Scott Seaman

Biography

Scott Seaman is a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP. Scott has had the privilege of working with some of the most dedicated and talented senior management, legal counsel, and insurance and reinsurance claims and litigation professionals in the world and of working on some of the most challenging contemporary coverage and reinsurance issues.For more than twenty seven years, Scott has represented companies in complex commercial law and litigation matters, including insurance and reinsurance trials, appeals, mediations, and arbitrations.PRACTICE DESCRIPTION Scott has successfully represented insurance and reinsurance companies in trial courts, appellate courts, and arbitrations across the country in a variety of high stakes matters, including cases and cessions involving general liability coverage (primary, umbrella, and excess), professional liability coverage, first-party property coverage, bad faith and extra-contractual matters, fee disputes, and facultative and treaty reinsurance contracts.Scott has served as national coverage counsel as well as trial and appellate counsel.  His advice has been sought on emerging coverage issues and a wide-range of case specific and portfolio issues.  He has drafted contract language, trained insurance and reinsurance professionals, and assisted companies in evaluating and resolving issues in the claims and cession stages.He also has handled a variety of international, professional liability, tort and product liability, and business and commercial cases.Prior to joining Hinshaw, Scott was chairman of Meckler Bulger Tilson Marick & Pearson LLP's National Insurance Coverage Litigation and Counseling Practice Group.  He began his legal career at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where is was a member of that firm's national products liability and insurance coverage practice group.EDUCATIONScott received his J.D. magna cum laude from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, where he graduated first in his law school class and served as a law journal editor. ADMITTED TO PRACTICEIllinois United States Supreme CourtUnited States Courts of Appeals (Seventh and Tenth Circuits)United States District Courts (Northern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, and Northern District of Florida)Admitted pro hac vice in numerous mattersPROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS Claims and Litigation Management Alliance — Co-Chair Reinsurance/Run-Off Advisory Board American Bar Association — Co-Chair Litigation Section - BusinessInterruption Insurance Subcommittee; Past Vice Chair Tort and Insurance Practice Section Defense Research Institute — Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Insurance Committee, Commercial Litigation Committee, International Law Committee, Climate Change Litigation Task Force, Business Torts SLGARIAS US — MemberHONORS AND DISTINCTIONSBest Lawyers (since 2010)Martindale & Hubbell – AV Preeminent rating (5.0/5.0) (since 1997)Chambers USA (since 2009)Illinois Super Lawyers (since 2005)Leading Lawyers (since 2009)America’s Most Honored ProfessionalsICFM Leading Lawyers 500 (top 500 lawyers in the world)International Who’s Who of Insurance and Reinsurance LawyersFellow of the American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel.Lawyers World Leading Lawyers Award 2012 and 2013 (Insurance and Reinsurance North America)
InterContinental Finance Magazine Continent Awards Insurance & Reinsurance Litigator of 2013 - North America
2013 Corporate INTL Legal Awards Insurance Law – Lawyer of the Year (Illinois)
Corporate LiveWire’s Illinois Lawyer of the Year 2013 – Litigation
2014 Insurance Attorney of the Year In Illinois (Corporate Int'l Magazine)
Illinois Lawyers Auxiliary Scholarship
Loyola Leadership and Service Award
Chief Justice Roger B. Taney Award
Judge John C Hayes Award
Thomas L. Owens Award
Judge John V. McCormack AwardLymphoma Research Foundation Inaugural Tribute Award Recipient PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONSScott is a frequent speaker on insurance, reinsurance, business law, and litigation issues. He has presented before and on behalf of various organizations, including: the American Bar Association; the Defense Research Institute; the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education; ARIAS US; the Illinois State Bar Association; the Chicago Bar Association; PLRB/LIRB; Lorman Education Services; Strafford; Perrin; and West Legalworks.He writes extensively on substantive legal issues, insurance and reinsurance topics, and litigation practice matters.  His treatise, Allocation of Losses in Complex Insurance Claims (3d Ed. Thomson Reuters 2014), addresses many of the important issues driving contemporary insurance claims and coverage litigation and reinsurance cessions and arbitrations.Recent publications and presentations include:Allocation of Losses In Complex Insurance Coverage Claims (2d Ed. Thomson Reuters 2013)Wrongful Death and Survival Actions (5th Ed. IICLE 2014) (General Editor and Contributing Author Chapters 1, 2, 5, and 7)“Chapter 6 Pertinent Reinsurance Contract Provisions” Reinsurance Professional’s Deskbook—A Practical Guide (2015-2016 Ed. Thomson Reuters)"Why Pro Rata Allocation Is The Majority Rule" Law360, New York (October 16, 2014)"NJ Courts Continue To Grapple With Allocation Issues" Law360, New York (October 7, 2014) "Duty to Defend: Analyzing Complex Issues" (PLRB 2014)“A Journey Through the Fundamental Requirement of Exhaustion” CPCU Reinsurance Encounters Vol.32, No.1 (Jan 2014)"Follow The Fortunes & Utmost Good Faith: The 'Yin' And 'Yang' Of The Reinsurance Relationship In The Context Of Captive Insurance" (ARIAS US 2013) "Don't Get Thrown Under the Buss: Insurers' Duties and Rights In Mixed Claims" (DRI 2013)
“Insurer’s Duty To Defend: Resolving Defense Cost Issues Strategies For Cost Reimbursement And Allocation (Strafford Webinars 2010 - 2014)“Excess Insurer’s Duty To Defend And Indemnify: Strategies To Limit The Scope Of The Excess Insurer’s Obligations” (Stratford Webinars 2010 - 2012)“Chapter 17 Excess Insurance Coverage” Environmental Liability & Insurance Recovery (ABA 2012)“Number of Occurrences, Policy Periods, Exhaustion And Other Considerations Affecting Allocation Of Losses” CPCU Reinsurance Encounters, Vol. 30, No. 1 (April 2012)“Sharing the Fun Associated With Defective Construction Losses: Indemnity, Subrogation, and Contribution Defense Research Institute” (DRI 2012)“Insurers Saddled With Disproportionate Share Of Loss Seek Reallocation Through Contribution Claims And ‘Other Insurance’ Clauses” CPCU Reinsurance Encounters, Vol. 29, No. 3 (December 2011)
“A Primer On Allocation Methodologies – The ‘All Sums’ And Various ‘Pro Rata’ Approaches” CPCU Reinsurance Encounters, Vol. 29, No. 1 (March 2011)
“Environmental Insurance Coverage: Latest Developments Identifying Coverage In Existing Policies, Navigating Pollution And Owned Property Exclusions, And Determining Scope Of Damages” (Strafford Webinar 2011)“Impact Of Unavailability Of Insurance On Allocation, Insurance Bad Faith And Extra Contractual Exposure, And Hot Topics” (Bermuda Bar Association) (Bermuda 2011)“Effective Claims Handling And Efficient Management Of Coverage Litigation” (Chicago Bar Association Insurance Law Committee) (Chicago 2011)CASES
Scott has been involved in many high profile insurance coverage cases, including: Owens-Illinois (asbestos reinsurance case resulting in a landmark allocation ruling by the New Jersey Supreme Court); General Electric (asbestos and environmental coverage action resulting in a key number of occurrences ruling by New York's highest court); Liggett (Delaware Supreme Court decision enforcing tobacco exclusions); Owens-Corning (non-products coverage and asbestos bankruptcy); Dresser/Halliburton (asbestos); CBS Viacom (environmental); Griffin Dewatering (reversal of an $11 million bad faith/punitive damages verdict); and Rushing (construction defect coverage action).
He also has been counsel in significant confidential reinsurance arbitrations.

Education

No information available.

Admissions/Licenses

• Bar Admissions: IL