Tony is a co-lead of our Insurance Recovery Practice and sits on the firm’s Board of Partners. Tony represents prominent public and private companies on all aspects of insurance coverage and related complex commercial disputes. With over 24 years of litigation experience, Tony advises clients on various lines of insurance, including CGL, D&O, E&O / professional liability, property damage / business interruption, environmental / pollution, EPL, fidelity and crime coverage, cyber/data privacy, marine cargo, political risk / contract frustration, product recall, RW, trade credit, wrongful calling, and other manuscripted lines of coverage.
Tony has represented clients in recovering almost $3.5 billion in insurance assets as a result of both litigation and pre-litigation resolutions, including over $1 billion in recoveries since 2019. Tony’s domestic and cross-borders disputes practice has included many noteworthy court rulings, awards, and verdicts against both domestic and international insurers, including London and Bermuda based insurers and syndicates. Tony has represented clients in virtually all business sectors regarding insurance coverage matters, and has worked for decades with clients in the private equity, energy, financial services / fintech, food and beverage and healthcare industries.
In addition to his insurance coverage disputes practice, Tony also represents clients in related contractual indemnity and additional insured disputes. He has trial experience in state and federal courts, and in handling both domestic and international arbitrations in London and Bermuda under the LCIA, ICDR, and other international rules of arbitration.
In addition to his disputes practice, Tony regularly advises clients and their boards of directors on insurance and indemnification issues. He also routinely assists clients in negotiating best-in-class terms and conditions with U.S. and international insurers for all lines of insurance coverage, as well as on merger and acquisition deals that involve long-tail claims or representation and warranty insurance.
Tony received his undergraduate degree from The University of Georgia in Risk Management and Insurance. He later worked as a senior analyst with two leading financial services firms in the area of regulatory insurance compliance before graduating, cum laude, from Georgia State University College of Law. He was a law clerk for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Department of Justice, and an extern for former Georgia Congressman Ed Jenkins. Tony is frequently invited to speak on insurance coverage and related litigation topics, and has authored numerous publications. Routinely Tony and his practice are recognized in Chambers, The Legal 500, and Benchmark Litigation.
Experience
- Representation of a top 10 financial institution in a successful D&O / E&O insurance recovery litigation seeking over $500 million in coverage under professional liability policies for underlying matters as a result of the 2008 subprime and credit crisis, as well as other ongoing insurance claims
- Represented a large private equity fund focused on mining in a $100 million ICDR arbitration for insurance coverage under a political risk insurance policy. The claim stems from the company’s inability to complete construction and ultimately operate a multi-billion dollar mine as a result of the eastern European government’s expropriatory acts.
- Represented one of the largest providers of short-term and long-term health care services in the U.S., in insurance recovery litigation under D&O policy for multimillion-dollar losses incurred in underlying qui tam litigation.
- Represented a multinational beverage corporation in numerous successful insurance recovery matters, including under cyber/data privacy, environmental liability, CGL, brand protection and other manuscripted lines of coverages. Recent representation of the Company in a federal court lawsuit against Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s for losses under a political risk insurance policy for losses in Nepal.
- Represented a large paper and tissue products manufacturing company in an insurance recovery matter seeking over one-half billion dollars for property damage and business income losses stemming from a catastrophic fire.
- Representation of several energy sector clients, including leading producer and exporter of LNG on several insurance related matters.
- Represented a major print and digital document company in a D&O insurance recovery lawsuit regarding losses incurred from underlying lawsuits stemming from a proposed M&A deal.
- Represented affiliate of large commodity trading company in a LCIA arbitration seeking the recovery of $100 million under a political risk insurance policy. This matter arises from the African government’s embargo and other expropriatory acts at an iron ore mining project.
- Represented a leading manufacturer of specialty papers in North America in an insurance recovery matter seeking over one-half billion dollars for property damage and business income losses arising from a catastrophic incident at a manufacturing plant.
- Represented international provider of automotive parts in federal court lawsuit seeking the recovery of multi-million dollar losses under a commercial crime policy.
- Represented financial services and retail clients on insurance claims under data privacy/cyber policy for losses from several underlying data privacy lawsuits and first-party losses.
- Represented a bank holding company in multiple insurance recovery litigation matters involving bankers E&O and D&O coverages for claims arising, in part, from the 2008 credit crisis, as well as current consultation on other claims and matters.
- Represented the second largest hospital in Georgia in federal court litigation involving regulatory coverage for a False Claims Act investigation.
- Multiple representations of a leading luxury hotel group, including in breach of contract and declaratory judgment action to recover losses under CGL policy for underlying putative class action claims relating to California Privacy Act.
- Represented an international manufacturer of chemical additives in a significant insurance recovery lawsuit, and in recent litigation with a former parent regarding indemnification obligations.
- Represented an investment management company in an arbitration involving a multimillion-dollar claim for retrospective premiums and other costs allegedly owned under historical workers’ compensation, auto and CGL policies.
- Represented a multinational personal care corporation in federal court in a declaratory judgment and breach of contract action under a commercial crime policy.
- Representation of food and beverage company in successful N.D. Ga. Federal court insurance recovery matter under EPL policy in putative class action alleging race discrimination claims.
- The University of GeorgiaBBA
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Georgia State University College of LawJD
cum laude
Member, American Bar Association
Member, Atlanta Bar Association
Member, Atlanta Claims Association
Barrister, Bleckley Inn of Court
Member, Graduate Leadership Council, Georgia State College of Law
Member, Lawyers Club of Atlanta
Member, State Bar of Georgia
- Speaker, Preparing on All Fronts for a Catastrophic Event, Rescheduled
- Speaker, Hot Topics in Higher Education, February 8, 2023
- Guest, "When Claims Arise: Tackling the Internal and External Elements, With Tony Tatum", The Professor’s Corner, August 24, 2022
- Speaker, "Insurance Issues and Protection Against Defaulting Subcontractors", Construction Industry Challenges 2022, May 24, 2022
- Speaker, Emerging Insurance Recovery Issues One Year Into COVID-19, July 15, 2021
- Speaker, HCCA’s Atlanta Regional Healthcare Compliance Conference, January 25, 2019
- Georgia
Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Insurance Law Woodward/White, Inc., 2023, 2024
Selected for inclusion in “Legal 500 United States,” Insurance: Advice to Policyholders, 2022, 2023
Selected for inclusion in America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Insurance, Georgia, Band 1, Chambers USA, 2021, 2022, 2023
Named, “Future Litigation Star: Georgia,” Benchmark Litigation, 2012-2018
Honored, “Litigation Department of the Year: Insurance Litigation,” The Daily Report, 2016
- Author, What You May Not Know about The Supreme Court’s Ruling in SFFA—Insurance Coverage Implications for All Industries, Pro Policyholder, August 3, 2023
- Author, 7th Circuit Sides With Insured Party Seeking Coverage for False Claims Act Settlement, The FCA Insider, May 23, 2023
- Author, Financial Institutions and Bank Directors and Officers in the Crosshairs – Are Their Insurance Policies Really Primed and Ready?, Pro Policyholder, March 17, 2023
- Author, Ohio Supreme Court: Insurance Policy Does Not Cover Ransomware Attack on Software, Pro Policyholder, January 12, 2023
- Quoted, "Review Of Exxon’s $25M Award Could Have Global Impact", Law360, June 3, 2022
- Author, What Owners and Financers Need to Know About Insurance and Putin’s Aircraft Seizure Law, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, March 22, 2022
- Author, Russia and the Insurance Angle — Tapping Political Risk and Other Insurance Coverages, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, March 18, 2022
- Author, “Securing Coverage for Investors’ Political Risk Claims in 2022, Law360 Insurance Authority, January 27, 2022
- Author, In a Hard Global Insurance Market, Will Insurers Cover Political Risk Insurance Claims?, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, January 19, 2022
- Author, New York’s Highest Court Sides With Insured: $140M Disgorgement Payment Is Covered Loss, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, December 13, 2021
- Quoted, "Universities Hit by Covid-19 Take on Insurers Over Loss Coverage", Bloomberg Law, September 17, 2020