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Nancy Sher Cohen and Ronald Valenzuela Join Lathrop Gage Los Angeles from Proskauer Rose

10/4/2017

 

New Partners Bolster Policyholder Practice; Cohen to Head Los Angeles Office

Los Angeles (October 4, 2017) – Lathrop Gage today announced the addition of two partners to the firm’s Policyholder and Insurance Coverage practice in Los Angeles, Nancy Sher Cohen and Ronald A. Valenzuela. Cohen also was named Partner-in-Charge of Lathrop Gage’s Los Angeles office and leader of the firm’s Policyholder and Insurance Coverage practice.

“We are thrilled to welcome Nancy and Ron to Lathrop Gage and are excited to have them play a driving role in developing a Los Angeles presence,” said Mark Bluhm, Lathrop Gage CEO. “Nancy is a pioneer in insurance coverage and recovery issues and is known nationwide for her high-profile work representing policyholders. I am proud of the policyholder practice that we have grown organically, and Nancy’s addition catapults our policyholder capabilities and profile to a new level.”

Cohen joins Lathrop Gage from Proskauer Rose, where she was a partner and co-head of the firm’s Insurance Recovery and Counseling Group. She has been lead counsel in the prosecution of many insurance coverage lawsuits related to life insurance claims and environmental and product liabilities, resulting in recoveries in excess of $1.5 billion. Some of her notable cases include serving as lead counsel for the lender on the World Trade Center in prosecuting claims for insurance coverage for the towers, prosecution of claims by Holocaust survivors against insurance carriers that failed to pay life insurance benefits and serving as lead counsel in complex environmental litigation including cost recovery litigation in connection with a Southern California Superfund site. Cohen also advised on insurance issues related to Los Angeles' successful bid for the 2028 Summer Olympics.  She has been listed as a leading insurance coverage attorney in Chambers USA since the ranking’s inception in 2003, was recently named to The Legal 500’s Hall of Fame list and named a National and Local Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation. Cohen holds leadership roles in numerous organizations including a member of the board of directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, past president of Valley Beth Shalom synagogue, a former chair of the board of directors of Bet Tzedek Legal Services, a board member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and a member of the Loyola Law School Board of Overseers. A former managing shareholder of Heller Ehrman LLP, she holds a juris doctor from Loyola University of Los Angeles Law School and a bachelor of arts from the University of Texas, Austin.

Valenzuela also joins from Proskauer Rose’s litigation department. He represents policyholders in disputes with insurers involving a wide range of coverages and has extensive experience in other complex litigation matters including products liability, mass tort, environmental and consumer cases. He advised a large real estate developer on the availability of coverage for Chinese drywall claims under third-party general liability and first-party property insurance policies. In addition, he has significant experience in counseling biotechnology companies in products liability and insurance matters arising from clinical trials of investigational new drugs. Valenzuela earned his juris doctor from the University of Chicago Law School and his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Lathrop Gage is one of the largest law firms in the United States representing policyholders. The Policyholder and Insurance Coverage practice helps businesses manage the complexities of the modern business insurance policy. The group provides policyholders with the necessary guidance and legal counsel to handle everything from negotiating coverage and managing risk to litigating insurance disputes and recovery. With the arrival of Cohen and Valenzuela, attorneys at Lathrop Gage have helped clients recover more than $2 billion from insurance providers. In addition, the group also has recovered millions of dollars for individuals who were wrongfully convicted of crimes by pursuing municipalities, law enforcement agencies and their insurers.

“Lathrop Gage is a great fit for my background in not only insurance recovery, but also complex commercial, environmental, product liability and tort,” Cohen said. “This is a great opportunity for us to grow the firm’s West Coast presence across multiple industries.”

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About Lathrop Gage

Lathrop Gage is a law firm whose clients form the backbone of our economy. Our attorneys provide strategic guidance in litigation, business and intellectual property law, with deep knowledge and experience in the industries we serve. We work as one integrated team with offices across the country to help our clients see beyond immediate challenges to achieve their most important objectives. For more information, visit www.lathropgage.com