Janet J. Lee

 Janet’s accomplishments include the following:

• Successfully secured the grant of summary judgement and defended the appeal in the Second Circuit in Zurich Am. Insur. Co. v. Liberty Mut. Insur. Co., 710 Fed. Appx. 3 (2d Cir. 2017), which affirmed that defendant insurer’s disclaimer of coverage based on construction exclusion was timely because N.Y. Law 3420(d) did not apply to co-insurers;
• Co-authored motion and secured the grant of summary judgment and defended the appeal in the Second Circuit in American Trucking and Transportation Insur. Co. et al v. Liberty Mut. Insur. Co. et al., 2019 WL 1324611 (2d Cir. March 25, 2019), which affirmed that the contractually agreed upon conformance provision voided an employee exclusion that leaves gaps in liability coverage required of owner’s auto policies in New York;
• Co-authored the appeal brief and secured the reversal in the Second Circuit in favor of Employers of Insurance Company of Wausau against Harleysville and Travelers in Employers of Insur. Co. of Wausau v. Harleysville Preferred Insur. Co. et al., 7c(2d Cir. 2018), reversing the lower court’s decision and held instead that defendant auto insurers could not rely upon extrinsic evidence to negate a duty to defend based on a mechanical device exclusion in an auto policy;
• Successfully appealed an order granting summary judgment to defendant insurer in RLI v. Steely, 65 A.D.3d 539, whereby it became a case of possible first impression in New York setting forth the proposition that one insurer may challenge the validity of another carrier’s disclaimer.

Effective in prioritizing and managing a broad range of litigation-related responsibilities, Janet is proven in her ability to resolve legal issues quickly and effectively, through in-depth discovery management, motion practice, and client communication.  

Prior to joining the firm, Janet was senior counsel at a mid-size firm in Manhattan where she handled insurance coverage defense matters.