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Kent R. Keller

Kent Keller is a litigation partner in Barger & Wolen’s Los Angeles office. His practice includes both trial and appellate work on behalf of financial institutions, including property & casualty insurers, life and annuity insurers and reinsurers.

Examples of Mr. Keller’s vast experience of practice include:

  • Class action litigation on behalf of property & casualty insurers for claims alleging violations of the California Insurance Code, including California’s rate regulatory laws.  The most recent example is MacKay v. Superior Court, 188 Cal. App. 4th 1427 (2010).
  • Class action litigation on behalf of life and annuity insurers for claims alleging deceptive sales practices involving senior citizens.
  • Bad faith litigation on behalf of property & casualty insurers, as well as life and annuity insurers.
  • Appellate representation of property & casualty insurers and life and annuity insurers in Federal Courts of Appeal, the California Court of Appeal and the California Supreme Court in class action cases, insurance coverage cases, unfair business practices cases and insurance regulatory cases, among others.  An example of this work is Clark v. Superior Court, 50 Cal. 4th 605 (2010).
  • Insurance regulatory litigation both before the California Department of Insurance and state and federal courts.  An example is Travelers Indemnity Co. v. Gillespie, 50 Cal 3d 82 (1990).
  • Reinsurance litigation on behalf of both reinsureds and reinsurers.  This work has included both representation of insurers or reinsurers in arbitrations and in Federal Courts.

Mr. Keller is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Mr. Keller is included in the following legal reference organization: Best Lawyers in America, The Best of Class, The Guide to the World’s Leading Insurance & Reinsurance Lawyers, Southern California Super Lawyers, Leading Lawyers in America, and the International Who’s who of Insurance & Reinsurance Lawyers.

In 2011 Mr. Keller received the highest ranking ( Band 1) by Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for his representation of insurers, one of only four California lawyers to be so recognized.

Education

  • Washington University, J.D., Order of the Coif, Member, Washington University Law Quarterly
  • Missouri State University

Articles & Publications

  • Business General Liability Policies California Insurance Law & Practice, LexisNexis Matthew Bender (2005)
  • Identifying and Using Insurance Coverage in Business Litigation California Education of the Bar (1984, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1998, 2001 & 2003)
  • Analyzing Coverage: Reading and Interpreting Insurance Policies and Claims Involving Excess Insurance, California Liability Insurance Practice: Claims and Litigation, California Education of the Bar (1991)
  • Claims Involving Excess Insurance, California Liability Insurance Practice: Claims and Litigation, California Education of the Bar (1991)
  • Anti-Rebate Law, Standing and Judicial Review of Administrative Policymaking: Recent Developments
    1 Journal of Insurance Regulation 123 (1982)

Lectures and Seminars

  • To MacKay and Beyond: The End of the “Dual System” of Rate Regulation and What Lies Ahead, Association of California Insurance Companies’ (ACIC) 22nd Annual General Counsel Seminar (July 28, 2011 | Las Vegas, NV)
  • California Education of the Bar Identifying and Using Insurance Coverage in Business Litigation (1984, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1998, 2001 & 2003)
  • The Rutter Group Bad Faith Seminar (2001 and 2004)
  • Association of California Insurance Companies Code of Civil Procedure Section 340.9 (2001)
  • Mealey’s Publication and Conference Group Insurance Allocation Conference (2000)
  • American Bar Association, Tort and Insurance Practice Section Punitive Damages in California (with Justice Walter Croskey) (2000)
  • Association of Southern California Defense Counsel Bad Faith in the New Millennium (1999)
  • Association of California Insurance Companies California Underground Regulations Administrative Remedies (1996)
  • American Bar Association Mid-Year Meeting Insurance Coverage Litigation Meeting (1996)
  • Association of California Insurance Companies, General Counsel Seminar Future Implications of 20th Century v. Garamendi (1995)
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers, 19th Annual Seminar Complex Insurance Issues (with Justice Walter Croskey) (1992)

Notable Decisions and Reported Opinions

  • MacKay v. Superior Court (21st Century Insurance Co.), 188 Cal. App. 4th 1427 (2010)
  • Clark v. Superior Court (National Western Life Insurance Company), 50 Cal. 4th 605 (2010)
  • Newell v. State Farm General Ins. Co., 118 Cal. App. 4th 1094 (2004)
  • Basurco v. 21st Century Ins. Co., 108 Cal. App. 4th 110 (2003)
  • GE Engine Services v. Century Indemnity Co., 250 F. Supp 2d 1237 (C.D. Cal 2001), affirmed, 53 Fed. App. 812 (9th Cir. 2002)
  • AICCO, Inc. v. Ins. Co. of North America, 90 Cal. App. 4th 579 (2001)
  • Smith v. State Farm Ins. Group, 93 Cal. App. 4th 700 (2001)
  • CARE v. Aegis Security Ins. Co., 92 Cal. App. 4th 886 (2001)
  • Walker v. Allstate Indemnity Co., et al., 77 Cal. App. 4th 750 (2000)
  • Wolfe v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Ins. Co., 46 Cal. App. 4th 554 (1996)
  • 20th Century Ins. Co. v. Garamendi, 8 Cal. 4th 216 (1994)
  • Travelers Indemnity Co. v. Gillespie, 50 Cal. 3d 82 (1990)
  • Credit Managers Ass’n. v. Kennesaw Life & Accident Ins. Co., 809 F.2d 617 (9th Cir. 1987)
  • Connick v. Teachers Ins. & Annuity Ass’n., 784 F.2d 1018 (9th Cir. 1986)
  • Dollar Rent A Car, Inc. v. Travelers Indem. Co., 774 F.2d 1371 (9th Cir. 1985)
  • Karlin v. Zalta, 154 Cal. App. 3d 953 (1984)
  • County of Los Angeles v. Farmers Ins. Exch., 132 Cal. App. 3d 673 (1980)
  • Smith Valentino & Smith, Inc. v. Superior Court, 17 Cal. 3d 491 (1976)

Professional Memberships

  • The State Bar of California
  • American Bar Association
  • Fellow, The American Bar Foundation
  • Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers
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