rwesterfield@bowlesverna.com
Robert Westerfield is a senior partner and seasoned litigator with particular expertise in handling insurance coverage matters and reinsurance disputes. His insurance practice focuses primarily on representing corporate policyholder clients in disputes with insurers. In the reinsurance arena, he has represented reinsurers both in arbitrations and in jury trials. Mr. Westerfield has successfully litigated myriad claims in those cases where informal efforts at dispute resolution have failed. His track record includes several multi-million dollar jury verdicts and settlements totaling in excess of $100,000,000. In addition, he assists clients in their efforts to purchase or renew insurance by analyzing and comparing policy forms in order to secure the broadest and most cost effective coverage.
Mr. Westerfield’s rare and impressive background in insurance and reinsurance litigation constitutes a unique asset to the firm’s insurance practice. His clients are a diverse group and include Fortune 50 corporations, governmental entities, small businesses and individuals.
In addition, Mr. Westerfield has experience in the areas of general business litigation, unfair competition and business torts, professional liability matters, environmental legal concerns, construction litigation and public entity issues.
Mr. Westerfield is actively involved in the Tort and Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association and is a vice chair of both the Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee and the Self-Insurers and Risk Managers Committee. He is a member of PARMA and the Contra Costa County Bar Association. In addition, he is the President of the Board of Directors of Family Life Center, a group home located in Petaluma, California.
Highlights of Mr. Westerfield’s recent litigation experience include the following:
- Lead counsel representing Certain London Market Reinsurers in a month long jury trial in San Francisco where the cedant was seeking over $15 million. After over five years of litigation, obtained unanimous defense verdict in favor of reinsurers.
- Multi-million dollar settlement obtained for public entity from insurer who refused to defend Natural Resources Damages claim.
- Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of Certain London Market Reinsurers in an arbitration with a U.S. based cedant concerning the cedant’s post settlement attempt to reallocate its loss.
- Served as coverage counsel for Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. in connection with a five-week defamation trial in Gainesville, Florida where the plaintiffs were seeking a multi-billion dollar award. The disputes between the parties were settled during jury deliberations using a substantial contribution from A-B’s insurance carriers.
- Counsel for Sea World in action against insurers who refused to settle a lawsuit arising from an accident at a theme park. Sea World settled with the plaintiff and sued the insurers, and after a multi-week jury trial obtained full recovery of all defense and settlement expenses plus attorney’s fees incurred in prosecuting the coverage action.
Personal Information
Robert Westerfield (who generally goes by Robin) was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1955. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history from Indiana University in Bloomington in 1978, Robin moved to California and attended Hastings College of the Law. He received his Juris Doctorate from Hastings in 1983, and thereafter joined the firm of Bronson, Bronson & McKinnon in San Francisco. He was an associate at Bronson for two years before joining with Richard T. Bowles in founding the firm in 1985. Robin currently lives in Benicia with his wife Nancy. Together they have one daughter who graduated from Middlebury College in 2007, and share the pleasure of being owned by their wonderful dog, Buster.