Insights
Firm News

Erica Villanueva Inducted Into American College of Coverage Counsel

December 6, 2021 Announcement

Northern California legal powerhouse Farella Braun + Martel announces that Partner Erica Villanueva has been inducted as a fellow into the American College of Coverage Counsel (ACCC), the preeminent association representing the interests of insurers and policyholders in disputes arising out of insurance policies. Erica is the sixth Farella attorney invited into the ACCC.

Erica advises policyholders seeking to maximize recovery under their insurance policies and litigates insurance coverage disputes. She helps her clients navigate the insurance claims process, pursues breach of contract and bad faith claims against insurers, and advises on policy wording and coverage renewals. Erica’s practice focuses in particular on disputes under directors’ and officers’ liability, venture capital liability, employment practices liability, and commercial general liability insurance policies. In 2021, Erica completed a three-year term as a board member of the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF), having previously served on BASF’s Judiciary Committee and as chair of BASF’s Insurance Law Section. For her work as an insurance coverage practitioner, Erica is recognized in Chambers USA (2019-2021) and was named to Benchmark Litigation’s 40 & Under Hotlist (2017-2018). She earned her J.D. from Yale Law School (2004) and her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley (2000).

Comprised of senior lawyers with at least 15 years of experience handling insurance disputes, the American College of Coverage Counsel is an invitation-only organization dedicated to educating all insurance law professionals on cutting-edge, emerging, and critical issues, such as developing trends in insurance law and bad faith, trial practice and alternative dispute resolution, policy formation, and claims handling. The College is focused on the creative, ethical, and efficient adjudication of insurance coverage and extracontractual disputes, peer-provided scholarship, law student outreach, and the improvement of the relationship between and among its diverse members.

Farella Braun + Martel is a leading Northern California law firm representing corporate and private clients in sophisticated business transactions and complex commercial, civil and criminal litigation. Clients seek our imaginative legal solutions and the dynamism and intellectual creativity of our lawyers. We are headquartered in San Francisco and maintain an office in the Napa Valley that is focused on the wine industry.

Contact:
Cheryl Loof
Farella Braun + Martel LLP
415.954.4433 / [email protected] 

Firm Highlights

Publication

Disputes Between Shareholders May Not Be Governed by Fiduciary Duties but Could Be Covered by Insurance

(As published in Private Company Director ) Disputes regarding ownership interests often arise in the context of closely held corporations, particularly when directors, officers, or majority shareholders sell or acquire ownership interests in the...

Read More
Publication

More Stringent California Claim Law Could Benefit Policyholders

To combat a perceived litigation tactic by plaintiffs counsel of using settlement demands within policy limits to set up insurers for bad faith, insurance company associations lobbied for statutory clarification to avoid uncertainty around...

Read More
Publication

BIPA Liability: Existing CGL Coverage May Provide a Lifeline for Policyholders

Developments in the law have increased the potential liability that companies could face under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), but fortunately for policyholders, Illinois case law has also solidified coverage for BIPA...

Read More
Publication

Regulatory Changes Underway To Address Dwindling California Property Insurance Market

We keep hearing about how difficult it is for our clients to get property insurance these days, both for homes and businesses in Northern California’s wildfire-prone areas. Which, of course, is most of Northern...

Read More
News

Farella Braun + Martel Attorneys Named to 2023 Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

Thirty-eight Farella Braun + Martel lawyers were named to the Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists of top attorneys in Northern California for 2023. 2023 Farella Northern California Super Lawyers: Carly Alameda – Business...

Read More
News

Who’s Who Legal 2023 Recognizes Farella Lawyers

Six Farella Braun + Martel lawyers have been recommended by Who’s Who Legal 2023 as leading practitioners in their fields. Who’s Who Legal – Environment 2023 James Colopy Robert Hines David Lazerwitz Chris Locke...

Read More
Publication

When Can an Insurer Pursue a Malpractice Claim Against Defense Counsel Retained for an Insured? (Part One)

By Jalen M. Brown, Kristin Davis, Shanti Eagle, PeterJ. Georgiton, and J. Mark Hart When an insurer accepts an insured’s tender and agrees to provide a defense, it is often an afterthought as to...

Read More
News

Farella Lawyers Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2024 Edition

Read More
News

Farella Braun + Martel Earns 2024 Best Law Firms® Rankings

Read More
Publication

Reporting Dispute Claims Within Closely Held Wineries

Many wineries operate as closely held companies, meaning they’re owned by an individual or small group of shareholders, who are often members of the same family. Disputes regarding ownership interests can arise, particularly when directors...

Read More