Hinshaw Adds Insurance Partner in New Jersey

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP today announced that April T. Villaverde has joined the firm as a partner in the firm's global Insurance Services Practice Group in the Edison, New Jersey office. Formerly with Kennedys CMK LLP, Villaverde brings extensive experience in counseling insurers nationwide on complex coverage litigation and risk management.

"April has a nationwide reputation as a dynamic and skilled litigator," said Scott Seaman, co-head of the firm's Insurance Services Practice Group. "We know her well, having worked with her on challenging, high stakes coverage litigation. She joins the team at a significant time when many insurers are confronting heightened litigation and exposure risks."

Hinshaw's New Jersey office opened in the summer of 2021, complementing the firm's presence in New York, Rhode Island, and Boston. Earlier this year, the firm expanded into the D.C. market with the opening of its office there.

"April adds considerable depth and intellectual firepower to our insurance practice from coast to coast, especially on the East Coast, where we are experiencing major growth," said Schuyler Kraus, co-partner-in-charge of the firm's New Jersey office. "We're delighted to welcome her to the firm."

Villaverde's practice focuses on commercial general liability disputes and bad faith litigation. She represents insurance carriers on a broad scope of coverage issues and disputes, including bad faith, general liability, directors and officers, employment practices, commercial property, and environmental and contractual liability. In addition, she has extensive experience handling electronically stored information and counsels clients on e-discovery protocols, vendor contracts, preservation, and collection.

Villaverde pointed to Hinshaw's nationwide platform and highly regarded global insurance practice among her reasons for joining the firm.

"The firm's coast-to-coast presence fits perfectly with my practice and allows me to expand my practice while offering my clients the highest level of service," Villaverde said. "Hinshaw has a fantastic group of attorneys, and I'm very excited to be a part of this team and grow our New Jersey presence."

In 2017, Villaverde was on secondment for six months as claims counsel at Markel Corporation. She received her B.A. from Rutgers University and her J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law. After receiving her law degree, she served as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Ariel A. Rodriguez in New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division.