Lawrence Klein

Lawrence Klein

Partner

Lawrence Klein

Partner

  • Overview

    Biography

    Larry Klein is consulted by insurance companies from around the world on large and complex insurance coverage issues. He is a member of the firm’s Insurance + Reinsurance Group.

    Insurance Coverage Litigation

    Larry is a commercial trial lawyer who represents insurers in coverage disputes before state and federal courts and arbitration panels throughout the United States and in Bermuda. During his career, he has handled hundreds of cases, many of which have involved sophisticated insurance programs, multiple parties, and complex issues.

    Larry has successfully represented clients in numerous high-profile cases that have made national news. Many of these have involved insurance transactions in various disciplines, including construction projects, class actions, pollution catastrophes, financial transactions, mass torts, product recalls, and healthcare coverage. He has handled numerous high-stakes, multimillion dollar cases. He is currently involved in coverage issues regarding the opioid epidemic that is plaguing dozens of municipalities throughout the United States. Larry recently resolved a significant $100+ million pollution coverage claim arising out of the September 11 terrorist attacks, and he is involved with hundreds of claims that arose out of Superstorm Sandy. He continues to handle coverage issues and lawsuits related to exposure to the chemical methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline component.

    Liability Coverage

    Larry advises insurers on policy drafting and complex insurance coverage issues. He has extensive experience providing advice and handling disputes relating to sophisticated retrospective premium and risk-transfer issues. He has provided coverage advice to insurers in connection with a range of cases, such as environmental catastrophes, terrorist attacks, product liability, and widespread construction defects.

    Larry holds an AV Martindale-Hubbell peer review rating, the highest ranking for legal ability and general ethical standards, as reported in the LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. He was named a top lawyer in Legal Media Group’s 2015 Insurance and Reinsurance Expert Guide, and has been selected to the New York Metro Super Lawyers list from 2010 to 2022.

    Prior to joining Robinson+Cole, Larry focused on insurance-related litigation and counseling at an international law firm, where he held many senior positions.
     

  • Experience
    • Experience

      Experience

      • Represents insurers in multiple coverage investigations regarding decades of coverage purchased by manufacturers, distributors and retailers of Oxycontin in the current onslaught of lawsuits by an increasing number of governmental entities. *

      • Provides insurance coverage advice to international affiliated insurers regarding dozens of complex products liability and construction defect claims arising in multiple states throughout the U. S. and Canada. The policies spanned a 14-year time period and dealt with a global developer and manufacturer of pipes and pipe fittings, comprised of, among other things, primary, umbrella and excess commercial liability policies. *

      • Provides coverage advice to certain excess insurers in connection with over 70 cases that were filed in state and federal courts regarding a 2014 chemical spill into the Elk River in West Virginia. The case involves the insured’s excess insurance tower of more than $250 million. *

      • Successfully represented the primary insurer of Bausch & Lomb in connection with thousands of claims around the world for a wide range of injuries stemming from fungal infections allegedly arising from a change in the composition of a contact lens solution. Mr. Klein was instrumental in solidifying New York case law before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on the number of occurrences. *

      • Represented an insurance company that brought a declaratory judgment action against a nationwide chain of dental clinics servicing low income children. The dental professional liability policies afforded aggregate limits of coverage in excess of $1.4 billion for over 70 clinics in 22 states. Thousands of current and former patients alleged that the enterprise systematically performed excessive and/or unnecessary dental procedures. Following years of hard fought litigation, the insurer and Bankruptcy Trustee reached an agreement on a complex mechanism to settle all claims in exchange for $39 million, which was approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. *

      • Served as lead counsel representing insurers in connection with claims valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars arising out of the construction of the $10 billion CityCenter Project in Las Vegas. Analyzed dozens of tenders to determine coverage status under multiple insurance programs; negotiated with insureds regarding the extent of their rights to a defense; acted as co-counsel and provided insurance expertise in connection with a related arbitration; and was instrumental in the resolution of what was anticipated to be the longest trial in Nevada history. *

      • Provides litigation advice to a number of London based insurers in connection with lawsuits brought against international banks under the Anti-Terrorism Act by survivors of victims of Hamas terrorist acts. It is alleged that, by allowing Hamas-related organizations to transfer money through their New York offices, the banks facilitated terrorism. *

      • Represents the insurers of a massive downtown governmental reconstruction project in connection with a multitude of property damage, environmental and other claims under Owner Controlled Insurance Programs (OCIP), Contractor Controlled Insurance Programs (CCIP) and practice policies. He is providing coverage advice and evaluating potential coverage, as well as analyzing claims with respect to applicable coverage and damages exposure. *

      • Represents insurers who provided over $70 million in coverage in the defense of an insurance client seeking coverage for alleged losses sustained in multiple underlying class actions. The successor to a financial services company and residential loan borrower is seeking to recover for settlements of approximately $322 million, while its successor in bankruptcy is seeking to recover payment on a $15 million judgment issued in one of the actions and defense costs of approximately $18 million. The matter is significant not only for the potential exposure but also because novel issues concerning professional liability coverage and fee exclusions will be litigated.

      • Provided coverage advice to an international insurance company in a matter where a Missouri jury awarded $355 million in compensatory damages and $35.5 million in punitive damages against a financial institution for a trust that was intended to fund “pre-need” funeral policies that would cover all future funeral-related needs. The matter is significant not only for the amount of the exposure but because of the novel issues concerning the interpretation of a claims release; pre-acquisition wrongful acts in the context of successor liability; and the interrelatedness of prior claims. *

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      * Atty. Klein was counsel in these representative matters before joining Robinson+Cole.

    • Professional Associations

      Professional Associations

      American Bar Association
    • Honors + Awards

      Honors + Awards

      Selected to the New York Metro Super Lawyers list from 2010 to 2022.

      AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated in Martindale-Hubbell™ (Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings is a trademark. AV Preeminent is a certification mark of Reed Elsevier Properties, Inc.)

      Top Lawyer, 2015 Insurance and Reinsurance Expert Guide, Legal Media Group

  • NEWS + PRESS
    • Presentations

      Presentations

      "The COVID-19 Crisis and CGL Insurance Coverage," co-presented with Stephen O. Clancy, Rhonda J. Tobin, J. Gregory Lahr and Jonathan E. Small, which addressed claim scenarios that insurers are likely to face in the COVID-19 era. (5/4/2020)
      • » more info

        • The COVID-19 Crisis and CGL Insurance Coverage

        "The COVID-19 Crisis and CGL Insurance Coverage," co-presented by Stephen O. Clancy, Rhonda J. Tobin, J. Gregory Lahr, Lawrence Klein and Jonathan E. Small, which addressed claim scenarios that insurers are likely to face in the COVID-19 era. (5/4/2020)

        Senior attorneys in our Insurance + Reinsurance Group hosted an interactive virtual forum on Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance coverage issues emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic. Rhonda Tobin moderated a discussion with Stephen Clancy, Lawrence Klein, Gregory Lahr and Jonathan Small that addressed claim scenarios insurers are likely to face in the COVID-19 era, including examples from the Housing, Transportation, Manufacturing and Construction industries. Questions were invited during the program.

         

         


      "The Opioid Epidemic," presented during the DRI 2018 Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium in New York (11/29/2018)
      • » more info

        • The Opioid Epidemic

        "The Opioid Epidemic," presented by Lawrence Klein, presented during the DRI 2018 Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium in New York (11/29/2018)

        Presented by DRI (The Voice of the Defense Bar), the symposium was an educational event for insurance executives, claims professionals, and outside counsel who specialize in insurance coverage. Larry's program focused on how the opioid crisis in the United States will affect commercial general liability, errors and omissions, professional liability, and product liability coverage.


      "Policy Limit Demands— Protecting Insurers Against The Latest Strategy of Plaintiffs' Counsel," co-presented with Eugene P. Murphy and Rhonda J. Tobin, as part of the Insurance In-House Counsel CLE Series (6/13/2018)
      • » more info

        • Policy Limit Demands— Protecting Insurers Against The Latest Strategy of Plaintiffs' Counsel

        "Policy Limit Demands— Protecting Insurers Against The Latest Strategy of Plaintiffs' Counsel," co-presented by Eugene P. Murphy, Rhonda J. Tobin and Lawrence Klein, as part of the Insurance In-House Counsel CLE Series (6/13/2018)

        Attendees were lead through an interactive discussion on policy limit demands in an effort to coordinate a proper response. Mr. Klein, Mr. Murphy, and Ms. Tobin addressed identifying a policy limit demand, the continuing need to fully evaluate a claim for liability and damages following receipt of a policy limit demand, the potential legal consequences of failing to properly respond to a policy limit demand, and best practices and strategies for responding to a policy limit demand.

        The presentation is the third in the “Insurance In-House Counsel CLE Series” that offers continuing legal education (CLE) and networking catered exclusively to in-house counsel and attorney claim professionals in the insurance industry.


    • News

      R+C in the News

      • December 7, 2018

        Larry Klein Presents Program on The Opioid Epidemic

        • » more info

          Larry Klein Presents Program on The Opioid Epidemic

          Insurance + Reinsurance Group lawyer Lawrence Klein presented a program on "The Opioid Epidemic" as part of the 2018 Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium in New York on November 29, 2018. Presented by DRI (The Voice of the Defense Bar), the symposium was an educational event for insurance executives, claims professionals, and outside counsel who specialize in insurance coverage. Larry's program focused on how the opioid crisis in the United States will affect commercial general liability, errors and omissions, professional liability, and product liability coverage.

      • October 18, 2018

        51 Robinson+Cole Lawyers Recognized by Super Lawyers®

        • » more info

          51 Robinson+Cole Lawyers Recognized by Super Lawyers®

          A total of 51 Robinson+Cole attorneys were named Super Lawyers® in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island for 2018. In addition, 32 attorneys at the firm were recognized as “Rising Stars.” The Super Lawyers designation is based on regional balloting by attorneys, third-party research, and a peer review process encompassing myriad practice areas. An explanation of the Super Lawyers methodology can be found here. View the list of recognized attorneys and their areas of practice.

        • View article
      • July 9, 2018

        Larry Klein, Gene Murphy, and Rhonda Tobin Present Program on Policy Limit Demands

        • » more info

          Larry Klein, Gene Murphy, and Rhonda Tobin Present Program on Policy Limit Demands

          Insurance + Reinsurance Group lawyers Lawrence J. Klein, Eugene P. Murphy, and Rhonda J. Tobin presented the program “Policy Limit Demands— Protecting Insurers Against The Latest Strategy of Plaintiffs' Counsel” on June 13, 2018 at the firm. Attendees were lead through an interactive discussion on policy limit demands in an effort to coordinate a proper response. Mr. Klein, Mr. Murphy, and Ms. Tobin addressed identifying a policy limit demand, the continuing need to fully evaluate a claim for liability and damages following receipt of a policy limit demand, the potential legal consequences of failing to properly respond to a policy limit demand, and best practices and strategies for responding to a policy limit demand. The presentation was the third in a newly launched “Insurance In-House Counsel CLE Series” that offers continuing legal education (CLE) and networking catered exclusively to in-house counsel and attorney claim professionals in the insurance industry. The next program in the series is scheduled to take place on September 6.

      R+C News Releases

      • October 11, 2022

        Robinson+Cole Lawyers Recognized in 2022 Super Lawyers®

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          Robinson+Cole Lawyers Recognized in 2022 Super Lawyers®

          A total of 39 Robinson+Cole attorneys were named to Super Lawyers® lists in the States of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island for 2022. In addition, 30 attorneys at the firm were recognized as “Rising Stars.”

          Jeffrey J. White was named to the Top 50: 2022 Connecticut Super Lawyers list. Linda L. Morkan appears on the Top 25: 2022 Women Connecticut Super Lawyers list and, similarly, Natalie D. Ramsey was included in the Top 50: 2022 Women Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list. Read more in the press release.

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      • October 14, 2021

        Robinson+Cole Lawyers Recognized by Super Lawyers®

        • » more info

          Robinson+Cole Lawyers Recognized by Super Lawyers®

          A total of 42 Robinson+Cole attorneys were named to Super Lawyers® lists in the States of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island for 2021. In addition, 29 attorneys at the firm were recognized as “Rising Stars.”

          Bruce B. Barth and Jeffrey J. White were named to the Top 50: 2021 Connecticut Super Lawyers list. Linda L. Morkan appears on the Top 25: 2021 Women Connecticut Super Lawyers list and, similarly, Natalie D. Ramsey was included in the Top 50: 2021 Women Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list. Read more in the press release.

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      • October 28, 2020

        Three Lawyers From Robinson+Cole’s New York Office Recognized by Super Lawyers®

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          Three Lawyers From Robinson+Cole’s New York Office Recognized by Super Lawyers®

          Robinson+Cole lawyers Lawrence Klein and Virginia K. Trunkes were named to the New York Metro Super Lawyers® list for 2020. In addition, Ian T. Clarke-Fisher was recognized as a “Rising Star.” They are joined by 47 Robinson+Cole lawyers named Super Lawyers® and 29 recognized as “Rising Stars” in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island for 2020. Read more in the press release.

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      • October 19, 2019

        52 Robinson+Cole Lawyers Recognized by Super Lawyers®

        • » more info

          52 Robinson+Cole Lawyers Recognized by Super Lawyers®

          A total of 52 Robinson+Cole attorneys were named to Super Lawyers® lists in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island for 2019. In addition, 32 attorneys at the firm were recognized as “Rising Stars.”

          The following lawyers were named to the Top 50: 2019 Connecticut Super Lawyers list: Denis C. Cavanaugh, Gregory R. Faulkner, Linda L. Morkan, Todd R. Regan, and Jeffrey J. White. Linda also appears on the Top 25: 2019 Women Connecticut Super Lawyers list.

          The Super Lawyers designation is based on regional balloting by attorneys, third-party research, and a peer review process encompassing myriad practice areas. An explanation of the Super Lawyers methodology can be found here. Read more in the press release.

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      • October 17, 2017

        Robinson+Cole Lawyers Recognized by Super Lawyers®

        • » more info

          Robinson+Cole Lawyers Recognized by Super Lawyers®

          A total of 56 Robinson+Cole attorneys were named Super Lawyers® in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island for 2017. The Super Lawyers® designation is based on regional balloting by attorneys, third-party research, and a peer review process encompassing myriad practice areas.

          In addition, 29 attorneys at the firm were recognized as “Rising Stars.” An explanation of the Super Lawyers methodology can be found here.

          See the list of included lawyers in the news release.

        • View article