Getting to Know: Yvonne Schulte

Focus on Coverage

Schulte says her first job after law school was an extraordinary stroke of luck. She fell in love with handling coverage issues at a boutique insurance coverage firm in Los Angeles and it has shaped her career ever since. She worked for a few other firms before her current role as a partner at Clyde & Co. Schulte finds inspiration in solving complex challenges for her clients.

“Have a strong work ethic, stay humble, and be kind. Working on these qualities helped shape my career.”

Schulte, on her advice for new risk and insurance professionals. She adds it is important to strike the balance between work and family—and OK to prioritize family.

Trends to Watch

Schulte says evolving theories of liability against companies, new standards of care, and increased exposure related to climate change are developing trends to watch. Keeping on top of climate change litigation is critical to help predict its impact on coverage and develop coverage defenses to explore.

“We often see novel issues in our complex coverage litigation cases. This makes the work both interesting and challenging as we try to predict how a court may apply the law to the facts of our case.”

Schulte, who says she enjoys the challenge of complex litigation cases and finding new approaches to interesting problems.

Giving Back

As a busy partner at Clyde & Co, Schulte’s days are spent working on her cases, providing expert opinions, and researching applicable law, but she recognizes the importance of giving back. Schulte co-leads Clyde & Co’s summer associate program and is active in its Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee.

“Work hard, play hard! I love to hike, camp, backpack, and travel. My daughter is my regular travel buddy and we do it all, from backpacking in the Eastern Sierra to exploring the history of Rome.”

Schulte’s aptitude for hard work shines through in her passion for her hobbies.