With more than 25 years of litigation experience, Natasha represents a broad range of policyholders, from Fortune 500 companies, financial services firms, and private equity funds to universities, religious organizations, and nonprofits in their most consequential insurance coverage disputes. She has represented her clients in cases involving high-profile incidents, including those involving sexual abuse and harassment, racial discrimination, severe losses from property damage and lost revenue, losses on secured lending transactions, internal investigations and government investigations, and professional liability claims. She also has represented directors and officers seeking advancement of defense costs and indemnification.
Experience
Representative matters
Representative matters
Acting as co-lead attorney representing policyholder in confidential arbitration arising out of insurance company’s bad faith rescission of collateral loan protection policy in connection with $4 billion Vesttoo fraud scandal involving forged or invalid letters of credit used to back collateralized reinsurance transactions.
Acting as co-lead attorney representing policyholder in confidential arbitration against insurer who disclaimed coverage for more than $400 million in collateral loan protection policies fraudulently underwritten by managing underwriting agent.
Acting as lead attorney representing world-renowned research institution in coverage lawsuit against Chubb, Travelers, and other insurance companies in connection with alleged bad faith denial of coverage and violations of New York’s consumer protection law arising over failure to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for claims brought under the New York Child Victims Act.
Representative Insurance Coverage
Acting as co-lead attorney representing policyholder in confidential arbitration arising out of insurance company’s bad faith rescission of collateral loan protection policy in connection with $4 billion Vesttoo fraud scandal involving forged or invalid letters of credit used to back collateralized reinsurance transactions.
Acting as co-lead attorney representing policyholder in confidential arbitration against insurer who disclaimed coverage for more than $400 million in collateral loan protection policies fraudulently underwritten by managing underwriting agent.
Acting as lead attorney representing world-renowned research institution in coverage lawsuit against Chubb, Travelers, and other insurance companies in connection with alleged bad faith denial of coverage and violations of New York’s consumer protection law arising over failure to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for claims brought under the New York Child Victims Act.
Representing the country’s leading 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.
Representing a property developer whose hotel was destroyed in a fire in upstate New York in $50+ million bad faith coverage litigation against insurance company that failed to pay any of the losses.
Representing a non-profit hospital in New England whose facility was severely damaged in bad faith coverage litigation for tens of millions of dollars in property and business interruption losses from 10-alarm electrical fire.
Represented Sealed Air Corporation in connection with insurance company’s denial of coverage for a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into allegation of bid-rigging scheme by former chief accounting officer and CFO and Ernst & Young.
Acting as lead counsel for Apex Parks Group in securing an $11.5 million verdict against Protective Life Insurance based on Protective’s refusal to pay death benefits owed under a key man insurance policy issued on the life of Apex’s Chief Executive Officer after his untimely death.
Acting as lead counsel for The Richard Avedon Foundation over AXA Art Insurance Company’s refusal to pay a multimillion-dollar water damage claim during a restoration to mural-sized triptych of Richard Avedon’s The Chicago Seven.
Acting as lead counsel to Cushman & Wakefield in securing a $50 million summary judgment ruling in Illinois federal court and rejecting a $35 million recoupment claim in connection with underlying appraisal-related claims tied to Credit Suisse developer loans.
Acting as co-lead counsel for AR Capital and its former officers and directors in securing $80 million in coverage under a D&O policy in connection with various government investigations.
Acting as co-lead counsel for The Pennsylvania State University in insurance coverage litigation and arbitration to secure coverage for sexual abuse claims brought by alleged victims of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.
Represented a Seven Sisters college in various coverage disputes with United Educators concerning race and sex discrimination claims, which led to successful resolutions without resort to litigation.
Represented Yeshiva University and various New York City religious high schools in connection with Child Victims Act claims.
Represented Pace University in connection with employment discrimination claims and coverage for Covid-19 losses.
Represented KIPP Foundation, KIPP NYC, and KIPP Academy in connection with variety of coverage issues, including sex and race discrimination and abuse of minor claims.
Representative Non-Insurance Commercial Litigation Cases
Defended the world’s largest privately held real estate services firm in a $125 million action for breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation arising out of claims that the firm failed to secure adequate insurance coverage for costs incurred by Wall Street commercial building as a result of Superstorm Sandy.
Acting as lead trial counsel to private equity real estate firm sued over licensing rights to architectural plans for a $415 million construction project in Jersey City, retained one month before trial to complete discovery and settle case.
Acting as lead trial counsel defending one of the world’s largest packaging companies in defense of $200 million lawsuit brought in Delaware court by private equity investment fund alleging fraudulent inducement into an asset purchase agreement for the sale of packaging division.
Acting as lead counsel in Delaware Chancery Court action representing former officers and directors of a major New York-based alternative asset manager and one of the largest sponsors of non-traded real estate investment trusts in the United States to secure tens of millions of dollars in advancement of defense costs in connection with civil litigation and government investigations.
Represented a private equity firm and its portfolio company in an expedited proceeding against two multinational investment banks to compel specific performance of their commitment to provide $15 billion in financing for the portfolio company’s proposed merger with a global chemical manufacturer.
Represented real estate investment trusts in their action against one of the world’s largest privately held gaming and entertainment companies, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages relating to the high-profile bidding to obtain from the state of New York the license to operate slot machines at a premier thoroughbred racing facility.
Represented one of the largest telecommunication providers in connection with injunctions against a data center company to prevent disruption to international network. Later represented same telecommunications company in $250 million dispute over improper design and installation of transatlantic fiber-optic cable.
Represented investors in the National Century Financial Enterprises in $250 million corporate fraud case against investment banks, indenture trustees, rating agencies, and accountants, asserting violations of federal securities and New Jersey Blue Sky laws.
Represented investors in an action against indenture trustee arising out of bank’s failure to deliver document to collateral trustee, resulting in seminal decision by the New York Court of Appeals establishing an indenture trustee’s extra-contractual obligations to perform basic, non-discretionary, ministerial functions prior to an event of default.
Represented Canadian insurance company against hedge funds and others who engaged in market manipulation, short-selling attacks, and defamation, resulting in recovery of tens of millions of dollars through favorable verdict (including punitive damages) and multiple settlements.
Represented largest bakery company in the United States in a series of claims throughout New York State brought by independent contractors for breach of franchise agreements and employee benefits.
Recognitions
Recognized by Chambers USA (New York) for Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder (2022-2026)
Recognized by The Legal 500 US for Insurance: Advice to Policyholders (2024-2026)
Named by Lawdragon among the 500 Leading Litigators in America (2022-2026)
Credentials
Education
Education
- Yeshiva University, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, 1999, J.D., cum laude
- Smith College, 1996, A.B.
Professional admissions & qualifications
Professional admissions & qualifications
- New York
Court admissions
Court admissions
- U.S. District Court - Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court - Southern District of New York
News
Media mentions
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