Justin T. Howell

Justin represents clients in all stages of the insurance recovery process, from the initial analysis of applicable coverages, through documentation and presentation of claims, negotiation of settlements, and litigation. He has substantial trial experience in both state and federal courts and excels in working closely with expert witnesses to distill complex scientific and technical issues into persuasive, accessible testimony.

Prior to joining Calfee in 2024, Justin represented policyholders as a member of a Chambers-ranked insurance practice group at a preeminent law firm in Washington, D.C.

Justin earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Duke University School of Law, where he served on the Editorial Board of the Duke Law Journal. Justin was honored with the Order of the Coif.

Justin earned his M.Sc. in International Politics from Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland) and his B.A. in International Studies and English, summa cum laude, from Boston College, where he was admitted to Phi Beta Kappa.

Education

J.D., magna cum laude, Duke University School of Law, 2016

• Order of the Coif
• Duke Law Journal Editorial Board

M.Sc., International Politics, Trinity College Dublin, 2012

B.A., summa cum laude, International Studies and English, Boston College, 2011

• Phi Beta Kappa

Experience

Justin has deep expertise in advising clients regarding insurance matters under a wide variety of coverages, including general liability, commercial property, commercial auto, D&O, E&O, and representations and warranties policies, among others.

Justin also has substantial trial experience in bench and jury trials in state and federal courts across multiple practice areas, including insurance coverage disputes, intellectual property, and consumer protection actions with amounts at state in excess of $1 billion.

Representative matters include the following (some matters may have been handled while at former firm):

• Represented manufacturers of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) in securing liability insurance coverage for thousands of claims alleging bodily injury and property damage from use of and exposure to AFFF.
• Secured coverage under Directors & Officers and Management Liability policies for private equity firm facing claims arising from bankruptcy of portfolio companies, overcoming several asserted coverage defenses to facilitate insurance-funded settlement of underlying claims.
• Obtained multi-million dollar settlement of disputed COVID-19 business interruption claim by private equity firm under specialized communicable disease coverage, successfully persuading insurers to pay multiple per-occurrence limits – and as a result, triple their initial payments – toward losses at the client's hotel properties.

• Represented public utility pursuing liability insurance coverage for legacy environmental liabilities under state and federal Superfund laws, including at a month-long jury trial ending with a verdict in the client's favor.
• Represented a major industrial supply company in a dispute regarding the insurer's defense obligations under a product liability policy, successfully fending off the insurer's attempts at premature exhaustion and securing millions in covered defense costs.
• Represented a private equity firm in a suit for bad-faith denial of coverage for storm-related damage to hotel properties under commercial property and pollution legal liability policies, leading to a settlement substantially in excess of claimed losses.

• Represented a state in complex environmental litigation to recover natural resource damages arising from chemical contamination, leading to a landmark, nine-figure settlement.

• Represented major medical device manufacturer, including at trial, in defending multi-billion dollar claims seeking penalties under state consumer protection laws.
• Represented major pharmaceutical company in Hatch-Waxman patent litigation concerning blockbuster cancer treatment, including at bench trial leading to judgment in favor of client on all asserted claims.