May 25, 2017
Susan R. Koehler Sullivan
See more on Susan R. Koehler SullivanSedgwick LLP Los Angeles
Sullivan, who has more than 25 years of experience as a commercial litigator, had a great start to the year. She won four summary judgments for clients during the first two months of 2017. That many victories in such a short time is uncommon, and a source of pride.
Sullivan handles insurance coverage investigations and disputes under all types of policies, including fidelity, directors and officers, employment, professional, property, excess and general liability policies. Clients include American International Group Inc. or AIG, Zurich Insurance Group, Chubb Insurance and Liberty Mutual.
She won a summary judgment in another case involving Namco Financial Exchange Corp., a 1031 exchange company run by Ezri Namvar, the so-called "Bernie Madoff of Beverly Hills." Kurtz v. Liberty Mutual Ins. Co., 14-55931 (9th Cir. Sept. 1, 2016). Namvar was found guilty of cheating investors out of up to $500 million in a Ponzi scheme and in 2011 was sentenced to seven years in federal prison.
"Our case involved about $40 million of those losses through an exchange company, where he took money for real estate exchanges and then used it for whatever he wanted. When the company got shut down, there was a big loss, and the receiver for the company sought insurance moneys claiming that it should've been a covered loss," Sullivan said. "We demonstrated that they lied to get the insurance policy, and so the policy was rescinded."
The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment.
— Jennifer Chung Klam
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