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CCT&B has an experienced and diversified insurance practice. The firm's insurance attorneys represent insurers, associations, government agencies, businesses, and individuals in all phases of insurance law including coverage, defense of insureds, arson and fraud, administrative and regulatory, corporate, insolvency, first party claims, policy drafting, bad faith, reinsurance, and legislation. The firm serves as general counsel to Mississippi's largest property and casualty insurer and as local counsel for numerous other insurance companies. The American Insurance Association selected the head of the firm's insurance practice group to serve as Mississippi counsel for the Association. The Mississippi Department of Insurance, Mississippi Insurance Guaranty Association, Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association, Independent Insurance Agents of Mississippi, Professional Insurance Agents of Mississippi, Reinsurance Association of America, Mississippi Claims Association, National Association of Independent Insurers, and numerous other insurance-related organizations utilize the services of the insurance practice group.
Corporate / Administrative / Legislative
In assisting agents and insurers in regulatory matters, the insurance practice group works closely with the Mississippi Department of Insurance in filings, licensing of companies and agencies, license revocation hearings, input into regulations, Form A approvals, and similar administrative areas. The members of the insurance practice group systematically monitor proposed legislation and regulations, inform clients, and when appropriate, appear to testify before the Legislature and the Department of Insurance. In conjunction with the firm's corporate attorneys, the insurance attorneys have assisted clients with the formation and necessary licensing of insurance companies, HMOs, agencies, insurance money market funds, and other insurance entities. The firm has represented guaranty funds, liquidators/rehabilitators, insurers and agents in insurance insolvency matters.
Third Party Personal Injury Defense
A large part of the insurance group's practice is devoted to the defense of personal injury lawsuits. In defending thousands of insureds at the request of their insurers, CCT&B attorneys have tried hundreds of cases to a successful conclusion in the state and federal courts across Mississippi. The firm offers insurers, insureds, manufacturers, and businesses a vast wealth of actual trial experience, earned by aggressive defense attorneys in every type of personal injury claim by aggressive defense attorneys. Moreover, the firm has a well-established reputation throughout Mississippi of a willingness to try both difficult and routine cases to a conclusion. While the firm will recommend settlement of appropriate cases, the firm's trial reputation with other lawyers often compels favorable settlements for clients.
The insurance defense litigation section is coordinated to provide clients with the right attorney for the right job. Litigation matters are assigned to trial attorneys with prior experience in the same type of suit and with trial experience commensurate with the issues involved. This coordination of matter to attorney provides successful results and maintains cost efficiency. Associates and even young shareholders are supervised by more experienced trial attorneys who are always available to both the young attorney and the client. Striving to be efficient, the firm utilizes experienced paralegals and legal secretaries; assignment of files to the appropriate level of expertise; networked legal research and pleadings resource banks; access to the firm's electronic library at each desk; summary judgment procedures; requests for admissions; and statements in lieu of depositions.
Coverage / First Party Claims / Bad Faith
The insurance practice group of CCT&B is widely recognized for its expertise in coverage and insurer duty issues. Members annually present seminars and programs on current coverage issues, first party claims, and bad faith to insurance groups, attorneys, and businesses. The recognition for our coverage expertise results in frequent coverage-issue referrals from other law firms, testimony as expert witnesses, and engagement by insurers and insureds to assist their regular counsel in complicated coverage litigation. Coverage disputes can lead to bad-faith claims, and CCT&B regularly defends insurers in bad faith litigation. First party claims also involve arson and fraudulent claims. The firm's lead arson and fraud attorney has more than 15 years of arson trial experience and has successfully resolved hundreds of arson and fraud claims by trial and settlement acceptable to the insurer. While the firm's expertise in coverage and first party claims was developed working for insurers, the experience is also utilized in the representation of businesses and individuals seeking coverage from their insurers.
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