Barry Buchman has joined Haynes and Boone, LLP’s Washington, D.C., office as a partner in the Insurance Recovery Practice.
Recognized as a leading policyholder insurance attorney by Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc. (2016-2017), Chambers USA, Chambers & Partners (2012-2017), and Washington, D.C., Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters (2013-2017), Buchman represents policyholders in a wide variety of complex insurance coverage matters, including:
- Disputes over general liability coverage for various toxic tort and other claims, such as medical monitoring claims and claims by governmental entities
- Directors and officers coverage and fiduciary coverage, including for government investigations
- Errors and omissions coverage
- “First-party” coverage for business interruption and similar losses
He also handles matters involving highly-specialized insurance products such as corporate-owned life insurance and residual value insurance.
Over the course of his 20-year career, Buchman has litigated significant and cutting-edge insurance coverage cases, both in federal and state trial and appellate courts and in arbitration. Among other successes, he was lead counsel in a case that resulted in the first pro-policyholder appellate decision on the issue of whether a policyholder can sue a reinsurer for interfering with the policyholder-insurance company relationship.
Buchman also has substantial experience representing clients on coverage matters in the private equity and automotive spaces. His clients include one of the world’s leading private equity firms and one of the largest diversified automotive companies.
Buchman joins Haynes and Boone from Gilbert LLP, where he spent 14 years, first as an associate and later as a partner. He said that, while he always will treasure his time at Gilbert and the relationships he formed there, he was drawn by the unique opportunity to be a part of Haynes and Boone’s continuing expansion of its highly-regarded insurance practice.
“This is a firm whose insurance group is a microcosm of the larger institution,” he said. He noted that Haynes and Boone always has been a preeminent firm in Texas and in recent decades has expanded that stature nationally and internationally, forging an impeccable reputation in many markets and practice areas.
“It’s a top firm with a top insurance group that already has grown both in reputation and geographically and that is working to grow further,” Buchman said. “I’m excited to be a part of that.”
Ernest Martin, leader of Haynes and Boone’s Insurance Recovery Practice, said, “We are excited to have Barry join our Insurance Recovery Group in our Washington, D.C., office. He has vast experience handling complex insurance coverage matters, in both general and specialized areas, and has a stellar reputation among corporate policyholders. He is an important part of our group’s expansion on the East Coast and will enhance our continued efforts to increase our national footprint.”
Haynes and Boone’s Insurance Recovery practice represents clients in all facets of their dealings with insurance carriers. The group assists policyholder clients in recovering insurance proceeds for a variety of disputed claims, including matters involving insurance policies, reinsurance treaties, indemnity contracts, and performance bonds. In addition to litigation, Haynes and Boone coverage lawyers regularly advise clients in evaluating proposed policy language and in navigating existing insurance contracts and indemnities, insurer insolvencies, risk transfer, and the insurance implications of commercial transactions.
News of Buchman joining the firm generated press coverage in Bloomberg Big Law Business and Law360 (Subscription required).