Emma R. Leonelli Associate

Experience

Insurance Recovery

• Represent ivy league university in crime policy coverage dispute for loss suffered as a result of university administrative director’s fraudulent purchase and sale of cameras, tablets, and other electronic devices using university funds.
• Represent college university in coverage dispute alleging claims for property damage caused by the presence of category 3 water resulting from Hurricane Florence in 2018.
• Represent German industrial machine manufacturing company in coverage dispute for property damage and business interruption losses suffered as a result of a plane crash into the insured’s manufacturing facility, destroying two main production areas for its entire North American operations.
• Represent global manufacturer of premium, performance-based papers, and specialty products in coverage dispute for property damage and business interruption losses suffered as a result of damage to boiler tubes at insured’s Wisconsin facility.
• Represent global American office staffing company in coverage dispute for damages suffered as a result of third-party administrator’s negligence in procuring coverage for insured’s involvement as a defendant in an underlying lawsuit for wrongful death, and damages suffered as a result of panel-appointed counsel’s legal malpractice.
• Represent 50+ insureds in the Chicago food industry in federal Multi District Litigation action involving claims for damages related to business interruption losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Represent national fitness partner in Pennsylvania state court action for damages arising out of insurer’s bad faith refusal to reimburse insured under “all risk policy” for business interruption losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Complex Commercial Litigation

• Represent and defend specialty finance company in third party subpoena deposition relating to trustee’s efforts to recover from privately held cardio-diagnostic company following bankruptcy proceedings.
• Represent wholesale food distributor and importer in breach of contract claim asserting allegations of distributor’s failure to make payments on purchase orders where the invoices and payments for such orders were intercepted by online hackers.
• Represent multi-million dollar Steel Corporation in high-risk litigation involving on-going breach of contract claims.
• Represent national shoe retailer in on-going landlord-tenant lease agreement dispute filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
• Represent preferred equity investor in contentious breach of contract dispute with managing member involving allegations of absconding with funds, gross property mismanagement, and numerous events of default.
• Represent global cloud communications platform company in Delaware federal court litigation and concurrent International Centre for Dispute Resolution action involving claims for breach of a joint venture agreement.
• Represent North American retailer of energy and energy services in permanent injunction request in Connecticut state court.
• Represent national insurance company in successful appellate argument before the Pennsylvania Superior Court in matter involving breach of contract and warranty claims between construction project contractor and subcontractor.
• Represent individual investor in on-going alleged federal securities fraud lawsuit filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
• Represent major North American energy company in numerous actions for partition and quiet title of property associated with the development of an extensive oil and gas pipeline.

Financial Litigation

• Represent nation-wide financial institution in class action alleging that the bank aided and abetted Ponzi schemes.
• Represent nation-wide financial institution in putative class action challenging the investment of personal trust assets in affiliated mutual funds.
• Represent nation-wide financial institution in high-profile class action involving claims of lending discrimination to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.
• Represent nation-wide financial institution in putative class action challenging the bank’s card processing system, sales practices, and fees charged as a Merchant Services Provider.
• Represent nation-wide financial institution in successful appeal before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in matter involving claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Practice Act, Service member’s Civil Relief Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and Federal Truth in Lending Act.
• Represent nation-wide financial institution in New Jersey State Court action involving the New Jersey consumer fraud act, unjust enrichment, and breach of contract claims.
• Represent nation-wide financial institutions in a variety of mortgage-related claims, including those involving pre- and post-payment interest, in several putative class actions in federal courts across the country.
• Represent nation-wide financial institutions in multiple single-plaintiff automobile lending portfolio matters involving claims arising under the Truth in Lending Act, Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Consumer Fraud Act, and Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

Employment Litigation

• Represent national energy corporation in high-profile litigation involving wage discrimination and retaliation claims under the Equal Pay Act and Title VII, and Title VII gender discrimination claims.
• Represent national insurance broker and consulting firm in seeking preliminary injunction and enforcement of employee non-compete and non-solicitation agreements.
• Represent global leader and innovator of industry-leading technology in seeking preliminary injunction and enforcement of employee non-compete, confidentiality, and nondisclosure or use of proprietary information agreements.