Brian G. Friel
Overview
Brian Friel is Managing Partner of Miller Friel. For over 28 years, Mr. Friel has appeared on behalf of corporate policyholders in numerous state and federal courts throughout the country, where his litigation and arbitration skills have led to a number of successful court verdicts and arbitration awards, including a $112 million breach of contract and bad faith jury verdict in May 2023 in the Northern District of Indiana.
Mr. Friel’s focus is on claims involving professional management liability policies, including D&O, EPLI and Fidelity, and his clients range from oil and gas companies, chemical companies, pipeline operators, retailers, to industrial manufacturers. Mr. Friel negotiated one of the largest D&O insurance settlements ever reached in the United States, and has litigated a number of a major D&O cases on behalf of well-known financial institutions. Mr. Friel has represented a major international construction and engineering firm with respect to D&O, E&O and Fidelity policies related to various civil, regulatory and criminal proceedings involving alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the False Claims Act, and a host of other civil and criminal laws and regulations.
In addition to these recent and current engagements, Mr. Friel’s practice involves all other lines of corporate insurance, including E&O, General Liability, Fiduciary, Environmental/Pollution, and Builders Risk. Mr. Friel’s negotiating skills and keen understanding of business issues have also resulted in numerous other settlements on behalf of oil and gas companies, electric utilities, retailers, developers, construction/engineering companies, and financial institutions, all without the need for expensive litigation.
Prior to co-founding Miller Friel, PLLC, Mr. Friel was a shareholder at the international law firm of Greenberg Traurig LLP, where he, along with Mark Miller, managed the firm’s Insurance Recovery and Advisory Practice Group. Brian Friel is a graduate of Boston College magna cum laude and a graduate of St. John’s University School of Law cum laude, where he was an Editor of the St. John’s University Law Review.
Covid-19 Business Income Insurance Litigation: A Surge in Pro-Policyholder Covid-19 Decisions, November 2, 2020
New Insurance Decision Holds: No Aggregate Limits for Long-Tail Environmental Claims, August 13, 2019
Insurance Coverage for Phishing Cons: Policyholders Twice Scammed, September 27. 2019
Media Liability Insurance Claim Success Story, July 19, 2018
Insurance Defense Firms: The Fox May Be Guarding the Hen House, August 28, 2017
Tips and Traps in Corporate Liability Coverage, The Corporate Board, May/June 2017 (Co-Author)
Retroactive Date Exclusions: Commonly Alleged, But Seldom Applicable, December 20, 2016
Multiple Insurance Policies Covering a Single Claim, December 8, 2016
Insurance Recovery Law Conflicts of Interest, December 6, 2016
#8 Why Corporate Policyholders Need Insurance Law Experts, November 23, 2-16
Are Conversations With Insurance Brokers Privileged?, November 18, 2016
Don’t Rely Solely On Insurance Brokers During Claims Denials, November 16, 2016
#6 An Insurer’s Duty to Defend is Incredibly Broad, November 10, 2016
#5 Challenging Insurance Billing Guidelines, November 8, 2016
#5 Challenging Insurance Billing Rates, November 3, 2016
#4 Relying on a Certificate of Insurance, November 1, 2016
#3 Don’t Rely On Insurance Claim Denial Letters, October 28, 2016
Insurance Carrier Consent for Settling Claims and Incurring Defense Costs, October 26, 2016
Late Notice (part three): Pre-Notice Defense Costs, October 20, 2016
1) Late Notice (part two): False Claims Act (FCA) / Whistleblower Insurance Coverage, October 19, 2016
Ten Biggest Mistakes Made by Corporate Policyholders: Late Notice, October 14, 2016
Winning Bad Faith Insurance Coverage Awards at Trial, May 20, 2016
#8 Insurance Issue for Non-Insurance Lawyers: Rescission of Insurance Policies, April 12, 2016
#7 Insurance Issue for Non-Insurance Lawyers: Post-Merger/Acquisition Claims, April 7, 2016
#6 Insurance Issue for Non-Insurance Lawyers: D&O Insurance Policy Terms and Conditions, April 4, 2016
Another Policyholder Falls Victim to Late Notice Trap, March 30, 2016
#2 Insurance Issue For Non-Insurance Lawyers: Defense Costs, March 15, 2016
#1 Insurance Issue For Non-Insurance Lawyers: Notice, March 10, 2016
Best Practices for Handling Business Interruption Claims, February 23, 2016
The Real Value of Commercial Property Insurance – Covering Both Property Loss and Business Income Loss, February 16, 2016
The Real Value of Commercial Property Insurance – Covering Both Property Loss and Business Income Loss, February 16, 2016
Insurance Recovery Law: Two General Practice Areas, November 25, 2015
The Ugly Truth About Excess Insurance, November 17, 2015
Insurance Recovery Lawyers as Profit Centers, November 12, 2015
Paying D&O Insurance Claims is Not Morally Wrong, November 9, 2015
The D&O Insurance Report Card, November 5, 2015
How Do You Find Objective Advice For Insurance Claims?, October 27, 2015
Insurance Recovery for Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Companies, October 26, 2015
We Focus on High Stakes Areas of Insurance Recovery Law, October 22, 2015
Insurance Advisory Services, October 6, 2015
Insurance Recovery Law Firm with 100% Record of Success, September 29, 2015
The Complexities and Nuances of Insurance Recovery Law, September 24, 2015
How To Choose An Insurance Recovery Law Firm, September 17, 2015
Miller Friel Assists to Bring Future NFL Football Stadium to Los Angeles, June 3, 2015
Fatal Traps in D&O Insurance Policies Underscored by $10 Million Late Notice Insurance Claim Dismissal, May 13, 2015
The Reemergence of Specialty Law Firms, January 22, 2014
“Avoiding Hang-Ups In Coverage Disputes,” Business Insurance, August 26, 2002 (Co-Author)
“Liabilities in Cyberspace: Insurance Coverage for Internet Industry Losses,” Annual Report to the American Bar Association Section of Public Utility, Communications & Transportation Law, Fall 2000 (Author)
“Silence is Golden: In Support of Confidentiality Provisions in Insurance Settlement Agreements,” Environmental Claims Journal, Vol. 8, No. 4, Summer 1995 (Co-Author)
American Conference Institute “20th Drug and Medical Device Litigation,” December 2-4, 2015, New York, New York
HB Litigation “Drug and Device Defense Conference,” October 20, 2015, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Seminar Presentation “Top Ten Insurance Issues for Non-Insurance Lawyers,” 2014 & 2015, Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Florham Park, New Jersey; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Tallahassee, Florida; Miami, Florida
Webinar Presentation, “Defending Against and Obtaining Insurance Coverage for CFPB and Other Governmental Investigations,” February 2013
Education
Boston College, magna cum laude
St. John’s University School of Law, cum laude, Associate Editor of the St. John’s University Law Review
Court Admissions
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
United States District Court for the District of Colorado
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York