Sondra S. Sylva
Partner
Sondra Sylva is Board Certified in Insurance Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Insurers turn to Sondra to understand policies and coverage issues that affect their business and personal affairs. They rely upon her trial experience and her deep understanding of the interplay of insurance laws and regulatory issues to help them when they face litigation.
Sondra defends domestic and global insurers, captives and reinsurers in complex coverage and extracontractual disputes. She counsels clients on underwriting and claims in personal lines and commercial lines including aviation, cyber, marine, pollution, property, casualty, professional, and educator liability.
Experience
- Won summary judgment in favor of insurer in COVID-19 business interruption claim. The trial court found that Contamination and Biological Hazards Exclusions precluded any duty on the part of the insurer to indemnify losses insured claimed involving hotel properties owned in various states.
- Secured a unanimous arbitration award in favor of a healthcare management company under Managed Care Errors and Omissions policies after the insurer had denied coverage for underlying antitrust lawsuits against the company. The award helped the client recoup legal expenses incurred in the underlying cases.
- Obtained dismissal of a declaratory judgment action against an insurance carrier. The outcome prevented the client from having to pay defense or settlement costs in a patent infringement case involving a telecommunications company insured by the carrier.
- Won dismissal of a breach of contract, declaratory judgment and extracontractual liability claim for a hotel client after successfully proving the proper venue for the lawsuit was in Mexico, not the United States.
- Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a property and casualty insurer in a declaratory judgment action addressing an employee exclusion. The court found the client had no duty to defend or indemnity its commercial insured against personal injury claims brought by a contractor hired to perform work on behalf of the insured.