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 2015.

Academic

University of California at Berkeley (B.A., 1991)

University of San Francisco School of Law (J.D. 1994) (Magna Cum Laude)

Law Review, University of San Francisco School of Law (1992-1994)

Professional

1999-present: Partner: PILLSBURY & COLEMAN, LLP, San Francisco, California

  • Areas of Practice: insurance bad faith; insurance coverage litigation

1996-1999: Associate: PILLSBURY, LEVINSON & MILLS, LLP, San Francisco, California

  • Areas of Practice: insurance bad faith; insurance coverage litigation

1994-1996: Associate: CARTWRIGHT, BOKELMAN, MOORE, HARRIS, ALEXANDER & GRUEN, INC., San Francisco, California

  • Areas of Practice: insurance coverage; insurance bad faith; commercial litigation

1993: Judicial Extern: THE HON. MING W. CHIN, CALIFORNIA COURT OF APPEAL, San Francisco, California

  • Researched and prepared draft opinions for then Appellate Justice and now Supreme Court Justice Ming W. Chin

Affiliations and Memberships

  • The State Bar of California; Ninth and Tenth Circuit Courts of Appeal; United States Supreme Court
  • Consumer Attorneys of California
  • Fellow, American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel
  • Association of Trial Lawyers of America, now American Association for Justice
    • Past Chair, Insurance Litigation Section
  • San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association
    • President, 2014
  • United Policyholders
    • Board Member, 2014-2019
  • St. Thomas More Society
    • President, 2008

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, January 2003)

Lead counsel in Liang v. Truck Insurance Exchange, a duty to defend case, resulting in a $13.1 million bad faith verdict against Truck. (Alameda County Superior Court, April 2026)

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, 2004 – present) 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, October 1999)

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, March 1997)

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, 2000)

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, 2007)

Reported Cases

Robertson v. Health Net of California, Inc., 132 Cal.App.4 th 1419 (2005). Published opinion invalidating Health Net’s arbitration provision in HMO policy for failure to comply with California’s arbitration disclosure laws.

Moody v. Liberty Life Assurance Company of Boston, 595 F.Supp.2d 1090 (N.D. Cal., Jan. 26, 2009). Published opinion entering judgment against Liberty Life Assurance Company for wrongfully terminating disability insurance benefits to disabled software executive.

Fowler v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., 615 F.Supp.2d 1130 (N.D. Cal., May 15, 2009). Published opinion denying Aetna Life Insurance Company’s summary judgment motion in a disability insurance action governed by ERISA and granting leave to conduct far-reaching “conflict of interest” discovery.

Martorello v. Sun Life Assurance Co., 704 F.Supp.2d 918 (N.D. Cal., 2010). Published opinion granting judgment in Plaintiff’s favor, finding that Sun Life’s denial of benefits was based upon an erroneous interpretation of its policy.

Oster v. Standard Insurance Co., 759 F.Supp.2d 1172 and 768 F.Supp.2d 1026 (N.D. Cal., 2011). Published opinions entering judgment against Standard for wrongfully terminating disability insurance benefits and awarding attorneys’ fees.

Graybill-Bungard v. Standard Insurance Co., 793 F.Supp.2d 1117 (N.D. Cal., 2011). Published opinion granting motion to remand action to state court in disability insurance bad faith action on grounds that removal was untimely and, in any event, improper, as Complaint stated viable claim against in-state defendant thereby precluding removal jurisdiction.

Rader v. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, 941 F.Supp.2d 1191 (N.D. Cal. 2013). Published opinion granting motion to remand action to state court in disability insurance bad faith action on grounds that removal was improper, as Complaint stated viable claim against in-state defendant thereby precluding removal jurisdiction. In the state court proceeding, the San Francisco Superior Court denied Sun Life’s motion for summary adjudication on bad faith and punitive damages, finding that a reasonable jury “could find that [Plaintiff’s] evidence to be clear and convincing proof of malice, fraud, or oppression” and that a material fact existed “as to whether the claims examiner who handled Plaintiff’s claim did not fully investigate the claim in order to meet Defendant’s denial target rates.” (Order, entered June 17, 2014.)

Sequeira v. Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, 239 Cal.App.4 th 1438 (2015). Published opinion reversing trial court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of life insurance company. Lincoln’s group life insurance policy contained a commonly found “actively at work” provision, which generally conditions commencement of coverage on an employee being “actively at work” on the effective date of coverage. The Lincoln policy was to start on January 1, a paid holiday. Mr. Sequeira did not work on January 1, and was tragically hospitalized the next day and died four days later without ever returning to work. The Court held that Lincoln’s “actively at work” provision must refer to an employee’s status of employment rather than physical presence on the job site for coverage to commence, giving effect to the insured’s reasonable expectations of coverage.

Englert v. Prudential Insurance Company of America, 186 F.Supp.3d 1044 (N.D. Cal. 2016). Published opinion permitting breach of fiduciary duty claim against insurer under ERISA.

Lim v. American General Life Insurance Company, 380 F. Supp. 3d 955 (N.D. Cal. 2018). Published decision upholding ability to pursue claims for negligence and negligent misrepresentation against life insurance agent together with claims for breach of contract and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing against insurer for denial of life insurance claim.

Brown v. Unum Life Insurance Company of America, 356 F.Supp.3d 949 (C.D. Cal. 2019). Published decision following bench trial reinstating disability benefits to former Chief Operating Officer of healthcare practice management company disabled due to multiple myeloma.

Dimry v. BertBell/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan, 487 F.Supp.3d 807 (N.D. Cal. 2020). Published decision following bench trial, finding that the NFL abused its discretion in denying disability benefits to former 12-year veteran cornerback disabled due to severe cervical impairments and chronic pain.

Bennett v. Ohio National Life Assurance Corp., 92 Cal.App.5 th 723 (2023). Published opinion reversing order granting summary judgment on statute of limitations grounds in breach of contract and bad faith action against disability insurer. The opinion effectively reversed a line of federal court authorities holding that a cause of action accrues when the insurer first communicates an adverse coverage position to the insured, regardless of whether the communicated position causes immediate damage to the insured. The opinion establishes California law that a cause of action against a disability insurer does not accrue until the insurer actually withholds benefits that are due under the policy.

Koo v. Unum Group, 813 F.Supp.3d 1062 (C.D. Cal. 2025). Published decision holding that ERISA did not apply to preempt state-law claims for breach of contract and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing where the employer did not endorse the policy or pay premiums on its employee’s behalf.

AWARDS

  • Distinguished Service Award, October 5, 2001, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, awarded “with thanks and appreciation for fulfilling SFTLA’s commitment to community service.”
  • Finalist, Trial Lawyer of the Year, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, March 2003.
  • President’s Award, January 15, 2004, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, awarded for “fighting the good fight on behalf of SFTLA and its members” in the litigation SFTLA v. Health Net, San Francisco County Superior Court, Case No. 423782.
  • Civil Justice Award, April 27, 2023, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, in recognition of the six-year successful litigation on behalf of Charles Dimry against the NFL’s disability plan.

PUBLICATIONS AND SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

  • “The Ins and Outs of Insurance,” Consumer Attorneys of California, Sonoma Convention, March 2024;
  • “Disability Insurance Claims in the COVID-19 World,” Plaintiff Magazine, September 2020;
  • “Insurance Bad Faith Mediations: Why no Settlement?” Plaintiff Magazine, September 2019;
  • “Suing Insurance Adjusters in the Post-Bock v. Hansen World,” Plaintiff Magazine, September 2018;
  • “The Emerging Frontier of Long-Term-Care Insurance Bad Faith,” Advocate, Journal of Consumer Attorneys Association for Southern California, April 2018;
  • “Lawyers on Disability: Buying the Right Coverage and Obtaining the Benefits that are Due if Disaster Strikes,” San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, May 2017;
  • “Unum Revisited: Is the Disability Insurer up to its Old Tricks?”, Plaintiff Magazine, September 2016;
  • “Using Lessons from Personal Experience,” American Association for Justice, Annual Convention, Montreal Canada, July 2015
  • “Lawyers on Disability”, Plaintiff Magazine, August 2015;
  • “Bad Faith Litigation”, American Conference Institute, Philadelphia, PA, March 2014
  • “Insurers on the Attack,” American Association for Justice, Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA, July 2013;
  • “Protecting the Subsequent Insurance Bad Faith Action”, The Trial Lawyer, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Fall 2011;
  • “Insurance Bad Faith Litigation & HMO Liability”, moderator, Regional TLA Conference, Squaw Creek Resort, June 2009;
  • “Big Insurers, Dirty Tricks: ‘That’s not my signature’”, Trial, Journal of the American Association for Justice, July 2007;
  • “Legal Rights Voting Team”, The Trial Lawyer, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Spring 2005;
  • “Perfecting Your Disability Bad Faith Claim: Tips From the Trenches”, Forum, Consumer Attorneys of California, June 2004, Vol. 34, No. 5
  • “Back to the Basics: Reexamining Compensatory Damages in Light of Campbell”, The Trial Lawyer, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Spring 2004;
  • “Using Corporate Documents and Depositions to Prove Bad Faith,” Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 2003 Convention;
  • “Overcoming the ‘Genuine-Issue’ Rule in Bad-Faith Cases,” Trial Magazine, March 2002, Association of Trial Lawyers of America
  • “Using the ‘Treating Physician Rule’ in Disability Bad Faith Cases, Forum Magazine, December 2001, Consumer Attorneys of California;
  • “Fundamentals of Insurance Litigation”, Continuing Education of the Bar, April 2001
  • “Homeowner and Consumer Insurance: Landslides, Fires and Natural Disasters,” Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 1995 convention;
  • “Bily v. Arthur Young & Co.: An Inequitable Approach to Defining Accountant Liability to Third Parties,” 28 USF Law Review 239.