Insurance

Hinshaw provides strategic claims management and resolution services to insurers aimed at minimizing risks, managing costs, producing favorable results, and protecting insurers’ long-term business interests.  Our lawyers specialize in providing expert guidance to both domestic and international reinsurers. Our team excels in representing insurers in arbitrations and litigation related to high-value losses, large claim numbers, and emerging risks.

Hinshaw works with claims professionals, underwriters, and senior executives to identify efficient resolution paths, to quantify risk and address claim frequency and severity, to ensure consistency, and to protect our clients’ business interests. Our attorneys audit files and review claims handling procedures and practices to identify risk factors and advise on best practices. We work with insurers on billing guidelines and litigation management protocols, litigation budgets, and cost allocation.  Our attorneys have been called upon to represent insurers as counsel and as expert witnesses in fee litigation disputes.

Our practice leaders champion the war against social inflation and are well-versed in the drivers and impacts of social inflation and how to contain claims costs.  We collaborate with insurers to develop innovative strategies that mitigate exposure to escalating jury awards. Our team of seasoned lawyers is equipped with the expertise to effectively combat strategies such as reptilian tactics employed by the resourceful and well-funded plaintiffs' bar.  Learn more about our claims resolution, management, and social inflation containment services.

Hinshaw defends insurers and their policyholders in high-exposure litigation involving catastrophic injury, products liability, mass tort, premises liability and property damage, transportation and logistics, food, beverages, and consumer products, construction projects, industrial accidents, and fires, explosions, and chemical exposures among other claims.  With seasoned trial lawyers across the country, we bring both courtroom strength and strategic efficiency to matters ranging from single-plaintiff actions to multi-district litigation. Hinshaw provides comprehensive counsel throughout the full lifecycle of complex tort and general casualty and other matters. We have a proven track record of defending businesses against multiparty lawsuits, including class actions, mass torts, and multidistrict litigation.

We are also frequently called upon by insurers to represent policyholders in other areas such as aviation and aerospace, business, corporate and directors’ and officers’ liability, and health life sciences matters.

Hinshaw represents insurers in fidelity and financial institution coverage matters. With strategies informed by decades of experience advising banks, credit unions, investment firms, and other financial entities, Hinshaw lawyers defend financial institutions across financial institution bonds, fidelity bonds, management liability, lender liability, and specialized financial institution matters involving fraud schemes, cyber-enabled theft, anti-money laundering and the bank secrecy act-related exposures, payment-card and processing disputes, and regulatory overlays. 

Hinshaw regularly represents and counsels insurers in insurance coverage claims and litigation spanning virtually every line of insurance, including general liability, property, professional liability, directors’ and officers’ liability, financial lines, employment practices liability, cybersecurity, media liability, gig economy, technology, and more. Our lawyers represent insurers in some of the largest and most complex coverage matters in the country. We combine early investigation and cogent evaluation, efficient litigation management, and sound, proactive strategies to deliver outstanding results, whether through negotiated settlements, dispositive motions, trial verdicts, or appeals. Our approach is grounded in a deep understanding of our insurer clients’ businesses, ensuring that coverage positions and strategies align with insurers’ goals and portfolio interests.  Our lawyers are supremely experienced representing insurers in bad faith and extra contractual liability matters whether asserted in coverage actions, market conduct cases, class actions, and otherwise.  We have an outstanding track record of assisting insurers in avoiding and reducing extracontractual exposures.   Learn more about our leading insurance coverage, litigation, and extra-contractual liability  practice.

Our regulatory team specializes in guiding insurers, intermediaries, and service providers through the intricate landscape of federal and state regulation and oversight.  From licensing, to form and rate filings, to producer compliance, to market conduct examinations, and investigations, we provide regulatory and compliance advice and representation. Our lawyers advise and represent insurers with matters involving the various state insurance departments, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the Federal Insurance Office, state guarantee funds, and international and other regulatory bodies in connections with various proceedings, compliance matters, filings, and inquiries.  Insurers count on Hinshaw lawyers for practical guidance that aligns their businesses and strategic goals with regulatory requirements and compliance.  Learn more about our regulatory and compliance practice.

Our regulatory team advises on insurance transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, policy drafting, licensing, and compliance with state and federal regulations. We guide clients through the complexities of insurance law to facilitate smooth business operations. 

We represent insurers, plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and administrators in matters involving life, health, and disability insurance, as well as ERISA benefit disputes. Our work spans high-stakes litigation—including class actions and bad faith claims—as well as regulatory compliance, market conduct reviews, and product development. We deliver strategies that protect long-term business objectives while resolving immediate challenges. 

Long dubbed lawyers for the profession, Hinshaw has deep experience in professional liability, representing insurers and their policyholders in a broad range of professional liability claims and matters including defending attorneys and law firms, accountants, architects, engineers, financial professionals and advisors, real estate agents, insurance brokers, healthcare providers (such as hospitals, physicians, nurses, allied health providers, and managed care professionals), design professionals, fiduciaries, and other service providers in complex professional liability litigation and in connection with investigations, licensure, credentialing, and disciplinary matters. Our lawyers routinely appear before FINRA, SEC, IRS, state licensing boards, professional ethics panels, and other government agencies and departments.

Our attorneys have extensive experience in arbitrating and litigating the full range of reinsurance and retrocessional issues involving cessions under various lines including follow-the-fortunes and settlements, following form, late notice, billings and documentation, allocation and number of loss occurrences, the full range of underwriting and claims handling issues, arbitration-related issues under facultative certificates, reinsurance treaties, and other reinsurance products.  We also have extensive experience with reinsurance pooling arrangements and are knowledgeable about the influx of private equity and hedge funds, including catastrophe bonds, reinsurance sidecars, insurance-linked investments and their impact on the reinsurance market.   We are well-versed in cut-through issues, insolvencies, liquidations, and schemes of arrangement as they impact reinsurance or retrocessional covers.  With thorough knowledge of reinsurance markets and regulatory oversight, we assist our clients navigate these complex landscapes with confidence.