OVERVIEW
In over 35 years of practice, Robert Walsh has developed a national practice representing insurance companies in coverage litigation and providing claim advice and claim monitoring. He is the Chair of the firm’s Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Practice Group. Clients value Bob’s responsiveness and ability to provide successful and cost-effective representation that focuses on both the case at hand and the client’s broader strategic concerns. While he is based in the firm’s Philadelphia office, he is also admitted in New York and New Jersey and maintains an active practice in those states. Overall, Bob has handled insurance coverage litigation in more than 20 states ranging from Maine to California and Florida to Washington.
Bob has developed a particular focus in the area of complex claims involving environmental damage, asbestos, toxic tort liabilities and employer’s liability claims. He also has extensive experience litigating coverage disputes and providing coverage advice for other diverse matters, such as construction defect claims, claims under professional liability and other "claims made" policies, and cutting-edge product liability claims involving pharmaceuticals and food additives. In addition, Bob has represented policyholders in the direct defense of a variety of claims.
Bob is a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel. He is a regular presenter at White and Williams’ Coverage College. He has also spoken at Perrin Conferences and other conferences on insurance litigation topics and he provides regular training to the firm’s insurance company clients.
Recognition and Involvement
Recognition & Involvement
Bob has been AV® rated by the Martindale-Hubbell peer review rating system. He was also recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 for his work in Insurance Law.
Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel.
Credentials
Bar and Court Admissions
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
New York
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Education
Seton Hall University Law School, JD, cum laude, 1984
Rutgers College, BA, 1981
News & Insights
Memberships
American Bar Association
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Handled coverage litigation nationwide and provided claim advice for primary and excess insurers involving hundreds of contaminated waste sites and thousands of asbestos and silica claims
- Handled coverage litigation and provided claim advice involving a wide cross-section of underlying claims, including employer’s liability, professional liability, construction defect, and product liability
- Obtained summary judgment in in large environmental coverage action involving manufactured gas plant sites in New York involving multi-million dollars of potential liability
- Successfully arbitrated several disputes involving the scope and application of prior settlement agreements involving the release of future claims
- Prosecuted successful action to rescind professional liability policy based on fraud in the application process
- Handled the direct defense of policyholders in numerous premises liability, products liability and negligent hiring/negligent supervision claims
- Monitored and provided claim advice for underlying product liability claims, including claims involving pharmaceuticals and food additives, and professional liability/errors and omissions claims, including claims against attorneys, physicians, insurance adjusters and environmental contractors
- Assisted clients in developing strategies and procedures for handling litigation in particular jurisdictions and developing consistent approaches to discovery and settlement in complex litigation
- Co-authored successful amicus brief in Carter-Wallace, Inc. v. Admiral Ins. Co., 712 A.2d 1116 (N.J. 1998), one of the leading cases nationwide on allocation of long-tail claims
- Handled numerous cases limiting the obligations of excess insurers where underlying insurance has become insolvent or exhausted, including Werner Industries, Inc. v. First State Ins. Co., 548 A.2d 188 (N.J. 1988), a leading case finding no “drop down” due to underlying insolvency
- Prosecuted successful appeals for insurance company clients in other leading cases, including, Keyspan Gas East Corp. v. Munich Re, 15 N.E.3d 1194 (N.Y. 2014) (leading case rejecting waiver of coverage defenses), Con Edison v. Allstate Ins. Co., 774 N.E.2d 687 (N.Y. 2002) (leading case on allocation and burden of proof re existence of an occurrence)