December 9, 2020
Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan LLP Expands to Dallas with Addition of Three-Attorney Group
Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan LLP is pleased to announce the opening of its Dallas, Texas office and the addition of two partners and an associate.
The Dallas office will be led by Ellen Van Meir, an accomplished and well-respected insurance attorney with significant experience providing counsel to primary and excess insurers on coverage and claims handling issues. Prior to joining the Nicolaides firm, Ellen served as a leader of the insurance coverage and litigation practice group at Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons, LLP for more than two decades and as a member of the firm’s management committee. She has been recognized as a Leading Lawyer for Insurance by Chambers USA since 2013 and was named Dallas 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” in Insurance Law and Litigation – Insurance by Best Lawyers®. Joining Ellen to establish the firm’s Dallas office are Partner Mariah Quiroz and Associate Conor McCall.
“It has always been a part of the firm’s strategic growth plan to identify, attract, and work with the most talented insurance coverage lawyers throughout the United States,” said Managing Partner Richard Nicolaides. “The addition of Ellen, Mariah, and Conor is a reflection of that vision and is another important milestone for our firm.”
The team in Dallas will further bolster the firm’s deep bench and build upon its national footprint by bringing decades of experience advising the firm’s clients located in Bermuda, London, Tokyo, and the United States.
“We are thrilled that Ellen has decided to join our firm to lead our new office in Dallas,” said Partner Monica Sullivan. “When we opened our doors in January 2014, more than half of the firm’s attorneys were women, including 11 of our 19 partners. Today, we have 37 female attorneys, including many in leadership roles. The addition of Ellen and her team in Dallas further strengthens the firm’s commitment to promoting accomplished women within our industry.”
“Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan LLP is well known as a preeminent insurance coverage law firm,” said Ellen. “I have known and worked alongside several of the firm’s attorneys over the years, all of whom I admire, so it is both energizing and rewarding to be joining the firm as it establishes an office here in Dallas.”
From Then Until Now
Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan LLP was created in 2014 when the founding partners established a law firm focused exclusively on representing the interests of the global insurance industry. The firm represents its insurance clients in high exposure coverage disputes before federal and state trial and appellate courts as well as arbitration panels across the United States and abroad. Being among the largest U.S. firms solely dedicated to managing risk and resolving claims on behalf of insurance companies, the Nicolaides firm’s attorneys are deeply immersed in the industry and are uniquely prepared to address a wide breadth of risks and emerging challenges, including those regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis, the cannabis industry, intellectual property infringement, unfair business practices, terrorism financing, construction defects, asbestos claims, climate change, wildfires and natural disasters, cyber hacking, and information loss, among more.
“While our firm already handles insurance coverage disputes all over the country, it is very exciting to know we will now have boots on the ground in Texas, as well as Ellen’s years of experience to rely upon,” said Partner Sara Thorpe. “Ellen, Mariah, and Conor are a great compliment to what the firm has been able to accomplish over the past six years.”
Since its founding, the firm has more than doubled in size and has grown through a number of significant lateral hires. The firm currently has over 68 attorneys, including Ellen, Mariah, and Conor. The new Dallas office marks the firm’s fifth location throughout the United States, with other offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco.
“Ellen, Mariah, and Conor mirror the firm’s approach to providing our clients with consistent service of the highest quality and building long-term relationships,” said Partner Matthew Fink. They epitomize the attorneys within our firm, viewing every case in the context of our clients’ broad business goals and objectives, and we are excited to have them join us as the founding members of our new Dallas office.”
About the Attorneys
Ellen Van Meir has more than two decades of experience providing sophisticated counsel to primary and excess insurers on issues with respect to coverage and claims handling. Focused primarily on significant losses, Ellen’s practice spans a wide range of industries including construction, finance, manufacturing, oil and gas, and trucking. Ellen represents her clients in complex disputes arising out of catastrophic bodily injury, cyber, environmental, intellectual property, professional malpractice, and property damage claims. She is adept at providing counsel on matters related to policy contract rights and obligations, good faith duties to insureds, as well as settlement and allocation issues involving bad faith, errors and omissions, liability, pollution, Stowers demands, and umbrella and excess coverage. Ellen has also handled appellate matters in various Texas appellate courts and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits.
Mariah Quiroz represents international and domestic insurance companies in complex, high-stakes coverage matters and bad faith litigation across the country. Mariah provides counsel to her clients on claims issues involving catastrophic bodily injury, construction defects, indemnity clauses, oil and gas, personal and advertising injury, pollution and environmental losses, professional negligence, technology services and products, and workplace incidents. Mariah also helps her clients mitigate cyber liability, risks, and exposures related to data breaches and privacy allegations. As a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals, Mariah is uniquely prepared to evaluate and investigate claims related to data breaches and security events and help clients comply with regulations.
Conor McCall focuses his practice on analysis and litigation regarding coverage determinations, claims handling, settlement negotiations, allocation issues, bad faith avoidance, and policy rights and obligations. He provides counsel to primary and excess insurers on issues related to coverage and claims, such as those arising out of the following types of coverage: commercial general liability, commercial property, commercial auto, cyber liability, directors and officers (D&O) liability, employment practices liability, errors and omissions, and fiduciary liability. Conor represents insurance companies involved in disputes regarding contractual and extra-contractual claims in federal and state courts.
The Dallas office will be led by Ellen Van Meir, an accomplished and well-respected insurance attorney with significant experience providing counsel to primary and excess insurers on coverage and claims handling issues. Prior to joining the Nicolaides firm, Ellen served as a leader of the insurance coverage and litigation practice group at Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons, LLP for more than two decades and as a member of the firm’s management committee. She has been recognized as a Leading Lawyer for Insurance by Chambers USA since 2013 and was named Dallas 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” in Insurance Law and Litigation – Insurance by Best Lawyers®. Joining Ellen to establish the firm’s Dallas office are Partner Mariah Quiroz and Associate Conor McCall.
“It has always been a part of the firm’s strategic growth plan to identify, attract, and work with the most talented insurance coverage lawyers throughout the United States,” said Managing Partner Richard Nicolaides. “The addition of Ellen, Mariah, and Conor is a reflection of that vision and is another important milestone for our firm.”
The team in Dallas will further bolster the firm’s deep bench and build upon its national footprint by bringing decades of experience advising the firm’s clients located in Bermuda, London, Tokyo, and the United States.
“We are thrilled that Ellen has decided to join our firm to lead our new office in Dallas,” said Partner Monica Sullivan. “When we opened our doors in January 2014, more than half of the firm’s attorneys were women, including 11 of our 19 partners. Today, we have 37 female attorneys, including many in leadership roles. The addition of Ellen and her team in Dallas further strengthens the firm’s commitment to promoting accomplished women within our industry.”
“Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan LLP is well known as a preeminent insurance coverage law firm,” said Ellen. “I have known and worked alongside several of the firm’s attorneys over the years, all of whom I admire, so it is both energizing and rewarding to be joining the firm as it establishes an office here in Dallas.”
From Then Until Now
Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan LLP was created in 2014 when the founding partners established a law firm focused exclusively on representing the interests of the global insurance industry. The firm represents its insurance clients in high exposure coverage disputes before federal and state trial and appellate courts as well as arbitration panels across the United States and abroad. Being among the largest U.S. firms solely dedicated to managing risk and resolving claims on behalf of insurance companies, the Nicolaides firm’s attorneys are deeply immersed in the industry and are uniquely prepared to address a wide breadth of risks and emerging challenges, including those regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis, the cannabis industry, intellectual property infringement, unfair business practices, terrorism financing, construction defects, asbestos claims, climate change, wildfires and natural disasters, cyber hacking, and information loss, among more.
“While our firm already handles insurance coverage disputes all over the country, it is very exciting to know we will now have boots on the ground in Texas, as well as Ellen’s years of experience to rely upon,” said Partner Sara Thorpe. “Ellen, Mariah, and Conor are a great compliment to what the firm has been able to accomplish over the past six years.”
Since its founding, the firm has more than doubled in size and has grown through a number of significant lateral hires. The firm currently has over 68 attorneys, including Ellen, Mariah, and Conor. The new Dallas office marks the firm’s fifth location throughout the United States, with other offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco.
“Ellen, Mariah, and Conor mirror the firm’s approach to providing our clients with consistent service of the highest quality and building long-term relationships,” said Partner Matthew Fink. They epitomize the attorneys within our firm, viewing every case in the context of our clients’ broad business goals and objectives, and we are excited to have them join us as the founding members of our new Dallas office.”
About the Attorneys
Ellen Van Meir has more than two decades of experience providing sophisticated counsel to primary and excess insurers on issues with respect to coverage and claims handling. Focused primarily on significant losses, Ellen’s practice spans a wide range of industries including construction, finance, manufacturing, oil and gas, and trucking. Ellen represents her clients in complex disputes arising out of catastrophic bodily injury, cyber, environmental, intellectual property, professional malpractice, and property damage claims. She is adept at providing counsel on matters related to policy contract rights and obligations, good faith duties to insureds, as well as settlement and allocation issues involving bad faith, errors and omissions, liability, pollution, Stowers demands, and umbrella and excess coverage. Ellen has also handled appellate matters in various Texas appellate courts and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits.
Mariah Quiroz represents international and domestic insurance companies in complex, high-stakes coverage matters and bad faith litigation across the country. Mariah provides counsel to her clients on claims issues involving catastrophic bodily injury, construction defects, indemnity clauses, oil and gas, personal and advertising injury, pollution and environmental losses, professional negligence, technology services and products, and workplace incidents. Mariah also helps her clients mitigate cyber liability, risks, and exposures related to data breaches and privacy allegations. As a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals, Mariah is uniquely prepared to evaluate and investigate claims related to data breaches and security events and help clients comply with regulations.
Conor McCall focuses his practice on analysis and litigation regarding coverage determinations, claims handling, settlement negotiations, allocation issues, bad faith avoidance, and policy rights and obligations. He provides counsel to primary and excess insurers on issues related to coverage and claims, such as those arising out of the following types of coverage: commercial general liability, commercial property, commercial auto, cyber liability, directors and officers (D&O) liability, employment practices liability, errors and omissions, and fiduciary liability. Conor represents insurance companies involved in disputes regarding contractual and extra-contractual claims in federal and state courts.