Michael P. Mullins

Partner

F: (617) 206 9497
Overview Experience Insights News Education and Credentials Recognition and Community

Overview

Michael Mullins, chair of the Insurance and Reinsurance practice group, is an experienced courtroom advocate who represents companies in complex commercial disputes. He acts on behalf of cedents, intermediaries and reinsurers in both arbitration and litigation. Michael also represents insurance companies in coverage disputes, regulatory investigations, general commercial transactions and other high-stakes matters.

Michael has advised insurers and reinsurers on some of the industry's thorniest issues, including disputes concerning:
  • Accumulation
  • Allocation
  • Asbestos Bodily Injuries
  • Bad Faith
  • Broker/Intermediary Misconduct
  • Business Interruption Issues
  • Commutations
  • Common Account Reinsurance
  • Contingency Contracts
  • Declaratory Judgment Expenses
  • Environmental Pollution
  • E&O Insurance
  • Hurricane/Windstorms
  • Ice Dams
  • Interlocking Clauses
  • Loss Portfolio Transfers
  • Pro-Rating of Retentions
  • Receiverships
  • Sexual Molestation Claims
  • Sunset Provisions
  • Traumatic Brain Injuries

 

Michael is also active in firm management. He currently serves as the Office Managing Partner in Boston.

Experience

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Served as arbitration counsel to reinsurer of worker's compensation pool in dispute over the proper application of mandatory commutation provision.

Served as arbitration counsel to cedent in dispute relating to large property loss and subsequent subrogation recoveries.

Served as counsel to industry-leading insurer with respect to a series of civil investigative demands issued by attorney general's office.

Served as arbitration counsel to reinsurers in dispute concerning compensability of cedent's ex gratia payments.

Served as appellate counsel to liability insurer regarding the enforceability of policy limit caps on contract damages.

Served as arbitration counsel to reinsurer in dispute over the propriety of aggregating unrelated claims.

Successfully represented retrocessionaire in series of arbitrations resulting from worker's compensation carveout business.

Served as arbitration counsel to reinsurer in dispute over aviation bodily injury carveout losses.

Successfully represented ceding company in arbitration concerning compensability of DJ expenses under excess of loss treaty program.

Successfully represented large reinsurer in arbitration over cedent's attempted interlocking of claims across a series of facultative certificates.

Served as arbitration counsel to major domestic ceding company in series of high-stakes asbestos non-products reinsurance arbitrations.

Represented top-tier reinsurer with respect to action in Texas insolvency court affecting client's participation on several layers and across many years of an intricate reinsurance program.

Successfully represented domestic ceding company with respect to losses arising out of book of builder's risk policies.

Successfully represented insurer in direct-side coverage action concerning business interruption claim.

Obtained summary judgment concerning allegations of bad faith and then prevailed on consequential damages claim after a two-week jury trial in U.S. District Court.

Served as counsel to major domestic reinsurer regarding the presentation of various Bermuda hurricane losses as a single "program" loss under the reinsurance contract.

Served as counsel to domestic ceding company in connection with losses emanating from weather-related reinsurance catastrophe bond.

Served as counsel to major domestic ceding company in connection with claims against intermediary that negligently failed to place reinsurance cover.

Served as counsel to European insurer regarding high-profile D&O liability dispute.

Served as trial counsel in U.S. District Court case to enforce oral agreement between insurance companies to co-reinsure a block of individual disability policies.

Education and Credentials

Education
University of Chicago Law School, J.D., with Honors, 1999
Providence College, B.S., cum laude, 1992
Admissions
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
State of Illinois
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Affiliations
AIDA Reinsurance and Insurance Arbitration Society (ARIAS-U.S.)
American Bar Association, Tort Trial and Insurance section
Boston Bar Association
Illinois Bar Association
Massachusetts Insurance and Reinsurance Bar Association (MIReBA)

Recognition and Community

Recognition

Chosen for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White, Inc.) for Insurance Law, 2023-2024

Selected to the list of Massachusetts Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), Insurance, 2012-2015, 2017-2018

Named Outstanding Pro Bono Detention Attorney of the Year by the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project for extraordinary trial work successfully representing a detained refugee from Darfur

No aspect of these advertisements have been approved by the highest court of any state. See Awards Methodology.

Community

Previously served as program officer and finance director for Public Allies, a non-profit agency that became a national model for leadership development

Founding chair of the board for Chicago Scores, an innovative after-school program combining literacy training with athletic programming