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Practice Areas: Civil Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Qui Tam Claims

Additional Information:

Charles Fortune represents commercial entities in complex disputes involving contractual obligations, business practices, and regulatory requirements. Charlie has significant experience resolving high value disputes under insurance and reinsurance policies, manufacturer supply contracts, lease agreements, agency arrangements, and warranty provisions. He has arbitrated or litigated to successful conclusion numerous claims, but has resolved many more through careful negotiation and mediation, consistent with the wishes of his clients. Charlie has represented companies in insolvency proceedings and government investigations, and he advises clients in respect of business practices and regulatory compliance.

Charlie has significant experience in the management of complex litigation. He has led large teams engaged in massive discovery activity throughout the United States, worked with technical experts to resolve underlying issues that are driving the dispute, and he has worked closely with clients to fulfill their obligations in litigation in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.

Among the matters Charlie has successfully resolved are the following:

Representation of Lloyd’s reinsurance syndicates in a series of disputes involving claim handling practices of direct insurers and TPAs responsible for the intake and resolution of asbestos bodily injury claims. Partnered with claims department to develop recommended claim handling standards.
Representation of several insurance agencies in the context of investigation of contingent commission practices by the Attorney General of the State of Connecticut.
Resolved for a jet engine manufacturer claims against a supplier of a critical engine part in the context of several in-flight engine failures caused by a defect in the part.
Recovery in arbitration under an intellectual property policy of costs incurred by a fiber optic manufacturer in defense of underlying patent infringement claims.
Resolved claims of a domestic insurance carrier against the managing agent of a Bermuda captive reinsurance program that prematurely distributed funds to investors.
Advised HVAC systems manufacturer in respect of an extended service program underwritten by a bankrupt third party provider.

Charlie is an active member of ARIAS-US, which focuses on the arbitration of insurance and reinsurance disputes in the United States. Charlie is an ARIAS certified arbitrator and a member of the ARIAS education committee for the continuing education of arbitrators, and he frequently develops and presents at arbitrator training seminars. From 2009 to 2012 Charlie taught Insurance Litigation in the LL.M program (Master of Laws in Insurance) at the University of Connecticut School of Law. Charlie also writes and speaks regularly, both nationally and internationally.