Meg Catalano
Meg.Catalano@kennedyslaw.com
+1 908 647 8390
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Profile
Education
- Seton Hall University School of Law, JD (cum laude), 1985
- Fairfield University, BA (cum laude), 1981
A partner in the firm’s Basking Ridge office, Meg is the Regional Managing Partner, North America and is a member of the firm’s Executive Group.
Meg has significant experience in resolving insurance and reinsurance coverage disputes through litigation in state and federal courts throughout the United States and abroad in arbitration.
Her practice includes the counseling and representation of corporate clients, and domestic and international insurers on large claim losses, risk analysis and appellate review. She regularly counsels clients on bad faith exposures and general business matters. Meg also advises insurers on issues arising out of insurance company insolvencies, policyholder bankruptcies, and policy drafting.
While living temporarily in Switzerland, Meg had the opportunity to serve as corporate counsel for a major pharmaceutical company addressing insurance coverage issues and products liability litigation in the United States and Europe. Meg continues to be actively involved in providing seminars to insurers and corporate clients on domestic and international insurance topics and risk management. Meg is also a founder of the firm’s Women’s Initiative.
Meg contributed to Kennedys' 'Global forecast 2024: Evolving insurance risks' report, published in January 2024.
Meg also contributed to the fourth edition of Kennedys’ Global Legal Handbook, one of our most popular guides, which outlines the main legal and procedural issues that case handlers may encounter when dealing with claims across 53 jurisdictions globally.
From 1 November 2024, Meg will take on the role as the firm’s Global Managing Partner.
Meg is a trusted advisor who provides sounds advice again and again.
Qualifications and admissions
- New Jersey
- US District Court, New Jersey
- US District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
- US Court of Appeals, Second, Third and Fourth Circuits
Market recognition
- Ranked lawyer and notable practitioner for 'Insurance (New Jersey)'
"Meg is a trusted advisor who provides sounds advice again and again."
Chambers USA 2024 - Ranked lawyer and notable practitioner for 'Insurance (New Jersey)'
“Meg Catalano is well regarded for her representation of insurers in coverage disputes. She offers experience in handling high-profile environmental contamination and toxic torts.”
"Meg is very well-known on litigation issues and is a zealous advocate for her clients."
Chambers USA 2023 - Ranked lawyer and notable practitioner for 'Insurance (New Jersey)'
"Meg is one of the titans of the insurance coverage Bar," continuing, "Meg has a wonderful manner and is very sharp on how teams work and develop."
Chambers USA 2022 - Ranked lawyer and notable practitioner for 'Insurance (New Jersey)'
"Meg Catalano is well regarded for her representation of insurers in coverage disputes, and her recent work has concerned high-profile environmental contamination and toxic torts." "Meg has seen it all and can give advice on everything insurance-related."
Chambers USA 2021 - Ranked lawyer and notable practitioner for 'Insurance (New Jersey)'
Meg Catalano is well regarded for her representation of insurers in coverage disputes. Market commentators describe her as "a smart and skilled advocate."
Chambers USA 2020
Work highlights
- Providing advice to certain Bermuda and London-based excess insurers of joint venture participant sued for catastrophic property, environmental, and personal injury damages associated with the failure of the Fundão Tailings Dam in Brazil.
- Served as handling attorney in Bermuda arbitration involving complex reinsurance dispute arising from pre-suit settlement of numerous medical malpractice claims due to performance of unapproved experimental spinal procedure on hundreds of patients.
- Successfully represented insurer in declaratory judgement action involving defense and indemnity of asbestos claims involving underlying exhaustion, missing policies, and periods of insolvency coverage issues and prevailed on appeal.
- Prevailed on summary judgement on behalf of insurer in connection with advertising injury claims arising out of a complex IP coverage dispute involving the insured’s alleged false advertising.
Presentations and publications
- “Hot Topics 2023,” In-House Client Training (March 2023)
- “Successfully navigating policy limit demands,” In-House Client Training (February 2023)
- “Bankruptcy and conveyance – UK, US and Bermuda perspectives,” presented at Kennedys Hot Topics Conference (October 2022)
- “US casualty & coverage overview,” In-House Client Training (June 2022)
- “Overview on Umbrella and excess policies,” In-House Client Training (September 2021)
- “Recent Developments in Environmental Insurance Coverage,” presented at NJICLE (December 2020)
- "Hot Topics in Insurance Coverage" In-House Client Training (April 2020)
- "Overview on general liability and umbrella policies" In-House Client Training (April 2020)
- "Current US Challenges (Including Update on Coronavirus)" (April 2020)
- “Getting into the weeds - updates on cannabis and Roundup,” presented at Bermuda Hot Topics Seminar (October 2019)
Report decisions
- North Riv. Ins. Co. v. Duro Dyne Natl. Corp., 153 A.D. 3d 844, N.Y. Sup. Ct. (App. Div. 2nd Dep’t August 2017)
Insurance and reinsurance