B. Natalie Vu
Associate
Biography
BIOGRAPHY
Natalie represents insurers in declaratory relief, bad faith, contribution, and rescission actions. Her practice includes assisting insurers in litigated and non-litigated coverage disputes with policyholders, as well as advising clients on manuscript policy language. Natalie's insurance coverage experience includes:
- Primary and Excess Disputes
- Additional Insured Issues
- Builder’s Risk
- First Party Property
- Business Interruption and Extra Expense
- General Liability
- Professional Liability
- Directors and Officers Liability
- Employment Practices Liability
- Automobile Liability
- Sexual Misconduct and Molestation Liability
- Construction Defect
- Life Insurance
Memberships
- Claims Litigation Management Alliance
- Professional Liability Underwriting Society
Before Nicolaides
Natalie began her insurance career with a national professional liability insurer. Before joining Nicolaides, Natalie worked at another firm where she represented insurers in litigated and non-litigated matters, and defended insurance brokers and miscellaneous professionals against professional negligence claims.Outside Nicolaides
In her spare time, Natalie enjoys scuba diving, marathon running, live music, yoga, and attending San Francisco Giants games.EXPERIENCE
- Successfully briefed and argued threshold underlying exhaustion issues at bench trial, resulting in favorable decision and recovery of settlement monies owed by excess insurer of municipality accused of active negligence.
- Represented national insurer before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in dispute involving legal and equitable implications of extending insurance coverage to corporations suspended by the State of California.
- Successfully opposed stay on behalf of commercial automobile insurer in declaratory relief coverage lawsuit while underlying public nuisance action was pending.
- Secured favorable settlement in lawsuits alleging negligent failure to procure adequate policy limits.
- Provided counsel under multi-peril policies in connection with wrongful termination, corporate governance, personal injury, and declaratory relief lawsuits.
- Provided coverage advice under commercial property policies regarding property damage valuation and period of restoration on claims involving the 2017 California Wildfires.
- Provided coverage advice under businessowners policies with respect to valuation of damages from the Woolsey Fire.
- Provided coverage advice on period of delay for lost business income claimed under builder’s risk policies.
- Counseled insurer on enforceability of choice of law and choice of venue provisions in cargo transportation and storage policies.
- Provided counsel under commercial property policies involving damage resulting from illegal marijuana cultivation.
- Provided coverage advice on consent to settle issues under excess liability policies.
- Conducted examination under oath and provided counsel under commercial property policy relating to suspected insurance fraud.
- Counseled insurer regarding suspected policyholder misrepresentations made in connection with long-term care policies and structured settlement annuities.
INSIGHTS
ADDITIONAL SPEAKING & WRITING
- Panelist, “Emerging Issues in Additional Insured Endorsements,” Claims Litigation Management Alliance, October 2017