Wendy Hall

For more than 20 years, Wendy Hall has worked within the insurance coverage world, combining her broad background in complex litigation and subrogation to help clients resolve tough issues.  She has in-depth knowledge of the insurance industry, emphasizing the oil and gas, energy, marine, professional indemnity, construction, and general liability sectors.

Wendy is an experienced monitoring counsel and has worked with a variety of insurance-regulated entities, including those in the oil and gas sector, who rely on her for research, advice, strategic counsel, and licensing. She has represented:

• Domestic insurance companies
• Lloyd’s Underwriting Syndicates
• London Companies
• Offshore drilling and subsea construction companies
• Energy and oil service companies

Wendy stays current in the insurance industry’s evolution and the legislation and regulatory activity impacting the industry. She has tried numerous coverage disputes in first-party property, multimillion-dollar insurance matters, and multimillion-dollar energy subrogation matters for London insurers. She has litigated insurance claims, delivering favorable settlements for energy, bad faith, pollution, marine, political risk, construction defect, product liability, and professional indemnity coverages.

In addition to her litigation background, Wendy has handled matters involving personal injury, general casualty, and business disputes. Wendy’s significant experience in complex litigation gives her the tools to provide effective and innovative legal solutions to achieve a client’s desired outcome, whether counseling, litigation, favorable settlement, or trial and if necessary, appeal.

• Founding shareholder of a Houston energy insurance litigation law firm, where she worked both domestically and in London for over a decade. During this time, she was invited to be seconded to a London Syndicate directly after the 9/11 tragedy, where she assisted the claims group in handling incoming claims, assisted in drafting policy wordings on the meaning of “occurrence,” and assisted in tailoring a policy for the upcoming world cup.
• Served in the Lloyd’s Underwriters’ box to gain a deeper insight into the broker/underwriter relationship dynamics.
• Litigated coverage disputes in all aspects of coverage litigation, coverage matters, and policy wordings.
• Served as lead trial counsel in a three-week jury trial in federal court in Louisiana, representing EED-control of well underwriters of an offshore oil facility in a subrogation matter relating to a massive offshore well blow-out causing $18 million in damages.
• Served as lead trial counsel in a jury trial in federal court in Houston wherein plaintiff sued multiple towers of Energy Package policies over multiple years for more than $80 million. The case stemmed from an incident occurring on the plaintiff’s property which led to the release of hydrocarbons into the atmosphere. Obtained a nominal settlement for policies she represented after a three-week trial where motions were vigorously fought.
• Served as lead counsel in a case tried in Texas state court wherein the plaintiff sued a domestic insurer for more than $30 million in connection with a Katrina loss. Commercial General Liability policies were placed on notice, and there were complex issues of notice, damage allocation, and policy allocation. The case was tried and appealed with a favorable result.
• Represented a well owner and operator and their insurers in a recovery action for a $25 million loss arising out of a massive blow-out due to a subcontractor’s accidental firing of a perforation gun during completion activities in an offshore well in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Litigated to a nominal settlement of a $28 million coverage dispute in Texas state court arising from a political risk/contract frustration coverage stemming from an oil and gas venture in Myanmar. The case was mediated in London, and shortly after a multimillion-dollar settlement was reached, witnesses who worked on the project in Myanmar came forward, alleging fraud in settlement negotiations.
• Served as lead trial counsel in Texas federal court in a case arising from a $10 million damage claim from a cogeneration facility that was being used in the Dominican Republic.
• Defended a pipeline owner and its insurers in Louisiana state court in connection with a series of pipeline releases in a class action brought for personal injury and related property damage. Managed the case through the successful trial of bellwether plaintiffs, which resulted in a favorable settlement for the remainder of the class.