Contact
Seth I. Weinstein
Partner
New York
77 Water Street
Suite 2100
New York, New York 10005
Phone: 212.232.1321
Fax: 212.232.1399
Email: [email protected]
Seth Weinstein is Vice-Chair of the Firm’s nationwide Property Insurance Practice Group. Seth’s practice is principally concentrated in the areas of insurance coverage and property damage litigation, including the defense and prosecution of subrogation actions. These claims/cases often involve catastrophic building fires, explosions, building collapse, equipment and machinery malfunction, construction accidents, construction defects, adjoining property damage, hail, water damage, freeze-ups, ice dams, floods, hurricanes, water main breaks, mold, theft of property, business interruption and income loss, employee dishonesty, property contamination, and other pollution-related matters.
Seth has passionately assisted insurance carriers, managing general agents and third-party claims and program administrators with claims investigation, coverage interpretation, policy drafting, and litigation of losses throughout the Unites States and abroad for over 20 years. He regularly conducts and participates in fraud investigations, including examinations under oath. He has significant experience in first-party property, general liability and directors and officers liability coverage disputes. He has served as national coverage counsel for clients and monitors claims and litigation across the country. Seth has vast experience with regard to insurance claims, disputes and lawsuits concerning condominiums, homeowner’s associations, and co-op’s. He has served on condominium and co-op boards for over a decade. Seth is also a certified mediator.
Seth has been involved with many high profile property losses and multi-party litigations, including losses involving damages in excess of $100 Million Dollars. Representative claims/cases include:
Numerous claims, mediations and lawsuits arising from Superstorm Sandy:
- Seth defended numerous insurers in mediations in connection with the mandatory mediation programs established in New York and New Jersey following the storm. He conducted examinations under oath of insureds claiming damage from the storm and spear headed fraud investigations on behalf of clients. Further, he is defending insurers in declaratory judgment actions. Seth has lectured on the relevant coverage issues faced by insurers in connection with the storm and assisted clients with establishing best practices protocols to promptly and efficiently resolve claims.
Numerous claims and lawsuits arising from the events of September 11, 2001 and clean-up efforts:
- Seth represented numerous insurers in declaratory judgment actions filed in connection with the tragic events of September 11th. He also conducted examinations under oath and assisted clients with establishing settlement programs to promptly and effectively resolve claims. He worked with numerous experts to investigate claims, which lead to many claims being withdrawn or settled for a fraction of what was initially claimed. Seth also defended parties in litigation concerning the clean-up efforts at the WTC site.
Con Edison Steam Pipe Explosion at 41st Street and Lexington Avenue litigation:
- Seth has been one of the lead counsel defending over 100 lawsuits filed in connection with a large steam pipe explosion.
Central Synagogue fire litigation:
- Seth defended one of the target defendants in this $50 Million property damage action concerning a catastrophic fire to one of the oldest synagogues in the United States. This case went to verdict in 2001.
Served as lead counsel for numerous cases concerning large water main breaks in New York City:
- Seth has served on numerous plaintiffs’ committees in prosecuting large property damage actions, subrogation and otherwise, arising from water main breaks in New York City. He has been involved in such losses for over 20 years. He served as the Chairman of a Plaintiff’s Committee that recovered over $15 Million as a result of a water main break in 1998. Seth’s efforts lead to the settlement of all of the cases.