Will S. Bennett Partner

Will maintains an active litigation practice focused on complex insurance recovery actions across the country, having recovered more than $250,000,000 on behalf of his clients. In addition to his bar admissions in California, Connecticut, and New York, Will is often admitted pro hac vice in other state and federal court jurisdictions, having represented clients in more than a dozen other jurisdictions. He has handled cases from the initial pre-litigation stages of strategy all the way through trial to verdict as lead counsel and on appeal. Will often counsels commercial, civil, and residential construction companies, as well as real estate developers. However, Will also regularly represents myriad other types of policyholders, including non-profits, universities, tech companies, manufacturers, retailers, jewelers, engineers, architects, rental companies, environmental companies, cannabis producers, farmers, food suppliers, solar companies, restaurants, and individuals. These disputes have involved a wide array of subjects, from construction catastrophe and defect to pollution liability to contaminated food recalls to property losses.

Will has helped policyholders recover hundreds of millions of dollars of insurance money across a broad range of different lines of coverage involving the following types of insurance policies:

• Commercial General Liability
• Commercial Property
• Builders’ Risk
• Excess and Umbrella Liability
• Cyber
• Pollution Liability
• Professional Liability (including directors and officers, errors and omissions, contractors’ or owners’ professional and protective indemnity, and others)
• Product Recall
• Product Contamination
• Subcontractor Default
• Excess Workers’ Compensation
• Employment Practices Liability
• Kidnap & Ransom
• Jewelers Block
• Private All Risk Jewelry
• Marine Cargo
• Homeowners

He is also intimately familiar with non-traditional variations of these lines of coverage such as consolidated insurance programs, additional insured coverage, pooled limits policies, high-SIR and close of escrow homebuilder programs, and self-insurance.

Will is also regularly called upon to assist in the policy placement process. In this role, Will helps policyholders, often in collaboration with their brokers, put together a comprehensive coverage program where all lines of coverage work seamlessly together to avoid gaps. This direct work with brokers and underwriters gives him a broad practical understanding of the insurance market and its intent. Will regularly assists with other aspects of risk transfer and is often asked to draft and revise contracts to ensure successful risk transfer occurs when disputes later arise. In this capacity, Will has also litigated numerous disputes over contractual indemnification obligations.

Will regularly presents on insurance coverage and risk transfer topics at seminars and conferences nationwide. He has authored dozens of articles, white papers, and insights, for numerous publications including Risk Magazine and California Constructor Magazine. Outside of the office, Will enjoys nearly any outdoor activity, playing music, and cooking and barbecuing. He lives in Temecula, California with his wife.