Steven L. Schreckinger

Senior Counsel

Overview

Clients from a wide range of industries including financial institutions, colleges and universities and life sciences companies turn to Steve for his decades of experience with counseling clients on the complexities of commercial insurance and contesting denials of insurance coverage.  Steve has established new rights for clients in precedent-setting insurance cases, including the leading case in Massachusetts on coverage for defamation and the right to coverage for indoor pollution and “sick building” claims in the First Circuit. He also litigated Massachusetts’ leading duty to defend case. His clients include Acheron Capital (a London-based hedge fund), Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, PTC, Inc., American Tower Corporation, and several local universities.

Steve’s areas of emphasis include:

  • Liability Insurance including Director’s and Officer’s (D&O)  Insurance, Errors and Omissions Insurance and Environmental Insurance: Steve obtained a $9 million legal fee settlement from D&O insurers after a denial of coverage in a case about a dispute with a Hong Kong joint venturer for a casino development company and recently obtained millions in contribution to a settlement from an aviation insurer that had denied coverage for a claim against an insured for providing a defective product incorporated into aircraft components. When a fellow lawyer was denied coverage for a malpractice claim based upon late notice Steve convinced the insurer to reverse the coverage decision and settle the case without any contribution from the insured attorney.
  • Property and Business Interruption Insurance: Steve currently advises a large publicly traded corporation on coverage under Events Cancellation coverage for losses arising out of COVID-19 cancellations and a large Boston hospital on its insurance coverage for COVID-related losses.
  • Life and Health Insurance: Steve obtained millions of dollars in insurance coverage for a biotech company for a spilled drug.
  • ERISA: Steve has successfully represented Havard Pilgrim Health Care in a denial of benefits case in the First Circuit and in defeating a petition for certiorari to the Supreme Court.

Steve’s four decades of experience litigating insurance-related cases enables him to understand and quickly identify issues beyond those for which his clients initially seek assistance. These include seeking coverage under policies beyond those for which the client originally comes to him for advice, including where they may be indemnitees or additional insureds under policies beyond those directly purchased by the client other insurance, or indemnification obligations besides the ones that clients typically think are applicable.

For several decades Steve has provided advice to hospital-based captive insurance companies, including in disputes involving their reinsurance.

Steve has also been retained as an expert and as an arbitrator on coverage and bad faith claims handling matters.

Steve has also been recognized by his peers for his excellence in helping clients with their insurance needs. He is an elected fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel and is recognized by Chambers, Massachusetts Super Lawyers, and Best Lawyers®. He has prevailed in cases before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the First Circuit, as well as in other jurisdictions outside Massachusetts.

BEYOND THE OFFICE

Steve is a fan of the Red Sox, jazz, theater, and all things Boston. Should you need a Boston-area restaurant recommendation, he can help you out.

PRACTICE AREAS

Practice Areas

Credentials

Education

Boston College Law School, J.D. 1978 cum laude
Editor, Boston College Law Review

University of Rochester, B.A. 1974 with Distinction

Admissions

Massachusetts

U.S. Supreme Court

U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit

U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts

U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut, pro hac vice

U.S. District Court, District of Kansas, pro hac vice

U.S. District Court, District of Nevada, pro hac vice

U.S. District Court, District of Texas, pro hac vice

U.S. District Court, District of Vermont, pro hac vice

 

Recognition

The Best Lawyers in America©, Insurance Law, 2007-2023

Chambers USA, Massachusetts Insurance Law, 2019-2020

Massachusetts Super Lawyers, 2012-2021

The Best Lawyers in New England, Insurance Law, 2018-2019

Experience

  • Advising a large publicly traded corporation on events cancellation coverage for losses arising out of COVID-19-related cancellations.
  • Advising a major airport outside Massachusetts in a multimillion-dollar loss arising out of construction defects in a new facility.
  • Recovered from a media perils insurer $3.5 million for a publicly traded media company sued outside Massachusetts for intellectual property infringement.
  • Secured a $22 million recovery of legal defense costs incurred by an insured in an antitrust case from insurers that had contested coverage.
  • Obtained a $9 million legal fee settlement from D&O insurers after a denial of coverage in a case about a dispute with a Hong Kong joint venturer for a casino development company.
  • Obtained millions of dollars in settlements for a national restaurant chain, a health care company, and a real estate developer in legal malpractice cases.
  • Obtained a million-dollar recovery from a D&O insurer for a publicly traded hotel chain in a suit alleging breach of fiduciary duty.
  • Advised a hedge fund on the regulatory receivership aspects of acquiring multimillion-dollar portfolios of life insurance policies held in receiverships. Negotiated and settled related coverage claims.
  • Obtained D&O coverage for a client sued in a qui tam action and for a client subpoenaed by the IRS after a denial of coverage.
  • Obtained millions of dollars in insurance coverage for a biotech company regarding a spilled drug.

Insights

Clients from a wide range of industries including financial institutions, colleges and universities and life sciences companies turn to Steve for his decades of experience with counseling clients on the complexities of commercial insurance and contesting denials of insurance coverage.  Steve has established new rights for clients in precedent-setting insurance cases, including the leading case in Massachusetts on coverage for defamation and the right to coverage for indoor pollution and “sick building” claims in the First Circuit. He also litigated Massachusetts’ leading duty to defend case. His clients include Acheron Capital (a London-based hedge fund), Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, PTC, Inc., American Tower Corporation, and several local universities.

Steve’s areas of emphasis include:

  • Liability Insurance including Director’s and Officer’s (D&O)  Insurance, Errors and Omissions Insurance and Environmental Insurance: Steve obtained a $9 million legal fee settlement from D&O insurers after a denial of coverage in a case about a dispute with a Hong Kong joint venturer for a casino development company and recently obtained millions in contribution to a settlement from an aviation insurer that had denied coverage for a claim against an insured for providing a defective product incorporated into aircraft components. When a fellow lawyer was denied coverage for a malpractice claim based upon late notice Steve convinced the insurer to reverse the coverage decision and settle the case without any contribution from the insured attorney.
  • Property and Business Interruption Insurance: Steve currently advises a large publicly traded corporation on coverage under Events Cancellation coverage for losses arising out of COVID-19 cancellations and a large Boston hospital on its insurance coverage for COVID-related losses.
  • Life and Health Insurance: Steve obtained millions of dollars in insurance coverage for a biotech company for a spilled drug.
  • ERISA: Steve has successfully represented Havard Pilgrim Health Care in a denial of benefits case in the First Circuit and in defeating a petition for certiorari to the Supreme Court.

Steve’s four decades of experience litigating insurance-related cases enables him to understand and quickly identify issues beyond those for which his clients initially seek assistance. These include seeking coverage under policies beyond those for which the client originally comes to him for advice, including where they may be indemnitees or additional insureds under policies beyond those directly purchased by the client other insurance, or indemnification obligations besides the ones that clients typically think are applicable.

For several decades Steve has provided advice to hospital-based captive insurance companies, including in disputes involving their reinsurance.

Steve has also been retained as an expert and as an arbitrator on coverage and bad faith claims handling matters.

Steve has also been recognized by his peers for his excellence in helping clients with their insurance needs. He is an elected fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel and is recognized by Chambers, Massachusetts Super Lawyers, and Best Lawyers®. He has prevailed in cases before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the First Circuit, as well as in other jurisdictions outside Massachusetts.

BEYOND THE OFFICE

Steve is a fan of the Red Sox, jazz, theater, and all things Boston. Should you need a Boston-area restaurant recommendation, he can help you out.

Education

Boston College Law School, J.D. 1978 cum laude
Editor, Boston College Law Review

University of Rochester, B.A. 1974 with Distinction

Admissions

Massachusetts

U.S. Supreme Court

U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit

U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts

U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut, pro hac vice

U.S. District Court, District of Kansas, pro hac vice

U.S. District Court, District of Nevada, pro hac vice

U.S. District Court, District of Texas, pro hac vice

U.S. District Court, District of Vermont, pro hac vice

 

The Best Lawyers in America©, Insurance Law, 2007-2023

Chambers USA, Massachusetts Insurance Law, 2019-2020

Massachusetts Super Lawyers, 2012-2021

The Best Lawyers in New England, Insurance Law, 2018-2019

  • Advising a large publicly traded corporation on events cancellation coverage for losses arising out of COVID-19-related cancellations.
  • Advising a major airport outside Massachusetts in a multimillion-dollar loss arising out of construction defects in a new facility.
  • Recovered from a media perils insurer $3.5 million for a publicly traded media company sued outside Massachusetts for intellectual property infringement.
  • Secured a $22 million recovery of legal defense costs incurred by an insured in an antitrust case from insurers that had contested coverage.
  • Obtained a $9 million legal fee settlement from D&O insurers after a denial of coverage in a case about a dispute with a Hong Kong joint venturer for a casino development company.
  • Obtained millions of dollars in settlements for a national restaurant chain, a health care company, and a real estate developer in legal malpractice cases.
  • Obtained a million-dollar recovery from a D&O insurer for a publicly traded hotel chain in a suit alleging breach of fiduciary duty.
  • Advised a hedge fund on the regulatory receivership aspects of acquiring multimillion-dollar portfolios of life insurance policies held in receiverships. Negotiated and settled related coverage claims.
  • Obtained D&O coverage for a client sued in a qui tam action and for a client subpoenaed by the IRS after a denial of coverage.
  • Obtained millions of dollars in insurance coverage for a biotech company regarding a spilled drug.

News

Publications