Tamara D. Bruno

Tamara is widely recognized for her work and experience. She has been certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Insurance Law, recognized by Legal 500 U.S., Best Lawyers, Law360 and Chambers USA, for her notable successes in insurance litigation. She was named a “Next Generation Partner” by Legal 500 U.S. in 2024, Law 360 MVP in September 2021 and an Insurance Rising Star by the International Financial Law Review in their 2020 Americas Rising Star Awards. Additionally, Tamara served on Law360’s 2020, 2022, & 2024 Insurance Editorial Boards and was a member of The American Lawyer’s Young Lawyer Editorial Board. She served two terms as an elected council member for the Insurance Law Section of the Texas State Bar and two terms on the Board of Directors for the Corporate Counsel section of the Houston Bar Association. She regularly writes and speaks on insurance law topics.

• Representing Zayo in Delaware insurance coverage litigation seeking D&O coverage for defense and settlement costs arising from securities litigation related to a go-private merger. The matter involves cutting-edge issues concerning the application of a “bump-up” exclusion in merger-related claims.
• Representing an automotive company in insurance coverage litigation involving its cyber insurance tower, seeking coverage for response costs and potential liability arising from a ransomware attack. The matter involves complex issues relating to timing of the intrusion, policy renewals and potential gaps in coverage.

• Insurance MVP, Law360 (2021)
• Insurance Rising Star, International Financial Law Review (2020)
• Insurance Rising Star, Law360 (2017)
• Associations
  • Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for Insurance Law (2024–Present)
  • Member, Insurance Recovery & Advisory practice, named by Law360 as a Practice Group of the Year (2015, 2016, 2020, 2022 and 2023)
  • Advisor, RIMS Houston Chapter Board – Legal (2019)
  • Member, The American Lawyer Young Lawyer Editorial Board (2018)
  • Member and Committee Chair, Council for the Insurance Law Section of the State Bar of Texas (2016–2020)
• Speaking Engagements
  • “When Plain Meaning Meets Generative AI for Policy Interpretation,” RIMS RISKWORLD Conference, May 6, 2026, Philadelphia, Pa.
  • “Generative AI and Insurance,” Oregon RIMS, March 19, 2026, Portland, Ore.
  • “Generative AI: Managing Operational Opportunities and Risks,” Hawaii RIMS Webinar, May 29, 2025.
  • “Generative AI: Managing Operational Opportunities and Risks,” Central Texas RIMS, January 23, 2025, Austin, Tex.
  • “Understanding Potential Ways to Mitigate Exposure for PFAS Risks Through Insurance,” Panelist, ACI’s Summit on PFAS, New York City Bar Association, May 31, 2024, New York, N.Y.
  • “Burning Questions About Burning Limits: New Legal Developments, Challenges and Opportunities," RIMS RiskWorld, May 6, 2024, San Diego, Calif.
  • “Covering Your Assets: Insurance Trends, Strategies and Hot Topics,” Pillsbury’s CLE Marathons, January 25, 2024, Los Angeles, Calif.
  • “Generative AI – Emerging Risks and Insurance Coverage,” Pillsbury’s CLE Marathons, January 23, 2024, San Diego, Calif.
  • “Generative AI – Emerging Risks and Insurance Coverage,” myLawCLE Webinar, December 18, 2023, New York, N.Y.
  • “What Risk Professionals Should Know About D&O Bump-Up Exclusions: How They Apply and When to Push Back,” RIMS RiskWorld Conference, April 30, 2023, Atlanta, Ga.
  • “Cyber Coverage Trends for 2023,” The Institutes CPCU Society, February 28, 2023, Houston, Tex., Chapter.
  • “Insurance Coverage for Trafficking Claims and Liability,” State Bar of Texas’ 19th Annual Advanced Insurance Law, June 2, 2022, San Antonio, Tex.
  • “Update on Cyber Risks and Insurance,” Pillsbury’s CLE Marathons, October 20, 2021, Virginia.
  • “Executive Luncheon: Latest Trends in D&O Insurance,” AON, Oct. 26, 2021.
  • “Insurance Issues from the Texas Winter Storms,” Houston Bar Association Webinar, March 8, 2021. Panelist.
  • “Mediating Insurance Coverage Disputes,” Dallas Bar Association Webinar, March 2, 2021. Panelist.
  • “ADR Section & Insurance Law State Bar Section Joint Remote CLE,” Austin Bar Association Webinar, January 26, 2021.
  • “Oil & Gas Industry Cyber Table Top Breach,” 74th PLIMC, November 15, 2018, Scottsdale, Ariz.
  • “Policyholder Legal Update,” 74th PLIMC, November 14, 2018, Scottsdale, Ariz.
  • “A Roadmap for Young Insurance Litigators,” ABA Women in Insurance Network Conference, November 8, 2018.
  • “Insurance Through the Eyes of Coverage Counsel,” Marsh EnergyU Lunch and Learn, October 29, 2018.
  • “Cyber Risk in Operations,” RIMS Houston Fall Conference, October 23, 2018.
  • “Coverage for Sexual Harassment Claims and Other Bad Conduct,” Texas Bar Advanced Insurance Law Conference, June 29, 2018, San Antonio, Tex.
  • “Insurance Law Lessons from Popular Culture,” RIMS Luncheon, June 20, 2018, Houston, Tex.
  • “Protecting Our Pastimes: Risk Management and Insurance for Sports and Other Entertainment Events,” National RIMS Conference, April 18, 2018, San Antonio, Tex.
  • “The Storm After the Storm: What Counsel Should Know About Preparing for and Handling Insurance Claims,” Pillsbury’s CLE Marathon, 2017, Houston, Tex.
  • “The Storm After the Storm – Preparing for and Handling Hurricane and Other Property Claims,” 73rd PLIMC, November 7, 2017, Tulsa, Okla.
  • “Total Recall: The Ins and Outs of Coverage for Product Recalls and Chipotle-Like Incidents,” 21st Annual University of Texas Insurance Law Institute, November 2016, Houston, Tex.
  • “Policyholder Legal Update,” Pipeline Risk Managers Conference, November1, 2016, The Woodlands, Tex.
  • “Through the Eyes of an Insurance Lawyer: What They See in Your Policies That You Need to Know,” Pillsbury’s CLE Marathon, October 18, 2016, Houston and Austin, Tex.
  • “Attorney’s Eye-View: How Coverage Counsel Evaluates Issues Raised by Insurance Policy Provisions,” RIMS Houston, Tex., Chapter, July 20, 2016.
  • “Developments in Energy Insurance,” 20th Annual University of Texas Insurance Law Institute, November 2015, Dallas, Tex.
• Firm Publications
  • Delaware Supreme Court Rejects Application of the “Bump-Up” Exclusion in Harman Decision, March 25, 2026. Coauthor.
  • SDNY Rejects Insurer’s Attempt to Stretch D&O Policy’s “Subsequent Acts” Exclusion, March 18, 2026. Coauthor.
  • AI and Insurance Policy Interpretation After Snell v. United Specialty: What Policyholders Need to Know, February 25, 2026. Coauthor.
  • The Latest on PFAS: What Policyholders Need to Know Now, April 21, 2025. Coauthor.
  • How Trump’s DEI Rollback Affects Nonprofits and How to Protect Your Organization, March 26, 2025. Coauthor.
  • Recent Illinois Supreme Court Decision on Construction Defect Claim Is a Perfect Holiday Gift for Policyholders, December 21, 2023. Coauthor.
  • Say What You Mean: Delaware Court Finds Bump-Up Exclusion Ambiguous as Applied to Mergers Versus Acquisitions, September 13, 2023. Coauthor.
  • Generative AI’s Impact on Insurance Coverage: An Interview with ChatGPT-4 and Coverage Counsel on What Policyholders Should Be Doing Now, July 5, 2023. Coauthor.