Ali Ward advises domestic and international insurance carriers on complex coverage matters and represents clients in coverage disputes in federal and state courts across the country. She has devoted more than two decades to working with insurers to evaluate claims, interpret policy terms, and address coverage issues with significant legal and business consequences.
Her practice spans a wide range of claims involving:
- construction defects
- contractual defense and indemnity and additional insured
- environmental contamination and legacy pollution
- extra contractual and bad faith
- health hazards
- multiyear trigger and allocation
- oil and gas and other energy operations and
- personal and advertising injury.
Ali works with carriers during the underwriting process to improve policy wording and reduce the risk of future disputes. She also advises clients on claims practices and helps them identify and address coverage issues before they lead to litigation. When claims arise, Ali identifies key coverage questions and develops an efficient plan to help her clients make informed decisions. She brings a business-focused approach to each matter, considering how claim decisions affect her clients' operations and future claims. She draws on her deep knowledge of coverage law, particularly in Louisiana and Texas, to help insurers address complex issues and resolve disputes.
When coverage disputes reach the courtroom, Ali represents insurers through trial and appeal. She combines practical judgment, careful analysis and a business-centered approach to pursue positive outcomes.
Experience
- Successfully represented insurers as coverage counsel in numerous claims involving underlying legacy environmental contamination, coastal erosion, fracking, pipeline canal erosion, mercury and benzene exposure lawsuits, addressing issues including choice of law, pollution exclusions, number of occurrences, trigger and allocation, insured contract, contractual defense and indemnity, and additional insured.
- Obtained dismissal of claims against CGL insurer through declaratory and summary judgment in complex litigation arising from an arbitration award for delay and increased costs associated with an industrial power-generation facility. The dispute presented multiple coverage and procedural issues, including whether alleged failures in expediting and sequencing construction work sounded in tort or contract; whether the claimant could proceed under Louisiana’s Direct Action Statute and as the insured’s assignee; whether an arbitration award entered in a proceeding to which the insurers were not parties had preclusive effect; whether delay-related economic losses constituted covered property damage; and whether the alleged damage occurred during the relevant policy periods.
- Secured summary judgment for umbrella insurer in complex, multi-stage federal coverage litigation arising from catastrophic injuries sustained while bundles of steel were being unloaded from a barge. After extensive district court proceedings and two appeals, the appellate court affirmed summary judgment establishing that the underlying wharfingers liability policy covered the accident and that the umbrella policy was therefore not implicated. The litigation involved contractor and subcontractor employee exclusions, dual- and borrowed-employee doctrines, following form coverage, the allocation of coverage among multiple policies, the appellate mandate and law-of-the-case doctrines, and waiver.
- Obtained dismissal for multiple insurers in consolidated federal litigation involving wrongful death, personal injury, and putative class claims arising from alleged exposure to Legionella and Pseudomonas bacteria. Obtained dismissal of one insurer based on a bacteria exclusion. Subsequently obtained summary judgment for another insurer under an acquired-properties exclusion, successfully arguing that a later endorsement did not retroactively displace the exclusion and that the insurer did not waive its notice defense.
- Negotiated a complex interim defense cost allocation agreement on behalf of an environmental insurer in federal declaratory judgment litigation concerning the allocation of defense obligations arising from claims against a chemical and brine production company, resolving the immediate defense funding dispute while preserving the insurer’s coverage positions.
- Won summary judgment on behalf of insurers in coverage litigation arising from workers’ alleged exposure to hydrogen sulfide and other chemicals at a Louisiana refinery. The appellate court affirmed summary judgment dismissing the refinery operator’s claims for insurance coverage and contractual indemnity.
- Obtained a successful settlement on behalf of insurers in 7-year coverage litigation arising from hurricane damage to 150 properties involving complex first party insurance coverage issues.
- Secured a zero-dollar judgment on behalf of an excess insurer in protracted construction-defect coverage litigation involving a large residential development, a 34-day arbitration, a jury trial, and appellate proceedings.