Claire M. Whitehead

Prior to joining Reed Smith, Claire practiced commercial litigation, medical malpractice defense, and general tort defense at a Chicago-based firm where she gained experience defending clients in all stages of litigation. At Reed Smith, Claire leverages her past tort defense experience to streamline communications between the insured, its defense counsel, and the insurer resulting in effective positioning of claims early on. Claire is frequently called upon to secure insurance funding to resolve high-stakes injury litigation on an emergency basis.

Claire has litigated many coverage disputes in state and federal courts across the country, and before the American Arbitration Association, making her well positioned to file suit on behalf of the insured in the event litigation becomes necessary. Additionally, Claire has drafted numerous briefs on appeal in the state and federal courts of Illinois, including drafting briefs on behalf of amicus curiae to the Illinois Supreme Court. In addition to her coverage practice, Claire regularly provides pro bono assistance to asylum seekers in conjunction with the National Immigrant Justice Center.