David Strasser primarily practices in the area of insurance coverage and commercial litigation. Since joining Eckert Seamans in 1998 and prior as an Assistant General Counsel for CBS/Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Dave litigated and managed a wide variety of environmental, toxic tort and product insurance coverage claims and negotiated settlements in these matters. He has extensive experience dealing with foreign and domestic insolvent insurers and is a member of the creditors' committee of a number of insolvent London Market Companies.
Representative Matters
· J.H. France Refractories Co. v. Allstate Ins. Co., 626 A.2d 502 (Pa. 1993)(represented policyholder amicus curiae in action regarding trigger and scope of coverage for mass tort claims);
· Viacom Inc. v. Transit Casualty Co., 138 S.W.3d 723 (Mo. 2004)( represented policyholder in action against insolvent insurer);
· Westinghouse Electric Corporation v. American Home Assurance Co., 2004 N.J. Super. Unpub Lexis 2, certification denied, 861 A.2d 845 (2004)(managed toxic tort coverage litigation on behalf of policy holders);
· Aetna Casualty & Surety Company v. Commonwealth of Kentucky, 179 S.W.2d 830 (Ky. 2005)(co-counsel representing policyholder in coverage action under nuclear policies);
· Federal Ins. Co v. Continental Casualty Co., 2006 U.S. Dist. Lexis 85323 (WDPa. 2006)(represented director in coverage dispute under D&O policies);
· In Re Midland Ins. Co., 16 N.Y. 3d 536 (N.Y. Ct of Appeals 2011)(represented policyholder in action against insolvent insurer);
· Represented clients in insurance coverage matters, including advising them in the strategic use of insurance and other risk management techniques to address potential risks and liabilities;
· Litigated and resolved multi-million dollar insurance coverage actions related to environmental, toxic tort, defective product and general commercial liabilities;
· Represented clients in the presentment and negotiation of claims under specialty policies such as directors' and officers', aircraft products, employer liability, nuclear and fiduciary policies.
Articles/Speeches/Presentations
· "Insurance Implications of Asbestos," presented at the National Business Institute seminar Asbestos: Current Issues and Effective Litigation Tactics, October 2011.
· "Avoiding the Pitfalls of Additional Insured Status," presented at Eckert Seamans' Continuing Education Seminar, August 2011.
· "Is There Insurance Coverage for Claims Arising Out of Uour Subcontractor's 'Faulty' Work?" co-authored with Jessica Priselac for the Eckert Seamans' Construction Law Update, Spring 2010.
· "Significant Developments in the Asbestos Litigation from the Policyholders Perceptive", presented at the International Alliance of Asbestos and Pollution Reinsurers Technical Meeting, Cologne Germany, December 2008.
· "The Claims Process - Avoiding Insurance Disputes, presented at PBI's Business Insurance Seminar, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, February 2008.
· "An Insured's View of the Changing Asbestos Litigation Landscape, presented at the International Alliance of Asbestos and Pollution Reinsurers Technical Meeting, Cologne Germany, December 2006.
· "Insurance Insolvency -What Does it Mean for Business," presented at PBI's Business Insurance Seminar, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, February 2005.
· "Avoiding and Resolving Insurance Coverage Disputes," presented to the Pittsburgh Risk and Insurance Management Society, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, November 2002.
· "Dealing with Insurance Insolvencies," presented at the Mealey's Asbestos & Mold Insurance Conference, Marina del Rey, California, March 2002.
· "The Pollution Exclusion Under Ohio Law: Staying the Course," with Thomas Reiter and William Pohlman, University of Cincinnati Law Review (1991).