Heather E. Simpson

Practice Areas

Directors and officers liability

Environmental

Product liability and product safety

Professional liability

Insurance coverage

General liability

Insurance and reinsurance

Career

Heather is a partner in our Basking Ridge office and handles disputes across the United States.

In January 2025, she became a member of the firm’s Executive Group, consisting of five individuals responsible for managing the global leadership of Kennedys.

Beginning her legal career in 2005, Heather has built a strong reputation in the market as a trusted attorney on insurance coverage and commercial litigation matters. She has extensive experience in litigating and pursuing alternative dispute resolution of insurance coverage disputes involving general liability, professional liability, construction, environmental, products liability and employment claims.

Heather is at the forefront of major insurance claims, in recent years handling numerous claims arising from class action and mass tort litigation asserted against various sports leagues by former athletes alleging long-term brain injury as well as sexual abuse claims asserted against various religious, sports, and recreational organizations. Her practice also extends to handling insurance disputes arising from talc, asbestos, and opioids.

As part of her work on complex coverage matters, Heather has developed expertise in overseeing e-discovery efforts and the collection and review of large volumes of electronically-stored information. Her appellate experience in both state and federal courts further cements her ability to navigate cases at every stage of the legal process.

When not litigating, Heather is a frequent speaker on insurance issues at conferences and training seminars and has authored articles in various industry publications.

Publications

Co-author, “Insurer has standing in insureds’ Chapter 11 case,” published for Kennedys (June 2024)

Co-author, “Discovery Considerations Presented by Group Collaboration Tools” published for the American Bar Association (December 2021)

Co-author, “The duty to protect from third-party harm: Brown v. USA Taekwondo and beyond,” published for the American Bar Association (August 2021)

Co-author, “California Supreme Court clarifies the special relationship requirement in abuse cases,” published for Kennedys (April 2021)

Co-author, “New York Appellate court holds liability insurer cannot recoup defense costs absent policy provision,” published for Kennedys (January 2021)

Work Highlights

Represented insurers in connection with insurance claims and litigation arising from class action and mass tort lawsuits asserted by former athletes alleging long-term brain injury against various sports leagues, including the National Football League, the National Hockey League, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Represented insurer and achieved settlement in connection with litigation arising from hundreds of sexual abuse claims against USA Gymnastics involving Dr. Larry Nassar.

Represented insurer in environmental declaratory judgment action and defeated arguments by policyholder seeking to undermine longstanding allocation principles in New Jersey pursued all the way to Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Prevailed on summary judgment on behalf of insurer in connection with challenge to settlement of 41 catastrophic burn and death cases arising from explosion at sugar refinery and handling appeal.

Successfully defended insurer against claim for advertising injury coverage for underlying antitrust claims and prevailed on appeal.

Awards