Lester Brown
- Palo Alto
- Los Angeles
Les represents policyholders in high-stakes insurance coverage disputes and environmental litigation.
Les Brown has extensive experience in complex commercial litigation in federal and state courts throughout the country. He also is a panel mediator for the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and a fellow of the American Academy of Coverage Attorneys.
Les has assisted clients worldwide for more than 40 years and has recovered well over a billion dollars from their insurance companies. He has represented clients in more than 18 jurisdictions and has served in the prosecution of claims in Caribbean and English courts. He has helped policyholders with coverage including comprehensive liability, builder’s risk, first-party property, cyber, and directors and officers liability, as well as errors and omissions and other specialty coverages. His clients include electric and gas utilities, property owners, manufacturers, chemical companies, oil and gas companies, technology companies, and municipalities.
Les has worked on federal and state hazardous waste matters since before the 1980 enactment of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). He is a co-author of one of the earliest texts on the subject: Hazardous Waste in America.
Les has represented clients in complex potentially responsible party cases before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state agencies, and in court. In total, Les has worked on more than 400 hazardous waste sites, involving some of the earliest Superfund cost recovery sites—Henderson Road, Picillo Farm, and CSX Staten Island. He represented Maryland Sand and Gravel in actions involving the Elkton, Maryland, site and worked with Allied Signal (now Honeywell) in its efforts to minimize exposure and obtain insurance proceeds to clean up more than 100 sites around the country. In recent years, Les has recovered more than $500 million in insurance proceeds for environmental liabilities alone.
As part of his practice, Les works closely with numerous environmental experts, including toxicologists, hydrogeologists, industry standard and practice professionals, and remediation and investigation consultants. His work includes the use of complex groundwater and subsurface fate and transport models, as well as contaminant plume timing models.
Les has been honored by being selected as a fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel.
Areas of focus
Education & Credentials
Education
- Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1983
- Cornell University, B.A., cum laude, 1974
- Pepperdine University Rick J. Caruso School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Certificate holder for Mediating the Litigated Case, 2019
Bar and Court Admissions
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California
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New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Related Employment
- Howrey LLP, Los Angeles, CA, Partner
- Jones Day LLP, Los Angeles, CA, Partner
- Anderson Kill and Olick LLP, New York, NY and Palo Alto, CA, Partner
Professional Recognition
The American College of Coverage Counsel, Fellow
Listed in The Best Lawyers in America: Insurance Law, 2018-2024
Listed in Los Angeles, "Super Lawyers" for over ten years
Listed in The Daily Journal's California Law Business List of Rainmakers for more than seven years
Listed in LawDragon “The Green 500 Leaders In Environmental Law 2023”
Impact
Professional Leadership
- The American College of Coverage Counsel, Fellow
- American Bar Association, Member
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Appointed Panel Mediator
Insights
News
Professional Experience
Insurance Coverage Litigation
Seattle Tunnel Partners, et al., v. Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) PLC
Senior insurance counsel in high stakes and on-going multimillion dollar coverage dispute.
Nextiva Inc. v Aspen American Insurance Co.
Case settled to client’s satisfaction within four months of filing.
Berkley Ins. Co. v. VFM Leonardo, Inc.
Moved case to Canadian court, worked with Canadian counsel to successfully settle. Trial Counsel.
Alterra Excess and Surplus Ins. Co. v. AASB Logistics Cal. LLC, et al.
Successfully settled with full dismissal for client. Lead Trial Counsel.
Abby Co., LLC v. Lexington Ins. Co.
Settled after successful appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Lead Trial Counsel.
Tri Marine Int’l, et al. v. Indemnity Ins. Co. of N. Am.
Successfully settled case involving theft of millions of dollars of tuna. Co-Lead Trial Counsel.
Consumer Energy Co. v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s London, et al.*
Converted to baseball arbitration and secured a multimillion dollar win for the client. Lead Trial Counsel.
Stone & Webster Mgmt. Consultants, Inc. v. Travelers Ins. Co.*
Secured successful ruling in favor of the client for full defense. Lead Trial Counsel.
Burrows, et al. v. Jamaica Private Power Company, et al.*
Secured dismissal of Lloyd's of London and London Market Insurance Companies' claim. The dismissal was upheld on appeal. Settled before trial in Jamaica with first party insurance carriers for full costs. Lead Trial Counsel.
Central Illinois Light Company v. The Home Insurance Company, et al.*
Established a law favorable to policyholders in this environmental liability insurance coverage action by obtaining a favorable decision from the Illinois Supreme Court on damages and legal liability issues. Lead Trial Counsel.
Central Illinois Public Service Company v. Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company, et al.*
Recovered over $37 million for the client in this environmental liability insurance coverage action. Lead Trial Counsel.
Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Inc., et al. v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s of London, et al.*
Moved action to more favorable forum after being jumped by insurance carrier and settled. Lead Trial Counsel.
Northern Indiana Public Service Company v. Home Insurance Company, et al.
Environmental liability insurance coverage action resulting in confidential eight figure settlement. Lead Trial Counsel.
Consumers Energy Company v. Lloyds of London, et al.*
Successful arbitration for environmental coverage claims (confidential eight-figure recovery). Lead Trial Counsel.
IES Utilities Inc. v. The Home Insurance Company, et al.*
Settled environmental liability insurance coverage action for confidential eight figures. Lead Counsel.
Illinois Power Company v. The Home Insurance Company*
Recovered over $27 million for the client for environmental liabilities. Lead Trial Counsel.
In re Broadwing Inc. Securities Litigation*
Obtained tens of millions of dollars from Directors & Officers (D&O) insurance companies to settle the underlying action. Lead Trial Counsel.
Intel Corporation v. XL Insurance America Inc.*
Litigated settled insurance coverage litigation concerning consumer class action suits. Lead Trial Counsel.
Occidental Petroleum Corporation v. Certain Underwriters, et al.*
Coverage for terrorist bombing campaign of Oil Pipeline in Colombia, S.A. Obtained favorable verdict on all insurance issues and subsequent nine figure settlement. Lead Insurance Coverage Counsel.
* Prior Experience
General Litigation
In re: Session Fire v. So. Cal. Gas Co.
Successfully settled fire damage action for millions. Lead Trial Counsel.
Civil Rights Litigation
Alfred Sqrow, et al. v. A.V.M.G.H Five, The Ranch Ltd Partnership
Successfully settled class action resulting in lifetime ground rent freeze. Lead Trial Counsel.
Environmental Litigation
Cal. Dep’t. of Toxic Substances, et al. v. Dobbas, Inc., et al.
Successfully settled for a small percentage of the state’s original demand. Lead Trial Counsel.