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Overview
Insurance companies operate in a fast-moving environment where claims must be evaluated quickly, coverage decisions must be defensible, and disputes must be resolved efficiently. Rupp Pfalzgraf represents insurance carriers, their insureds, self-insured entities, municipalities, and private corporations throughout New York State in insurance defense and coverage matters.
When a claim becomes contested or raises complex legal issues, insurers often rely on outside counsel to evaluate potential exposure and guide the matter toward resolution. Our attorneys work closely with claims professionals throughout the process, from early investigation through litigation and appeal when necessary. We provide timely reporting, early evaluation of liability and damages, and practical litigation strategies that help insurers manage claims efficiently and avoid unnecessary financial exposure.
Our team has extensive experience representing insurers and their insureds in liability litigation involving automobile accidents, premises incidents, products liability claims, construction site injuries, and other high-exposure matters. We also represent insurers in property insurance disputes involving fraud investigations, arson concerns, valuation disagreements, policy interpretation, and coverage litigation. As skilled negotiators and aggressive litigators, we have developed a strong track record throughout New York State of achieving favorable outcomes for our insurance clients across both insurance defense and first-party property insurance matters.
Because insurance companies also operate as businesses with their own internal legal needs, our multidisciplinary team provides additional support in areas such as corporate law, labor and employment, and regulatory compliance. We advise insurance companies and agencies on operational matters, including business transactions, corporate governance, employment policies, and workplace disputes. By combining litigation experience with broader business counsel, we help organizations in the insurance industry address both claims-related disputes and the legal issues that arise in the course of running their businesses.
With extensive experience handling complex insurance disputes, our attorneys bring the litigation skill, steadfast advocacy, and industry insight that insurers rely on when they need legal counsel. With a thorough, diligent, and proactive approach, we work to deliver the results and reliability our insurance clients deserve.
How We Support the Insurance Industry
- Defending insurance companies and their insureds in automobile liability, premises liability, products liability, and construction accident claims
- Representing insurers in Labor Law and construction site injury litigation
- Handling slip and fall cases, negligent security claims, and other premises liability matters
- Developing strategic defense plans that evaluate liability exposure and potential settlement value early in the case
- Representing insurers and insureds in mediation, arbitration, and trial
- Representing insurers in first-party property insurance disputes involving fraud, arson, and suspicious losses
- Conducting examinations under oath during claim investigations
- Litigating insurance coverage disputes and declaratory judgment actions
- Applying New York’s Broad Evidence Rule in property damage valuation disputes
- Handling appraisal proceedings related to property damage claims
- Working with engineers, forensic accountants, and cause and origin experts during claim investigations
- Investigating losses to determine whether third parties are responsible for the damage
- Pursuing subrogation claims to recover insurance payments from responsible parties
- Advising insurance companies and agencies on corporate governance and regulatory compliance, and providing comprehensive corporate counsel, including corporate contracts, representation in mergers & acquisitions, and business succession planning
- Advising insurance companies and agencies on employee handbooks and workplace policies
- Providing compliance guidance on federal and New York employment laws
- Defending employers in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage and hour claims
- Conducting internal workplace investigations and management training
Industry Involvement
- Several of our attorneys are members of the Buffalo Claims Association and the Utica Claims Association
- Marco Cercone, Property Insurance Litigation practice leader, spoke at the 2026 Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (SLM) Annual Conference. He joined a panel of industry professionals speaking on practical strategies for maximizing the value of valuation referrals.
- Attended and sponsored the annual New York Association of Independent Adjusters
- Received two Tier 1 Regional Rankings in Insurance Litigation in the 2026 Edition of Best Law Firms
- Eight attorneys recognized in the 2026 Edition of Best Lawyers and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America for their work in Insurance Litigation
- Six attorneys received Super Lawyers and Rising Stars designations in 2025 for insurance-related work
Representative Matters
- Represented an insurance agency in a $20 million sale to a private equity firm.
- Represented a regional property insurer in a coverage dispute, where a motion for summary judgment was granted on the issue of residency, dismissing the plaintiffs’ lawsuit in its entirety prior to trial. The motion was bolstered by thorough discovery and several non-party depositions that clearly demonstrated to the Court that summary judgment was warranted.
- Represented a regional property insurer and successfully dismissed the plaintiff’s lawsuit seeking contents damages and extra-contractual damages via a pre-answer motion to dismiss, which was converted to a motion for summary judgment. The fourth department fully affirmed the trial court case, resolving the matter in our client’s favor before discovery.
- Represented a national insurance carrier in a dispute with a remediation services company that demanded an appraisal for its expenses. We aggressively challenged the demand, stating that our client would not pay for the usurious charges. In response, the remediation company withdrew its appraisal demand and waived the remaining invoice balance..
- Represented a regional insurer on a suspected arson claim from a fire that occurred at a property in Rochester. We conducted a thorough investigation, including an examination under oath. While we could not obtain direct evidence that an arson occurred, we were able to obtain a plethora of circumstantial evidence pointing to arson, sufficient to support a complete denial of the claim, saving our client $60,000. The insured retained counsel and threatened litigation, but ultimately, no lawsuit was filed, in part because of the inconsistencies we obtained in the insured’s testimony.
- Represented a mutual insurance carrier regarding a claim for stolen items from an apartment. Through investigation, we uncovered a social media photo posted by the insured depicting one of the purportedly stolen items taken after the reported date of loss. The insured then waived her claim, so our client paid nothing.
- Defended a manufacturer in a complex products liability case resulting in a defense verdict after trial.
- Represented a transportation operator in negligence litigation where the jury found the driver acted reasonably under emergency conditions.
- Successfully defended a construction defect claim, obtaining a defense verdict after the court determined the alleged defect was not the proximate cause of the plaintiff’s damages.
- Reduced a $3.8 million Labor Law damages demand to a verdict of less than $2,000 after uncovering undisclosed prior injuries during investigation.
- Achieved numerous defense verdicts in automobile and premises liability cases across New York State.
Relevant Practices
Insurance Defense
Property Insurance Litigation
Labor & Employment
Business Litigation
Business Law
Team
Allen-J

Jill
Allen
Partner
Buffalo, NY
Barnashuk-R

Robert F.
Barnashuk
Partner
Buffalo, NY
Barone-J

John
Barone
Partner
Albany, NY
Bucci-C

Connor
Bucci
Associate
Rochester, NY
Cantil-J

Jonathan
Cantil
Partner
Buffalo, NY
Cercone-M

Marco
Cercone
Partner
Buffalo, NY
Cook-CJ

CJ
Cook
Partner
Buffalo, NY
Bozeman, MT
Gerace-E

Emily
Gerace
Associate
Rochester, NY
Insights
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