Overview

Mr. Leimkuhler has a broad commercial litigation and arbitration practice focusing primarily on complex insurance and reinsurance coverage issues and securities disputes.  His practice encompasses counseling as well as litigation and appellate work before federal and state courts and arbitration panels.  For nearly 25 years he has represented London Market and North American insurers and reinsurers on a wide variety of coverage matters. Through his representation of insurers on pollution claims, Mr. Leimkuhler has developed substantial expertise investigating historical environmental practices and knowledge of large industrial insureds.  He also has extensive experience litigating and counseling on asbestos, health hazard, pharmaceutical, professional liability, directors and officers, construction defect, property, and other claims.  In addition, Mr. Leimkuhler has expertise in insurance allocation issues, and in litigating claims of misrepresentation and nondisclosure in the placement of insurance policies.  In one such matter, Mr. Leimkuhler served as lead counsel for a group of insurers in a  trial that secured a judgment rescinding policies and disallowing $70 million in claims.  He also litigates claims of fraud or other misconduct in connection with the sale of structured financial products.

Mr. Leimkuhler has successfully litigated other matters involving allegations of fraud, breach of contract, professional negligence, interference with property rights, and discrimination in employment and public accommodations. He was co-lead counsel in a national class action on behalf of plaintiffs who alleged that they were denied equal access to health club memberships on account of race, which resulted in one of the largest settlements in a public accommodations discrimination matter.

Professional Affiliations

  • District of Columbia Bar
  • Law Firm Representative, Washington Lawyers Committee For Civil Rights & Urban Affairs (former)

Experience

  • Associate, Wilmer Cutler & Pickering

Representative Matters

  • Successfully led clients to rescission against a Fortune 100 company in a Missouri state court trial, avoiding $70 million of potential liabilities
  • Conducted a three-month trial in New Jersey state court, resulting in disallowance of a policyholder’s claim for radionuclide cleanup costs and a portion of other asserted environmental response costs
  • Through arbitration, secured an award of tens of millions of dollars in favor of the firm’s client against a company that had reinsured the client’s workers’ compensation and other liabilities

Publications & Events

In the News

Education

  • University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D., cum laude, 1986)
  • University of Virginia (B.A. 1982)

Bar Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • Pennsylvania (inactive)
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit