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Duane joined Reed Smith when the firm combined with Sachnoff & Weaver. He is a senior member of the firm's Insurance Coverage Group. He has been heavily involved for more than twenty years in both negotiating the terms and conditions of D&O, E&O, Media, E-Commerce, Commercial Crime, Fidelity and similar policies and successfully resolving disputes under these policies. Overall, Duane has helped recover hundreds of millions of dollars in insurance proceeds and he has helped to design and negotiate insurance coverage programs for corporations, investment funds, partnerships, foundations and not-for-profit entities throughout the United States and internationally. Duane has authored and contributed to numerous articles and given presentations on insurance coverage issues at prominent conferences and courses throughout the United States.
Experience
Representative matters
Representative matters
Fifteen years’ experience in handling immigration matters for businesses and individuals
Actively participated in a leading case on allocation under D&O policy resulting in the recovery of more than $6 million for the insured
Involved in litigation against directors and officers’ liability insurers that resulted in a recovery through settlement of approximately $46 million
Experience
Fifteen years’ experience in handling immigration matters for businesses and individuals
Actively participated in a leading case on allocation under D&O policy resulting in the recovery of more than $6 million for the insured
Involved in litigation against directors and officers’ liability insurers that resulted in a recovery through settlement of approximately $46 million
Involved in successful litigation and negotiation of settlement of D&O insurer rescission claims preserving hundreds of millions of dollars of coverage
Successfully negotiated multimillion contributions from D&O insurers to settlement on behalf of insureds after denial of coverage
Successfully represented client in recovery of multimillion-dollar employee dishonesty loss under financial institution bond
Successfully represented estate trustees in dissolution of a partnership action resulting in a multimillion-dollar sale of the estate’s partnership interest
Participated in the negotiation of a settlement under a fiduciary liability policy resulting in the payment of approximately $1 million in connection with defense and settlement of the suit
Successfully represented clients in administrative proceedings and negotiations with government agencies regarding alleged immigration violations
Active in advising and representing clients with respect to the investigation and presentation of potential insurance claims, the comparative advantages of different insurance policies, the meanings of particular exclusions and the negotiation and settlement of insurance coverage disputes
Represented clients in recoveries through litigation and negotiation of more than $75 million under professional errors and omissions policies
Active with several organizations providing pro bono legal assistance to low-income clients, immigrants and refugees
Successfully obtained relief from deportation and permanent residency for aliens wrongfully convicted of crimes
Recognitions
- 2010 - Human Rights Practitioner Award from the National Immigrant Justice Center
- 2010 - Reed Smith Sean Halpin Award for Pro-bono Service
Credentials
Education
Education
- Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, 1986, J.D., Cum Laude
- University of Detroit Mercy, 1978, B.A.