avenues for Reform," ARIAS-U.S. Quarterly, First Quarter 2003
Professional Affiliations
- Association of the Bar of the City of New York
- American Bar Association
- Board of Directors, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest