Benjamin A. Blume and John D. LaBarbera Join Clark Hill PLC

CHICAGO , IL – Benjamin A. Blume and John D. LaBarbera have joined Clark Hill PLC as co-leaders of the firm’s Insurance and Reinsurance Practice Group.

Ben and John are members in Clark Hill’s Chicago office. They represent insurers and reinsurers in all aspects of their business, including claims counseling, litigation, and dispute resolution. Their practice includes the handling of issues involving commercial, primary, umbrella, excess and surplus lines, and reinsurance. Ben and John have tried to verdict and regularly advise clients with respect to bad faith, fraud, spoliation of evidence, and other extra-contractual matters. Ben and John have both been employed by major international insurers. Both have worked for property casualty insurers, overseeing the handling and resolution of various pollution and toxic tort matters, as well as various matters relating to environmental coverage issues, including litigation, mediation and arbitration. John has also worked in the life and health industry.

Mr. Blume is admitted to practice in all courts in Illinois, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. He has also been admitted pro hac vice counsel in numerous other jurisdictions. His publications and speeches include:

Co-Author, “Excess, Surplus Lines and Reinsurance: Recent Developments,” TIPS Tort & Insurance Law Journal, Winter 2008.

Speaker, “Personal Injury and Advertising Injury Coverage Under Commercial General Liability Policies,” Chicago Bar Association Commercial Litigation Committee, November 2006.

Co-Author, “Insurance Coverage Litigation: Recent Developments,” TIPS Tort & Insurance Law Journal, Winter 1992.

Co-Author, “Excess, Surplus Lines and Reinsurance: Recent Developments,” TIPS Tort & Insurance Law Journal, Winter 1992.

Mr. LaBarbera is licensed to practice in the Illinois state courts, as well as the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth and Seventh Circuits and has appeared as pro hac vice counsel in courts throughout the United States. His speeches and publications include:

Co-Author, “Insurance Coverage Litigation: Recent Developments,” TIPS Tort & Insurance Law Journal, Winter 2008.

Author, “Stranger Originated Life Insurance – A Review of the Law on Insurable Interest,” American Bar Association TIPS Life Insurance Quarterly Newsletter, July 2007.

Speaker, “Personal Injury and Advertising Injury Coverage Under Commercial General Liability Policies,” Chicago Bar Association Commercial Litigation Committee, November 2006.

Author, “To Err is Human, Even for Lawyers,” ABA GP Solo Journal, October 2005.
Co-Author, “Reforming the Asbestos Question: State Ventures Where Congress Fears to Tread (and the beat goes on…),” ABA Litigation Mass Tort Newsletter, Fall 2005.

Co-Author, “The IDC Monograph: The Collateral Affect of the Alford Pleas on the Actual Innocence Rule in Legal Malpractice Actions,” IDC Quarterly, First Quarter, 2005.

Author, “Appellate Court of Illinois Affirms Application of Actual Innocence Rule in Legal Malpractice Action Arising from Underlying Criminal Plea Agreement,” IDC Quarterly, first quarter, 2005.

Co-author, “Intellectual Property Claims: Covered or Not,” Illinois State Bar Association Insurance Coverage Seminar, Spring 2001.

Speaker at the November 2002 Chicago Bar Association Young Lawyer’s Section Insurance Coverage Nuts and Bolts Seminar.

Since 1890, Clark Hill PLC has been serving the business, government, non-profit and personal needs of clients throughout the country. With offices in Detroit , Birmingham , Grand Rapids , and Lansing , Michigan , Chicago , Phoenix , and Washington , DC , Clark Hill is a full service law firm with more than 190 attorneys. For more information, visit www.clarkhill.com .