Jay Sever is a partner in the Insurance and Reinsurance group of Phelps Dunbar. He serves as local, regional and national coverage counsel for both foreign and domestic insurance companies. He counsels clients, manages disputes and tries cases involving a wide variety of insurance coverage issues, including matters arising from bad faith, construction defects claims, third-party liability claims, first-party claims, professional liability claims, crane and rigging claims, racing and competitive sport claims, entertainment claims, transportation claims, environmental claims, general and toxic tort claims, advertising, copyright and trademark claims, media liability claims, multiple-year trigger and allocation issues, marine liability claims, Louisiana direct action claims and numerous others.
In addition to handling cases in Louisiana and California courts in which he is admitted, Jay also has acted as lead counsel in cases pending in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Jay's practice, both litigation and counseling, involves attorneys from all of Phelps Dunbar's offices in the Gulf South and, where necessary, local counsel in states throughout the United States.
Experience
- Act as regional and coordinating coverage counsel for multiple domestic insurers, actively handling coverage counseling and litigation matters in multiple Southeastern and Southwestern states from the Carolinas to Oklahoma.
- Act as national coverage and coordinating counsel for domestic insurer, actively handling insurance coverage counseling and litigation matters nationwide.
- Secured defense judgment for excess property insurer in COVID-19-related business interruption suit filed in New Hampshire state court by owners of 23 hotels across New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New Jersey, including in an interlocutory appeal, where the state Supreme Court held the presence of the virus in air or on surfaces did not cause direct physical loss or damage under the policy.
- Assisted major domestic insurer in drafting manuscript wording for Well Out Of Control policies, Underground Resources and Equipment Coverage and Contractors Pollution Liability Coverage.
- Drafted manuscript wording for crane and heavy equipment insurers to address the specialized needs of the industry.