Named a 2024 Rising Star for Insurance by Law360, Orrie Levy brings a notable public sector background in civil and criminal trials and appeals to his national insurance recovery practice. With a focus on directors & officers liability insurance coverage issues, Orrie also handles high-stakes insurance disputes for corporate policyholders relating to property insurance and business interruption policies, professional liability coverage, and disputes arising from indemnification agreements. His results can be valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Last year, Orrie’s briefing and oral argument persuaded Delaware Superior Court Judge Mary Johnston to do something she had never done in 20 years on the bench: set aside a jury verdict. Her decision invalidated a verdict for AIG and against Orrie’s client, Conduent State Healthcare, over a $236 million Medicaid settlement. AIG had defied evidentiary rulings at trial, and the decision Orrie secured will preserve the integrity of the trial system.
In a high-profile case touching on a national crisis, Orrie is championing Walmart’s claim for billions of dollars in coverage for opioid-related liability. He recently defeated efforts by dozens of Walmart’s insurers to dismiss the action and earned a ruling establishing Walmart’s right to coverage for defense costs in thousands of opioid-related lawsuits. The court’s January 2024 decision addressed multiple issues of first impression under Arkansas law.
Orrie has also obtained hundreds of millions of dollars for clients in directors & officers liability coverage disputes. In one, Orrie secured for Paramount Global (formerly Viacom Inc.) a ruling from the Superior Court of Delaware that Viacom’s insurers cannot avoid covering a $122.5 million settlement resolving a shareholder lawsuit over Viacom’s merger with CBS.
Orrie plays an active role in mentoring and overseeing associates and staff at Cohen Ziffer and serves as pro bono coordinator for the firm. He has earned a number of honors for his work on behalf of clients, including recognition as a 2024 Break Out Awards honoree by Business Insurance. Before joining private practice, he clerked for the Hon. Lisa Margaret Smith of the Southern District of New York.
Year Joined Firm: 2021
Education: Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (J.D.); New York University (B.A.)
Updated Aug 2024
