Best Lawyers in America for Insurance Law

Alicia Bennett is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law. Alicia, who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Alicia is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Stephen Hall practices in the areas of insurance coverage law, environmental insurance litigation, asbestos and toxic tort litigation, and has gained considerable experience litigating coverage issues throughout the United States on behalf of the London insurance market and various domestic insurers, since joining the firm in 1983. The types of liabilities over which Mr. Hall has litigated disputed coverage issues include: environmental, asbestos, broker errors and omissions, aviation, and bu...

Mollie Kugler is a Shareholder in the Litigation and Risk Management Practice Group where she focuses her practice on representing and counseling insurance companies in litigation and disputes. Her clients benefit from her extensive coverage claims experience and her comprehensive knowledge of the litigation process, from formulating strategy plans and handling discovery, to drafting and arguing motions, and settlement or—if necessary—trial. A portion of Mollie’s practice is...

Brad grew up in Montana. He left the state to play college baseball in Florida and attend the United States Naval Academy. After graduating from the University of Montana law school with honors in 1977 he began private practice in Missoula. Since that time he has had a varied state wide practice involving insurance related litigation, specializing in insurance bad faith, personal injury, professional negligence and workers’ compensation law. Brad has handled more than 60 appeals before ...

Bret LeBreton is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group and a member of the insurance coverage team. He has practiced in all facets of maritime, energy, and marine and non-marine insurance law. Bret has represented assureds, underwriters, and other industry participants in a broad range of disputes involving hull, cargo, builder's risk, P&I, MEL, CGL, control of well, and excess and umbrella policies. He has given opinions regarding coverage, prepared reservations of rights, and advised...

Matthew Gray represents and advises insurers, healthcare facilities, corporations, and individuals. His practice includes complex insurance coverage analysis and counseling, bad faith litigation, employment counseling and litigation, long-term care claims, and administrative law. Matt represents his clients in the trial and appellate divisions of the state and federal courts throughout North Carolina. Currently, Matt is assisting clients with employment matters related to COVID-19 and the Fam...

Sharon Stuart devotes her practice to civil trial work and arbitration. She focuses on complex commercial and insurance litigation, and she handles a variety of product liability cases including pharmaceutical and medical device products liability litigation as national, regional or local counsel. Her trial experience includes a wide range of business tort claims, contract disputes, commercial and insurance fraud and bad faith suits, and wrongful death cases. She has defended dozens of class ...

Catriana Messina practices in the area of insurance. She has exclusively represented insurers and their agents since she joined Phelps Dunbar in 2014. Her practice is focused on complex first-party insurance coverage matters arising under homeowners, commercial property, builders risk, catastrophe and other property insurance policies, including but not limited to hurricane claims, sinkhole claims, and claims involving suspected arson, fire, fraud, vandalism, theft, collapse, business interru...

Janet Craig is a seasoned attorney in health care law and regulatory insurance issues. She is experienced in certificate of need and licensure, reimbursement, managed care, fraud and abuse, HIPAA, and Stark I and II. A former General Counsel of the Kentucky Department of Insurance, she has an active regulatory practice. She represents a host of insurers and HMOs on matters ranging from market conduct and financial exams to mergers, change of control and rate filings. Recent Assignments Repres...

Mike is a trial lawyer with a passion for handling complex and technical cases. He has been repeatedly named a Texas Super Lawyer in commercial litigation, a Top Litigator, and a Best Lawyer in Dallas (D Magazine) and a Best Lawyer in America (Woodward White). Clients entrust Mike with their largest and most important cases, and he frequently represents clients as either a plaintiff and defendant where the amounts in dispute exceed $100 million. In the past few years, Mike has acted as trial ...

Bill Creel was born in Biloxi, Mississippi and has been licensed to practice in the State of Mississippi since 1990. Bill has litigated matters in state and federal courts. Bill has a varied litigation practice involving, among other things, personal injury defense, premises liability and insurance coverage matters. Bill and his wife are proud parents of three boys. The Creels attend Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church.

Albert Alikin is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Insurance Law. Albert, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Albert is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jennifer Cranston (formerly Ratcliff) focuses her practice in three primary areas: real estate disputes involving condemnation and valuation issues; insurance coverage analysis and bad faith litigation; and public utility regulation. Jennifer’s objective is to provide sound legal advice, exceptional service, and cost-effective resolution for all her clients. She has successfully negotiated favorable settlements, as well as prevailed for clients at hearings, in arbitrations, at trial, an...

Mr. Haldrup has considerable practical experience in the construction industry. He graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Construction Engineering and worked as a field engineer prior to and during law school. He has litigated matters in State and Federal Court, before the Board of Contract Appeals, the South Carolina Procurement Review Board, and represented parties in mediation and arbitration proceedings. Mr. Haldrup regularly speaks to groups on the law in the construction indu...

Kelly Koss focuses her practice in domestic and international construction and commercial litigation and arbitration. She is respected by clients for her counsel regarding litigation avoidance techniques and her willingness to work collaboratively to seek early resolution to disputes. When litigation is unavoidable, Kelly is prepared to advocate zealously for her clients to achieve desired results. Kelly represents owners, developers, contractors and design professionals in disputes related t...

Zach Steadman represents insurance carriers and health care providers in regulatory matters pertaining to federal and state regulation. He also provides regulatory counsel on issues of information management and security compliance and advises clients on security policies and procedures, record retention policies, HIPAA compliance and planning for and responding to data breaches.