Alison McLaughlin is counsel in the Liability Risk Management group, a nationally-recognized practice advising dozens of private equity sponsors, hedge fund and mutual fund complexes, and public and private companies on their professional liability and transactional risk insurance coverage, as well as contractual indemnification protections. Alison advises clients on a broad spectrum of insurance, indemnification, and other risk management matters, with a focus on director and officer litigation, and comprehensive risk management for clients in a wide range of industries.
Alison’s practice includes drafting and negotiating tailored liability insurance policies (including directors and officers, professional liability, private equity and hedge fund general partnership liability, cyber, crime, and other insurance policies), drafting and negotiating director and officer indemnification agreements, and advocating for clients in securing and maximizing coverage for litigation, regulatory investigations, cyber incidents, social engineering attacks, and other claims. Alison also advises clients in connection with insurance-related investments, and assists with the management of insurance issues arising out of bankruptcy and pre-bankruptcy situations.
Alison’s insurance and risk management practice is grounded in her experience litigating securities and insurance coverage matters during her previous tenure in the Ropes & Gray litigation department and another prominent firm, as well as her breadth of experience in the insurance industry (both in-house and as outside counsel) with regard to insurance coverage and management of complex claims.
Experience
- Serve as insurance and risk management counsel to dozens of private equity firms, hedge funds, and mutual fund complexes, including negotiation of insurance contracts, management of claim recoveries, and advice in connection with operational and organizational change, and mitigation of risk.
- Advised large mutual fund complex on securing insurance coverage for trade error claims totaling hundreds of millions of dollars and involving novel insurance coverage issues.
- Advise private equity firms and portfolio companies regarding structure and implementation of comprehensive insurance coverage at firm level as well as across portfolio companies, including management and professional liability, cyber, crime, and commercial insurance.
- Drafted comprehensive worldwide indemnification agreement for employees of global investment firm, involving synthesis of legal constructs from multiple foreign jurisdictions.
- Partner with hedge fund and private equity clients on evaluation and structuring of investments in insurance-related assets.
- Counsel universities and research institutions on structuring and implementing insurance and indemnity programs covering a broad spectrum of risks from research exposures and management liability to endowment management and cyber risks.
- Advised major shareholder on contested insurance recovery from multiple sources in connection with $1B+ shareholder litigation arising out of merger activity.
- Regularly provide advice to clients in bankruptcy and pre-bankruptcy scenarios on strategies to maximize insurance and mitigate downside risk associated with transactions and insolvency.
- Provide strategic advice and guidance to private equity sponsors in the organization and presentation of claims under transactional liability insurance policies, and advocate for favorable recoveries on such claims.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to clients on sensitive and high-profile claims, including regulatory investigations, ransomware attacks, cyber breaches, and high-stakes litigation.