Bell, Bernard P.

Current Employment Position(s)

Partner

Lawyer Overview

Bernie Bell has decades of experience as a trial lawyer in civil litigation, and he has concentrated his practice for the last 15 years on obtaining insurance recoveries for corporate policyholders and their individual directors and officers. His practice covers the full range of insurance claims, from property damage and business interruption losses to claims arising from alleged directors' and officers' liabilities, as well as employment, environmental, fiduciary (ERISA), products, professional, and toxic tort liabilities. He uses his extensive experience with contested claims to assist clients in the placement of coverage.

His recent representations include two separate lawsuits, one to recover property damage and business interruption losses caused by an explosion at a chemical manufacturing facility, and the other arising from damage to an offshore pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico.

Bernie is currently pursuing recovery under pollution legal liability policies for various environmental contamination claims and under management liability policies (D&O, fiduciary liability) for various breach of duty claims.

Bernie also is an experienced environmental litigator. He spent five years as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, representing the U.S. in environmental enforcement lawsuits under Superfund (CERCLA), the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act. He has handled complex environmental matters in private practice, including Clean Air Act and Superfund litigation and FIFRA pesticide data compensation arbitrations.

Bernie is a frequent author and speaker on insurance coverage issues and has chaired subcommittees of the American Bar Association relating to insurance litigation.

Areas of Practice

• Insurance Recovery
• Trial Practice
• Environmental, Health & Safety
• Insurance Coverage

West Practice Categories

Bankruptcy Litigation, Business & Commercial Law, Class Actions, Clean Air Practice, Cleanup & Superfund, Complex Litigation, Environmental Law, Federal Appellate Practice, Federal Claims Court, Federal Trial Practice, Hazardous Waste, Insurance Law, International Law, International Trade Litigation, Litigation & Appeals, Military & Veterans Appeals, Multidistrict Litigation, Patent Litigation, Permits, Regulatory Compliance & Auditing, Solid Waste, State Appellate Practice, State Trial Practice, Tax Litigation, US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, US Supreme Court, Water Pollution, Wetlands & Wild Lands

Bar Admissions

• District of Columbia
• New York

Education

• Colgate University
• Fordham University

Published Works

• When Can You Settle a Case Without Your Insurers’ Consent?, Practice Perspectives: Insurance Liability & Recovery, 2009
• 401(k) 'Excessive Fees' Lawsuits: Fiduciary Liability Policies Likely To Cover Plan Fiduciaries, Policy Perspective, 2007
• Understanding Commercial Property Insurance, New Appleman Insurance Law Practice Guide, Chapter 31, 2007
• Can D&O Insurance Protect Outside Directors Against 'Personal Wealth' Settlement Demands?, Policyholder Advisory, 2005
• The Art of the Joint Resolution: Negotiate Technical, Financial and Legal Questions Together, Legal Times Special Report on Dispute Resolution, 1997
• Proving Continuous Environmental Property Damage Throughout Successive Policy Periods in Jurisdictions Employing a 'Damage-in-Fact' Trigger, Environmental Claims Journal, Vol. 9, No. 4, 1997

Address

51 Louisiana Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001-2113

Phones

1.202.879.3727 (Business Phone)

Faxes

1.202.626.1700 (Business Fax)

Emails

Contact Us (Business Email)

Websites

http://www.jonesday.com