Cary Lerman

Career

Cary Lerman is a partner that has been representing clients in their most complex and significant insurance coverage matters for over 40 years as both a trial lawyer and adviser.

Recognized by Chambers USA among its Senior Statespeople in the area of insurance law, Cary’s work on behalf of his clients has resulted in recoveries well in excess of $2 billion.

Cary’s clients include the largest corporations in the United States and prominent officers and directors of those corporations. In addition to policyholders, he represents insurance subsidiaries of Berkshire Hathaway, including General Reinsurance Corporation and Geico. He has also represented one of the largest international insurance brokers.

This diverse group of clients gives him a unique perspective and hard-to-duplicate experience in approaching insurance disputes, whether in litigation or at the negotiating table. Cary has a real-world view of the interests of insureds, insurers, and brokers, and he brings that vast experience to bear in representing all his clients.

Transactions-related counsel. In addition to trials and international arbitrations, Cary counsels companies on insurance-related issues involved in acquisitions, mergers or demergers in order to ensure that coverage is maximized and preserved — and not lost — in the process of reorganization. He also reviews clients’ insurance programs and advises on weaknesses or gaps in coverage.

Types of policies. Cary’s practice focuses on all lines of property and casualty and errors and omissions liability insurance, including general liability policies, officer and director liability policies, legal malpractice policies, fidelity bond and crime policies, electronic errors and omissions policies, environmental impairment policies, engineering and architecture liability policies, cybersecurity policies, aviation policies and first-party property damage policies, including business interruption insurance.

Types of coverage. These matters involve insurance coverage for environmental contamination, construction defects, product liability, securities law violations, employee theft, mass tort personal injury claims, advertising, trademark, copyright and privacy violations and space launches, among others.

Trials and international arbitrations. Cary’s practice includes litigating insurance coverage disputes and other claims in state and federal court. He has successfully tried diverse insurance coverage and bad faith claims. Cary has also successfully prosecuted insurance claims in international arbitrations, principally under Bermuda Form policies.

In his free time, Cary is an inveterate reader, committed life-long learner, researcher on historical events, and frequent lecturer on history and the Hebrew Bible. He enjoys the arts, opera, hiking, baseball and international travel, as well as serving pro bono as legal counsel to his synagogue. Cary has studied German, Spanish, Hebrew, French, Japanese and Russian.