The newly formed American College ofCoverage and Extracontractual Counsel (ACCEC) brings together leadinglawyers from the United States and Canada to raise theproverbial bar on the practice of insurance law.

Designed to represent the interests ofboth insurers and policyholders, the ACCEC focuses on thecreative, ethical, and efficient adjudication ofdisputes about coverage, as well as extracontractual damages,which are a form of punitive damages awarded against an insurer inclaims alleging bad faith or unfair claims-handling practices.

The main goal of the organization is toeducate all sectors involved in insurance disputes—including thejudiciary, legal and insurance professionals, and businesses—aboutcritical topics, such as best practices in policyformation and claims handling. Another important component,organizers say, is to continue increasing civilityand professionalism in the field, thereby improving relationsbetween insurer and policyholder counsel. The intended result is better collaboration and betterrepresentation.

“The time seemed right to bringtogether lawyers who represent some of the best mindspracticing in a range of legal and insurance disciplines,” saidThomasF. Segalla, a nationally recognized authority on insurance lawand bad-faith claims and a founding partner of Goldberg SegallaLLP, is the College's inaugural president. “While our goalsinclude providing education for the bench and bar as well as theinsurance industry, we believe it's the dialogue among our diversemembers that will lead to creative resolutions and improvedrepresentation for all parties in a dispute.

“With all the complex coveragequestions that are already emerging in the wake of Hurricane Sandy as well as other recent events, we feel themission of the College to improve the practice of insurance law is,perhaps, now more important than ever,” he adds.

Edward J.(Ned) Currie, Jr., a founding shareholder in Currie JohnsonGriffin Gaines & Myers, P.A., will serve as ACCECsecretary and treasurer, while the college's founding Board ofRegents members are as follows:

• MichaelF. Aylward, senior partner, Morrison Mahoney LLP
• Michael J.Bidart, senior and managing partner, Shernoff BidartEcheverria Bentley LLP
• Bruce D.Celebrezze, partner, Sedgwick LLP
• RobertD. Chesler, shareholder, Anderson Kill & Olick,P.C.
• Lewis F.Collins, Jr., partner, Butler Pappas Weihmuller Katz CraigLLP
• Fred A. Cunningham, partner, Slawson, Cunningham, Whalen& Gaspari, P.L.
• Joshua Gold,shareholder, Anderson Kill & Olick, P.C.
• Dan D.Kohane, senior member, Hurwitz & Fine, P.C.
• Jean M.Lawler, senior and managing partner, Murchison &Cumming LLP
• Lorelie S.Masters, partner, Jenner & Block
• Mary E.McCutcheon, partner, Farella Braun + Martel LLP
• Kirk A.Pasich, partner, Dickstein Shapiro LLC
• Richard T.Phillips, partner, Smith Phillips Mitchell & Scott LLP
• GaleWhite, partner, White and Williams LLP

For more information about theorganization and its aims, visit americancollegecec.org.