Natasha Romagnoli

Biography

A highly skilled litigator with more than 20 years’ experience, Natasha counsels a wide breadth of clients, including corporations, investment funds, universities and high schools, religious institutions, non-profits, and individuals, on issues in connection with a broad range of insurance coverage claims and disputes.

Natasha regularly appears in state and federal courts across the country and in arbitration, representing her clients on matters related to insurance recovery, employment practices liability insurance (“EPLI”), and sexual abuse coverage. She has also handled several general commercial litigation disputes concerning broker malpractice, breach of contract, securities, and tort claims.

Natasha is highly ranked in insurance by Chambers USA - New York. Clients have commented that Natasha is “a brilliant lawyer and highly effective advocate.” She has attracted praise in particular for “her expertise in representing academic and commercial policyholders in abuse and fraudulent misrepresentation matters.” The Legal 500 United States client testimonials call her “simply fantastic! She is incredibly smart and sharp, and navigates well when handling complex legal and insurance matters.”

Experience

  • A privately held family entertainment and amusement park operating company, in winning a $11.5 million jury verdict in Alabama state court against an insurance company that had denied coverage under a “key-man” policy after the death of the company’s CEO. 
  • A group of former officers and directors in Delaware Chancery Court on a summary judgment motion to secure tens of millions of dollars of advancement of defense costs from their former employer in connection with various civil litigations and government investigations.
  • A full-service investment management firm, in securing summary judgment ruling from a Delaware state court in which the insurance carriers and the named insured disputed the firm’s rights as an insured and whether there was coverage for certain government investigations under an $80 million D&O program.
  • Representation and counseling of educational and research institutions, including public school districts, private schools, charter schools, universities, and nonprofit organizations, in connection with claims brought by former students and employees in connection with internal investigations, underlying defense, and insurance coverage disputes.
  • The world’s largest privately held real estate services firm, in securing a summary judgment ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, which allowed the company to access $48 million in coverage from four insurers to cover defense costs and settlement payments in connection with four lawsuits concerning underlying appraisal-related claims. The court also rejected the insurers’ counterclaims for recoupment of over $33 million already paid to the firm by the carriers.
  • A major state university in its insurance coverage litigation to secure coverage for claims brought against the university by victims of former assistant football coach.
  • One of the largest telecommunications providers in the country, in its action against a data centers company to prevent it from effectively shutting down large portions of the telecommunications provider's international network as a result of a contract dispute, successfully obtaining a temporary restraining order, and preliminary injunction preventing the data center company from taking any action to prevent the telecommunications provider from obtaining the benefits under the contract.
  • The world’s largest privately held real estate services firm, in a $25 million action for breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation arising out of a building owner’s claim that the firm failed to secure adequate insurance coverage for costs incurred as a result of Superstorm Sandy.
  • A Canadian insurance holding company, in a New Jersey action arising out of a short-selling attack on the company and its operating subsidiaries by a group of hedge funds and their operatives in collusion with certain purportedly independent securities analysts. The company and its principal property and casualty insurance subsidiary have asserted claims under New Jersey's RICO statute and New Jersey common law seeking $6 billion in damages for the harm they suffered as a result of the attack.
  • A global insurance and benefits provider and a British retail and commercial bank in a $250 million action to recover from investment bankers, trustees, ratings agencies, and accountants for losses incurred in connection with investments in notes issued by a major financial lender.
  • An American art foundation in its bad faith insurance coverage litigation against a fine art insurance company to recover for damage to the seminal fine art photograph, The Chicago Seven, 1969.
  • A private equity real estate firm in litigation over licensing rights to architectural plans for a $415 million construction project in Jersey City. Retained one month before trial to complete discovery and act as trial counsel.
  • A leading tools manufacturer, in a breach of contract action against an Iowa-based hotel chain arising out of a $45 million sale of a midwestern hotel chain.
  • Real estate investment trusts in their action against one of the world’s largest privately held gaming and entertainment companies, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages relating to the high-profile bidding to obtain from the state of New York the license to operate slot machines at one of New York's premier thoroughbred racing facilities.
  • A private equity firm and its portfolio company in prosecuting an expedited proceeding against two multinational investment bank and financial services companies to compel specific performance of their commitment to provide $15 billion in financing for the portfolio company’s proposed merger with a global chemical manufacturer. 
  • Major financial institutions, including insurance companies, hedge funds, and mutual funds, in their action against the largest custodian bank in the world, seeking tens of millions of dollars arising from the bank’s failure to deliver a document to a collateral trustee, resulting in the plaintiffs receiving less in the issuer's bankruptcy proceedings, which action resulted in the seminal decision by the New York Court of Appeals establishing that an indenture trustee owes noteholders an extra-contractual obligation to perform basic, non-discretionary, ministerial functions even prior to an event of default.
  • Largest international baking company in a series of actions commenced in New York state and federal courts arising out of contractual and other disputes with franchisees and other distributors of its products.

News & Views

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Recognitions

  • 2022–2023, Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder (New York), listed in Chambers USA
  • 2023, Top 10 Policyholder Lawyers for Strategic Insurance Dispute Resolution in NY, listed in Business Today
  • 2022, "Top 500 Leading Litigators in America," listed in Lawdragon
  • Insurance: Advice to Policyholders, listed in The Legal 500 United States

Credentials

Admissions

  • New York
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court - Southern District of New York

Education

  • Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University, JD, cum laude
  • Smith College, AB