Angela R. Elbert chairs Neal Gerber Eisenberg’s Directors’ & Officers’ Insurance Practice Group and is a member of the Litigation Practice Group. Angela is a  "leading light" whose "breadth of knowledge is matched only by her commendable work ethic,” reports Chambers USA based upon interviews with her clients and peers.  She counsels clients on complex risk management and insurance issues and helps them obtain the maximum recovery possible when claims arise. She focuses her practice on advising entities and boards of directors on a wide variety of risk management issues, including indemnification agreements, obtaining insurance with the most favorable terms available in the marketplace, financial insolvency concerns and insurance aspects of corporate transactions and other business contracts. She has significant experience in handling complex insurance coverage litigation, other commercial litigation, mediations and arbitrations, with an emphasis on representing policyholders in insurance coverage disputes nationwide involving virtually every line of insurance.

Significant Representations:

     Insurance Coverage Litigation

• Represent privately-held window manufacturer in “bet the company” coverage litigation relating to underlying products liability, construction defect claims
• Represent not-for-profit association in multi-million dollar fraud action, including coverage claims for defamation counterclaims brought against association and its officers and directors
• Represented financial services company and its captive insurer in Bermuda coverage arbitration against reinsurer involving underlying Ponzi-scheme fraud lawsuit, which resulted in a multi-million dollar award for her client
• Represented large pension management fund in coverage action relating to underlying lawsuits with its former officers and directors and additional alleged ERISA violations
• Defended former directors and officers of defunct physicians management corporation in coverage action involving underlying financial fraud claim
• Attorney for asbestos manufacturer in $1 billion asbestos products and premises liability coverage action
• Counsel for large privately held company in $400 million coverage action relating to employee thefts
• Represented large technology company in coverage action relating to underlying trade secret claim and advertising injury
• Counsel for energy company in multi-million dollar coverage action relating to underlying wrongful death claims from gas explosion
• Represented publicly held Fortune 100 company in multi-million dollar coverage action relating to underlying environmental clean-up

     Sample of Reported Decisions

• Coltec Industries Inc. v. Zurich Insurance Company, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18979, 99 C 1087 (N.D. Ill. Sep. 30, 2002).
• Coltec Industries Inc. v. Zurich Insurance Company, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1207, 99 C 1087 (N.D. Ill. Jan. 29, 2004).

Honors:

• Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (recommended in “Insurance:  Coverage Litigation”), 2008, 2009 and 2010 editions
• Alta May Hulett Award 2010 (Chicago Bar Association award that recognizes one lawyer per year practicing law for less than 15 years who has demonstrated the promotion of positive change and contributions to the advancement of women in the legal profession)
• Martindale Hubbell Peer Review AV® Peer Review Rated (the highest possible rating)
• Super Lawyers, Illinois Rising Star in Insurance Coverage, 2009 edition

Speeches/Presentations:

• Presenter, "Ethics Trivia," Neal Gerber Eisenberg Ethics Seminar, June 29, 2010.
• Speaker, "Are You Covered? Management Liability and Indemnity Issues Facing Associations Today," 2010 Annual Association Law Symposium in Chicago, April 28, 2010.
• Speaker, “Protecting Yourself in a Distressed Situation – Director & Officer Issues in Troubled Companies,” Certified Turnaround Professionals of the Turnaround Management Association, February 25, 2010
• Speaker, “Gotchas, Pitfalls & Disasters: Using Practical Solutions to Navigate Risk Management Issues for Asset Management Firms and Private Funds,” Neal Gerber Eisenberg Business Law Series Seminar, February 23, 2010
• Moderator, “A Change Has Come:  New Claims, New Rules and New Considerations for Insurers and Their Insureds,” CBA Insurance Law Committee and the CBA YLS Insurance Coverage Committee, November 4, 2009.
• Moderator, "Keys to Success for Women in Business," Neal Gerber Eisenberg and Grant Thornton Women's Event, October 21, 2009.
• Speaker, “D&O Coverage: An Important Topic for Troubled Times,” Illinois Venture Capital Association, September 17, 2009
• Speaker, “In the Zone:  Fiduciary Duties and D&O Insurance in the Zone of Insolvency,” Neal Gerber Eisenberg Business Law Seminar Series, September 15, 2009
• Speaker, “Ethics Jeopardy,” ABA Annual Meeting, August 1, 2009
• Speaker, "Preparing an Insurance Coverage Case for a 21st Century Trial,” ABA Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar, March 7, 2009
• Speaker, “Directors’ & Officers’ Liability Insurance: Are Your D&Os Covered and Are You Prepared for the Next Hard Market?,” Neal Gerber Eisenberg Business Law Seminar Series, February 10, 2009
• Moderator, “On the Coverage Campaign Trail: Candidates, Questions and Considerations,” Chicago Bar Association Insurance Law Committee and YLS Insurance Coverage Committee CLE Conference, November 5, 2008
• Speaker, “Playing Both Sides? Navigating the Murky Waters of Advance Waivers,” Hildebrandt Institute, Law Firm General Counsels Roundtable, October 2, 2008
• Speaker, "Can Your Firm Represent Both Sides?," CBA Insurance Law Committee Meeting, September 5, 2007
• Speaker, "Switch Hitting? Ethical Implications of Advance Conflict Waivers," ABA 2007 Annual Meeting, August 11, 2007
• Speaker, "I’ve Got You Covered: Understanding and Maximizing D&O Coverage," Nonprofit Roundtable Series, October 31, 2006
• Speaker, "Plugging the Leaks on Lawsuits: Practical Advice for Window Manufacturers in a Litigious World," GlassBuild America, September 20, 2006
• Speaker, "Protecting Your Directors & Officers: Liability Insurance & Issues," ASAE Chicago Association Law Symposium, April 6, 2006
• Speaker, "Working Both Sides: Conflicts Arising out of Advance Waivers Where Law Firm Attempts to Represent Both Insurers and Insureds," ABA Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar, March 2006
• Speaker, "Holding the Insurer’s Feet to the Fire: The Insured’s Perspective on First-Party Coverage Investigations and Bad-Faith Claims," Mealey’s Bad Faith Litigation Conference, September 2005
• Speaker, "Ethical Conflicts: Defending & Settling for Multiple Insureds," Mealey’s Additional Insured Conference, May 17, 2005
• Speaker, "The Development of the Policyholder’s Claim For Environmental Coverage During Discovery," Chicago Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section seminar, "Litigation of the Insurance Claim: Discovery to Appeal," June 2000

Publications:

• Co-Author, “Playing Both Sides? Navigating the Murky Waters of Advance Conflict Waivers,” The Professional Lawyer, Vol. 19, No. 1, 2008
• Co-Author, "BUSS Stop: A Policy Language Based Analysis," Connecticut Insurance Law Journal, Vol. 13, No. 1, 2006-2007
• Co-Author, "Holding the Insurer’s Feet to the Fire: The Insured’s Perspective on First-Party Coverage Investigations and Bad-Faith Claims," Coverage, Vol. 16, No. 1, January/February 2006
• Co-Author, "Navigating the Murky Waters of Advance Waivers: Are They Enforceable?" Coverage, Vol. 15, No. 5, September/October 2005
• Author, "Buss Stop: Illinois Refuses Insurers’ Recovery of Defense Costs," The Insurance Coverage Law Bulletin, Vol. 4, No. 6, July 2005
• Co-Author, "Guidelines for Purchasing Liability Insurance," Forum, Vol. 89, No. 4, May 2005
• Author, "Kemper Policyholders Should Consider Options Now," Business Insurance, April 25, 2005
• Co-Author, "The Second Wave of Asbestos Litigation and Its Impact on Insurance," Coverage, Vol. 14, No. 6, November/December 2004
• Author, "Asbestos Stopgaps Useful as Congress Feuds," Business Insurance, August 30, 2004
• Co-Author, "Illinois Estoppel: Conduct That Causes An Insurer’s Rights To Be Forfeited," Coverage, Vol. 14, No. 3, May/June 2004
• Co-Author, "The Plain Meaning of Wrongful Entry or Eviction or Other Invasion of the Right of Private Occupancy: Why Standard-Form Personal Injury Insurance Coverage Applies to Pollution Claims," Environmental Claims Journal, Vol. 12, No. 3, Autumn 1999

Professional Affiliations:

• American Bar Association, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee ("ICLC")

  • Managing editor of Coverage, a nationally distinguished ABA publication (2003 to 2010)
  • Co-chair of ABA ICLC CLE Annual Seminar (2008), vice-chair (2007)
  • Member of Long Range Planning Committee for the ABA ICLC (2009 to present)
• Chicago Bar Association
  • Chair of CBA Insurance Committee (2009-2010), vice-chair (2008-2009), secretary (2007-2008)
  • Chair of CBA Civil Practice Committee, Division III (1999-2000), vice-chair (1998-1999) and secretary (1997-1998)
• NGE Women’s Network
  • Co-chair of NGE Women’s Network’s leadership team, a group devoted to promotion of business and professional development of women professionals (2006-present)
• Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law Firms
  • Board member (2009-present)
  • Treasurer (2010-present)
  • Co-chair of Community Outreach Committee (2008-present)
• Step Up Women's Network
  • Chicago Board of Directors (2010-present)
• Women in Manufacturing Council, Illinois Manufacturers' Association Steering Committee (2010-present)
• Auxiliary Board of the Art Institute of Chicago (2010-present)
• Community Involvement
  • Art Institute of Chicago Volunteer (2003-2009)
  • Womenoncall.org Volunteer (2008-present)

In the News:

• Quoted and Honored in "Alliance for Women Honors Two Who Follow Motto We Must Lift as We Climb," CBA Record, June-July 2010.
• Quoted in “D&O Insurance in the U.S.,” Financier Worldwide, March 2009
• Quoted in “Match Game: Linking Nonprofits, Skilled Female Volunteers,” Chicago Sun-Times, March 7, 2009
• Quoted in “Just What Makes a Firm Friendly for Women and Working Mothers?,” National Law Journal, August 14, 2008

• Illinois, 1996
• Trial Bar, Northern District of Illinois, 2005

• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 1996
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 1998

• Hanover College (B.A., 1993) cum laude
• Indiana University School of Law (J.D., 1996) cum laude