Scott Neal Godes

Scott Godes focuses on representing corporate policyholders regarding insurance coverage issues. He is an experienced litigator who has extensive experience in trying complex insurance coverage disputes, including class actions, in state, federal, bankruptcy, and appellate courts, as well as in commercial arbitrations.

• Insurance Coverage
• Insurance Bad Faith

District of Columbia

District of Columbia Bar

Since 1999

Massachusetts

Since 1998

Pennsylvania

Since 2000

Virginia

Since 2015

Partner

Barnes & Thornburg LLP

2013 - Current

Scott N. Godes is a veteran trial lawyer with experience in insurance coverage matters and technology issues. He is a partner in Barnes & Thornburg LLP’s Washington, D.C., office and is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department, Co-Chair of the Data Security and Privacy Practice Group, member of the Insurance Recovery and Counseling Group, the Internet & Technology Law Group and the Federal Procurement Practice Group.

Counsel

Dickstein Shapiro LLP

2006 - 2013

Mr. Godes has represented a variety of clients seeking to obtain insurance coverage from their insurance companies. He received a decisive victory as lead counsel in a landmark four-month asbestos-related insurance coverage class action trial. The decision was featured on the front page of the New York Law Journal and Business Insurance. In that case, the policyholder's insurance companies asserted that they had paid out their aggregate limits for all of the policyholder's asbestos-related claims, and therefore, owed no additional coverage. Mr. Godes obtained a verdict that ruled decisively against the insurers, finding that there was additional premises/operations ("non-products") coverage for every asbestos claim under the policies, without regard to the policies' aggregate limits. That case was the first asbestos non-products coverage case resolved favorably against the insurers after a full trial on the merits. The case also favorably resolved a number of other critical issues, including notice, number of occurrences, and the statute of limitations. Mr. Godes also has represented policyholders in declaratory judgment insurance coverage actions, insurance-related bankruptcies and adversary actions, insurer rehabilitation actions, and commercial arbitrations. He has litigated and advised clients regarding insurance coverage for directors and officers and securities claims; business interruption losses; first party property damage; crime and theft; computer data, hardware, and software claims; mass tort liabilities; product liability claims; class actions; asbestos claims; environmental property damage; flood claims; and class actions. He also has been instrumental in settling more than $800 million in insurance coverage claims on behalf of corporate policyholders.

Associate

Gilbert Heintz & Randolph LLP

2001 - 2006

FindLaw, Inc.

2000 - 2001

Associate, Law Clerk, Summer Associate

DLA Piper

1997 - 2000

The George Washington University Law School

J.D. | Law

1995 - 1998

Honors: Graduated with Honors Honors, Legal Writing Honors, Introduction to Advocacy Moot Court Board member Managing Editor, Public Contract Law Journal

Middlebury College

B.A. | Political Science, Spanish

1990 - 1994

Honors: Graduated Cum Laude

Co-Chair, Computer and Technology Subcommittee

American Bar Association, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee

2009

Massachusetts State Bar

Member

1998 - Current

Data Breaches Are Not Going Away Will Your Company Be Covered for Those Risks?

e-Commerce Law & Strategy

December, 2009

Discerning the Duty to Defend: When A Company is Incorrectly Named In A Lawsuit

Claims Magazine

December, 2009

Strategy for Creating an Effective Corporate Compliance Program

LexisNexis Matthew Bender

December, 2009

"Dusting Off an Old Law" - Insurance Coverage for Trespass to Chattels Claims

Risk and Insurance

November, 2009

Total Cessation of Business Is Not Required for BI Coverage

Advisen

August, 2009