Since joining the firm more than 15
years ago, Jonathan P. McHenry has
established himself as a leading
member of Connell Foley’s nationally
recognized litigation practice. His
practice involves the representation
of domestic and
internationally-based clients in a
variety of disputes, with a
particular emphasis on serving as
lead counsel in a broad range of
complex insurance coverage
litigation and arbitration matters.
Mr. McHenry’s extensive insurance
coverage experience includes matters
involving general liability,
environmental and mass tort claims,
construction defects, products
liability, class actions, aviation
liability, bankruptcy protection
coverage issues, professional
liability, personal and advertising
injuries, and bad
faith/extra-contractual claims. He
also regularly counsels insurers in
connection with the handling of
complex claims prior to litigation
and/or arbitration.
Mr. McHenry is the chair of the
Connell Foley’s Insurance Coverage
Practice Group. He is also a member
of various insurance law
sub-committees in USLAW, the Defense
Research Institute, the American Bar
Association, and the New Jersey
State Bar Association.
Prior to joining Connell Foley, Mr.
McHenry’s experience included
working for the United Nations
Center for Human Rights in Geneva,
Switzerland and serving on the staff
of the Lt. Governor of South
Carolina as a speechwriter, among
other endeavors.
Lead trial counsel for major domestic
primary insurer in
multi-million dollar environmental
coverage action involving 36
polluted sites located nationwide.
Obtained summary judgment, voluntary dismissals
and/or full
releases for vast majority of
waste sites involved in the litigation.
Successfully negotiated a favorable
settlement with respect to the remaining
sites;
•
Regularly counsels clients on various
insurance coverage issues ranging from
general litigation exposures to bad
faith/extra-contractual claims;
•
Lead trial counsel in multi-million
dollar class-action coverage litigation
involving landlord of properties
located in New Jersey;
•
Lead coverage counsel for
insurer in connection with bankruptcy
filings of major US corporation. At
issue was millions of dollars of
insurance coverage and multiple
settlement agreements sought to be
discharged by debtor/policyholder:
•
Counsel for charter company involved in airplane
accident with multiple fatalities, resulting in litigation and
major NTSB investigation;
•
Successfully obtained summary judgment
and voluntary dismissals for insurer
with respect to multi-million dollar
declaratory judgment action involving
contaminated sites located throughout
the country based upon coverage issues including
successor liability, after-acquired
liabilities, and application of the
pollution exclusion;
•
Obtained summary judgment with respect
to a multi-million dollar contaminated
environmental site located in
Massachusetts based upon the application
of the pollution exclusion contained in
various primary insurance policies;
•
Counsel for airline in the multibillion
dollar property and wrongful death
consolidated lawsuits arising from the
September 11, 2001;
•
Obtained summary judgment upon reversal
on appeal for insurer sued by
policyholder with respect to multiple
acts of sexual molestation.
“Defense, Indemnity Coverage
Must be Allocated On Pro Rata Basis,
N.J. Judge Says,” Mealey’s Litigation
Report: Insurance, Vol. 15, No. 25 (May
1, 2001)
•
“New Jersey Court Rules No
Coverage For Sexual Molestation,” Mealey’s Emerging Insurance Disputes,
Vol. 5, No. 24 (December 20, 2000)
