James’ practice focuses primarily on resolving insurance and reinsurance disputes. He also concentrates on legal issues relating to insurance and reinsurance coverage for policyholders and carriers and regulatory work for domestic, foreign and alien companies, including captives, brokers, agents, and Managing General Agents.
James has substantial litigation experience in both state and federal trial courts within and outside of New York, representing plaintiffs and defendants in insurance and noninsurance disputes. In addition to insurance litigation, he has defended a number of prominent US companies in product liability actions involving allegations of serious bodily injuries, property damage, and death claims. He has also defended toxic tort cases.
James has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a number of heated lawsuits involving allegations of fraud, civil conspiracy, and other wrongdoing. He has first-chaired applications for emergency relief, evidentiary hearings for emergent relief, and contempt hearings. He recently second-chaired a major jury trial in the Southern District of Florida, obtaining a jury verdict finding that a life insurance policy was valid and enforceable, despite the jury finding that the trust that owned the policy made material misrepresentations in the policy’s application and engaged in a civil conspiracy to defraud the insurance company and engage in a stranger-originated life insurance (“STOLI”) scheme. He has also defended a number of well-known tire manufacturers in product liability actions commenced in New York state and federal courts by alleged injured product users.
James has also taken the lead in a number of appeals in the New York State Supreme Court, Second Judicial Department, and the Second and Eleventh Circuits.
James' current focus is litigating matters in the emerging regulatory landscape of life settlements in the insurance industry, typically representing trusts, investors, and secured lenders in disputes with life insurance companies over the validity of the subject life insurance policies.
In addition, he has devoted a substantial portion of his time to pro bono matters, including not-for-profit public interest endeavors and family court litigation.
