Susman Godfrey has been named the winner in two categories – Insurance Litigation and Technology Litigation – at National Law Journal’s 2023 Elite Trial Lawyers ceremony. Elite Trial Lawyers focuses on and honors lawyers who have, “shown major success on behalf of plaintiffs over the past year and a half.”
Insurance Litigation Trailblazers
Susman Godfrey is making waves in insurance class action litigation. In 2022 alone, the firm recovered, before deductions for fees, expenses, and service awards, over $210 million for policyholders from three major insurance carriers who were accused of unlawfully raising insurance costs in breach of their policies. This includes $93 million from John Hancock Life Insurance Company, $92.5 million from Voya Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company and $25 million from Genworth Life and Annuity Insurance Company. In 2023 the firm has continued to secure, in settlements where final approval is either pending or granted, hundreds of millions of dollars in relief for policy holders from companies such as AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company, American General Life Insurance Company, and PHL Variable Insurance Company. Leading the charge on these matters is LA-based partner, Steven Sklaver, who was featured in National Law Journal’s profile on this honor, Glenn Bridgman, Rohit Nath, Halley Josephs, Michael Gervais, and Nick Spear, and New York-based partners Seth Ard, Ryan Kirkpatrick, Mark Musico, and Zack Savage. In the interview, Sklaver discusses the importance of treating adversaries with respect and why it is critical to stay “laser focused on the issues that matter for trial.”
Technology Litigation Leaders
Susman Godfrey continued to live up to its reputation of technology litigation leaders in 2023, securing three major patent jury verdicts within a six-month period. The first of those wins, a $31.5 million jury trial victory on behalf of Dutch telecommunications company, KPN, against Swedish telecom giant, Ericsson, occurred in August 2022 and was led by partners Lexie White and Andres Healy. The second came just a few months later, when partner Joe Grinstein led a team from Susman Godfrey to obtain a $166.3 million jury verdict for Finesse Wireless against AT&T Nokia in a case related to patent infringement of to wireless network technology. Just weeks later partner John Lahad won a $42 million jury verdict on behalf of The Board of Regents of the University of Texas System and TissueGen, Inc. against Boston Scientific Corporation. Partner Joe Grinstein is featured in National Law Journal about the Elite recognition. In the interview, Grinstein shares what makes an effective trial presentation and the importance of over-preparing.
The two category wins come in addition to several honors received from NLJ in this series ahead of the award ceremony, including multiple winners of Elite Women of the Plaintiffs Bar and Rising Stars of the Plaintiffs Bar.
