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Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons, LLP, a premier litigation firm, has assembled a newly expanded Catastrophe Weather Response Team to help clients navigate the wide-ranging implications of property insurance litigation due to major storms along the Gulf Coast, such as Hurricanes Laura, Ida, Harvey, Katrina, Rita, Ike, and Dolly.

The Firm is strategically located to provide legal services to clients locally, regionally and nationally from offices in Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; and St. Paul, Minnesota. With lawyers licensed to practice in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida, Thompson Coe is geographically situated to serve the legal needs of clients throughout the Gulf Coast region and has extensive experience in several practice areas to provide successful solutions to their varied needs.

For 70 years, Thompson Coe has been recognized as a top tier litigation firm and a national authority on insurance defense and sophisticated coverage issues. Thompson Coe attorneys have unmatched experience helping insurers formulate defense strategies to respond to the high volume of lawsuits and claims after a catastrophe.

“Insurers face an onslaught of multi-media advertising brought by numerous well-financed and organized plaintiff firms,” said Marne Jones, a partner in the New Orleans office. “Their goal is to efficiently file a high volume of lawsuits based on the ‘mass tort’ litigation model. The attorneys at Thompson Coe stand ready defend this large volume litigation through all stages of resolution or trial.”

New statutes and directives have added to the complex nature of these claims and require a dedicated team of attorneys who can assist with any litigation that arises. For instance, because of the numerous storms in 2021 in Louisiana, many homeowners are making multiple claims for the same year. Some of these claims may be subject to the single season named-storm/hurricane deductible law, which prohibits a homeowner from paying more than one named-storm/hurricane deductible in the same hurricane season.

“The 2020 season was the first time that Louisiana has truly faced the application of the named-storm deductible statute when Hurricanes Laura and Delta made landfall,” said Mary-Ellen King, partner in the Austin office. “As claims and litigation related to the most recent hurricanes develop, we expect more guidance from the courts and possibly the Louisiana Department of Insurance. Insurers can rely on Thompson Coe to handle any of these hurricane or catastrophe matters.”

Beginning with litigation from the massive explosion of the Steamship Grandcamp that leveled much of Texas City in 1947, through the wind-driven-rain disputes arising out of Hurricane Carla in 1961, the battle over pollution exclusions, and key “bad faith” cases of the 1990s to the mold and hurricane litigation of the present, Thompson Coe has been at the forefront of some of the most important property insurance cases litigated in the last 70 years.

The Firm’s knowledge of the insurance industry and expertise in insurance law and insurance-related litigation is unsurpassed. In addition top general litigation needs. the Thompson Coe Catastrophe Weather Response Team offers resources related to state-specific claims handling guides, catastrophe-specific coverage and policy form issues, and updates on directives from the implicated Insurance Commissioners.

Related People

Marne A. Jones
Partner

Marne A. Jones

504-526-4320
Email

Christina Anne Culver
Partner

Christina Anne Culver

713-403-8212
Email

Mark A. Hill
Partner

Mark A. Hill

504-526-4337
Email

Christopher W. Kaul
Partner

Christopher W. Kaul

504-526-4321
Email

Mary-Ellen King
Partner

Mary-Ellen King

512-827-2305
Email

Roger D. Higgins
Partner

Roger D. Higgins

214-871-8256
Email

Jennifer  M. Kearns
Partner

Jennifer M. Kearns

713-403-8276
Email

Rhonda J. Thompson
Partner

Rhonda J. Thompson

214-871-8273
Email

J. Richard Harmon
Partner

J. Richard Harmon

214-871-8227
Email

George H. Arnold
Partner

George H. Arnold

713-403-8388
Email

Daniel P. Buechler
Partner

Daniel P. Buechler

214-871-8262
Email

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