Practice Expertise

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Appellate
  • Business Litigation
  • Blockchain

Areas of Practice

  • Appellate
  • Blockchain
  • Business Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • AI and Emerging Technologies
  • AI, Metaverse, and Emerging Technologies
  • Appeals
  • Blockchain and Digital Assets
  • Crisis Management
  • Cross-Border Insurance Coverage
  • Cyber Insurance
  • Energy Sector Security Team
  • Financial Services
  • Food Industry
  • Insurance Coverage
  • Insurance Coverage Counseling and Litigation
  • Insurance Litigation and Counseling
  • International Arbitration and Transnational ...
  • Issues and Appeals
  • Litigation
  • National Security
  • Professional Liability
  • Recall Insurance
  • Reinsurance
  • Retail and Consumer Products
  • Transactional Insurance
  • View More

Profile

Syed represents clients in connection with insurance coverage, reinsurance matters and other business litigation. Syed serves as the head of the firm’s insurance coverage practice. He has been admitted to the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, US District Court for the District of Columbia and US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. 

Bar Admissions

    Education
    JD, George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, cum laude, Notes Editor, George Mason University Civil Rights Law Journal, 2003

    BS, George Mason University, 2000

    Areas of Practice

    • Appellate
    • Blockchain
    • Business Litigation
    • Commercial Litigation
    • AI and Emerging Technologies
    • AI, Metaverse, and Emerging Technologies
    • Appeals
    • Blockchain and Digital Assets
    • Crisis Management
    • Cross-Border Insurance Coverage
    • Cyber Insurance
    • Energy Sector Security Team
    • Financial Services
    • Food Industry
    • Insurance Coverage
    • Insurance Coverage Counseling and Litigation
    • Insurance Litigation and Counseling
    • International Arbitration and Transnational Litigation
    • Issues and Appeals
    • Litigation
    • National Security
    • Professional Liability
    • Recall Insurance
    • Reinsurance
    • Retail and Consumer Products
    • Transactional Insurance

    Professional Career

    Significant Accomplishments
    • Represents clients in connection with disputes involving general liability, errors and omissions, and directors and officers policies, including coverage issues arising out of multi-district litigation related to claims from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
    • Counsels clients in connection with commercial property claims and litigation, including claims arising from the World Trade Center Attack and claims related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
    • Represents clients in matters involving coverage for professional liability claims, including in litigation involving large nursing home care provider and several other insurers.
    • Counsels clients concerning allocation of coverage among excess and primary carriers, including the availability of coverage for tens of thousands of asbestos lawsuits for multiple insureds and related entities.
    • Represents clients in multi-million dollar reinsurance disputes, including in litigation and arbitrations.


    Professional Associations
    • Member, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, Section of Litigation, American Bar Association
    • Member, Section of Torts, Trial, and Insurance Practice, American Bar Association
    • Member, Continuing Legal Education Committee, District of Columbia Bar

    Professional Activities and Experience
    • Named to “Under 40 Hot List” by Benchmark Litigation, 2017


    Articles

    Additional Articles
    • Insureds Find Place to Roost in Foster Poultry Contamination Case, Westlaw Journal
    • Fear of the Unknown Cause of Contamination, Food Safety Magazine
    • Insurance Coverage for Employee’s Claims, Lodging Magazine
    • Cosby’s Coverage Dispute Has Ramifications for Many Policyholders, Corporate Counsel
    • The Privilege of Cooperation: What Insurers and Insureds Need to Know About Preserving the Privilege, FC&S Legal
    • Court Resolves Reinsurance Limits Dispute Based on Contract’s Unique Terms, Law360
    • Protecting Company Assets With Cyber Liability Insurance, Mealey’s Data Privacy Law Report
    • How Your CGL Policy May Help with Trademark Infringement Litigation, Risk Management Magazine
    • The Bad Faith Exception to the Prejudice Requirement Does Not Represent New York Law, ARIAS – U.S. Quarterly
    • Guest Post: Court Requires Insurers to Advance Insureds’ Defense Costs, The D&O Diary
    • Now You See It (Now You Don’t?) – Recent Insurer Efforts to Void Coverage Based on New York Rescission Law, FC&S Legal
    • A Primer On Insurance Coverage For Food Contamination Losses, Food Logistics
    • Collateral Estoppel as an Offensive Litigation Tool, Corporate Counsel
    • Hearsay: An Expanded Residual Exception or More of the Same?, Daily Business Review
    • As good as new? Rule 407 and subsequent policy modifications, Westlaw Today
    • Overlooking Insurance During Mergers Brings Hidden Dangers, Bloomberg Law
    • To Offset or Not to Offset: The Interaction between CARES Act Payments/PPP Loans and Insurance Recoveries Due to COVID-19, Business Law Today
    • Ensuring Equity in Private Equity Insurance Coverage: The Top 5 Coverage Issues Private Equity Investors Should Consider, Bloomberg BNA Securities Regulation & Law Report
    • Insurance for Product Recall Expenses, American Bar Association, Section of Litigation
    • My Insurance Company Is Bankrupt, But Is Reinsured. Can I Make A Claim Directly Against The Reinsurer?, Insurance Coverage Law Report
    • Assessing USF&G’s ‘Objective Reasonableness’ Standard: An Alternative View, AIDA Reinsurance and Insurance Arbitration Society (ARIAS)
    • Considering Disclosure Risks In Sensitive Product Recalls, Law360
    • Arbitration Of Insurance Disputes: Functus Officio and The Clarification Exception
    • The Importance of Insurance Coverage for Commercial Drone Operations, Unmanned Aerial
    • A Farewell to Bellefonte, ARIAS Quarterly
    • On the Record: The Importance of Issue Preservation Throughout Litigation, Virginia Lawyer Magazine
    • Lessons from 'Deflategate': Drafting the right arbitrator picks, InsideCounsel
    • The Rescission Trap: Don’t Let Product Recalls Contaminate Your Coverage, Corporate Counsel
    • Outside Counsel Statements and the Party Exception to Hearsay, ABA Litigation - Pretrial Practice & Discovery
    • Long-Term Professional Liability Cases: Who Is Responsible For Nursing Home Claims?, Casualty Insurance Committee Newsletter, No. 5
    • Delaware Court Weighs In on the CID Coverage Debate
    • Direct Evidence Of Loss Or Damage May Be Unnecessary To Obtain Coverage For Losses Due To COVID-19, Mealey’s Litigation Report: Insurance
    • Representations and Warranties Insurance Claims & COVID-19, Insurance Coverage Law Center
    • If Information Is Available Online and No One Accesses It, Was It a “Publication” for the Purpose of Insurance Coverage for Cybersecurity Loss?, Bloomberg BNA Privacy and Security Law Report
    • New York High Court Accepts 2nd Circuit’s Certified Question on Important Reinsurance Limits Issue, Westlaw Journal Insurance Coverage
    • Protecting Company Assets With Cyber Liability Insurance, LexisNexis Legal News, Mealey's Emerging Insurance Disputes, Volume 22, Issue 07
    • Guest Post: Del. TIAA Case May Reshape Disgorgement Claims Coverage, Law360
    • For Big-Number Settlement Negotiations, Excess Insurers Cannot Take a Back Seat FC&S Legal
    • Second Circuit Reminds Consumer Product Companies That Insurance Options Exist For Big Data Blunders and Privacy Faux Pas, FC&S Legal
    • Running Out the Clock: The Period of Limitation in COVID-19 Insurance Lawsuits May Soon Come to an End, Insurance Coverage Law Center
    • Let’s Make a Deal: Four D&O Coverage Issues to Consider in M&A Transactions, Business Law Today
    • Court Refuses to Dismiss Claims in RWI Lawsuit, Business Law Today
    • Courts Continue To Assess Insurance Policies’ Unique Terms, Law360
    • “Insurance Law in the District of Columbia,” The District of Columbia Practice Manual 2018 Update
    • “Insurance Law in the District of Columbia,” The District of Columbia Practice Manual 2020 Update
    • No Mask, No Service – Evolving COVID-19 Orders May Support Insurance Coverage for Retailers’ Losses, HarrisMartin
    • When communications with public relations firms are privileged, Westlaw Journal
    • Just Because? COVID-19 Coverage under General Liability Insuring Agreements, Insurance Coverage Law Center
    • Practical Advice for a Successful Legal Hold Program, American Bar Association Technology for the Litigator Newsletter
    • Ensuring Equity in Private Equity Insurance Coverage: The Top 5 Coverage Issues Private Equity Investors Should Consider, Bloomberg BNA Mergers & Acquisitions Law Report
    • The Myth of Bellefonte No More, Mealey's Litigation Report: Reinsurance
    • When Worried About Collusion, Insist on Independent Counsel, Originally published in Texas Lawyer, also published in Corporate Counsel
    • Managing evolving risks through liability insurance, Financier Worldwide
    • The Disparagement Dilemma: Insurance Coverage for the Defense and Indemnity of Product Disparagement Claims, Corporate Counsel
    • Priority Of Coverage Lessons From 2nd Circ. Insurance Ruling, Law360
    • Representation and Warranty Insurance and the Collateral Source Rule, Insurance Coverage Law Center
    • Risk Management in the Metaverse, Insurance Journal
    • Nine-figure verdicts: What is BIPA and why you should care, Reuters Legal News
    • Policy Provisions Bolster State Biz Interruption Laws, Law360
    • Examining the Restatement of the Law, Liability Insurance, Risk Management Magazine
    • The Duty to Settle and Its Variations, Insurance Coverage Litigation Newsletter, ABA Section of Litigation
    • Bellefonte: The Tide Continues to Turn, Westlaw Journal Insurance Coverage
    • NY’s Highest Court Rejects Expansion of Common Interest Doctrine and Upholds Narrow Privilege Rule, Corporate Counsel
    • Exploring all available sources of insurance coverage, Financier Worldwide
    • 2016 Retail Industry Year in Review
    • Hurricanes Highlight Need for Contingent Business Interruption Insurance, Risk Management
    • The USF&G (Western MacArthur) Case: Key Takeaways, Westlaw Journal Insurance Coverage
    • How Retailers Can Protect Themselves Against Mobile Payments Risks, Internet Retailer
    • Understanding Coverage Options for Cyber Threats, ABA Banking Journal
    • Calif. Ruling Creates Uncertainty For Long-Tail Claims, Law360
    • Considerations In Structuring Private Equity D&O Coverage, Law360
    • Representations and Warranties Insurance: Fundamentals, Practical Guidance
    • Representations & Warranties Insurance and Privilege, FC&S Legal
    • Recall Roundup: October, National Law Review
    • Novolex Case Brings Lessons On R&W Insurance, Law360
    • Key Questions for Financial Institutions Seeking to Maximize Insurance for “Cyber” Risks, FC&S Legal
    • Navigating through proof of loss requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, NU Property Casualty
    • Legal Focus: Challenges of a catch-all phrase not catching it all, Insurance Day
    • Del. Solera D&O Decision May Have Limited Impact, Law360
    • Mass. Dispute Highlights R&W Insurance Considerations, Law360
    • Mass. Dispute Highlights R&W Insurance Considerations, Law360
    • Compliance, crimes, and coverage: Mitigating risk through employee theft coverage, CEP Magazine
    • The Continued Rise of Representations and Warranties Insurance: 2024 Forecast, Business Law Today
    • Protecting Against Product Recall and Food Contamination Losses Through Insurance, Food Manufacturing
    • NY Cedents Enjoy More Protection And Authority, Insurance Law360
    • Three Key Things in Health Care
    • 2019 Retail Industry Year in Review
    • 2020 Retail Industry Year in Review

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