Benedict M Lenhart

Ben Lenhart is a partner practicing in the areas of insurance and litigation. He serves as vice-chair for Covington’s Insurance Practice Group. For 20 years, he has helped his clients reach successful outcomes with their insurance disputes. He regularly advises policyholder clients on complex insurance matters, including the resolution of large claims, the role of insurance in mergers and acquisitions, and London Market insurance issues. He has been named as a leading lawyer by numerous ranking firms including Chambers USA, Legal 500, Best Lawyers in America, Washington D.C. Super Lawyer and PLC Leading Lawyers. Mr. Lenhart is often asked by clients to take the lead role in structuring insurance recovery strategies and negotiating settlements. He has been involved in over 300 insurance settlements and judgments covering the spectrum of liabilities, with individual recoveries ranging in size from under $1m to more than $200m. He has represented many policyholders in negotiating multi-party coverage-in-place or cost sharing agreements. His substantive experience includes: directors and officers (D&O) claims; asbestos; business interruption; environmental claims; employment-related claims including discrimination claims and employee theft; toxic or mass tort claims including asbestos, silica, hearing loss, repetitive stress injury (RSI), "dirty air" and natural resource damage (NRD) claims; fiduciary claims, including 401(k) and ERISA claims; catastrophic loss; and not-for-profit liability claims. He has particular experience with Equitas and the London Market. He is deeply involved in UK solvent schemes of arrangement on behalf of policyholders. He was counsel to the successful objecting policyholders in the BAIC and WFUM solvent schemes, the leading cases in the solvent scheme arena. He currently represents objecting policyholders in the Scottish Lion and Minster solvent schemes. For the last four years he has co-chaired the leading professional conference on solvent schemes. Mr. Lenhart also has an active pro bono practice, most recently assisting low-income persons with disability insurance matters, helping Hurricane Katrina victims secure coverage for homes lost during the storm, and helping a small store owner recover insurance for fire losses. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE Barrerra, Siqueiros & Torres Landa, Mexico City, “Lawyer from abroad" (1989) HONORS AND RANKINGS The Best Lawyers in America, Insurance Law Chambers USA, Leading Business Lawyers Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers, Insurance Legal 500, Leading Insurance Lawyers Euromoney Legal Media, World's Leading Insurance and Reinsurance Lawyers Practical Law Company (PLC), Leading Lawyers PRO BONO Social security disability cases for D.C. area low income residents (multiple clients) Mississippi Center for Justice (Katrina insurance advice) Jerry Rogers (representation of death row inmate) MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS Georgetown Law Center, Adjunct Professor, Constitutional Law (19 years) ABA Insurance Coverage Litigation Asbestos Subcommittee, Regional Representative NARTC, National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel