Jonathan Meer is highly experienced in the area of insurance coverage, including monitoring and coverage determinations. He maintains a particular concentration in coverage for directors and officers (D&O), with an emphasis on the growing area of D&Os in cannabis companies; professional errors and omissions (E&O); lawyers (LPL); employment practices; and cyber liability programs.
Jonathan represents the interests of primary and excess insurers based in the United States, China, London and Bermuda in high-exposure claims against directors and officers of public and private companies, nonprofit boards, financial institutions and insurance companies. He has addressed claims related to shareholder class actions seeking multimillion-dollar damages against public companies and their directors and officers, as well as other high-profile fraud cases involving a variety of issues.
In addition, Jonathan’s litigation practice focuses on commercial litigation and professional liability. He has experience with matters arising under E&O policies covering attorneys, co-op boards, software developers, engineers, consultants, agents and other professionals. Jonathan also handles employment matters involving all types of discrimination and harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination claims.
Jonathan is active in the insurance industry, serving as a mentor for female professionals in The Bridge Transcend program, a D&O Trend Advisor for the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS), and longtime chair of the New York City Bar Association’s D&O insurance event. He has spoken at multiple in-person and online events in recent years, including programs sponsored by the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM), ExecuSummit, and the Brokers & Reinsurance Markets Association. In addition, Jonathan is the author of the definitive chapter on D&O liability exposure in the United States for the Globe Law and Business publication Directors’ Liability and Indemnification: A Global Guide.
Areas of Focus
Directors & Officers Liability
Jonathan has successfully participated in mediation and litigation of D&O and other insurance coverage disputes. He regularly represents D&O insurers as coverage and monitoring counsel in complex shareholder class actions against public companies and their directors and officers for violations of federal securities laws and in shareholder derivative suits against directors and officers for breach of fiduciary duty and mismanagement in the context of mergers and acquisitions and other business transactions. Jonathan advises insurance companies and claims administrators on all coverage issues, including those involving excess insurance, extra-contractual liability, policy language, conflicts of laws, reinsurance, co-insurance, rescission, misrepresentation and the interplay of other insurance clauses. He currently represents insurers regarding product lines exposed to the subprime mortgage and financial crisis and has actively participated in numerous mediations.
Employment Practices Liability
Jonathan’s practice includes employment matters in the courts and before federal, state and local agencies. Such services include direct representation of clients and litigating, mediating and negotiating favorable resolutions of EEOC charges and civil actions involving a wide range of claims for violations of state and federal employment laws, including claims alleging gender, age and race discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, wrongful termination, sexual harassment and retaliation claims.
Professional Liability
Jonathan’s litigation practice includes the defense of liability actions against a variety of professionals and representation of professionals in general business disputes in miscellaneous E&O claims. Jonathan has diverse experience handling all aspects of claims and litigation assessment, management and resolution.
Cyber Liability, Data Privacy & Security
Jonathan continues to develop his proficiency in a wide range of cyber liability matters, representing primary and excess insurers as coverage and monitoring counsel in connection with first-party and third-party claims under cyber liability insurance policies. His practice also addresses insurance coverage with respect to data security and privacy protection and coverage for technology errors and omissions.
