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For 25 years, Dave has advised and represented corporate and institutional policyholders in complex insurance coverage disputes throughout the country. He has successfully recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in insurance proceeds for his clients through hard-fought litigation and arbitration, including as trial counsel.
Experience
Representative matters
Representative matters
Representing and counseling multiple corporate policyholders in complex disputes involving financial guaranty and collateral protection insurance policies providing financial backstops for eight- and nine-figure secured lending transactions, including working with institutional investors, asset managers, loan servicers, and restructuring counsel, and serving as lead trial counsel in litigation.
Representing a property developer in seeking insurance recovery from its commercial property insurer for tens of millions of dollars in losses due to extensive fire damage to a hotel property in upstate New York.
Representing the owner of a hospital in New England seeking insurance recovery from its commercial property insurer for tens of millions of dollars in property and business interruption losses arising from a fire.
Experience
Representing and counseling multiple corporate policyholders in complex disputes involving financial guaranty and collateral protection insurance policies providing financial backstops for eight- and nine-figure secured lending transactions, including working with institutional investors, asset managers, loan servicers, and restructuring counsel, and serving as lead trial counsel in litigation.
Representing a property developer in seeking insurance recovery from its commercial property insurer for tens of millions of dollars in losses due to extensive fire damage to a hotel property in upstate New York.
Representing the owner of a hospital in New England seeking insurance recovery from its commercial property insurer for tens of millions of dollars in property and business interruption losses arising from a fire.
Representing a prominent social media company in obtaining insurance coverage from its media liability insurer in connection with overseas privacy claims.
Representing a research institution in multi-hundred-million-dollar insurance coverage action alleging bad faith and consumer protection claims arising out of more than a thousand claims under the New York Child Victims Act.
Representing a national cheer competition sponsor and apparel maker in seeking insurance recovery from its commercial general liability insurers in connection with settlements of former athletes’ claims alleging sexual abuse by coaches at their individual gyms.
Recovered insurance proceeds for a well-known apparel manufacturer in connection with music copyright infringement claims under its commercial general liability insurance policies.
Recovered insurance proceeds for a large public university in connection with settlements of sexual abuse claims against a former athletic coach; served as trial counsel for the university.
Recovered insurance proceeds for a regional bank in a claim under its financial institution bond for losses arising from a fraudulent scheme perpetrated through a client’s computer system.
Obtained an eight-figure insurance recovery for individual homeowners in litigation seeking property insurance coverage for the total loss of an architectural masterpiece in Southern California due to mudslides.
Recovered insurance proceeds for a community bank in insurance recovery litigation against its bankers’ professional liability insurer arising from claims involving an alleged Ponzi scheme perpetrated by certain depositors.
Recovered insurance proceeds for a real estate development firm in litigation against its environmental liability insurer seeking coverage for pollution remediation costs associated with a mixed-use development project.
Recovered insurance proceeds for the owner of a popular regional chain of clothing and lifestyle retail stores in litigation against its stock throughput insurer seeking coverage for extensive merchandise losses caused by a hurricane.
Recognitions
Recognized by Chambers USA (California) for Insurance: Policyholder (2020-2026)
Named by the Los Angeles Business Journal as a Leader of Influence: Insurance (2025)
Named by the Los Angeles Business Journal as a Leader of Influence: Thriving in Their 40s (2022)
Credentials
Education
Education
- Harvard Law School, 2001, J.D.
- Stanford University, 1998, A.B., with distinction and departmental honors
Professional admissions & qualifications
Professional admissions & qualifications
- California
Court admissions
Court admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals - Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
Professional affiliations
Professional affiliations
- American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee
Clerkships
Clerkships
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Honorable Saundra Brown Armstrong