Hinshaw Expands Insurance and Litigation Capabilities With West Coast Addition of Six Attorney Team

Hinshaw & Culbertson today announced the addition of six attorneys, including three partners and three senior counsel, to the firm’s Insurance Services industry group in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Formerly with Coddington, Hicks and Danforth, Min Kang, R. Wardell Loveland, and Rebecca D. Martino have joined as partners. Marcus N. McElhenney, H. Gregory Nelch, and Christiane Sinclair join as senior counsel. The group also includes two staff members.

The team adds significant depth to Hinshaw's insurance coverage and litigation capabilities on the West Coast.

"With the addition of this highly skilled team, Hinshaw builds on our commitment to fully service the insurance coverage and litigation needs of our clients on the West Coast and nationwide," said Hinshaw Chairman Peter Sullivan. "We have longstanding relationships with the group and also many shared clients, and we are delighted to welcome them to the firm."

The team decided to join Hinshaw because of the firm’s national presence and reach, outstanding reputation, and highly complementary practices, Kang said.

"Hinshaw’s deep bench of experienced attorneys in a wide array of service areas will allow us all to better serve our clients and also provide the opportunity to expand our practices and attract top-level talent to our team," Kang said. "We have long-standing relationships with several Hinshaw attorneys, including Spencer Kook in Los Angeles, and we have incredible respect for our new colleagues. We bring significant experience in complementary practices to the firm, so this mutually beneficial arrangement makes perfect sense."

The new group boosts the firm’s capabilities in a wide range of insurance-related litigation matters, including insurance coverage disputes and bad faith, complementing the firm’s existing depth in West Coast insurance regulatory, litigation, and compliance work.

"This is a great day for Hinshaw," said Kook, partner-in-charge of the firm’s Los Angeles office. "My colleagues and I have crossed paths with the group for years, and I’ve always admired their legal skill, industry knowledge, and commitment to client service. Their addition adds to our depth in a critical geographic market for the firm."

Attorney bios follow.

Partners:

Min Kang (Los Angeles) advises leading national corporations, small businesses, and individuals on a wide array of matters, including insurance coverage, appellate matters, bad faith litigation, class actions, regulatory compliance, risk management, and privacy issues. She received her B.F.A. in visual communication design from the University of Washington and her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law.

Wardell "Ward" Loveland (San Francisco) focuses his practice on a wide range of litigation, appellate, and insurance matters. He defends companies in class action lawsuits, bad faith actions, and contractual disputes. He received his A.B. from Princeton University and his J.D. from Boston College Law School.

Rebecca D. Martino (San Francisco) handles claims and appeals, including bad faith, insurance coverage, and real estate matters. She also represents insurance carriers in insurance fraud investigations, and individuals and companies in catastrophic injury claims. She received her B.S., summa cum laude, in business and political science from Notre Dame de Namur University and her J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law.

Senior Counsels:

Marcus N. McElhenney (San Francisco) represents individuals and corporations in a wide array of regulatory and compliance matters and litigation, including personal injury, product liability, construction defect, premises liability, and real estate matters. He received his B.A. in psychology from Temple University and his J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Gregory "Greg" Nelch (San Francisco) has more than three decades of experience advising national corporations, government entities, and individuals in a wide range of litigation matters, including personal injury, product liability, construction defect, premises liability, and professional negligence. He received his B.A. from the University of Colorado in Boulder and his J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Christiane Sinclair (San Francisco) handles insurance coverage matters, bad faith litigation, and commercial litigation related to construction and toxic tort claims. She also advises insurers on compliance with regulations related to claims handling practices, fraud investigations, roadside assistance programs, and training requirements. She received her B.S. from the University of California-Davis and her J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law.

Media Coverage

• "Hinshaw Adds 6-Atty Insurance Team In LA, San Fran" was published by Law360 on January 9, 2024.