Scott Schaffer has practiced in the insurance coverage area throughout his legal career, with a current focus on claims under directors and officers liability, professional liability and employment liability policies. As a founding member of the firm’s Insurance-Reinsurance Coverage practice, Scott is a coordinator of the national Directors & Officers and Employment teams.
On behalf of insurance carriers, Scott provides counseling and opinions in coverage matters arising from business disputes and corporate insurance defense, with a concentration on directors and officers (D&O), professional errors and omissions (E&O), employment practices (EPL) and cyber liability programs. He serves as national counsel and claims coordinator for D&O, EPL and E&O programs originated in the United States, Bermuda and London, including programs targeting financial institutions, non-profit organizations, franchise businesses, and small to mid-sized “hard to place” for-profit corporations. In his role as national program counsel, Scott is responsible for drafting policies and endorsements, preparing claims bordereaux, and providing guidance to underwriters on various issues. He is a frequent speaker at seminars in the United States, Canada, Bermuda and Europe, and has written numerous articles on D&O, EPL and E&O liability. For the past twelve years, the New York City Bar Association has published annual editions of Scott’s “Directors and Officers Liability/Insurance Handbook.”
Scott’s client service approach emphasizes a high level of professionalism and responsiveness to client needs, with a focus on cost-effective management and resolution of claims through the balanced use of internal and external resources. Scott is particularly adept at advocating his clients’ positions at mediations and settlement conferences, hundreds of which he has attended all across the United States over the years. Presently, Scott is heavily involved in the representation of insurers, along various product lines, with exposures to the sub-prime mortgage crisis.
