Terrence J. Coleman

Terrence J. Coleman, Partner & Attorney

Phone: (415) 433-8000
Fax: (415) 433-4816

TERRY COLEMAN has been a partner with Pillsbury & Coleman, LLP (formerly, Pillsbury & Levinson), since 1999, specializing in the representation of policyholders in insurance bad faith and insurance coverage matters. Past clients include individuals as well as small businesses and large corporations. In 2002, Mr. Coleman tried the disability bad faith case of Randall Chapman, M.D. v. UnumProvident Corp., obtaining a $31.7 million jury verdict for a disabled eye surgeon. Mr. Coleman also led the HealthNet litigation in which he obtained injunctions prohibiting California’s largest HMO from canceling health insurance coverage to hundreds of families insured under plans issued to the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, the Organization of Women Architects and the Bay Area Chamber. Mr. Coleman is a frequent lecturer and author on insurance-related topics and serves on many boards. He is Past President of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association and is a past president of the St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco. He is a Fellow of the American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel. In 2003, Mr. Coleman also served as chair of the Insurance Section of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (now AAJ). That same year, Mr. Coleman was a finalist for “Trial Lawyer of the Year” by the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association.  In 2023, Mr. Coleman received the “Civil Justice Award” by the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, in honor of his successful representation of a disabled professional football player against the National Football League.  Mr. Coleman is “AV” rated by the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell organization and was named a Northern California “Super Lawyer” in 2006 through 2024.

Background

Born in San Francisco, California, on April 25, 1968.

Raised in Stockton, California; attended Cleveland Elementary, St. Luke’s Elementary, and St. Mary’s High School

Wife, Lucille; Children, Garrett, Bridget, and Brendon

Major Cases

Co-tried Chapman v. UnumProvident Corp., a disability bad faith case, resulting in a $31.7 million jury verdict, including $30 million in punitive damages. (Marin County Superior Court)

Lead counsel in San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association v. Health Net, Inc., Robertson v. Health Net, Inc., and Organization of Women Architects v. Health Net, resulting in preliminary injunctions against Health Net prohibiting cancellation of coverage. (San Francisco County Superior Court.) In December 2005, the Court of Appeal affirmed the injunction issued in San Francisco Trial Lawyers in a unanimous decision authored by Justice Carol Corrigan, who was recently elevated to the California Supreme Court.

Lead trial counsel in Patrick v. UNUM Life Insurance Company, an ERISA disability case, resulting in a plaintiff’s verdict of nearly $1.5 million, including an award of attorneys’ fees of nearly $1.3 million. (San Mateo County Superior Court.)

Lead trial counsel in Dimry v. Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan, a six-year litigation against the NFL, resulting in a 2022 federal court decision fully favorable to Mr. Dimry that outlined the NFL’s abusive practices towards disabled players. (Northern District of California)

Obtained a $35 million settlement in 2019 against a major liability insurer for wrongfully refusing to defend a small business owner in an underlying catastrophic personal injury action. (Alameda County Superior Court)

Successfully obtained summary judgment against Travelers Insurance Company for wrongfully refusing to defend an excavation contractor in an underlying personal injury action that resulted in an $18 million judgment. (San Francisco County Superior Court)

Successfully obtained summary judgment against Federated Mutual Insurance Company for wrongfully refusing to defend a general contractor in an underlying personal injury action that resulted in a $16.8 million judgment. (San Francisco County Superior Court)

Lead trial counsel in Westover v. Oregon Mutual Insurance Company, resulting in a unanimous jury verdict of over $724,000 on a homeowner’s claim arising from the Oakland Hills Firestorm, affirmed on appeal. (Alameda County Superior Court.)

Successfully obtained a summary judgment order requiring Lloyd’s of London to pay an underlying $10 million judgment rendered against its insured due to the wrongful withdrawal of its defense. (Alameda County Superior Court.)

Successfully obtained summary judgment order requiring Clarendon Insurance Company to pay an underlying $1.5 million judgment rendered against its insured due to its failure to defend. (Contra Costa County Superior Court.)

AREAS OF PRACTICE

  • Insurance Law
  • Disability Claims

LITIGATION PERCENTAGE

  • 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

EDUCATION

  • University of San Francisco School of Law, San Francisco, California
  • J.D. magna cum laude – 1994
  • Law Review: University of San Francisco Law Review, 1992 – 1994
  • University of California at Berkeley
  • B.A. – 1991

PUBLISHED WORKS

  • Author, “Disability Insurance Claims in the COVID-19 World,” Plaintiff Magazine, September 2020
  • Author, “Insurance Bad Faith Mediations; Why no Settlement?” Plaintiff Magazine, September 2019
  • Author, “Deposing Insurance Company Personnel: Lessons Learned,” Advocate, Journal of Consumer Attorneys Association for Southern California, September 2018
  • Author, “Suing Insurance Adjusters in the Post-Bock v. Hansen World,” Plaintiff Magazine, September 2018
  • Author, “The Emerging Frontier of Long-Term-Care Insurance Bad Faith,” Advocate, Journal of Consumer Attorneys Association for Southern California, April 2018
  • Author, “Unum Revisited: Is the Disability Insurer up to its Old Tricks?”, Plaintiff Magazine, September 2016
  • Author, “Lawyers on Disability”, Plaintiff Magazine, August 2015
  • Author, “Protecting the Subsequent Insurance Bad Faith Action”, The Trial Lawyer, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Fall 2011
  • Author, “Big Insurers, Dirty Tricks: ‘That’s not my signature’”, Trial, Journal of the American Association for Justice, July 2007
  • Author, “Legal Rights Voting Team”, The Trial Lawyer, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Spring 2005
  • Author, “Perfecting Your Disability Bad Faith Claim: Tips From the Trenches”, Forum, Consumer Attorneys of California, June 2004, Vol. 34, No. 5
  • Author, “Back to the Basics: Reexamining Compensatory Damages in Light of Campbell”, The Trial Lawyer, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Spring 2004
  • Author, “Using Corporate Documents and Depositions to Prove Bad Faith,” Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 2003 Convention
  • Co-Author: “Overcoming the ‘Genuine-Issue’ Rule in Bad-Faith Cases, Trial Magazine, March 2002, Association of Trial Lawyers of America
  • Co-Author: “Using the ‘Treating Physician Rule’ in Disability Bad Faith Cases, Forum Magazine, December 2001, Consumer Attorneys of California
  • Co-Author: “Homeowner and Consumer Insurance: Landslides, Fires and Natural Disasters,” Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 1995 convention
  • Author: “Bily v. Arthur Young & Co.: An Inequitable Approach to Defining Accountant Liability to Third Parties,” 28 USF Law Review 239

CLASSES/SEMINARS

  • “The Ins and Outs of Insurance,” Consumer Attorneys of California, Sonoma Convention, March 2024
  • “Discovery Strategies,” Consumer Attorneys of California, November 2018
  • “Lawyers on Disability:  Buying the Right Coverage and Obtaining the Benefits that are Due if Disaster Strikes,” a seminar sponsored by San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, May 2017
  • “Using Lessons from Personal Experience,” American Association for Justice, Annual Convention, Montreal Canada, July 2015
  • “Bad Faith Litigation”, American Conference Institute, Philadelphia, PA, March 2014
  • “Policy Limit Demands”, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, New Lawyers Division Ski Seminar, January 2014
  • “Insurers on the Attack,” American Association for Justice, Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA, July 2013
  • “Auto Claims: Maximizing Recoveries and Protecting the Subsequent Bad Faith Case”, moderator, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, February 2009
  • “Insurance Bad Faith Litigation & HMO Liability”, moderator, Regional TLA Conference, Squaw Creek Resort, June 2009
  • VoiceAmerica live radio show, “Meeting By Accident,” discussing insurance company claims denials and tactics, September 18, 2007
  • “Disability Insurance Claims: Navigating the Waters of ERISA and Bad Faith”, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, July 2005
  • “The Year in Review — Developments in Civil Litigation”, Continuing Education of the Bar, January 2002, January 2003, January 2004
  • Challenges in California Insurance Coverage Litigation, San Francisco, CA, March 31, 2004
  • “Fundamentals of Insurance Litigation”, Continuing Education of the Bar, April 2001
  • “ERISA Preemption: A Relic of the Past?”, Association of Trial Lawyers of America Annual Convention, July, 2000
  • “Recent Developments in Punitive Damages”, Consumer Attorneys of California Winter Convention, April, 2000

HONORS AND AWARDS

  • “Super Lawyer”, 2006 through 2024
  • Civil Justice Award, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, April 2023
  • President’s Award, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, January 15, 2004
  • Finalist, Trial Lawyer of the Year, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, March 2003
  • Distinguished Service Award, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, October 5, 2001

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS

  • The State Bar of California
  • Consumer Attorneys of California
  • American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel, Fellow
  • Association of Trial Lawyers of America, now American Association for Justice, Insurance Litigation Section, Past Chair
  • San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, President, 2014 – 2015

PAST EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS

  • Pillsbury, Levinson & Mills, LLP, Associate, 1996 – 1999
  • Cartwright, Bokelman, Moore, Harris, Alexander & Gruen, Inc., Associate, 1994 – 1996
  • The Hon. Ming W. Chin California Court Of Appeal, Judicial Extern, 1993 – Present

PRO BONO ACTIVITIES

  • President, St. Thomas More Society, 2008