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Mark E. Hellenkamp

Member

Mark Hellenkamp represents clients in insurance coverage and bad faith litigation. Mark’s experience includes successful civil jury trials, arbitrations and mediations, and he has briefed and argued many cases in the appellate courts.

Mark has more than 25 years of experience representing property and liability insurers in state and federal courts in coverage and bad faith matters arising from underlying construction, professional liability, business tort, pollution and asbestos, property damage, and automobile and personal injury claims. He has authored coverage opinions and advised insurers on a wide variety of insurance, claims handling and underwriting issues.

In addition, Mark has authored successful appellate briefs and writs on several important issues including insurance coverage and insurance agent misrepresentation, architectural and legal malpractice, the economic loss rule, the peculiar risk doctrine, and limitation of liability clauses.

Mark has prosecuted and defended large scale disputes involving copyright, including architectural copyright, contract, trademark, unfair competition, bootlegging and other issues. His legal writing and analysis are an integral part of his practice and service to clients.

Practice Areas

Education

J.D., University of San Diego School of Law, San Diego, California, 1989
B.A., University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington, 1985

Recognitions

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America ® for Insurance Law (2022-2027), Litigation – Insurance (2021-2027)

Named San Diego, California’s 2024 Litigation – Insurance “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers

Memberships

Defense Research Institute (DRI)

Member, Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)

State Bar Licenses

California

Court Admissions

U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
U.S. District Ct., C.D. of California
U.S. District Ct., N.D. of California
U.S. District Ct., S.D. of California
U.S. District Ct., District of Nevada

Publications/Presentations

  • Editor, Morris Polich & Purdy’s California and Nevada Insurance Coverage Newsletter, 2017 Vol. 2
    • “Nevada Federal Court Allows Discovery of Coverage Counsel’s Testimony and Unredacted Work Product Despite Insurer Not Formally Raising Advice of Counsel Defense”
    • “Remand Required in Bad Faith Case Seeking Punitive Damages Where Insurer Argued that the Plaintiff Had Incurred $55,000 in Medical Expenses”
  • Editor, Morris Polich & Purdy’s California and Nevada Insurance Coverage Newsletter, 2017 Vol. 1
  • Editor, Morris Polich & Purdy’s California and Nevada Insurance Coverage Newsletter, 2016 Vol. 4
  • Editor, Morris Polich & Purdy’s California and Nevada Insurance Coverage Newsletter, 2016 Vol. 3
  • Presenter, “Professional Services Liability: Analyzing Claims”, Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB) 2016 Regional Adjusters Conference, June 22, 2016
  • Editor, Morris Polich & Purdy’s California and Nevada Insurance Coverage Newsletter, 2016 Vol. 2
  • Editor, Morris Polich & Purdy’s California and Nevada Insurance Coverage Newsletter, 2016 Vol. 1
    • “Insurer that Did Not Accept Defense and Retain Counsel By Date Response to Complaint Against Insured was Due Lost Control of the Defense”
  • Editor, Morris Polich & Purdy’s California and Nevada Insurance Coverage Update, 2008-2013
  • Co-author, California Property Insurance: Law and Litigation, California Continuing Education of the Bar, 2011
  • Instructor, Insurance Educational Association Workshop, “Avoiding Bad Faith in the Handling of Difficult Claims”
  • Educational presentations to insurance, architectural clients and others addressing insurance coverage issues, pre-trial strategy, legal writing, and civil litigation strategy
  • Speaker, Trademark Issues, “Marketing and Protection of Design Professional Services on the Internet,” November 2008
  • “Unauthorized Use of Architectural Plans Can Be Costly,” Construction Executive Magazine, September 2008 Issue
  • Quoted in The Architect’s Newspaper, June 25, 2008 on Architectural Copyright Issues
  • Speaker, Copyright Issues, “Business Promotion on the Internet” Seminar
  • Speaker, “Copyright Law in the Practice of Architecture” for Mobius LA

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