McGuireWoods Los Angeles partner Christopher Pasich earned a Law360 2026 Distinguished Legal Writing Award, presented by the Burton Awards, for the article, “Don’t Let It Go Up in Smoke,” an analysis of the legal issues faced by businesses seeking to recover under their commercial insurance policies after the 2025 Southern California fires.
The honor is bestowed on only 20 articles from entries submitted by the nation’s 1,000 largest law firms.
The article, co-written with former McGuireWoods associate Caitlin Oswald and published in the February 2025 issue of Los Angeles Lawyer, assessed the challenges of business owners who suffered property damage due to the fires and the duty commercial property insurers owe to policyholders to help them ascertain the business property damaged and determine a reasonable valuation. The article was published only a few weeks after the catastrophic fires caused an estimated $40 billion in losses to insured property.
Pasich has extensive litigation experience across state and federal courts nationwide and arbitration proceedings in the United Kingdom and the United States. He represents insured clients in claims under crime, cyber, directors’ and officers’ liability, first-party property, commercial general liability, homeowners and disability insurance policies. He has achieved significant appellate victories in courts throughout the country.
The Burton Awards are funded by the Burton Foundation, a nonprofit academic initiative that rewards excellence in the legal profession. The awards program, now in its 27th year, was established to encourage clear and comprehensive legal writing and to honor monumental achievements in the law.
Winners will be honored at a June 1, 2026, ceremony at the Library of Congress.