Search PillsburyLaw.com
  • All
  • Lawyers
  • Capabilities
  • Insights

Service

Property Damage & Business Interruption

Contacts

Peter M. Gillon
Partner, Miami
T: +1.202.663.9249
Joseph D. Jean
Partner, New York
T: +1.212.858.1038
See All Professionals

From earthquakes to tsunamis, from chemical spills to aviation disasters, Pillsbury helps policyholder clients handle property damage and business interruption insurance coverage claims for the largest, most high-profile natural and man-made disasters.

With one of the largest and most respected policyholder-side Insurance Recovery & Advisory practices in the United States, Pillsbury helps clients recover for property damage and business interruption loss arising from man-made and natural disasters worldwide. Pillsbury’s team has an impressive record of successfully resolving disputes with insurance carriers both in and out of court. We use our deep experience with insurance coverage and related business issues to help clients maximize their insurance recovery through the strategic presentation of claims and management of disputes in the claims-handling process. As necessary, our team can take disputes over property and business interruption coverage to court and through trial.

View More

Pillsbury’s Insurance Recovery & Advisory Group’s experience with property damage and business interruption claims includes loss from:

  • Hurricanes and Superstorms
  • Floods
  • Chemical Spills and Pipeline Ruptures
  • Earthquakes
  • Fires and Explosions
  • Aviation and Related Disasters
  • Other Natural & Man-Made Disasters

Representative Experience

  • Secured $72 million jury award in Arkansas for Lion Oil against AIG and 13 other insurers for lost income and expenses resulting from the rupture of its supplier’s pipeline.
  • Negotiated substantial recovery in a claim that included hotly contested business interruption losses for a global petrochemical company forced into a five-month shutdown following a fire.
  • Representing more than 100 companies, including retailers, global hospitality chains, casinos and medical centers, among others, for COVID-19-related business interruption matters.

View More

  • Hurricanes and Superstorms
    • Representing Texas hospitals and nursing homes in connection with property and business interruption claims arising from Hurricane Harvey.
    • Representing medical waste disposal company in connection with property and business interruption claims arising from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.
    • Represented major U.S. oil and gas company with substantial Hurricane Ivan losses to offshore properties, obtaining a summary judgment establishing carriers’ liability without engaging in any discovery.
    • Successfully arbitrated a property damage claim resulting from storm-downed power lines for Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation.
    • Obtained substantial recovery for National Grid in mediation and settlement of multimillion-dollar claims for property damage and interruption of electric service to its customers caused by a major ice storm.
    • Litigated and settled claims for total loss and business interruption resulting from typhoon damage to Western Systems’ cable television and publishing operations in Guam, achieving substantial recoveries for our client.
  • Floods
    • Representing Foresight Energy LLP in connection with its more than $150 million business interruption and property damage claim for insurance coverage arising out of the property loss and cessation of mining activities at a Foresight mine located in Hillsboro, IL, as a result of a combustion event.
    • Represented natural gas supplier in recovering insurance proceeds in connection with a claim relating to flooding that unearthed pipelines in Canada.
    • Represented industrial company in property damage and business interruption claims when flood damaged its research and development facility in California, and in a dispute with the building owner.
  • Chemical Spills and Pipeline Ruptures
    • Represented oil refiner in an insurance coverage jury trial against AIG and 13 other insurance companies arising from the rupture of a crude supply pipeline. Jury awarded our client’s full demand of $72 million for contingent business interruption losses, the largest insurance verdict of the year.
    • Representing oil refiner and waste-to-energy company in separate litigations over measure of damage for shutdowns due to facility fires.
    • Represent Rayonier in a lawsuit arising from more than 50 years of contamination at more than 20 pulp mills, creosote and other wood preservative coating operation sites for Rayonier, and a range of industrial sites for ITT over a similar period.
    • Representing CITGO Petroleum Corporation regarding insurance coverage for damages arising out of the one of the largest oil spills in U.S. history.
    • Represented major energy company in recovering under general liability insurance policies for costs of responding to a nationally publicized coal ash spill.
    • Represented energy company in its business interruption claim from the blowout of part of its natural gas processing plant in British Columbia.
  • Earthquakes
    • Secured insurance recoveries for policyholders for losses arising from the Northridge Earthquake.
  • Fires and Explosions
    • Assisting renewable energy company in claims for property damage and business interruption resulting from two separate fire incidents at its refinery.
    • Recovered substantial dollar amount for an electrical services contractor in connection with a fire claim.
    • Represented vegetation management company seeking recovery in connection with a fire claim.
    • Following appraisal of loss under its policy, achieved recovery for a commodity broker for fire-caused destruction of its cold-storage warehouse containing 10 million+ pounds of pecan inventory.
    • Represented auto manufacturer on property and business interruption claims relating to destruction of a factory in Germany by fire.
    • Represented financial services company on property and business interruption insurance claims in connection with a fire at its New Jersey offices.
    • Asserted insurance coverage claims for a major oil and gas company for losses resulting from a fire that destroyed a refinery.
  • Aviation and Related Disasters
    • Obtained insurance coverage for an aircraft maintenance company’s significant liabilities resulting from the crash of ValuJet Flight #592 into the Florida Everglades.
    • Obtained full recovery from aviation insurers for destruction of a building caused by plane crash near Los Angeles.
    • Represented AAR (f/k/a Presidential Airways) in the first successful insurance recovery since the Vietnam era under the FAA’s nonpremium war-risk insurance program, relating to a downed AAR helicopter in Afghanistan.
    • Obtained multimillion-dollar insurance recovery for aircraft manufacturer/mortgagee in the first-party loss of a business jet following a crash, including full coverage for the outstanding loan balance plus attorneys’ fees.
  • Other
    • Represented three companies in connection with their insurance claims arising from the Big Sur landslides and Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge closure.
    • Secured appraisal award in a national property developer’s insurance coverage dispute involving defective construction of a 400-unit apartment complex, substantially strengthening its position in pending jury trial.
    • Secured settlement for Duke Energy with insurers totaling $835 million for business interruption loss following damage to the Crystal River Nuclear Plant.
    • Represented mining company and several of its subsidiaries and affiliates regarding the Crandall Canyon Mine disaster, securing recoveries without litigation.

Practice Area Highlights

  • Pillsbury is recognized as among the most feared law firms for litigation by BTI Consulting Group.
  • Nationally ranked by Chambers USA: Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder (2018–2024), Insurance in Texas (2014, 2019–2024) and Insurance: Policyholder in Washington, DC (2015–2024).
  • Recognized by The Legal 500 U.S.(2017–2024).

View More

  • Five-time Law360 Insurance Practice Group of the Year (2022, 2020, 2016, 2015, 2010).
  • Best Lawyers Best Law Firms 2025 National Tier 1 Insurance Law ranking.

Resources

2025 MOST FEARED FIRMS

BTI Consulting recognizes Pillsbury as one of the most feared law firms in litigation.

Resource

Insurance Due Diligence Reviews

Blog

Policyholder Pulse

Brochure

Insurance Recovery & Advisory

Factsheet

Pillsbury’s Insurance Policy Review Program

Related Insights

View More
View All