Peter’s clients appreciate his “wealth of knowledge and encyclopedic understanding of insurance,” describing him as a “very creative coverage lawyer who brings a fresh perspective to problems” and “experienced, forceful when needed, [with] a good reputation for getting results (Chambers USA).”
Peter applies a creative problem-solving approach to his work as one of the leading coverage attorneys in the area of D&O insurance. Public and private companies and their boards regularly call on him to help resolve complex securities and other class actions, derivative lawsuits, appraisal actions, M&A-related litigation and enforcement actions, by bringing insurers to the table and marshaling D&O and other insurance assets to fund those liabilities. He uses all available resources and tools, including litigation, where necessary. His clients range from Activision/Microsoft and Archer-Daniels Midland, to Purple, Zayo, and dozens of other companies and institutions. Peter is also a leader in emerging areas of insurance coverage, including collateral protection insurance, portfolio risk transfer and enterprise risk management.
He is not afraid to take on new approaches for insurance recovery. In August 2019, a Delaware court adopted the theory advanced by Peter in Solera Holdings v. XL Insurance that D&O insurance policies afford coverage for an appraisal action brought by dissenting shareholders challenging the price paid to acquire Solera in a go-private transaction. This precedent-setting decision, later reversed by the Delaware Supreme Court, explained that coverage for “securities violations” included claims that the company failed to meet its obligation to obtain “fair value” for its shares. Peter is actively pursuing other litigation seeking to narrow the scope of the so-called “bump-up” exclusion and “relation-back” provisions.
With experience representing the companies most impacted by some of the largest disasters in recent memory, such as the 9/11 terror attacks, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and Superstorm Sandy, Peter is widely regarded as a trusted business advisor for companies in their most important and challenging matters.
Peter focuses his practice on:
- Insurance coverage disputes involving all major lines, including executive liability (D&O, fiduciary, fidelity and crime, EPLI), first-party (including property and business interruption losses), cyber, product recall and pollution liability.
- Insurance policy placement, including D&O, cyber, property, pollution legal liability, environmental liability transfer, IPOs, rep and warranty and IP insurance.
- Advice on risk management and insurance issues in corporate and real estate transactions and bankruptcy, including insurance due diligence.