Insurance coverage litigation and coverage counseling on behalf of corporate policyholders is a significant portion of Michael’s practice. He handles coverage disputes across a broad range of insurance policies, including commercial general liability, professional liability, first-party property, business interruption, commercial crime, pollution liability, as well as primary, excess, and umbrella coverages and complex long-tail liability claims. Michael serves as a strategic partner to in-house legal teams and risk managers in helping companies assess their coverage positions and pursue recovery efficiently. He leverages experience gained earlier in his career when he advised global insurance companies on policy language for new and existing insurance products and served as coverage litigation counsel.
Prior to joining Lathrop GPM, Michael served as director and corporate counsel for a privately held company and its enterprise affiliates, functioning as a lead attorney with broad responsibilities across the organization. He managed commercial insurance and consumer litigation dockets, including high-exposure insured litigation across multiple policies and layers of coverage, and served as lead counsel to two captive insurance companies for insurance holding company regulations, acquisitions, licensing, reinsurance, and Department of Insurance examinations. He also served as a trusted legal advisor to the board of directors and executive leadership, providing substantive analysis and strategic guidance across a wide range of litigation, regulatory, and governance matters.
Prior to law school, Michael worked as an insurance underwriter for one of the largest property and casualty carriers in the United States. Through this experience, he gained particular interest in understanding how coverages were litigated. This served as the impetus for Michael’s interest in insurance coverage litigation and coverage counseling.
Outside of work, Michael spends time with his family and serves on the board of directors for SPCA, one of the largest animal welfare non-profits in the country.
