James’ recent matters have included:

• Representation of a life insurance trust in a lawsuit against an insurer to recover a multimillion dollar death benefit and success in obtaining a jury verdict in Florida federal court, finding that the policy had requisite insurable interest and that the insurer did not reasonably rely upon, and was not injured by, material misrepresentations in the policy’s application and conspiracy by the trust to engage in a STOLI scheme.

• Representation of a school that employs teachers abroad in an action against an insurer that provided insurance coverage for the school’s employee benefits package, where the insurer misrepresented its financial ability to underwrite the insurance program, abruptly stopped paying health insurance claims made by the teachers under the insurance program and absconded with millions of dollars in premiums paid under the program.

• Representation of a Long Island co-op in a lawsuit by one of its tenants / shareholders alleging bodily injuries and property damage from exposure to toxic mold in her unit.

• Representation of numerous investors and secured lenders in life settlements litigation in state and federal courts across the United States.

• Representation of agent and insurance company in workers’ compensation reinsurance fronting arrangement.

• Representation of Fortress Re, a reinsurance pool managing general agent, and its principals in a $1 billion fraud action and arbitration commenced by its Japanese pool members.

Representative cases litigated by James include the following:

• Int’l Schools Services v. AAUG Ins. Co., Ltd., Nos. 10–15846–GG, 11–10595–GG, 2012 WL 5199262 (11th Cir. Jan. 6, 2012)
• Int’l Schools Services v. AAUG Ins. Co., Ltd., No. 10-62115-CIV., 2012 WL 5635590 (S.D. Fla. Nov. 15, 2012)

• Int’l Schools Services v. AAUG Ins. Co., Ltd., No. 10-62115-CIV., 2012 WL 4936054 (S.D. Fla. Oct. 17, 2012

• Int’l Schools Services v. AAUG Ins. Co., Ltd., No. 10-62115-CIV., 2012 WL 5192265 (S.D. Fla. Jul. 25, 2012)

• Int’l Schools Services v. AAUG Ins. Co., Ltd., No. 10-62115-CIV., 2012 WL 5192599 (S.D. Fla. Jun. 6, 2012)

• Int’l Schools Services v. AAUG Ins. Co., Ltd., No. 10-62115-CIV., 2011 WL 9362401 (S.D. Fla. Dec. 13, 2011)

• Int’l Schools Services v. AAUG Ins. Co., Ltd., No. 10-62115-CIV., 2011 WL 9352076 (S.D. Fla. Oct. 4, 2011)

• Int’l Schools Services v. AAUG Ins. Co., Ltd., No. 10-62115-CIV., 2011 WL 9360209 (S.D. Fla. Jul. 14, 2011)

• Sciarretta v. The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, No. 9:11-cv-80427 (S.D. Fla. 2011) (favorable jury verdict)

• Sciarretta v. The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, No. 9:11-cv-80427, 2012 WL 5195944 (S.D. Fla. Feb. 15, 2011)

• Pacific Employers Ins. Co. v. AXA Belgium, S.A., 785 F. Supp. 2d 457 (E.D. Pa. 2011)

• Int’l Schools Services v. AAUG Ins. Co., Ltd., No. 10-62115-CIV., 2011 WL 915692 (S.D. Fla. Mar. 16, 2011)

• Int’l Schools Services v. AAUG Ins. Co., Ltd., No. 10-62115-CIV., 2011 WL 9357633 (S.D. Fla. Feb. 18, 2011)

• Int’l Schools Services v. AAUG Ins. Co., Ltd., No. 10-62115-CIV., 2010 WL 9004379 (S.D. Fla. Dec. 30, 2011)

• Int’l Schools Services v. AAUG Ins. Co., Ltd., No. 10-62115-CIV., 2010 WL 4810847 (S.D. Fla. Nov. 19, 2010)

Prior to joining Arent Fox, James was an associate in the New York office of a large law firm.

James’ recent published works include:

• Elliott M. Kroll, James M. Westerlind, Survey of Damage Laws of the 50 States including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico (2012)
  Read on Issuu | Download a PDF

• “Insurance Coverage For Lanham Act Claims Under Section B Of Standard CGL Policies, ” Mealey’s Emerging Insurance Disputes; Aug. 2011

• “The Preclusive Effect Of Arbitration Awards,” Mealey's Litigation Report Reinsurance; Aug. 2010

• “Blowing the Cobwebs Off Trademark Infringement Insurance,” INTA Bulletin; Sept. 2008, co-authored with Barry Werbin