Curtis Porterfield's practice includes representation of corporate insureds in insurance recovery matters ranging from policy analysis and negotiation to the most complex insurance recovery litigation. A frequent speaker and writer, Mr. Porterfield has handled and tried some of the largest and most complex insurance recovery cases. In addition to insurance recovery, Mr. Porterfield has litigated a variety of complex business and intellectual property matters, including anticompetitive practices, entertainment, copyright and trademark issues. Chambers USA (2006-2010) named Mr. Porterfield a "leader in [his] field" and described Mr. Porterfield as "articulate, polished and sharp." Chambers quotes comments from clients and peers that "He's got the knowledge and is always looking out for the client." He has been honored by the Daily Journal's California Law Business in its annual lists of "California Rainmakers" and repeatedly named by Law & Politics magazine and Los Angeles magazine as one of Southern California's "Super Lawyers."
Representative Highlights
ˇ Insurance coverage for human rights cases. Represents Chevron Corporation, Unocal Corporation and Union Oil Company of California in a complex insurance recovery litigation to establish coverage for liability arising from alleged human rights violations in connection with construction of a pipeline in Myanmar by Union Oil Company of California.
ˇ Ludgate Insurance Co. v. Lockheed Martin Corp. Represents Lockheed Martin Corporation in multiple complex insurance recovery disputes and litigations to establish coverage for environmental, toxic tort, asbestos, silicosis and other claims from operations around the country.
ˇ Defense Fee Arbitration. Represented Lockheed Martin Corporation against the London Market and domestic insurers in Civil Code §2860 arbitration regarding millions of dollars in outstanding defense payments under liability policies for defense of toxic tort claims.
ˇ American Home Assurance Co. v. United Space Alliance, LLC. Represented United Space Alliance, LLC, prime contractor for the Space Shuttle and International Space Station, in an action against American Home Assurance Company to establish insurance coverage for claims related to the termination of a subcontractor. The case was tried successfully, resulting in a multimillion-dollar jury verdict in December 2002, and argued successfully to the Fifth Circuit in February 2004.
ˇ Rockwell International Corp. v. Superior Court. Successfully represented Rockwell International Corporation in litigation to establish insurance coverage for environmental losses at 17 sites across the United States.
ˇ Konami Inc. Represented Konami Inc., a video game manufacturer, in actions to enforce trademarks and copyrights throughout the US and Canada.
ˇ Insurance coverage for excess workers compensation. Successfully represented Boeing North American, Inc. in an action against International Insurance Company to recover losses under Boeing's excess insurance coverage.
ˇ Insurance coverage for securities broker-dealer claims. Obtained insurance coverage benefits for WMA Securities, Inc. with respect to claims against a broker-dealer regarding action of sales representatives.
Professional Affiliations
ˇ Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Member, Board of Governors, 2006 - 2010
ˇ American Bar Association, Member
ˇ American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, Member
ˇ American Bar Association, Litigation Section, Co-Chair, International/London Subcommittee of the Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, 2002 - 2004
ˇ Los Angeles County Bar Association, Member
ˇ Congress of Fellows of the Center for International Legal Studies, Charter Member
ˇ State Bar of California, Member
Community Service
ˇ Member, Board of Directors, Passions & Dreams Funding, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to the support, training and empowerment of women to enter the business community.
ˇ Member, Board of Directors, Maternal Fetal Care International, a non-profit organization dedicated to safe motherhood around the world by bringing volunteer physicians to treat needy women and children and providing training to local healthcare personnel to elevate the standard of available medical care.
Publications & Speaking Engagements
Articles
"Insurance: Don't Leave for Beijing Without It." Los Angeles Daily Journal (June 24, 2008).
"How Many Occurrences?" Journal of Payment Sysems Law (July - August, 2007).
"How Many Times Must an Occurrence Repeat Before Coverage is Fully Realized? (part 2)." Risk, 2nd Quarter (2007). Co-authored with Douglas Gastelum.
"How Many Times Must an Occurrence Repeat Before Coverage is Fully Realized? (part 1)." Risk, 1st Quarter (2007). Co-authored with Douglas Gastelum.
"Insurers Frequently Cover Alien Tort Act Claims." Los Angeles Daily Journal (May 10, 2004). Co-authored with Stephen Masterson.
"Insurance Coverage for International Human Rights Liabilities." Risk (Spring 2004). Co-authored with Stephen Masterson.
"Safe & Sound, LLP, Insurance Coverage Can Protect Law Firms Against Disaster." The Texas Lawyer (July 2001).
"It May Be Possible to Reconstruct Insurance Policy Lost in the Flood." Houston Business Journal (June 22, 2001). Co-authored with Stephen Masterson, Douglas Gastelum.
"Damage Definition: Coverage Between the Bright Lines of 'Powerine' and 'Foster-Gardner." Los Angeles Daily Journal (February 15, 2001).
Speeches
"Deepwater Horizon: Insurance Implications of America's Worst Oil Spill Disaster." Advisen Webinar, (July 23, 2010). Panelist
"The Role of Attorneys in Crisis Management." Global Association of Risk Professionals, Anderson School of Business, UCLA, Los Angeles, California (February 18, 2004).
"Recent Developments in the Law of Environmental Insurance Coverage." Litigation Section of the California Society of CPA's, (November 14, 2001).
"Cost Effective Litigation Management." Fulcrum Class Action Litigation seminar, San Francisco, California (June 2000).
"In the Wake of Y2K." Center for International Legal Studies, Crested Butte, Colorado (February 2000).
Books
The Year 2000 and Beyond: Liability and Insurance for Computer-Related Problems. CCH, Inc., 1999, Co-author.
In the Wake of Y2K. Transnational Publishers, Inc., 2001, Christof Siefarth, ed.
California Insurance Law and Practice Publication Enhanced. Matthew Bender, 2010, Chapter 35, Property Insurance In General.