Biography
Seth Lamden is a partner in Blank Rome’s policyholder-only insurance recovery practice. For nearly 25 years, Seth has focused his practice exclusively on helping policyholders understand and enforce their rights to insurance coverage. Through litigation and negotiation, Seth has helped policyholders recover hundreds of millions of dollars from their insurers in connection with a wide array of claims and losses under nearly all types of commercial insurance. In addition to his dispute resolution practice, Seth offers strategic advice to his clients in connection with maximizing insurance recovery, negotiating insurance policy renewals, and transactional due diligence.
Seth is a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel, an invitation-only organization of leading insurance coverage attorneys. He is ranked in insurance dispute resolution by Chambers USA, which noted that Seth “has an encyclopedic knowledge of insurance law, is a creative strategist and an excellent writer.” The American Lawyer named Seth a “Midwest Trailblazer” and he was profiled as one of “40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch” by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. Seth was also recognized as “Lawyer of the Year: Litigation - Insurance” by The Best Lawyers in America and as a Top 100 Illinois Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers.
Seth is a frequent speaker and commentator on insurance coverage issues and he has written dozens of articles and ten book chapters on topics relating to insurance coverage , including two chapters for the New Appleman on Insurance Law Library Edition.
Seth also served as an executive editor of Insurance Law Essentials, a publication of the International Risk Management Institute.
Experience
- Representation of a wholesale bank seeking D&O insurance coverage for a class action alleging improper redemption of $500 million of subordinated notes.
- Representation of a mobile refrigeration unit manufacturer in coverage litigation arising out of an underlying nationwide consumer class action.
- Representation of cybersecurity company in coverage litigation.
- Representation of an insulated drink and bottle manufacturer in coverage litigation arising out of an underlying nationwide consumer class action.
- Representation of a global power and energy engineering firm in coverage litigation arising out of asbestos bodily injury claims.
- Representation of a general contractor in coverage litigation arising out of an underlying $30 million claim alleging negligent professional services in connection with the construction of a psychiatric hospital.
- Representation of medical practice management SaaS companies in disputed coverage claims arising out of nationwide cyber breach class action lawsuits.
- Representation of a utility company in coverage litigation arising out of a $177 million settlement with the State of Missouri for damages caused by the catastrophic failure of a hydroelectric dam.
- Representation of a utility company in first-party property insurance coverage matters arising out of the $500 million rebuild of a hydroelectric dam.
- Representation of a utility company in a $20 million builder’s risk and delay in start-up claim arising out of the construction of a 1,600-megawatt coal-fired power plant.
- Representation of insurance broker in coverage litigation arising out of a $10 million underlying claim alleging fraud and negligence in connection with the creation and sale of a pooled captive insurance program.
- Representation of a managed care company in coverage litigation against its E&O insurer arising out of underlying class actions involving alleged improper administration of PPO networks.
- Representation of a bank in coverage litigation arising out of an underlying $10 million RICO lawsuit.
News & Views
-
Media Coverage
Seth D. Lamden Comments on D&O Coverage Risks Across Sectors
Law360 Insurance Authority -
Media Coverage
DOJ Whistleblower Program Puts Investigation Coverage in Focus
Business Insurance -
Ranking
Blank Rome Attorneys Recognized in 2025 Best Lawyers in America®
Seth D. Lamden, Barry Abrams, Kevin J. Baum, Matthew A. Homyk, Regina Stango Kelbon, Christopher A. Lewis
-
Media Coverage
Towers Watson's Bump-Up Appeal Lifts Policyholder Hopes
Law360 Insurance Authority -
Ranking
Chambers USA 2024 Recognizes Blank Rome Attorneys and Practices
Kevin J. Baum, Anthony R. Callobre, Lawrence F. Flick II, Michael C. Graziano, Bruce R. Lesser, Cassandra G. Mott
-
Speaking Engagement
Insurance Coverage
ABA TIPS 32nd Annual Toxic Tort & Environmental Law Conference -
Media Coverage
Oral Arguments on Insurers’ Rights during Bankruptcy Intrigue Experts
-
Media Coverage
Blank Rome Partners Named to Law360’s 2024 Editorial Advisory Boards
Law360Justin A. Chiarodo, Caroline Powell Donelan, Margaret Anne Hill, Reena Jain, Elizabeth N. Jochum, Seth D. Lamden
-
Speaking Engagement
Mediating Like an Athlete—How Teamwork, Preparation, and Sportsmanship Generate Game Day Results in a Mediation Setting
ABA TIPS 32nd Annual Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Mid-Year Program -
Article
A Policyholder’s Primer on Commercial Insurance in the United States
Association of Corporate CounselJohn A. Gibbons, Omid Safa, Kyle P. Brinkman, Linda Kornfeld, Jared Zola, Seth D. Lamden
Recognitions
- 2025, Lawyer of the Year: Litigation - Insurance, listed in Best Lawyers in America©
- 2023–2025, Litigation - Insurance, listed in Best Lawyers in America©
- 2014–2025, Insurance Law, listed in Best Lawyers in America©
- 2024, “Top 100 Illinois Super Lawyers,” listed in Super Lawyers
- 2015–2024, Insurance Coverage, Illinois, listed in Super Lawyers
- 2021–2024, Insurance: Dispute Resolution, listed in Chambers USA
- 2022, Midwest Trailblazers, listed in The American Lawyer
- 2022, listed in The Legal 500 United States
- 2010–2014, “Rising Star” in Insurance Coverage, Illinois, listed in Super Lawyers
- AV Preeminent®, listed by Martindale-Hubbell®
- 2013, “40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch,” Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
Affiliations
Seth is a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel, where he serves on the Board of Regents and Finance Committee.
Seth has held numerous bar association leadership roles, including: co-chair of the D&O and Professional Liability Insurance Committee and CGL/Excess Liability Insurance Committee of the American College of Coverage Counsel; chair of the Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee of the ABA’s Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS); chair of the Insurance Law Committee and board member of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel; and chair of TIPS’ Self-Insurers & Risk Managers Committee.
Seth was elected to serve on the 2024 Law360 Insurance Authority General Liability Editorial Advisory Board.
Credentials
Admissions
- U.S. District Court - Central District of Illinois
- Illinois
- U.S. District Court - Northern District of Illinois
Education
- Brandeis University, BA
- University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, JD, magna cum laude