Sina Bahadoran

Full Profile

Sina Bahadoran exclusively represents insurance companies in insurance coverage litigation and market conduct (bad faith) matters throughout the United States. During his career, Sina has handled high-profile matters ranging from involving a sitting US President to Fortune 100 companies. He focuses on commercial general liability, errors and omissions (lawyers, agents and accountants), directors and officers, and commercial property (business interruption, pollution).

As national counsel for several insurers, Sina has handled litigation in approximately 41 states, most frequently the southeast. His appellate practice includes notable appearances in the Florida Supreme Court and the Eleventh and Third Circuit Courts of Appeal, including matters of first impression.

Sina also counsels clients regularly on claims handling, including corporate insurance transactions and insurance regulations issues. For his non-admitted clients, he has extensive experience in policy drafting and product development, including GL, D&O and EPL policies, as well as products specific to the construction and life sciences industries. He has helped negotiate the terms of a management liability policy for a client overseeing a multi-billion-dollar settlement involving the financial services industry, as well as developing a product covering claims under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

He lectures on emerging topics and frequently leads seminars for clients on trends in the law and suggestions for more efficiency in their claims handling protocols.

Sina is recognized by Chambers for insurance. He was the recipient of the 2014 Lexology Client Choice Award for Insurance & Reinsurance in Florida. His client feedback: "He has earned my trust over years of experience, and without exception, everyone to whom I have recommended him has remarked about his exceptional talent." Other client quotes include: “His knowledge of insurance coverage law is second to none, and he understands not just the letter of the law but the policy behind it, which serves as a foundation for his advocacy.”

Admissions

• District of Columbia
• State of Florida
• US Court of Appeals for the First, Third, Eighth, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits
• US District Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida

Education

• J.D., Boston College School of Law, 2001
• B.A., summa cum laude, University of Tennessee, 1997

Memberships

• American College of Coverage Counsel (ACCC), Fellow, 2017
• American Bar Association
  • Past co-chair of D&O Insurance Subcommittee, 2012-2014
  • Past co-chair of CGL Subcommittee, 2010-2012

Experience

• Kinsale Ins. Co. v. Pride of St. Lucie Lodge 1189, Inc., 2022 WL 2763325 (S.D. Fla. July 14, 2022). No “bad faith” as a matter of law under failure to timely tender theory.

• Houston Specialty Ins. Co. v. Fenstersheib, 20-60091-CIV, 2022 WL 4880148 (S.D. Fla. Sept. 30, 2022). No coverage under law firm’s professional liability policy for funds converted from trust account.
• Stafford v. Stanton, CV 17-262, 2022 WL 4491073 (W.D. La. Sept. 27, 2022). No coverage under law firm’s professional liability policy for failed investment fund based on prior knowledge.

• Travelers Indem. Co. of Connecticut v. Richard Mckenzie & Sons, Inc., 10 F.4th 1255 (11th Cir. 2021). No coverage for consent judgment involving failed citrus grove operation.

• Kinsale Ins. Co. v. McBride Operating L.L.C., 855 Fed. Appx. 234 (5th Cir. 2021). No coverage for failed injection well.

• Datamaxx Applied Techs., Inc. v. Brown & Brown, Inc., 21-13451, 2022 WL 3597311 (11th Cir. Aug. 23, 2022) No coverage for settlement involving breach of software development agreement.

• RLI Ins. Co. v. Coastline Title of Pinellas, LLC, 8:20-CV-0786-KKM-CPT, 2022 WL 686274, at *1 (M.D. Fla. Mar. 8, 2022). No coverage for improperly charged closing fees under “gain or profit” exclusion.

• Kelly v. Maxum Specialty Insurance Group, et. al., 868 F.3rd 274 (3rd Cir. 2017). Establishing factors regarding "parallelism" for abstention challenges to diversity jurisdiction in the circuit.
• Anda, Inc. v. Gemini Ins. Co., 2015 WL 1020873 (S.D. Fla. 2015). No coverage for suit by Attorney General of West Virginia over opioid abuse in the state.
• Twin City Ins. Co., v. CR Techs., Inc., 2015 WL 1055382 (S.D. Fla. 2015). No coverage for USD 1.2 million civil theft judgement under D&O policy.
• James River Ins. Co. v. Med Waste Management, LLC, 46 F.Supp.3d 1350 (S.D. Fla. 2014. No coverage for USD 10 million class settlement for TCPA violations under general liability policy. 
• Maxum Indemnity Co. v. Flaingan and Associates Ins., Inc., 2013 WL 3389449 (M.D. Fla. 2013). No coverage for agent liability under agent E&O policy's retroactive date.
• James River Ins. Co. v. Fortress Systems, LLC, et al., 2012 WL 6154281 (S.D. Fla. 2012). No coverage for consent judgment involving a defective nutritional supplement under general liability policy.
• AIG Premier Ins. Co. v. RLI Ins. Co., 2011 WL 4347197 (M.D. Fla. 2011). First impression; nullification of competing insurer's "super excess" clause under Florida law.
• James River Ins. Co. v. Maier, 2011 WL 2651799 (S.D. Ga. 2011). No coverage under agent’s errors and omissions policy.
• HC Waterford Props., LLC v. Mt. Hawley Ins. Co., 2009 WL 2600431 (S.D. Fla. 2009). No coverage for developer damages under conversion and breach of contract exclusions.
• Zurich Amn. Ins. Co. v. Frankel, et al., 2007 509 F.Supp. 2d 1303 (S.D. Fla. 2007). No coverage for consent judgment due to breach of cooperation clause.
• Wilson ex rel. Estate of Wilson v. Gen. Tavern Corp., 469 F.Supp.2d 1214 (S.D. Fla. 2006). No coverage for consent judgment under employer's CGL policy.
• Travelers Indem. Co. of Illinois v. Royal Oak Enters., 429 F.Supp.2d 1265 (M.D. Fla. 2004), aff’d, 171 Fed.Appx. 831 (11th Cir. 2006). Dismissal of statutory and common law bad faith claims. 

Presentations

• "Are You Still Covered? D&O Insurance After the Facebook IPO, the JOBS Act, and Efforts to Curb Clawback Coverage," American Bar Association 2013 Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Meeting, March 2013
• "Insurance Coverage for IP Disputes," ABA Insurance Coverage CLE Conference, Tucson, Arizona, March 2011

Publications

• Co-author, "High Court asked if Ambiguity Resolved with Extrinsic Evidence," Daily Business Review, June 2012
• Co-author, "Something is Rotten in Denmark (and Florida) – Is there Insurance Coverage for the Chinese Drywall Problem?" HarrisMartin Chinese Drywall Litigation Conference, June 2009
• Author, "The Medical Malpractice Policy's 'Deems Expedient' Clause: Cause to Reconsider the Theory of a Static Duty of Good Faith," Professional Liability Underwriting Society Journal, August 2006
• Author, "A Red Flag: Controlling Mediator Bias in Cross-Cultural Mediation," Massachusetts Family Law Journal , 2000; excerpts published in Jay H. Folbert et al., "Resolving Disputes: Theory and Practice for Lawyers," Aspen Law and Business, 1st ed., 2005