Wiley Rein LLP


Thomas W. Brunner
Practice Areas
Education
  • J.D., Yale Law School
  • A.B., cum laude, Columbia University
Bar & Court Admissions
  • District of Columbia Bar
  • Connecticut Bar
  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • U.S. Courts of Appeals for the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and District of Columbia Circuits

Thomas W. Brunner

PARTNER

202.719.7225  |  tbrunner@wileyrein.com


Mr. Brunner, named by Legal Times as a "Leading Insurance Lawyer," serves as chairman emeritus of the firm's 40-attorney Insurance Practice.   Active in coverage litigation for insurers for more than 30 years, he counsels insurance industry clients in major trial and appellate cases.  Mr. Brunner's practice focuses on emerging insurance issues, such as privacy, punitive damages, Y2K, asbestos, mass tort, pharmaceutical, product liability and toxic tort claims.  He was founding counsel for several industry groups, including Complex Insurance Claims Litigation Association (CICLA); Insurers Technology Litigation Roundtable; National Insurance Crime Bureau and National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association.


REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

  • Counsels clients on the applicability of coverage under liability, property and professional liability and insurance policies for high technology, environmental and professional liability.
  • Represented property-casualty insurers in high-stakes, large-scale litigation regarding insurance coverage for asbestos, pharmaceutical, World Trade Center, Y2K and information technology failure, hazardous waste and other significant losses.
  • Lead U.S. counsel for Winterthur Swiss Insurance Company in $850 million "baseball arbitration"regarding valuation of outstanding and incurred but not reported claims of two insurers divested by Winterthur.
  • Chief insurance counsel for LeapFrog Investments, a Bermuda-domiciled social investment fund supporting microinsurance projects for low -income individuals in developing countries.
  • Counseled and represented numerous insurers in addressing wide variety of business issues including evaluation of categories of claim and significant individual claims, mergers and acquisitions, negotiation of reinsurance and other arrangements, etc.
  • Represents health and property/casualty insurers in anti-fraud activities.  Lead counsel for groups of health insurers in civil RICO and other challenges to health care fraud that have recovered about $250 million in litigation and investigations targeting abuses in for-profit psychiatric hospital, clinical laboratory and other fields.
  • Represented the Equal Rights Center (ERC) and a class of 17,000 Metro riders of the MetroAccess paratransit system for people with severe disabilities in a major class-action lawsuit which resulted in a landmark settlement. The firm received a 2008 Outstanding Achievement Award from the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs for this representation.
  • Counsel, National Insurance Crime Bureau.
  • General Counsel, Leapfrog Investments.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • Member, Mealey Publications, Insurance Advisory Council (2003-2007).

AFFILIATIONS

  • Co-Chair, Board of Directors, Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (2008-2009).

HONORS & AWARDS

  • Recipient of the "Rock the Law Award" for Outstanding Achievement for Pro Bono Causes from the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes (2009).
  • Listed by Chambers USA as one of "America's Leading Lawyers for Business" (2002-2010).
  • Named by Legal Times as one of the Washington area's "Leading Insurance Lawyers" (2007).
  • Included in the Euromoney Legal Media Group's Guide to the World's Leading Insurance and Reinsurance Lawyers (2007, 2008).
  • Named one of DC's "Super Lawyers" by Super Lawyers magazine (2007-2010).
  • Included in The International Who's Who of Insurance & Reinsurance Lawyers (2005-2010) and The Who's Who in America (2008).
  • Listed among Lawdragon's "3,000 Leading Lawyers in America" (2006-2007, 2010).
  • Included in The Best Lawyers in America directory for Insurance Law and Commercial Litigation, for more than a decade.

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