Practice Areas
Sam is a seasoned litigator who has spent his career representing life insurers in high-stakes disputes and advising them on complex regulatory matters. He concentrates his practice on defending clients in the emerging wave of life insurance class actions brought under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), particularly those targeting the sales and marketing of proprietary market indices used in annuities and index universal life insurance products.
Sam has played a central role in defending life insurers in some of their most consequential litigation. He has helped secure key victories at the class certification and summary judgment stages in RICO and Unfair Competition Law class actions involving fixed index annuities. He has defended life insurers in breach of contract class actions involving cost of insurance provisions in universal life and interest-sensitive whole life policies—helping guide those cases to favorable rulings denying class certification and granting summary judgment.
Sam’s litigation experience also extends to defending insurers in a wide range of matters, including disputes involving lapse notices, interest adjustment and market value adjustment provisions, interest crediting methodologies, and alleged violations of state insurance regulations. He is also well-versed in reinsurance arbitration and continues to counsel life insurers on evolving regulatory issues.
Sam is a frequent speaker and writer on litigation trends impacting the life insurance industry.
