Jennifer is a passionate advocate and skilled litigator. She focuses her practice on insurance coverage disputes, bad faith litigation, and personal injury litigation.
She is the chair of the firm’s Insurance Law & Coverage practice group. She regularly advises clients on a wide array of insurance coverage issues involving both first and third-party coverages, including commercial general liability coverage, commercial and personal auto coverage, homeowners’ coverage, professional liability coverage, and property coverage. She has represented insurers in numerous declaratory judgment actions in both state and federal courts, and she has also authored numerous publications and given many presentations on various insurance coverage issues.
Jennifer also routinely handles cases involving insurance bad faith, premises liability, motor vehicle negligence, and homeowners’ association disputes. She has particular experience and interest in handling uninsured and underinsured motorist claims and has an in-depth understanding of the intricacies of the laws governing such claims. No matter what type of case she is litigating, Jennifer strives to help her clients develop cost-effective resolution strategies and, when necessary, aggressively represents their interests in court.
Jennifer is a Raleigh native. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, exercising, gardening, and spending time with her husband, Matt, and their two daughters, Grayson and Caroline.
Articles, Presentations, and Publications
•Speaker, “Avoiding Traps in Insurance Coverage Law”, North Carolina Bar Association 2025 Insurance Law Section Program
•Speaker, “Mediating the First-Party Insurance Case,” North Carolina Bar Association 2024 Insurance Law Section Program
•Speaker, “The ABCs of Additional Insureds in the Context of Construction Disputes,”, 2023 CLM Construction Conference
•Speaker, “Coverage in a COVID World,” 2022 Harmonie Group Conference
•“North Carolina Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage,” Client presentation (2019)
•Co-authored NC portion of DRI Duty to Defend Compendium (2016)
•“Insurance Bad Faith: Conduct Counts ” - article for JD Supra (2013)
•Co-authored NC portion of DRI Professional Liability Insurance Compendium (2012)
•Speaker, Flood Insurance Seminar, 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2019
•Speaker, “Automobile Insurance Coverage,” Insurance Law 2008, Wake Forest University School of Law
•Speaker, “Insurance Law,” Twenty-Eighth Annual Review NC 2008, Wake Forest University School of Law
•Speaker, “Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Claims,” Automobile Litigation: Strategic Issues and Answers, National Business Institute, 2007
•“Summary of North Carolina Motor Vehicle Law” - Client presentation (2005)
Accomplishments
•Chambers and Partners, Ranked Band 1: Insurance (2024, 2025)
•Martindale-Hubbell, AV Rated
Most Recent Posts
News
Jennifer Welch Selected to Join FDCC
Jennifer Welch, a Partner at Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law), has been selected for membership in the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC)....
News
Attorneys and Firm Honored by Chambers and Partners
For the second consecutive year, Ted Smyth and Jennifer Welch were ranked by Chambers and Partners in the area of Insurance. In addition, the firm was ranked as a Tier 1 firm....
News
Jennifer Welch Presents During Insurance Law Webinar
Jennifer Welch presented during the March 12 “East Coast Legal Updates and Case Law Review” webinar presented by the Harmonie Group. This was the organization’s final webinar in its Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Committee Regional Series....
News
Jennifer Welch Joins Harmonie Group Board
Jennifer Welch, an attorney at Cranfill Sumner LLP, has been selected to join the Board of Directors for the Harmonie Group. She has been appointed to complete a three-year through January 2026. ...
Post
Our Top 10 Resources of 2024
Throughout the year, the attorneys at Cranfill Sumner LLP strive to provide the public with the latest updates on North...
News
Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Ranked by Chambers and Partners
Ted Smyth and Jennifer Welch have been ranked by Chambers and Partners in the area of Insurance, a new category for the organization in North Carolina....
News
Steven Bader and Jennifer Welch Lead NCADA Webinar
On May 9, Steven Bader and Jennifer Welch presented the “Primer for Defense Attorneys on the Real-World Implications Insurance Has On Clients” webinar for the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys (NCADA)....
Post
North Carolina Supreme Court Rules Stacking of UIM Coverage Is Not Permitted When Determining Whether a Vehicle is Underinsured
In N.C. Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co. v. Herbert, the North Carolina Supreme Court held that UIM policies cannot be...
News
Jennifer Welch Participates in NCBA Mock Mediation Session
On Jan. 25, Jennifer Welch participated in a mock mediation for the North Carolina Bar Association’s Insurance Law in Practice (2024 Insurance Law Section Program)....
News
Cranfill Sumner LLP Hosts Legal Summit
Cranfill Sumner LLP hosted a day-long, virtual 2023 Legal Summit on Oct. 11....
News
Jennifer Welch Presents at CLM Construction Conference
Jennifer Welch served as a presenter for the 2023 CLM Construction Conference on Sept. 28. She served on the “The ABCs of Additional Insureds in the Context of Construction Disputes” panel discussion....
Post
Fourth Circuit Holds Insurer’s Violation of North Carolina Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act Warranted Trebling of Insured’s Breach of Contract Damages
On April 18, 2022, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reviewed an insured’s claim against its own property insurer for...
News
Jennifer Welch Presents at Harmonie Group Spring Conference
Jennifer Welch served as a presenter for the 2022 Spring Conference for the Harmonie Group April 21-23. The event was held in Boston....
Post
Recent Ruling in COVID-19 Business Interruption Coverage Case
On March 16, 2021, an order was entered by US District Court Judge Richard E. Myers, II granting Valley Forge...
News
CSH Law Attorneys Featured in NC Lawyers Weekly Top Verdicts of 2020
Settlements involving Cranfill Sumner LLP were featured in the Top Verdicts & Settlements of 2020 by NC Lawyers Weekly....
Post
Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Featured in DRI Publication
Steven Bader and Jennifer Welch are featured in the December edition of For the Defense. Their article, “The ISO Virus...
News
Jennifer Welch Elected Chair of NCBA Insurance Law Section
Jennifer Welch has been elected to serve as the Chair of the Insurance Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association. Jennifer’s term began in July 2020 and continues through June 2021....
Post
Cranfill Sumner Launches COVID-19 Response Team
Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP (Cranfill Sumner) announced the creation of its COVID-19 Response Team. The team is comprised of...
Post
NC COVID-19 Insurance Coverage Lawsuit Filed
One of the first insurance coverage lawsuits related to the COVID-19 pandemic was recently filed in North Carolina. The Complaint...
Post
Recent COVID-19 Coverage Lawsuits
The outbreak of COVID-19 has spawned a number of recent lawsuits by policyholders seeking business interruption coverage for losses resulting...
Post
NC Insurance Commissioner Issues Order Deferring Certain Acts Following COVID-19 Major Disaster Declaration
In the wake of President Trump’s recent Major Disaster Declaration for the State of North Carolina, the North Carolina Insurance...
Post
Ohio and Massachusetts Propose Legislation to Require Insurers to Provide COVID-19 Coverage - Will NC?
Ohio and Massachusetts have followed New Jersey’s lead in attempting to push through legislation that would force insurers to provide...
Post
Will Insurers Be Required to Afford COVID-19 Coverage?
In response to the rapidly growing concern over the spread of the Coronavirus, on March 14, 2020, North Carolina Governor...
Post
Insurance Coverage & COVID-19
With the spread of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) and its devastating impact on public health and the global economy, you can...
Post
To Deliver or Not to Deliver: Considerations for Restaurants Adapting to Coronavirus
As restaurants close dine-in service for guests, restaurant owners and operators might consider offering delivery service during these unprecedented times....
News
Jennifer Welch Appointed Vice Chair of NCBA Insurance Law Section
Jennifer Welch, a Partner at Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner), was recently appointed to serve as Vice Chair of the Insurance Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association. Jennifer, who previously served as Secretary of the section, assumed the new role in June and will hold the position for one year....
News
Cranfill Sumner Attorneys to Host Alcohol Liability Webinar with NCRLA
Deedee Gasch and Jennifer Welch will present at the upcoming Alcohol Liability Webinar hosted by the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA) and Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner). The webinar will address information about North Carolina’s Dram Shop Laws and the best practices to avoid claims and lawsuits regarding overserved individuals....
News
Jennifer Welch Elected Treasurer of NCBA Insurance Section
Jennifer Welch, Co-Chair of the Insurance Law & Coverage Practice Group at Cranfill Sumner LLP, was recently elected Treasurer of the Insurance Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association. Jennifer has been a member of the Insurance Law Section Council since 2015. She is also a member of the Insurance Law Section’s Pattern Jury Instruction Committee....
News
Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Receive AV Rating From Martindale-Hubbell
Cranfill Sumner LLP (Cranfill Sumner) today announced that 11 attorneys have recently received an AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell....
Post
UIM Carrier has Standing to Seek Determination of Workers’ Comp Lien
In the recent case of Dion v. Batten, No. COA16-63, 2016 WL 4088417 (N.C. App. Aug. 2, 2016), the North...
News
Raising the Bar: Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Answer Readers’ Questions
Emily Goodman & Jennifer Welch are featured in Midtown Magazine answering readers’ questions about legal issues including employment, divorce and DUIs....
News
Jennifer Welch Named Co-Chair of Insurance Law Practice Group
Jennifer Welch has been named the Co-Chair of Cranfill Sumner’s Insurance Law and Coverage Practice Group....
News
Jennifer Welch Joins CLM Insurance Committee
Jennifer Welch, an attorney with Cranfill Sumner LLP’s Raleigh office, recently joined the Insurance Committee for the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)....
News
Jennifer Welch Joins Committee for Working Mothers with Raleigh Chamber
Jennifer Welch, an attorney with Cranfill Sumner, is appointed to the Committee for Working Mothers with the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. ...
Post
Insurance Bad Faith: Conduct Counts
Bad faith claims are on the rise in North Carolina. As an insurer, you must familiarize yourself with the possible...
News
24 Cranfill Sumner Attorneys Selected as 2013 North Carolina Super Lawyers & Rising Stars
Ten Cranfill Sumner attorneys were selected as 2013 North Carolina Super Lawyers and 14 Cranfill Sumner attorneys were selected as 2013 North Carolina Rising Stars....
News
Cranfill Sumner LLP Names Three New Partners
Cranfill Sumner, names three new partners with diverse litigation experience: Ginger Hunsucker, Todd King, and Jennifer Welch....
