Reptilian Tactics: Litigating First-Party Insurance

With over 15 years of experience handling litigation matters, Mr. Acquaviva has focused his practice on defending insurance companies in lawsuits involving first-party property breach of contract, bad faith and a variety of other extra-contractual claims throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey state and federal courts. His extensive experience handling all types of first-party property claims arising under personal and business insurance policies ranges from losses arising from storms, plumbing leaks, theft, vandalism, and fire to claims involving loss of use (ALE), code upgrade, collapse and business interruption coverages. Outside of litigation, Mr. Acquaviva provides legal counseling and support to insurers throughout the claim handling process, which includes taking examinations under oath, providing coverage opinions and assisting in the investigation of suspected fraudulent claims. He has been at the forefront of providing guidance to insurers on navigating the potential pitfalls arising from the trending use of appraisal by insureds (and their public adjusters).

Dr. Gilleland provides research-based and experiential data analysis to trial teams throughout the country. He has worked on all types of high-profile and large-exposure litigation, including in the areas of antitrust, product liability, intellectual property, labor & employment, professional malpractice, environmental, and securities. He consults on national litigation matters pertaining to a variety of industries, including construction, automotive, airline, pharmaceutical, petroleum/petrochemical, biotech, manufacturing, and medical. Dr. Gilleland is an expert in witness preparation, has worked with hundreds of witnesses, and has assisted with witness training schools for multiple firms involved with forensic accounting services. He has also participated in over 350 jury selections, assisting counsel with oral and written voir dire, the construction of supplemental juror questionnaires, and actual in-court jury selections. As a full-time jury consultant and researcher since 1988, Dr. Gilleland has been in the national spotlight on numerous occasions, has appeared as a commentator on both local and national talk shows, and has been quoted in a wide range of media, including national publications such as The National Law Journal, Lawyers Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. He has over 32 years of dedicated jury consulting research experience and has conducted mock jury work on over 1,200 cases, as well as strategic hourly consulting on hundreds of others.

Ms. Lundquist is an attorney practicing in the areas of Skilled Nursing, Assisted Living, Home Care & Hospice and Medical Malpractice Defense. She has extensive experience representing physicians, hospitals, nursing homes and various health care providers in a variety of matters.

Mr. McHugh's practice as a Partner at HKR focuses on complex, first-party coverage disputes and the defense of extracontractual suits. With a keen sense of coverage issues and the regulatory scheme applicable to insurers, he regularly counsels his insurer clients via coverage opinions, litigation and the defense of bad faith litigation.