Clyde & Co looks to expand insurance offering in US

Clyde & Co is looking to expand its insurance offering in North America, particularly in litigating unique coverage and bad faith issues.

The insurance law firm has hired Laura Besvinick and Julie Nevins as partners in Miami, Florida, in line with its ongoing growth strategy, which includes the recent establishment of an office in Calgary and a merger with BLM in the UK and Ireland.

Besvinick and Nevins both join the firm from Stroock & Stroock & Lavan. As insurance coverage litigators in Florida, they bring a wealth of experience in handling complex coverage and bad faith issues for clients.

Besvinick has 40 years’ experience litigating complex commercial and insurance cases in Florida state courts and federal courts across the United States, at both the trial and appellate levels. She has particular experience litigating novel coverage issues, and defending insurers in bad faith disputes and insurance class actions, with respect to general liability insurance, property and casualty insurance, directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, professional liability insurance, and life insurance. Laura also works closely with insurers to provide claims-handling advice in real time in order to avoid disputes.

With 20 years’ experience, Nevins focuses her practice on litigating a wide range of complex insurance and commercial disputes in federal and state trial and appellate courts. She regularly represents insurers in coverage and bad-faith disputes with respect to first-party property, commercial general liability, professional liability, and directors’ and officers’ liability insurance. Her practice also spans numerous substantive areas including unfair competition, misrepresentation, fraud, real property, intellectual property, and breach of contract.

Eileen King Bower, partner and chair of Clyde & Co’s North American Board, said: “This double-partner hire is in line with our North American strategy to deepen our offering across insurance lines and build strength across all key locations on the continent. Clients increasingly want joined up counsel across the United States, North America and indeed globally, which is what this strategy seeks to address. Laura and Julie are among the best-known lawyers in Florida for complex, high-exposure, and bad faith cases, and we simply can’t wait to welcome them on board.”

Besvinick commented: “Clyde & Co is a major name in insurance law in North America and globally, and our clients will benefit hugely from our move. We are both looking forward to linking up with colleagues across the firm’s insurance group to help clients get to grips with an increasingly complex and globally-interconnected risk landscape.”

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