Sara represents large domestic and international insurance companies with a focus on third-party/liability insurance coverage issues and Texas law. She is consistently asked to evaluate coverage and advise on claims-handling and extra-contractual liability issues on matters involving complicated coverage issues, ranging from filing declaratory judgment coverage actions to advising clients on responses to Stowers demands and multi-carrier allocation issues.
When in litigation, she manages the case from inception to resolution, handling discovery, depositions, and mediations, as well as preparing motions to dismiss and/or for summary judgment. She also handles settlement negotiations and provides strategic analysis on resolution of claims. Her clients appreciate her ability to anticipate potential issues with a case and to recommend settlement when prudent.
Experience
- Successfully defended insurance carrier client against lawsuit by landlord of client’s insured who sought benefits under insured’s property policy, including by winning two motions for summary judgment, one motion for reconsideration, and successfully negotiating very favorable “cost of defense” settlement when case was appealed
- On behalf of insurance carrier client, won summary judgment finding of no duty to defend or indemnify on untested Multi-Unit Residential Exclusion based on novel “extrinsic evidence” argument
- On behalf of insurance carrier client, defeated special appearance challenge by insured who sought to move coverage litigation from Texas court to less favorable venue.
- Retained counsel for a large domestic carrier to assist them with all claims submitted under a unique, manuscript Commercial General Liability coverage form