Brian McDonald has represented policyholders in major coverage disputes for more than 20 years and has helped clients secure hundreds of millions of dollars in insurance recoveries for extraordinary losses. He represents policyholders in litigation and negotiations of insurance claims with a focus on cyber liability and directors and officers (D&O) liability.
Brian has counseled policyholders on a wide variety of cyber insurance matters, including defense of privacy breach claims and class action litigation for disclosure of personally identifiable information and confidential business information; internal data breach investigations; notification and mitigation costs resulting from data breaches; defense of regulatory proceedings related to data breaches and system interruptions; costs to remediate and restore lost data and damaged computer systems; ransomware and extortion demands; and lost business profits and extra expense resulting from cyber incidents.
Brian has also advised policyholder clients regarding insurance for D&O liability, including claims for defense of state and federal securities class actions; shareholder derivative demand investigations; state and federal derivative actions; internal company investigations; interviews by state and federal government regulatory agencies; and governmental investigations and litigation proceedings.
Brian also advises clients on the design, negotiation, and purchase of corporate insurance programs.
Experiência
- July 2019
The Guide to Cyber Investigations, Global Investigations Review: Chapter 5 Insurance (co-authored with Richard DeNatale).
- January 28, 2021
The Year of Working Remotely: Ethical Issues and Telework - January 27, 2021
Insurance Coverage: What Your Company Needs to Know About Emerging Legal Issues for COVID-19 Risks - September 30, 2020
ABA Civil Commotions Insurance Claims Webinar - September 15, 2020
GDPR and CCPA Insurance Coverage Issues: Disclosure/Deletion Violations, Regulatory Claims, Statutory Damages - January 27, 2017
Top 10 Tips to Help In-House Counsel Maximize Their Company's Insurance Assets - January 24, 2017
Cybersecurity and Data Privacy: 2016 Year-End Review and What Lies Ahead in 2017 - January 5, 2017
Bad Faith Claims When Verdicts Exceed Policy Limits: Navigating Nuances of the Insurer's Duty to Settle - January 2016
Insurance Coverage Fundamentals and Best Practices – What In-House Counsel Needs to Know to Manage Risk on the Front End and After A Loss or Claim - July 16, 2014
Insurance and Bankruptcy: Coverage Issues When Insured Files for Bankruptcy, Bar Association of San Francisco - April 15, 2010
Insurance 101: What Every In-House Lawyer Needs to Know, Bar Association of San Francisco - January 13, 2010
Insurance Essentials for In-House Lawyers, Jones Day CLE Event, Jones Day San Francisco - November 7, 2007
Deposition Skills Training Workshop, Bar Association of San Francisco
- University of California Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law (J.D. 2002; Managing Editor, California Law Review; Articles Editor, Berkeley Technology Law Review); Georgetown University (B.S. in Foreign Service, summa cum laude, 1999)
- California; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern Districts of California; and U.S. Court of Federal Claims
Recognized by Chambers USA as a leading insurance coverage lawyer for policyholders
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for insurance law
- Law Clerk to the Honorable Margaret Morrow, U.S. District Court, Central District of California (2002-2003)