CHICAGO – (October 1, 2007) – The national law firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is pleased to announce that Edward K. Lenci has joined the firm’s New York office as a partner. Mr. Lenci handles complex business and commercial litigation and arbitration in a variety of areas, with particular emphasis on reinsurance dispute resolution and international commercial arbitration.
Mr. Lenci joins Hinshaw’s national Insurance Services group, which has served the insurance industry for more than 70 years. The attorneys in this group provide legal counsel in many areas, including commercial insurance, corporate insurance transactions, reinsurance, class actions and market conduct claims, as well as insurance regulatory matters.
“Ed’s depth of knowledge and experience enables Hinshaw to serve our insurance services clients more effectively and thoroughly; we are very pleased to add him to our growing practice team,” stated Thomas M. Hamilton Jr., Co-Chair of Hinshaw’s Insurance Services practice, regarding Mr. Lenci’s addition.
Mr. Lenci’s reinsurance experience includes winning the remedy of rescission of a reinsurance contract on three separate occasions and persuading a federal district court that, despite follow-the-fortunes provisions in two reinsurance contracts, those contracts do not require a reinsurer to cover any extra-contractual obligations the ceding company paid.
Mr. Lenci is experienced as well in litigating disputes involving employment, intellectual property and construction. Additionally, he has represented both broker-dealers and customers in securities arbitrations. Mr. Lenci has also served as an arbitrator in a number of NASD arbitrations.
In addition, Mr. Lenci is a highly experienced appellate advocate. His victories include three decisions involving international commercial arbitration, two of which kept his clients out of arbitration.
Prior to joining Hinshaw, Mr. Lenci was a partner of the law firm of Wilker & Lenci, LLP, a well-regarded boutique firm in New York City. Before that he was a partner in the New York City office of a large nationwide law firm. Mr. Lenci began his legal career at the Tokyo law firm of Hamada & Matsumoto.
As part of his commitment to community service activities, Mr. Lenci has dedicated his time and efforts to providing pro bono work. He has represented a number of artists and not-for-profit organizations involved with the arts. He has also served as an advisor to the Mimes & Mummers, a Fordham University theatrical group with which he performed in his student days. His leadership with this organization contributed to a very successful fund-raising campaign in 2005-06 to renovate the group’s theater.
Mr. Lenci earned his J.D. with honors from Columbia University School of Law in 1990. He received his B.A. in 1985 from Fordham College, where he graduated summa cum laude. Mr. Lenci attended ICU in Tokyo between college and law school.
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is a national law firm with 475 lawyers in 25 offices. The firm offers a full-service practice, with an emphasis in litigation, corporate and business law, environmental, labor and employment law, professional liability defense, and wealth preservation and taxation matters. The firm provides services to a range of for-profit and not-for-profit clients in industries that include construction, financial services, health care, insurance, legal, manufacturing, real estate, retail and transportation. Firm clients also include government agencies, municipalities and schools.
Hinshaw was founded in 1934. The firm is headquartered in Chicago, and maintains offices in 12 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.