At Slater Law Group, our team of attorneys possess years of legal experience from the top law firms in the country. With their extensive background and industry expertise, our partners and lawyers are always eager to share their knowledge and craft new solutions for those seeking legal advice. That’s why on June 22, 2017, Mark Slater, Slater Law Group partner, joined John Schaefer, Director of Risk Management at Lam Research, in a panel discussion hosted by the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS).

The panel discussed various topics including the ways risk managers, in-house counsel, and outside counsel can work together to successfully handle business interruption claims. The event was attended by risk managers, insurance brokers, and insurance sales agents.

Mark’s presentation focused on his experience as lead counsel for the policyholder in two cases: American Guarantee & Liability Insurance Company v. Ingram Micro, Inc., No. 99-815 TUC ACM, where he obtained a precedent-setting decision in favor of the policyholder; and SanDisk Corporation v. Zurich American Insurance Company, No. C 12-06081 LHK (PSG), in which a favorable settlement was reached regarding the business interruption caused by an earthquake in Japan.

Mark explained that making a persuasive business interruption claim requires an understanding of the insurance company’s complex perspective. He described the many ways a policy can be viewed by the policyholder and by different departments within the insurance company. In particular, understanding the different perspectives of both the insurer’s underwriting and the claims departments can be important in shaping a claim. Mark’s presentation concluded with a review of how California courts interpret insurance policies, and briefly touched on insurance bad faith litigation.

John Schaefer joined Mark’s discussion with an in-depth exploration of examples from the SanDisk case to illustrate Mark’s points. The presentation was then followed by an active Q&A session where Mark had an opportunity to answer questions about his experience handling similar claims.

Mark and the rest of the team at Slater Law Group look forward to attending these types of events, as they get to share their knowledge and help those seeking legal advice. To download the materials shared at this event, click here.

For more information on our services and future panels we’re attending, contact Slater Law Group today.