Overview
(September 28, 2021, Washington, DC) — Steptoe partner Sarah Gordon has been named a Law360 MVP in insurance for the second consecutive year. The awards recognize lawyers who have distinguished themselves from their peers over the past year through high-stakes litigation, record-breaking deals and complex global matters.
In a profile published September 23, the editors highlight the massive, multi-office caseload Gordon is managing on behalf of The Hartford for Covid-19 business interruption suits filed by policyholders across the country. So far, Gordon has secured about 75 favorable decisions for the insurer.
"The role involves hundreds of lawsuits all across the country," Gordon says. "We have to assess the best arguments to make in each jurisdiction in light of the particular claims, the law, and the judge. We have to make real-time adjustments on a daily basis because the claims are evolving, and the policyholders are adapting and changing their arguments."
Along with her large caseload for The Hartford, Gordon is representing an AIG unit, National Union Fire Insurance Co., in a $1 billion ransomware attack coverage dispute with Merck Pharmaceuticals in New Jersey state court.
"The case involves a lot of information about the relationship between various countries and technical information regarding how cyberattacks work and how they interplay with insurance policy," she explains. "One of the questions at issue is the applicability of the war on terrorism exclusion in various policies, including this one issued by AIG."
The full profile can be read at Law360 (subscription required).
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.
