• Atlanta
• Boston
• Dallas
• Ft. Lauderdale
• London
• Minneapolis
• New York
• Oakland
• Philadelphia
• Washington, DC

Zelle LLP, a law firm with an extraordinary history of working with property insurers to manage catastrophe-related insurance claims, has announced the formal launch of a global “Cat-Law” practice group, dedicated to assisting clients with their most challenging claims.

Zelle attorneys have advised insurers in connection with some of the industry’s most significant catastrophe-related claims, from Hurricane Andrew to the 9/11 Terrorist Attack, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma and Ike, the Great Japan Earthquake, the 2011 Thailand Floods, Superstorm Sandy, and the Port of Tianjin explosion. The firm has also assisted clients with claims and litigation related to countless fires, explosions, collapses, hailstorms and tornadoes throughout the world.

“Whether catastrophes are caused by Mother Nature or terrorism, recovery from the resulting human and economic suffering can take years, depending on the scale of damage,” said Dan Millea, a member of Zelle’s Executive Committee. “Our goal is to help our insurance clients resolve insurance claims and disputes as quickly and efficiently as possible as they work to assist their clients recover from catastrophic events, and to provide those same clients with effective training and resources to prepare for the next disastrous event.”

Throughout the coming months, Zelle’s Cat-Law practice will provide resources to insurance industry professionals, including webinars and in-person seminars, examining many of the issues frequently encountered in the aftermath of a catastrophe. In addition, the firm will launch the Cat-Law Navigator blog, covering trending topics as well as best practices for managing catastrophe-related insurance claims. “The last several years have seen relatively fewer large-scale catastrophic events than is typical in the property insurance industry,” said Tom Cook, another member of the firm’s Executive Committee. “But it is important in these periods to continue to train and consider lessons learned to be as prepared as possible to respond, quickly and appropriately, to any events that might arise.”

Zelle attorneys possess unique experience in managing catastrophe claims around the world. Their experience includes serving as trusted advisors and legal counsel in insurance coverage disputes, property damage measurement disputes, business interruption and contingent business interruption disputes and valuations, adjustment, underwriting and policy-interpretation issues, and major subrogation matters on six continents. Cases are led by senior, multi-lingual lawyers licensed or qualified in the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, England and China. Zelle’s extensive network of law firms and consultants provide the local resources that are essential in the effective management of catastrophic losses.

Within the past two years, Zelle has continued its client-centric growth with new offices in Miami, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., an expanded Boston office, and the launch of Zelle International in London. The firm is poised to see further growth and build on its history of representing clients in their most challenging business disputes in venues across the United States and around the world.