John E. Howell, a standout associate in Wiley Rein’s premiere Insurance Practice, was profiled as a 2015 “Rising Star” by Law360, which named him one of five top insurance attorneys under 40, following a nation-wide nomination process.
Mr. Howell focuses his practice on representing professional liability insurers in coverage disputes. The April 30 article discusses Mr. Howell’s work in helping secure victories for insurer clients in coverage litigation filed following the collapse of Washington Mutual Inc. in 2008, as well as cases involving The PNC Financial Group, Inc. and IndyMac Bancorp Inc.
After graduating cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2007, Mr. Howell clerked for Judge E. Grady Jolly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He joined Wiley Rein in 2008 when the credit crisis hit financial institutions, which in turn created a wave of litigation and claims for liability insurance coverage. “I started working with this big mass of claims that spun out of that crisis,” Mr. Howell told Law360.
Today, Mr. Howell splits his time between litigation matters and counseling insurers. “I’ve become more involved in the mediation process as I’ve become more senior, and it’s a nice change of pace from litigation because oftentimes you can reach more creative, business-style solutions with somebody who may ultimately be a customer of our clients,” Mr. Howell said.
Law360’s profile of Mr. Howell can be found here (subscription required).