Top Rated Insurance Coverage Attorney in Cleveland, OH

Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP

| 1405 East Sixth Street, Cleveland, OH 44114

Visit: https://www.calfee.com

Phone: 216-622-8567

Fax: 216-241-0816

Email: K. James Sullivan

Selected To Super Lawyers: 2014 - 2021
Selected To Rising Stars: 2012 - 2013

Licensed Since: 2001

Education: University of Virginia School of Law

Practice Areas:

Insurance Coverage (90%),
Business Litigation (10%)

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Attorney Profile

James’ primary focus is providing insurance coverage services to corporate policyholders. He also represents closely held and publicly traded business clients on a variety of other matters, including:

Litigating contract, business tort, and equitable claims
Advising on contract interpretation
Facilitating alternative dispute resolution efforts

James has litigated in many Ohio appeals and trial courts, as well as numerous federal trial and appeals courts.

James is one of 24 Ohio lawyers certified as an insurance law specialist by the Ohio State Bar Association. Multiple times he has served as an expert witness on insurance coverage issues.

Chambers USA 2020 ranked James as a Band 1 "Leading Lawyer" in Insurance in Ohio. Chambers noted that James "is held in high esteem as one of the best policyholder lawyers in Ohio. He is also praised for his sophisticated and diplomatic approach to complex recovery claims, which sees him handle a wide range of coverage disputes. One source reports, 'He does an excellent job in analyzing situations and getting a good result. He is smart, well respected and capable in the courtroom.'"

He was named Best Lawyers^® 2018 Insurance Law "Lawyer of the Year" in Cleveland. He has been selected to The Best Lawyers in America^© list since 2017. Additionally, James has been recognized by Ohio Super Lawyers as one of the top 100 attorneys in Ohio (2015-2021) and top 50 attorneys in Cleveland (2015-2020).

James joined Calfee in 2001 and was elected Partner effective January 1, 2010. He serves as chair of Calfee’s Associates Committee, and is a member of its Associate Compensation Committee, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and Practice Planning and Growth Committee. He also serves as a formal and informal mentor to other Calfee attorneys.

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About James Sullivan

Admitted: 2001, Ohio

Professional Webpage: https://calfee.com/professionals/k-james-sullivan/

Honors/Awards:

Chambers USA, Insurance, Band 1, 2020, Chambers USA, 2020
The Best Lawyers in America© 2018 Insurance Law "Lawyer of the Year" in Cleveland, The Best Lawyers in America© , 2018
The Best Lawyers in America©, Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance, 2017-2020, The Best Lawyers in America©, 2020

Special Licenses/Certifications:

Certified “Insurance Law Specialist” by the Ohio State Bar Association

Bar/Professional Activity:

Legal Aid, Numerous Pro Bono Representations of Under-Served Clients, 2021
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Committee on Mental Health and Wellness, Past Chair, 2021
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Insurance Law Section, Past Chair, 2021
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
Effective July 2015, James is the Chair of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's Insurance Law Section., 2015
Ohio

Pro bono/Community Service:

City of Cleveland, High School Student Mentor
2008 Cleveland Bridge Builders Civic Leadership Program, Alumnus

Transactions:

2011-2015 – Sought in excess of $5 million in EPL coverage for a designer and manufacturer of corrugated packaging., 2015
2018-2020 – Helping chemical and solvents manufacturer protect approximately $4 million in captive insurer assets in connection with claim triggering multiple policies, including non-captive policy years., 2020
2016-2020 – Guiding health sector client through dispute with third party seeking to waive client’s rights with respect to approximately $125 million in limits under medical professional liability insurance., 2020
2017-2019 – Assisted with $15 million aviation insurance policy claim in connection with fatal aircraft incident., 2019
2017-2020 – Helping company in medical insurance sector administer defense and indemnification claim under primary and excess E&O policies in municipal-law class action seeking an estimated $60‑70 million in alleged damages., 2020
2018-2019 – Litigated alleged "late notice" denial of $2 million-plus coverage claim under CGL policy for home hardware component supplier., 2019
2019 – Assisted client with development of strategy for pursuing over $20 million in cyber-attack losses from a combination of a cyber insurance policy and a third-party indemnitor., 2019
2019-2020 – Assisting client with development and implementation of strategies to recover in excess of $20 million from insurance companies for nationwide environmental claims asserted by regulatory agencies and individual claimants., 2020
2019-2020 – Litigating two related lawsuits in Ohio and Nebraska federal courts seeking to recover from various insurers (including a fidelity bond issuer) over $24 million in losses stemming from an alleged Ponzi scheme., 2020
2020 – Designing and implementing D&O strategy to assist client in efforts to collect $1 million-plus judgment against otherwise uncollectible entity., 2020

Representative Clients:

Red Roof Inns (Outside Insurance Coverage Counsel), 2020
Smucker's (Outside Insurance Coverage Counsel), 2020
FirstEnergy (Outside Insurance Coverage Counsel), 2020
Rust-Oleum Corporation (Outside Insurance Coverage Counsel), 2020
The Ohio State University (Outside Insurance Coverage Counsel), 2020
Cardinal Health (Outside Insurance Coverage Counsel), 2020
Cleveland-Cliffs (Outside Insurance Coverage Counsel), 2020
University Hospitals (Outside Insurance Coverage Counsel), 2020
Medical Mutual of Ohio (Outside Insurance Coverage Counsel), 2020

Newsletters:

If your company is like virtually every other company, it has seen its business operations disrupted by the ever-evolving COVID-19 global pandemic, with no clear end in sight. Financial losses are likely mounting, be they lost income due to decreased productivity, diminished demand for goods or services, supply chain disruptions, canceled business travel, etc., or the extra expenses incurred in minimizing those losses., Will My Company's Coronavirus-Related Business Interruption Losses Be Covered by Insurance?, Insurance Coverage

Educational Background:

B.A., in Philosophy, magna cum laude, John Carroll University, 1998 , 1998
J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, 2001 , 2001

Industry Groups

Banking
Financial Services And Insurance
Health Care
LLCs and Joint Ventures
Manufacturing And Industrial
Partnerships
Private and Family-Owned Businesses
Private Equity
Public Companies

Office Location for K. James Sullivan

1405 East Sixth Street
Cleveland, OH 44114

K. James Sullivan:

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Last Updated: 2/23/2021