James K. Thurston

About James K. Thurston

Jim is the Chair of the D&O and E&O Insurance group at Wilson Elser, and is an insurance coverage lawyer who focuses his legal practice on insurance and bad faith litigation in the professional liability field. Jim’s clients include primary and excess insurers, reinsurers and retrocessionaires, that issue policies for directors and officers, financial institutions, architects, accountants, insurance company E&O, and miscellaneous E&O. He also has represented environmental impairment and general liability insurers. Jim’s practice extends worldwide and he has been involved in the interpretation of insurance policies issued in England, France, Germany, Greece, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, India, Spain, Ireland, Russia, Japan, Italy, South Africa, South Korea, Australia, Hong Kong, Mexico, Columbia, Argentina, the Island of Saipan, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Jim has been directly involved in handling the insurance coverage aspects arising from some of the largest corporate scandals, including Madoff, Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia, Global Crossing, Satyam, Dynegy, Qwest, as well as the IPO Laddering Lawsuits. Jim has successfully litigated (and arbitrated) coverage disputes on behalf of his clients throughout the federal and state courts of the United States, Puerto Rico, England, Norway, South Korea, and the Netherlands.

Experience

1. Partner

   Wilson Elser

   Dec 1995 — Present

Education

• Marquette University Law School

  Doctor of Law (J.D.)

  1986 — 1988

• Yale Law School

  Special Student (1988-89)

  1988 — 1989

• University of Pennsylvania

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Architecture

  1980 — 1984

Skills

• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Insurance Law
• Litigation Management
• Class Actions
• Insurance
• Civil Litigation
• Corporate Law
• Courts
• Product Liability
• Mediation
• Commercial Litigation
• Professional Liability
• Appeals
• Arbitration
• Litigation
• Construction Law