Katheleen A. Ehrhart

Representative Matters

• Successfully represented party in breach of contract and fiduciary duty arbitration with $80 million in claimed damages brought by a major insurance carrier against its managing general underwriter for alleged underwriting guideline violations.

• Obtained temporary injunction in Florida state court for insurance intermediary Brown & Brown, Inc. against multiple individuals and AssuredPartners Inc. in a lawsuit over violations of restrictive covenants of former Brown & Brown employees hired by AssuredPartners resulting in a $20 million settlement paid to Brown & Brown.

• Complete defense victory obtained on behalf of managing general agent when carrier brought claims for underwriting violations related to a nonstandard auto insurance program.

• Successfully defended breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and fraudulent misrepresentation claims brought by insurance carrier for over $100 million in damages against its managing general agent related to specialty lines and surety bond programs.

• Represented a German reinsurer in an arbitration against a U.S. insurer where the client raised breach of contract claims as well as breaches of the duty of utmost good faith. In a unanimous decision, the panel found for our client, awarding it over $15 million in compensatory damages plus 6.5% compound interest and $1 million in punitive damages. The award was confirmed by a federal court. AXA Versicherung AG v. New Hampshire Insurance Co. et al, (S.D.N.Y).

• Currently prosecuting multiple lawsuits for insurance intermediaries against former employees for violations of restrictive covenants.

• Obtained verdict for damages and attorneys’ fees in Kentucky state court for insurance intermediary Brown & Brown against former employee for violations of restrictive covenants.

• Defense of putative nationwide class action alleging gender discrimination under Title VII and The Equal Pay Act. Successfully defeated two class certification motions and Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(f) Petitions. Successfully defended rulings on appeal in front of Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. 

• Defense of antitrust claims alleging price fixing and market allocation. Obtained summary judgment on all claims and successfully defended judgment on appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

• Defense of nationwide class action alleging securities fraud against developer and marketer of satellite global phone system.

• Defense of lost wages and benefits claims based on breach of contract and promissory estoppel theories.

• Defense of claims alleging business conspiracy and race discrimination, summary judgment was granted in favor of client on all counts, affirmed by the Fourth Circuit.  

• Prosecution of breach of contract claims based on the proposed merger of two large cellular companies to successful outcome. 

• Defense of antitrust claims alleging price fixing in the linerboard and corrugated container industry.

• Trial of Illinois class action involving the exempt status of auto and casualty adjusters under the Illinois Minimum Wage Act (which incorporates provisions of the FLSA), resulting in a complete defense verdict for our client.

• Defense of accounting negligence case for Arthur Andersen. Obtained complete defense verdict in first jury trial the client faced following the Enron indictment.