Marrinson in Chicago and Weiss in San Francisco Join Former Colleagues
(December 17, 2007, Chicago and San Francisco) – LAWFUEL – Legal Newswire – Reed Smith LLP, one of the 15 largest law firms in the world, today announced the addition of two partners to its rapidly expanding firmwide Insurance Recovery practice. David E. Weiss will be resident in the firm’s San Francisco office and Thomas A. Marrinson will be resident in its Chicago office, effective immediately.
Both attorneys were partners at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. They join their former Morgan Lewis colleagues David Halbreich and Douglas Rawles who transitioned to Reed Smith’s Insurance Recovery Group in the firm’s Los Angeles office earlier this month.
“Our insurance recovery group has been adding quality laterals and gaining momentum throughout the fall. David’s and Tom’s arrival will definitely help us maintain our profile and continued growth,” said Douglas E. Cameron, Reed Smith’s firmwide Insurance Recovery Practice Group Leader “Both are top performing, talented professionals whom we expect to play an important role in the future growth of the practice.”
Mr. Marrinson’s primary practice focus is insurance coverage litigation. His experience spans a range of matters including D&O, first-party property, environmental cleanup, asbestos, and other mass tort claims, as well as bankruptcy-related insurance issues.
A 1989 graduate of UCLA School of Law, Mr. Marrinson has authored numerous articles and publications and lectured extensively on insurance coverage issues. He is co-author of Insurance Coverage Disputes, a comprehensive guide to the law of insurance coverage and has served as co-chair of the Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association’s Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee.
In addition to broad experience in insurance, Mr. Marrinson represents clients in a range of commercial contract and products liability litigation matters. In 2002, he was selected by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company as one of “40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch.” He is admitted to practice in Illinois and California.
“I am very pleased to be joining a great team of insurance recovery attorneys in Chicago. I look forward to working with Carolyn Rosenberg, Duane Sigelko, Doug Hersh and Kit Chaskin, as well as John Vishneski, who recently arrived from Mayer Brown,” said Mr. Marrinson. “I see an emerging opportunity for us to position ourselves as the premiere firm for policyholder representation nationwide.”
Mr. Weiss’ practice has focused on corporate policyholders in a wide range of complex insurance coverage disputes for nearly two decades, from high stakes litigation, to providing advice to policyholders with respect to the presentation of claims and the negotiation of settlements. Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, he was a partner at Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP.
“The four of us from Morgan Lewis are excited to have such a well regarded new platform from which to continue the development of a world-class, policy holder insurance recovery group,” said Mr. Weiss. “As other firms move away from that aspect of practice, we are very well positioned to provide top quality service to that market.”
A 1990 graduate of the University of San Francisco Law School, Mr. Weiss has an extensive background in liability and first party insurance claims, including environmental and products, corporate directors and officers, errors and omissions, property insurance, complex business interruption, and issues involving high technology property. His recent experience extends to claims for environmental exposures, options back-dating, patent and trade dress infringement and reinsurance. Mr. Weiss adds new practice expertise, trial attorney talent and a significant network of high-profile Bay Area clients to Reed Smith’s San Francisco office. He is admitted to practice in California.
Reed Smith’s Insurance Recovery Practice now has 32 lawyers across the firm and has expanded significantly in recent years by adding top level attorneys in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is one of the 15 largest law firms in the world, with more than 1,500 lawyers in 21 offices throughout the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Founded in 1877, the firm represents leading international businesses from Fortune 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises. Its attorneys provide litigation services in multi-jurisdictional matters and other high stake disputes, deliver regulatory counsel, and execute the full range of strategic domestic and cross-border transactions. Reed Smith is a preeminent advisor to industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, advertising and media, shipping, international trade and commodities, real estate, manufacturing, and education. For more information, visit reedsmith.com
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