Arson Fraud
First-party claims involve a multitude of property related claims, including arson and fraud claims, as well as misrepresentation and concealment issues. James R. Moore, Jr., Copeland Cook’s lead property-insurance attorney, has over 30 years of experience in all types of property claims, including claims involving arson and fraud. Mr. Moore has represented insurers with respect to several hundred claims involving suspicious or incendiary fires as well as theft claims.
Corporate / Administrative / Legistlative
In assisting agents and insurers in regulatory matters, Copeland Cook insurance attorneys work closely with the Mississippi Department of Insurance in filings, licensing companies and agencies, license revocation hearings, input into regulations, Form A approvals, and similar administrative areas. We systematically monitor proposed legislation and regulations, inform clients, and when appropriate, appear to testify before the Legislature and the Department of Insurance.
Coverage / First-Party Claims / Bad Faith
Copeland Cook’s insurance practice attorneys are widely recognized for our expertise in coverage and policy/insurer obligation issues, and our representation involves analyzing and advising insurers on policy coverage issues that arise as first-party claims and/or are asserted against insurers as bad-faith claims. Copeland Cook’s coverage attorneys have experience in interpreting all types of policy issues including those arising out of policies issued to homeowners, landlords/tenants, businesses, general contractors, and/or that involve interpretation of property coverages, business income, or other loss of use/rents coverage, commercial general liability and umbrella/excess carrier defense obligations. In addition to coverage matters, first-party claims involve a multitude of property related claims, including arson and fraud claims, as well as misrepresentation and concealment issues.
Coverage disputes can lead to bad-faith claims, and Copeland Cook’s insurance attorneys offer insurers sound legal advice to forestall and minimize bad-faith claims and efficient and experienced legal representation when such claims are asserted.
Copeland Cook’s attorneys routinely present seminars and programs on insurance issues to insurance claims personnel, other attorneys, and businesses, and practice in state and federal courts in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.
Insurance Coverage and Litigation
Copeland Cook has an experienced and diversified insurance litigation practice. Our insurance attorneys represent insurers, associations, government agencies, businesses, and individuals in all phases of insurance law including coverage, defense of insureds, first-party claims, bad faith, arson and fraud, administrative and regulatory, corporate, insolvency, policy drafting, reinsurance, and legislation. Copeland Cook serves as general counsel to Mississippi's largest property and casualty insurer and as local counsel for numerous other insurance companies. The American Insurance Association selected Charles G. Copeland, the head of the firm's insurance practice group, to serve as Mississippi counsel for the Association. The Mississippi Department of Insurance, Mississippi Insurance Guaranty Association, Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association, Independent Insurance Agents of Mississippi, Professional Insurance Agents of Mississippi, Reinsurance Association of America, Mississippi Claims Association, National Association of Independent Insurers, and numerous other insurance-related organizations utilize the services of Copeland Cook.
Third-Party Personal Injury Defense
A large part of Copeland Cook’s insurance practice is devoted to the defense of personal injury lawsuits. In defending thousands of insureds at the request of their insurers, Copeland Cook attorneys have tried hundreds of cases to a successful conclusion in the State and Federal courts of Mississippi. Copeland Cook attorneys offer insurers, insureds, manufacturers, and businesses a vast wealth of actual trial experience, earned by competent defense attorneys in every type of personal-injury claim, as well as effective and strategic negotiation skills so that claims are resolved timely and efficiently.
