Michael Levine is a partner in Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP’s Washington, DC office and a leader of the Firm’s Insurance Recovery Practice. He offers insights into the legal side of the risk management space and the important role that attorneys play in creating a system of checks and balances in the insurance space and offers insights from his experience to young professionals considering a career at the intersection of insurance and law.

Key Takeaways:

• Michael shares insights into his work at Hunton Andrews Kurth.

• Being an attorney who practiced in insurance was not a childhood dream of Michael’s.

• After becoming an attorney, the decision to specialize in insurance coverage was an easy one.

• Michael has practiced both in favor of the policyholder as well as on the carrier side.

• What were Michael’s reasons for switching back and forth between the policyholder and carrier sides multiple times?

• The biggest misconceptions about the motives and actions of attorneys in the insurance space.

• What does it really mean if a lawyer gets involved in a claims case?

• The real reason Michael uses the term “policyholder” instead of “insured.”

• Attorneys are in place to provide a healthy system of checks and balances within the insurance industry.

• Maximizing insurance recoveries means giving policyholders everything they're entitled to.

• When is the right time to get an attorney involved in insurance policies?

• Once counsel gets involved, whether the broker has done their job makes all the difference in the outcome of the claim.

• Michael’s opinion on the high percentage of insurance payouts that ends up in attorney’s pockets.

• Acquiring new clients through marketing and networking, because repeat business is not good business in policyholder litigation.

• Michael reveals the biggest lessons learned from his years of practicing law in the insurance space.

• Tips for picking up the technical language of the insurance world.

• It’s all meaningful; Michael’s advice for finding the issues that mean something to you and righting a wrong.

Mentioned in This Episode:

RIMS — San Diego Event

Michael on LinkedIn

Hunton Andrews Kurth