The attorneys at Bovis, Kyle, Burch & Medlin, LLC have been providing coverage opinions and litigating coverage issues for over 30 years. We have experience with a broad range of both primary and excess insurance policies, including first-party property policies, commercial general liability policies, professional liability policies, automobile policies, homeowner’s policies, and various types of manuscript and program policies. We also handle cases involving builder’s risk, inland-marine, boiler and machinery policies, and various alternative risk transfer agreements. Our firm is capable of providing expert, cost-effective representation on any insurance coverage dispute.

For years a significant part of our insurance practice has related to handling property insurance claims, especially cases with arson and fraud defenses. The firm has long-standing relationships with cause and origin experts, forensic accountants, and other technical experts. The Firm has also been called upon from time to time to consult on drafting policy provisions. We specialize in handling “bad faith” and extra-contractual claims. Our long history of advising insurers on how to handle claims in good faith has prepared us to properly evaluate these claims.

Another significant part of the firm’s insurance practice is evaluating coverage and duty to defend issues under liability policies. The firm has extensive experience with construction-defect, personal and advertising injury, motor carrier, uninsured motorist, and environmental coverage issues. We have litigated numerous declaratory judgment actions and defended allegations of breach of contract involving coverage issues. Providing advice and direction to liability carriers on how to handle lawsuits with uncovered claims is a specialty of the firm.

Throughout his 41 year career, Steve Kyle has represented clients on coverage matters. He has litigated hundreds of coverage cases across the Southeast and has tried several multi-million dollar cases. He is a member and former president of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, a member of the Defense Research Institute, has spoken at DRI national seminars, is a member of the I.A.D.C., and is a member of both the states bars of Georgia and Florida. He has been admitted pro hac vice is 38 states. Steve has an AV peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Jimmy Singer has been involved with coverage issues since he began his legal career in 1982. He has handled many coverage cases, and helped develop Georgia law on the absolute pollution exclusion in the 1980's, as well as on construction coverage in this decade. Having been admitted pro hac vice in over half the states in the country, all manner of coverage issues, particularly involving property or insureds in the Southeastern United States, remains a significant part of his practice. Also, as a certified mediator, he brings an additional and unique perspective for clients evaluating the various and evolving issues presented in the coverage area. Jimmy is a former president of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, a member of DRI, and a member of The Association of Defense Trial Attorneys. Jimmy has an AV peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

David Russell Smith, a member of the firm with 25 years of experience, has specialized in insurance coverage for the past nineteen years. In 1991, he left Bovis, Kyle, Burch & Medlin to accept a position as an assistant-general counsel with CIGNA Property and Casualty Companies. At CIGNA, he supervised most of CIGNA’s coverage litigation in the Southeastern United States. He also provided thousands of coverage opinions on virtually every aspect of the standard ISO CGL and business auto coverage forms. David rejoined Bovis, Kyle, Burch & Medlin in 2001 to head up the firm’s insurance coverage practice. He has hands on experience evaluating liability coverage for construction-defect claims, personal and advertising injury claims, other-insurance disputes, and additional insured/indemnity issues. He has won many summary judgments on coverage in both state and federal courts, and has litigated numerous coverage cases, involving both liability and property coverage. David has an AV peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Scott Busby, also a member of the firm, began his career in 1990 working exclusively on first-party insurance coverage disputes. He has maintained this area as a significant part of his practice. Scott has particular expertise in the area of business interruption analysis stemming from his accounting and finance background. Mr. Busby obtained his MBA from Georgia State University in 1987 with a concentration in finance, and is accustomed to interfacing with accountants on complex financial matters. Scott recently won a three-week jury trial that involved a seven-figure property loss with significant business interruption issues. Scott has an AV peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Bovis, Kyle, Burch & Medlin, LLC understands the insurance industry. As one of the leading insurance coverage firms in the Southeast, we can provide cost-effective legal representation on virtually any insurance coverage issue that is presented in today’s complex legal environment.