About Us
S&C is a firm of eight lawyers.
The firm has a general commercial litigation practice with a special
emphasis on insurance related litigation, including professional
liability litigation and insurance coverage disputes.
S&C is counsel for carriers such as Zurich N.A., Liberty
International, AIG, Hartford, CNA, Navigators, ACE USA
and One Beacon.
In professional liability, we have handled matters involving lawyers,
accountants, architects, engineers, municipalities, school districts,
police departments, real estate brokers, insurance brokers,
psychologists and social workers. In general liability, we have
handled an array of matters including those involving premises
liability, construction accidents and vehicular accidents.
In corporate matters, we have represented both public and private
companies, as well as their directors and officers, in defense of suits
by investors, lenders and other creditors, bankruptcy trustees,
franchisors, private mortgage insurers, brokers, developers, and
competitors for corporate control. We have also provided directors
and officers with advice on their duties and responsibilities under the
federal securities laws.
Our insurance coverage work includes issues such as governing law,
material misrepresentation in application, general rules of policy
construction, duty to defend, insuring agreements and exclusionary
provisions (i.e., claims made and reported, professional services,
negligence claims arising out of otherwise excluded conduct or claims,
breach of contract claims, intentional acts, punitive damages,
sanctions, prior acts, prior knowledge, business enterprise,
non-monetary relief and attorney fee awards, wilful violation of
statute, mental distress, property damage, pollution, sex
cap/exclusion), policy conditions (i.e., late notice, duty to
cooperate), innocent insured, reservation of rights and disclaimer
letters, waiver, estoppel, declaratory judgment actions, intervention in
underlying actions, risks of wrongful disclaimer, appointment of counsel
(i.e., multiple antagonistic insureds, reservation of rights,
termination of defense, recoupment of defense costs and indemnity paid
on insured's behalf), antisubrogation doctrine, duty to post bond on
appeal, duty to settle within policy limits, multiple insurers, notice
of nonrenewal and state insurance regulations.
S&C and its attorneys have been counsel of record in many reported
decisions (and numerous unreported decisions) in New York involving
professional liability coverage issues, including
Varrichio v. Chicago Ins. Co.,
312 F.3d 544 (2d Cir. 2002), certified question withdrawn due to
settlement, 328 F.3d 50 (2d Cir. 2003); Bluestein & Sander v.
Chicago Ins. Co., 276 F.3d 119 (2d Cir. 2002); Schlather Stumbar
Parks & Salk v. One Beacon Ins. Co., 2011 WL 222235 (N.D.N.Y. 2011);
Chicago Ins. Co. v. Fasciana, 2006 WL 3714310 (S.D.N.Y. 2006);
Silverman Sclar Byrne Shin & Byrne, P.C. v. Chicago Ins. Co., 2005
WL 2367709 (E.D.N.Y. 2005); Cade & Saunders, P.C. v. Chicago Ins. Co.,
332 F. Supp. 2d 490 (N.D.N.Y. 2004); Fein v. Chicago Ins. Co.,
2003 WL 21688239 (S.D.N.Y. 2003); Chicago Ins. Co. v. Kreitzer &
Vogelman, 265 F. Supp. 2d 335 (S.D.N.Y. 2003); Chicago Ins. Co.
v. Kreitzer & Vogelman, 210 F. Supp. 2d 407 (S.D.N.Y. 2002);
Sirignano v. Chicago Ins. Co., 192 F. Supp. 2d 199 (S.D.N.Y. 2002);
Adams v. Chicago Ins. Co., 192 F. Supp. 2d 84 (W.D.N.Y.),
aff'd in part and vacated and remanded for further proceedings by
summary order, 49 Fed. Appx. 346, 2002 WL 31398801 (2d Cir. 2002);
Mongelli v. Chicago Ins. Co., 2002 WL 32096578 (E.D.N.Y. 2002);
Chicago Ins. Co. v. Borsody, 165 F. Supp. 2d 592 (S.D.N.Y. 2001);
Fuchsberg & Fuchsberg v. Chicago Ins. Co., 2001 WL 484013
(S.D.N.Y. 2001), aff'd sub nom Fuchsberg &
Fuchsberg v. Galizia, 300 F.3d 105 (2d Cir. 2002); Paul K.
Rooney, P.C. v. Chicago Ins. Co., 2001 WL 262703 (S.D.N.Y.),
aff'd by summary order, 26 Fed. Appx. 53, 2001 WL 1486527 (2d Cir.
2001); Cowan v. Ernest Codelia, P.C., 2001 WL 30501 (S.D.N.Y.
2001), aff'd by summary order, 50 Fed. Appx. 36, 2002 WL 31478922
(2d Cir. 2002); Cowan v. Ernest Codelia, P.C., 2000 WL 1593383
(S.D.N.Y. 2000); Checkrite Ltd., Inc. v. Illinois National Ins. Co.,
95 F. Supp. 2d 180 (S.D.N.Y. 2000); Chicago Ins. Co. v. Kreitzer &
Vogelman, 2000 WL 16949 (S.D.N.Y. 2000); Cowan v. Ernest Codelia,
P.C., 1999 WL 1029729 (S.D.N.Y. 1999); Daimler Chrysler Ins. Co.
v. Zurich Ins. Co., 2010 WL 1499450 (2d Dep't 2010); American
Guarantee & Liability Ins. Co. v. Hoffman, 61 A.D.3d 410, 876
N.Y.S.2d 382 (1st Dep't 2009); American Guarantee & Liability Ins.
Co. v. Lerner, 58 A.D.3d 523, 870 N.Y.S.2d 785 (1st Dep't 2009);
American Guarantee & Liability Ins. Co. v. Moskowitz, 58 A.D.3d 426,
870 N.Y.S.2d 307 (1st Dep't 2009); Tex Development Co. v. Greenwich
Ins. Co., 51 A.D.3d 775, 858 N.Y.S.2d 682 (2d Dep't 2008);
Reznick v. Zurich North America Specialties, 45 A.D.3d 750, 847
N.Y.S.2d 99 (2d Dep't 2007); Wilson v. Quaranta, 18 A.D.3d 324,
795 N.Y.S.2d 532 (1st Dep't 2005); ACE Fire Underwriters Ins. Co. v.
Orange-Ulster BOCES, 1 A.D.3d 543, 768 N.Y.S.2d 486 (2d Dep't 2003);
Seskin & Sassone v. Liberty International Underwriters, 306
A.D.2d 520, 761 N.Y.S.2d 679 (2d Dep't 2003); Rosenbaum v. Chicago
Ins. Co., 306
A.D.2d 29, 761 N.Y.S.2d 637 (1st Dep't 2003); Greenburgh Eleven UFSD
v. National Union Fire Ins. Co., 304 A.D.2d 334, 758 N.Y.S.2d 291
(1st Dep't 2003); National Union Fire Ins. Co. v. City of Oswego,
295 A.D.2d 905, 744 N.Y.S.2d 266 (4th Dep't 2002); Holloway v. Sacks
& Sacks, 275 A.D.2d 625, 713 N.Y.S.2d 162 (1st Dep't 2000);
Ingalsbe v. Chicago Ins. Co., 270 A.D.2d 684, 704 N.Y.S.2d 697 (3d
Dep't 2000); Schnell v. Lester, 269 A.D.2d 520, 703 N.Y.S.2d 262
(2d Dep't 2000); Lemke v. Zurich North America, 26 Misc. 3d 1084,
896 N.Y.S.2d 603 (Sup. Ct., Nassau Co. 2009); Burkhart, Wexler &
Hirschberg, LLP v. Liberty Ins. Underwriters, 2008 WL 866644 (Sup.
Ct., Nassau Co. 2008), aff'd, 60 A.D.3d 884, 875 N.Y.S.2d 590 (2d
Dep't 2009); Leavitt, Kerson & Duane v. American Guarantee &
Liability Ins. Co., 2007 WL 4748438 (Sup. Ct., Queens Co. 2007);
Peters, Berger, Koshel & Goldberg, P.C. v. Liberty International
Underwriters, Inc., 2007 WL 3234925 (Sup. Ct., N.Y. Co. 2007);
Liberty Ins. Underwriters, Inc. v. United States Liability Ins. Co.,
2006 WL 5376812 (Sup. Ct., N.Y. Co. 2006); Cass v. American Guarantee
& Liability Ins. Co., 2006 WL 3359664 (Sup. Ct., N.Y. Co. 2006); and
Rosenberg & Estis v. Chicago Ins. Co., 2003 WL 21665680 (Sup.
Ct., N.Y. Co. 2003).