Barry Weissman Joins Sonnenschein's Insurance Group in Los Angeles

August 9, 2005

(LOS ANGELES, August 9, 2005)--Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP today announced that Barry Leigh Weissman has joined the law firm as a partner in its Los Angeles office and a member of the national Insurance Group.  Previously, he was co-chair of the Insurance and Reinsurance Practice Group at Alschuler Grossman Stein and Kahan LLP.

“Barry is widely regarded as one of the leading insurance lawyers in California, and we are delighted to have him on our team,” said Edwin Reeser, managing partner of Sonnenschein’s Los Angeles office.  “His expertise in the areas of reinsurance and insurance regulatory matters will support and expand the firm’s ability to provide a broad range of services to our insurance clients.”

Weissman represents his clients in a variety of complex commercial matters, including insurance-backed film-financing litigation in both California and New York, actions involving California Business Code Section 17200, and insurance companies in receiverships.  His practice also focuses on insurance and reinsurance company issues such as transactional and regulatory matters (including licensing) and mergers.  He is experienced in all phases of litigation in both New York and California state and federal courts, as well as mediations and arbitrations.  He is certified as an insurance arbitrator by ARIAS and has handled more than 100 reinsurance arbitrations during his career.

Weissman is currently the incoming chair of the State Bar’s Standing Committee on Insurance (Fall 2005) and participates on several committees of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.  He previously served on the California State Senate Advisory Commission on Malpractice Insurance..  He also was a member of the American Bar Association’s Special Committee on Pre-Paid Legal Services and on the council of its General Practice Section.

Weissman joins one of the premier insurance practices nationwide.  Sonnenschein has more than 160 lawyers across the United States who regularly represent insurance companies with respect to a wide array of issues.  The litigators and insurance regulatory lawyers at Sonnenschein often work on cases with major financial and public policy consequences.

Weissman is a frequent speaker on reinsurance issues and author of the two-volume book set California Pleadings and Practice Forms (Callaghan and Company, 1986), as well as numerous articles on reinsurance.  He earned a J.D. degree from University of Santa Clara Law School and a B.A. degree from the University of California, Davis. 

Sonnenschein, with more than 700 attorneys and other professionals in nine U.S. cities and a global reach, serves the legal needs of many of the world’s largest and best-known businesses, nonprofits and individuals.  For more information, visit www.sonnenschein.com.

Media Contact:

Linda Butler
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP
(312) 876-3453
lbutler@sonnenschein.com