News
Pillsbury & Coleman’s Published Works & Articles
Philip Pillsbury: Out of order is how this insurance-bad-faith lawyer approaches trial
Tradition and principles carry a lot of weight in the courtroom, but that doesn’t mean a lawyer has to approach every trial conventionally. Just ask Philip L Pillsbury Junior, founding partner with Pillsbury and Coleman LLP, whos formula for trials might catch people off-guard. | Read More
Longtime Partner Vedica Puri Appointed to San Francisco Court
Vedi Puri, a partner at Pillsbury & Coleman, LLP, since 2005, has been appointed to a judgeship in the San Francisco County Superior Court. She will be the court’s first Indian-American judge. | Read More
UNUM Revisited
UNUM, which was fined $23M by the department of insurance a decade ago for it’s abusive claims handling practices, is back to it’s old tricks. | Read More
Lawyers on Disability
In August 2015, Plaintiff Magazine published Terrence Coleman’s article, “Lawyers on Disability.” Attorney Coleman, a partner at our firm since 1999, represents policyholders with bad faith insurance claims and other coverage concerns. His message here: even with a good individual disability policy, expect the carrier to be suspicious of a claim. | Read More
Addressing Common Asserted Defenses to Coverage and Bad-Faith Liability
Our founding partner Philip L. Pillsbury Jr. co-authored an article on how insureds, under current law in California, can address insurance companies who are not acting in good faith. The article appears in the book “Insurance Law 2015: Top Lawyers on Trends and Key Strategies for the Upcoming Year.” | Read More
Discovery: Like Shakespeare’s Hotspur in Battle
In this article published in The Recorder, Vedica Puri, Super Lawyer and partner at Pillsbury & Coleman, LLP, explains the importance of getting to the point when drafting discovery and presenting evidence to jurors.
The Supreme Court’s Shameful Descent Into Disrepute
An article by our former partner, now retired, Arnold Levinson, Esq. Here Mr. Levinson aptly discusses the Supreme Court’s involvement in an insurance/ERISA case with Mutual Life Insurance Company. | Read More
The Tragedies of ERISA
Another article by Mr. Levinson. In this one, he addresses the tragedies of ERISA’s unintended preemption of state law remedies. | Read More
Media Coverage of Pillsbury & Coleman
Pillsbury & Coleman win motion for judgment for disabled football player suing the NFL for unpaid disability benefits
Pillsbury & Coleman’s client–retired cornerback Charles Dimry–suffers from a variety of debilitating painful injuries sustained during his twelve years in the NFL. Despite his own doctors’ diagnoses of total disability, the NFL disability plan denied Mr. Dimry’s benefit claim. With no other recourse available, Mr. Dimry filed suit against the NFL.
On March 12, 2018 in a ruling on dispositive motions files by each party, Judge James Donato of the U.S. District Court for the Norther District of California agreed with Mr. Dimry and held that the NFL disability plan abused it discretion by denying Mr. Dimry total and permanent disability benefits.| Read More
Read the Judge’s Opinion| Read More
Judge sides with Pillsbury & Coleman, LLP, ruling that Sutter intentionally destroyed evidence.
Ten years of evidence destroyed by Sutter. | Read More
Pillsbury & Coleman partner Vedica Puri to host RIMS 2017 Western Regional Conference event, “Ride Sharing – Disrupting Transportation or Insurance?”
Kate Sampson, Lyft VP of Risk Solutions will present a case study on the challenges faced when seeking insurance solutions for new fast developing disruptive technology.
Pillsbury & Coleman submit public comments to Department of Labor condemning insurance company abuse and supporting proposed amended ERISA regulations.
Public Comments to the Department of Labor | Read More
Proposed Amended ERISA Regulations | Read More
Pillsbury & Coleman LLP Wins Prestigious 2015 Litigator Award
Pillsbury & Coleman LLP named 2015 Litigator Award Winner. Having been conferred this prestigious National Award, the firm ranks among the Top 1% of all lawyers for: Insurance Bad Faith, ERISA Litigation and Disability Claims Litigation. | Read More
Sutter Health Loses Appeal to Arbitrate Antitrust Class-Action
This link details the court’s opinion for UFCW & EMPLOYERS BENEFIT TRUST, v. SUTTER HEALTH et al. . | Read More
Widow of Vacaville city worker will get $275,000
In September 2015, the Daily Republic reported on a case won by Terrence Coleman. Attorney Coleman successfully represented the widow of a Vacaville city employee. The ruling reversed a Superior Court judgment, and Mr. Coleman’s client was awarded a $275,000 supplemental life insurance policy. | Read More
Super Lawyers®
Our attorneys have been recognized for excellence by numerous professional organizations and rating services. In this August 2012 issue of Northern California Super Lawyers® magazine, our lawyers are profiled as legal advocates for the rights of insurance policyholders. | Read More
California Judge: Coverage Not Barred by Policy’s Molestation Exclusion
Our attorneys Vedica Puri, Philip L. Pillsbury Jr. and Ingrid S. Leverett represented the plaintiffs in this case — Society for Creative Anachronism, et al. v. Fireman’s Fund Ins. Co., et al., No. 10-498672, Calif. Super., San Francisco Co. *Reprinted with permission from Mealey’s Emerging Insurance Disputes, Vol. 17, Iss. #9, May 3, 2012. | Read More
Vedica Puri Mentioned in San Francisco Chronicle’s Movers and Shakers Section
The San Francisco Chronicle took notice when Vedica Puri, partner at Pillsbury & Coleman, LLP, was appointed to The Bar Association of San Francisco’s Foundation Board. The foundation is the charitable arm of The Bar Association of San Francisco. | Read More
Speaking Engagements
Property Insurance Coverage and Ensuing Loss Exceptions
Rick Larson will be a speaker on the scope of “ensuing loss” clauses in property policies, which provide an exception to faulty workmanship and other exclusions, at the 2016 ABA Property Insurance Law Committee Annual Spring Meeting in Las Vegas.