News
Events
- Virtual Platform | Thursday, October 22, 2020 | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM EDT
Publications
- Complex Insurance Coverage ReporterMay 4, 2018
Cases & Deals
Blogs
Robert F. Walsh Partner
walshr@whiteandwilliams.com
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In over 30 years of practice, Robert Walsh has developed a national practice representing insurance companies in coverage litigation and providing claim advice and claim monitoring. Clients value Bob’s responsiveness and ability to provide successful and cost-effective representation that focuses on both the case at hand and the client’s broader strategic concerns. Bob has also frequently represented policyholders in the direct defense of claims. While Bob is based in the firm’s Philadelphia office, he is also admitted in New York and New Jersey and maintains an active practice in those states through the firm’s New York and New Jersey offices. Overall, he has handled litigation in more than 20 states ranging from Maine to California and Florida to Washington.
Bob has developed particular focus in the area of complex claims involving environmental damage, asbestos, toxic tort liabilities and employer’s liability claims. He also has extensive experience litigating coverage disputes and providing coverage advice for other diverse matters, such as claims under professional liability and other “claims made” policies, construction defect claims and cutting edge product liability claims involving pharmaceuticals and food additives. In addition, Bob has represented policyholders in the direct defense of a variety of claims.
Bob is a regular presenter at White and Williams’ Coverage College – an annual event that brings together 500 insurance professionals from across the country for an intensive day-long curriculum of insurance coverage education. He has spoken at Perrin Conferences on insurance litigation topics and he provides regular training to the firm’s insurance company clients. Bob is also the co-editor of White and Williams Complex Coverage Reporter.
Representative Matters
- Handled coverage litigation nationwide and provided claim advice for primary and excess insurers involving hundreds of contaminated waste sites and thousands of asbestos and silica claims
- Handled coverage litigation and provided claim advice involving a wide cross-section of underlying claims, including employer’s liability, professional liability, construction defect, and product liability
- Obtained summary judgment in 2017 in large environmental coverage action involving manufactured gas plant sites in New York involving multi-million dollars of potential liability
- Successfully arbitrated several disputes involving the scope and application of prior settlement agreements involving the release of future claims
- Prosecuted successful action to rescind professional liability policy based on fraud in the application process
- Co-authored successful amicus brief in Carter-Wallace, Inc. v. Admiral Ins. Co., 712 A.2d 1116 (N.J. 1998), one of the leading cases nationwide on allocation of long-tail claims.
- Handled numerous cases limiting the obligations of excess insurers where underlying insurance has become insolvent or exhausted, including Werner Industries, Inc. v. First State Ins. Co., 548 A.2d 188 (N.J. 1988), a leading case finding no “drop down” due to underlying insolvency
- Prosecuted successful appeals for insurance company clients in other leading cases, including, Keyspan Gas East Corp. v. Munich Re, 15 N.E.3d 1194 (N.Y. 2014) (leading case rejecting waiver of coverage defenses), Con Edison v. Allstate Ins. Co., 774 N.E.2d 687 (N.Y. 2002) (leading case on allocation and burden of proof re existence of an occurrence)
- Handled the direct defense of policyholders in numerous premises liability, products liability and negligent hiring/negligent supervision claims
- Monitored and provided claim advice for underlying product liability claims, including claims involving pharmaceuticals and food additives, and professional liability/errors and omissions claims, including claims against attorneys, physicians, insurance adjusters and environmental contractors
- Assisted clients in developing strategies and procedures for handling litigation in particular jurisdictions and developing consistent approaches to discovery and settlement in complex litigation
Recognition & Involvement
Bob has been AV® rated by the Martindale-Hubbell peer review rating system.
Bob provides pro bono services to the Veteran’s Pro Bono Consortium.
News
- November 1, 2019
- October 23, 2018
- September 22, 2016
- October 8, 2015
- October 3, 2014
Events
- Virtual Platform | Thursday, October 22, 2020 | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM EDT
- Webinar | 10:00 AM - 3:00 PMAugust 11, 2020
- WebinarNovember 18, 2019
- October 24, 2019
- Long-Tail Insurance: An Update on Coverage Issues Concerning Asbestos, LTE and Environmental Claims12th Annual Coverage CollegeOctober 4, 2018
- Long-Tail Coverage: An Update on Coverage Issues Concerning Asbestos/LTE/Environmental ClaimsWhite and Williams Coverage CollegeOctober 26, 2017
- Long-Tail Coverage: An Update on Coverage Issues Concerning Asbestos/LTE/Environmental ClaimsWhite and Williams Coverage CollegeSeptember 22, 2016
- Special Issues in Claims-Made CoverageWhite and Williams Coverage CollegeOctober 8, 2015
- A Year In The Life Of Litigating Long-Tail Coverage Claims: Annual Update On Asbestos/LTE/Environmental Liability And CoverageWhite and Williams Coverage CollegeOctober 2, 2014
- Emerging Insurance Coverage and Allocation IssuesPerrin ConferencesMay 20, 2014
- A Year In The Life Of Litigating Long-Tail Coverage Claims: Annual Update On Asbestos/LTE/Environmental Liability And CoverageWhite and Williams Coverage CollegeOctober 3, 2013
- Emerging Environmental Insurance Coverage IssuesWhite and Williams Coverage CollegeOctober 4, 2012
- Going Green: Emerging Environmental Insurance Coverage IssuesWhite and Williams Coverage CollegeOctober 6, 2011
Publications
- Complex Insurance Coverage ReporterMay 4, 2018
- Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith AlertMarch 28, 2018
- Complex Insurance Coverage ReporterNovember 8, 2017
- Complex Insurance Coverage ReporterOctober 2017
- Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith AlertJune 11, 2014
Cases & Deals
- May 17, 2018
- March 23, 2016
- April 20, 2015
- June 10, 2014
- January 31, 2012
- January 2012
Practice areas
Bar and Court Admissions
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
New York
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Education
Seton Hall University Law School, JD, cum laude, 1984
Rutgers College, BA, 1981
Memberships
American Bar Association