Biography

Travis M. Brown is a leader of the Insurance Coverage and Risk Management practice group and manages the firm’s Dallas office. He has over a decade of experience advising clients on a broad range of insurance coverage issues. Travis began his career at an insurer-side firm with a national practice and gained valuable insight into how insurance companies evaluate claims, both prior to and during litigation. Now, he applies that experience and insight on the other side of the docket, to help companies ensure that their insurers honor their obligations under the policy when a claim arises. His primary focus is on advising contractors, owners, subcontractors, and other participants in the construction industry in disputes with their insurance companies. Within his coverage practice, he also frequently represents oilfield service providers, pipeline and alternative energy contractors, and other members of the oil and gas and energy industries. In addition, his coverage expertise extends well outside the construction context. In the past two years alone, he has assisted clients in securing multi-million-dollar settlements or claim payments in disputes with insurers in a wide variety of cases, including a claim for coverage involving an e-mail spoofing/wire fraud incident, an eight-figure claim involving catastrophic property damage from the 2021 statewide freeze event in Texas, and several seven and eight-figure claims under builders risk policies.

Education

• University of Texas School of Law – J.D., 2008
• University of Texas at Austin – B.A., Plan II Honors Program, 2002
• University of Texas at Austin – B.B.A. Finance, 2002

Recognitions & Distinctions

• Best Lawyers in America (2023 – 2025): Construction Law, Insurance Law, Litigation – Construction, and Litigation – Insurance
• Named a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters (2022 – 2024). Each year, no more than 5 percent of lawyers in the state are selected to receive this honor.

Representative Experience

• Submitted amicus brief on behalf of the National Association of Home Builders, Home Builders Association of Tennessee, and Home Builders Association of Greater Knoxville to the Tennessee Supreme Court in West Bend Mutual Ins. Co. v. Healy Homes, LLC, arguing that the Tennessee Supreme Court should follow a narrower construction of the standard “Pollution Exclusion” in a CGL policy.
• Submitted amicus brief on behalf of Associated General Contractors of America (“AGC”) and Texas Building Branch—AGC, in support of Austin Bridge & Road, L.P. (“ABR”) in San Antonio River Authority v. Austin Bridge & Road, L.P., — S.W.3d —, 2020 WL 2097347 (Tex. May 1, 2020). After arbitrator denied River Authority’s plea of governmental immunity, River Authority objected to continuation of arbitration and filed suit against contractors in district court, contending that it lacked authority to agree to mandatory arbitration. Texas Supreme Court found for ABR and held that the River Authority had authority under the Local Government Code to agree to arbitrate disputes arising from a construction contract.
• Lead counsel on lawsuit against carrier that denied coverage under client’s first-party property policy for Hurricane Harvey loss. Case resulted in seven figure settlement for client.
• Obtained multi-million dollar settlement for a general contractor in a dispute involving coverage for a complex construction defect suit, in which primary and excess insurers all denied coverage.
• Obtained summary judgment for general contractor client in declaratory judgment action filed by client’s liability insurer. Insurer denied coverage for underlying lawsuit involving alleged defects in construction of a municipal sports complex and filed suit seeking a declaratory judgment that it owed no duty to defend or indemnify the general contractor based on the “Breach of Contract Exclusion” endorsement in the policy. Court held that breach of contract exclusion did not apply to allegations of property damage caused by the defective work of client’s subcontractors, and insurer owed a duty to defend. Mt. Hawley Ins. Co. v. Slay Engineering / Texas Multi-Chem / Huser Construction Company, LLC, No. 5-18-CV-00252-OLG, 2018 WL 3946547 (W.D. Tex. Aug. 15, 2018).
• Obtained summary judgment and dismissal of all claims against owner and general contractor in a third party over personal injury action brought by injured employee of subcontractor. The owner, general contractor, and plaintiff’s employer were insured under an owner controlled insurance program (“OCIP”). The court applied section 406.123 of the Texas Labor Code to extend the protection of the worker’s compensation bar to the owner and general contractor.
• Prepared amicus brief in support of Austin Bridge & Road, LP in Austin Bridge & Road, LP v. Suarez, et al., — S.W.3d —, 2018 WL 2049356 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] May 3, 2018, no pet.). Court enforced OCIP workers compensation bar under Section 406.123 of the Texas Labor Code, reversed $17 million verdict and rendered take nothing verdict in wrongful death suit brought by survivors of sub-subcontractor’s employee, who died while performing work on McClane Stadium project at Baylor University. Court confirmed previous Texas cases holding that all contractors and subcontractors on the project that were insured under the OCIP were entitled to comp bar protection.
• Regularly work with construction clients, prior to engaging in coverage litigation, to ensure that insurance carriers are properly defending their insureds, contributing to settlement of covered property damage and bodily injury claims, and paying first party claims under business risk and commercial property policies.

Speaking Engagements & Presentations

• Presenter, “Insurance Law Update” — Construction Law Foundation of Texas, 2021 Annual CLE for Board Certified Construction Lawyers
• Presenter and Article Author for the “Construction Update” — Texas Insurance Law Section, Advanced Insurance Law CLE (Webcast), 10-1-2021
• Presenter and Article Author for the “Construction Update” — Texas Insurance Law Section, Advanced Insurance Law CLE (Webcast), 6-5-2020
• Panel Member – EPC Contract & Risk Management for Construction and Capital Projects Conference, Houston, Texas 9-12-19
• Insurance Co. Must Cover Contractor in Sports Complex Row, by Mike Curley – Law360, 8-17-18
• Court of Appeals Enforces OCIP Workers Comp Bar, Reverses $17 Million Verdict and Renders Take Nothing Judgment, 5-7-18
• Court Enforces OCIP Workers Comp Bar in Third Party Over Action, 12-8-17
• Insurance Basics for the Construction Lawyer – The Basic Course in Texas Construction Law 2017, Dallas, Texas 11-30-17
• USAA v. Menchaca, Texas Supreme Court Issues Significant Clarification Affecting Insureds and Insurers, 4-25-17

Publications

• Texas Negligence Case Holds Lessons for Construction Cos., Law 360, August 26, 2021

Memberships & Affiliations

• Dallas Bar Association: Construction Law, Tort & Insurance Practice Sections
• Dallas Bar Association: Construction Law Section, Council Member (2021)
• Dallas Association of Young Lawyers

Admissions

• State Bar of Texas
• United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• United States District Court: Northern, Eastern, Southern & Western Districts of Texas

Community Involvement

• McKinney Avenue Transit Authority: Board of Directors, (2016 – Present); Chairman of Fundraising and Development (2018 – 2019)
• Exchange Club of Lake Highlands: Scholarship Committee, 2017; Oktoberfest Committee, 2013

Biography

Pat Wielinski practices in the areas of construction, insurance coverage and risk management.  He provides advice on risk management issues and programs, integrating insurance, contract documents and project relationships to manage and transfer risk for his clients. He also counsels clients as to insurance coverage and contractual risk transfer disputes, having been involved in insurance coverage claims for defective workmanship for over 35 years. At the same time, his practice involves commercial general liability, additional insured, builders risk, wrap ups and controlled insurance programs, subcontractor default coverage, design professional, contractors protective professional liability, miscellaneous errors and omissions, environmental, oil and gas, property, directors and officers and other third party and first party coverages. Pat regularly lectures to construction, insurance, and legal groups on insurance coverage and risk management issues, having authored numerous publications, many of which are relied upon in the insurance and construction industries.

Pat represents national, state and local chapters of construction trade organizations, including the Associated General Contractors of America, in the filing of amicus curiae briefs in jurisdictions in which significant issues relating to insurance coverage for the construction industry are on appeal.  The amicus curiae effort presents the arguments to be made on behalf of the entire construction industry as to the importance of the appeal.

Education

• University of Minnesota – J. D., cum laude, 1981
• St. John’s University – B.A. Government, summa cum laude, 1977

Recognitions & Distinctions

• Named the Leading Commercial Insurance Liability Lawyer of the Year 2024 for North Texas by Acquisition International’s Leading Adviser Awards
• Legend of Dallas Construction Law, Dallas Bar Association Construction Law Section, December 2023
• Lawyer of the Year, 2021, Dallas/Fort Worth, Insurance Law, Best Lawyers
• Lawyer of the Year, 2019, Dallas/Fort Worth, Construction Litigation, Best Lawyers
• Best Lawyers in America: Construction Law, Insurance Law, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Insurance since 2008
• Recommended Lawyer, Who’s Who in Reinsurance & Insurance – USA
• Texas Super Lawyer, Thomson Reuters, since 2004.
• Chambers USA: Ranked Lawyer in Texas Insurance Law and Texas Construction Law, since 2006
• Texas’ Best Lawyers, Best Lawyers: The Premium Guide, since 2009
• AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings

Representative Experience

• Represents general contractors in drafting and submitting claims on Subcontractor default insurance policies.
• Represented insured bank in prosecuting claims against its financial institution’s insurers as to claim involving fictitious collateral.
• Represented captive insurer of highway and bridge contractor as to substantial construction defect claim as to retaining walls on tollway project, reaching a favorable settlement involving numerous parties.
• Represented general contractor in obtaining a settlement as to builders risk coverage for a multi-story tower and above-ground parking facility, the excavation of which was inundated with groundwater during construction.
• Represented insured utility contractor in prosecuting and settle in builders risk claim involving tunnel collapse under flooded riverbed.
• Represented international airport as to CGL and professional liability coverage and settlement for alleged defects in automated people-mover.
• Represented manufacturer of two million-gallon concrete water tanks as to coverage and favorable settlement for defective concrete installed by subcontractor.
• Represented radiographic inspection company as to insurance claims against its CGL and professional liability insurers for settlement of claim brought by large utility for alleged non-compliant inspections of welds in natural gas pipeline.
• Represented surety in subrogation action against principal’s CGL insurer as to coverage and settlement of defective water pipeline claim.
• Represented general contractor as to multi-faceted claims on CGL and umbrella policies issued as part of OCIP and subcontractor default policy, arising out of balcony failure on high rise hotel condominium project.
• Represented national homebuilder in a dispute with its pollution liability insurer over coverage for repair and remediation of hundreds of homes in the Southeast due to installation of Chinese drywall, obtaining a settlement after favorable ruling on venue retaining the case in Texas state court.
• Represented developer as coverage counsel in obtaining settlement on builders risk policy for delay caused by water infiltration.
• Represented construction lender as coverage counsel in mediating and settling claim against builders risk carrier arising out of demolition of high rise condominium project prior to completion due to construction defects.
• Represented contractor in a dispute with its wrap up insurer over coverage for defective showers throughout a casino/hotel project, obtaining completed operations coverage for the client
• Represented general contractor as to collapse of 96-foot silo loaded with direct reduced iron pellets.  Pursued completed operations coverage for property damage arising out of the collapse, and obtained a favorable opinion from the appellate court as to resulting damage as an “occurrence” under Arkansas law.
• Represented owner of condominium project that suffered damage prior to completion due to construction defects, obtaining an opinion from the appellate court narrowly circumscribing the “particular part” of the property damage that was excluded and resulting in a favorable judgment for the owner against the contractor’s commercial general liability insurer.
• Represented insured excavation subcontractor in claim against its commercial general liability insurer for the cost of overlaying a parking lot due to the fill installed by the subcontractor.  The court held that property damage resulting from unintentional acts constitutes an “occurrence” under the policy, and refused to apply the impaired property exclusion to the claim.
• Represented insured contractor against its commercial general liability insurer to recover its attorneys fees arising out of a breach by the insurer of the policy.  The Texas Supreme Court upheld the right of Texas insureds to recover those fees pursuant to Chapter 38 of the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code.
• Obtained the first appellate opinion in Texas as to the 1986 pollution exclusion in a commercial general liability policy, in which the court refused to apply the exclusion where the insured contractor had encountered an underground pipeline on the site of its operations.

Reported Cases

• Chartis Specialty Ins. Co. v. American Contractors Ins. Co. Risk Retention Group, 2014 WL 3943722, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 110968 (D. Or. August 12, 2014) (upholding single occurrence as to developer of condominium project)
• American Contractors Ins. Co. Risk Retention Group v. Zurich American Ins. Co., 2011 WL 6065400, (S.D. Fla. November 22, 2011) (upholding coverage for general contractor as additional insured on subcontractor’s policy in dispute involving the work performed by the subcontractor)
• Lexicon, Inc. v. ACE American Ins. Co., 634 So.2d 423 (8th Cir. 2011)(upholding covered occurrence for resulting damage arising out of defective work of insured’s subcontractor)
• Mid-Continent Casualty Co. v. JHP Development, Inc., 557 F.3d 207 (5th Cir. 2009) (upholding coverage for owner as judgment creditor of general contractor for defective workmanship performed on condominium project)
• Broadmoor Anderson v. National Union Fire Ins. Co. of Louisiana, 912 So.2d 400 (La.App. 2 Cir. 2005) (upholding completed operations coverage for general contractor as to defective workmanship performed by subcontractor on casino project)
• Wanzek Construction Co. v. Employers Ins. Co. of Wausau, 679 N.W.2d 322 (Minn. 2004) (completed operations coverage upheld for general contractor as to supplier under subcontractor exception in CGL policy)
• Venture Encoding, Inc. v. Atlantic Mutual Ins. Co., 107 S.W.3d 729 (Tex.App. – Fort Worth 2002, pet. denied) (expenses incurred in curing breach of contract covered as “legal obligation” under liability policy insuring agreement)
• Harken Exploration Company v. Sphere Drake Insurance PLC, 261 F.3d 466 (5th Cir. 2001) (saline contamination arising out of ordinary operations is a covered occurrence under insured drilling company’s CGL policies)
• Grapevine Excavation, Inc. v. Maryland Lloyds, 35 S.W.3d 1 (Tex. 2000) (answering certified question in favor of insured contractor that policyholders are entitled to recover attorneys fees when insurer has breached the policy contract)
• Continental Casualty Co. v. Major Constructors Co., 2000 WL 991601 (Tex.App. – Houston [14th Dist.] 2000) (contractual obligation gives rise to a legal obligation for purposes of contractor’s CGL coverage)
• Kelley-Coppedge, Inc. v. Highlands Ins. Co., 980 S.W.2d 462 (Tex. 1998) (first Texas case interpreting 1986 pollution exclusion, upholding CGL coverage for contractor that struck an underground pipeline)
• Federated Mutual Ins. Co. v. Grapevine Excavation, Inc., 197 F.3d 720 (5th Cir. 1999) (breach of construction contract as occurrence under CGL policy)
• Data Specialties, Inc. v. Transcontinental Ins. Co., 125 F.3d 909 (5th Cir. 1997) (CGL coverage for breach of construction contract)

Reported Cases – Amicus Curiae Participation

• Liberty Surplus Insurance Corporation v. Kaufman Lynn Construction, Inc., No. 23-12715-F (11th Cir.)
• Acuity v. M/I Homes of Chicago, LLC. 2023 IL 129087, reh’g denied (Jan. 22, 2024)
• Skanska USA Building Inc. v. M.A.P. Mechanical Contractors, Inc., 952 N.W.2d 402 (Mich., 2020)
• Ewing Construction Co., Inc. v. Amerisure Ins. Co., 420 S.W.3d 30 (Tex. 2014)
• Crownover v. Mid-Continent Casualty Co., 772 F.3d 197 (5th Cir. 2014)
• Cypress Point Condominium Assoc., Inc. v. Adria Towers, LLC, 143 A.3d 273 (N.J. 2016)
• Lennar Corp. v. Markel American Ins. Co., 413 S.W.3d 750 (Tex. 2013)
• Pennsylvania Mutual Casualty Ins. Co. v. St. Catherine of Sienna Parish, 790 F.3d 1173 (11th Cir. 2015)
• Lamar Homes, Inc. v. Mid-Continent Casualty Company, 242 S.W.3d 1 (Tex. 2007
• Excess Underwriters at Lloyd’s, v. Frank’s Casing Crew & Rental Tools, Inc., 93 S.W.3d 178 (Tex. 2002)
• Auto-Owners Insurance Company v. Pozzi Window Company, 984 So.2d 1241 (Fla.  2008)
• United States Fire Insurance Company v. J.S.U.B., Inc., 979 So.2d 871 (Fla. 2007)
• American Empire Surplus Lines Ins. Co, v. Hathaway Development Co., Inc., 288 Ga. 749, 707 S.E.2d 369 (2011)
• Architex Association, Inc. v. Scottsdale Insurance Company, 27 So.3d 1148 (Miss. 2010)
• Gilbane Building Company v. Admiral Insurance Company, 664 F.3d 589 (5th Cir. 2011)
• Gilbert Texas Construction, L.P. v. Underwriters at Lloyd’s London, 327 S.W.2d 589 (Tex. 2011)
• HCBeck, Ltd. v. Charles Rice, 284 S.W.3d 349 (Tex. 2009)
• McDonald Constr. Co., Inc. v. Bituminous Cas. Corp., 279 S.E.2d 787, 632 S.E.2d 420 (Ga. App. 2006).  
• Precise Construction, Inc. v. Amerisure Ins. Co., 417 Fed. Appx. 871, 2011 WL 855821 (11th Cir. 2011)
• Transportation Insurance Company v. Piedmont Construction Group, 301 Ga.App. 17, 686 S.E.2d 824 (2009)
• Mid-United Contractors, Inc. v. Providence Lloyds Ins. Co., 754 S.W.2d 824 (Tex.App. – Fort Worth 1988, writ denied)

Speaking Engagements & Presentations

• Co-Presenter, “Construction Builders Risk and CGL Insurance: Scope of Coverage, Covered Losses, Exclusions, AI Endorsements, Strafford Live Video Webinar, April 2024
• “It Don’t Come Easy: Insuring Defective Construction Claims Over the Last 50 Years,” Houston Bar Association Monthly Meeting, November 2023
• “Insuring Defective Construction Claims Over the Last 50 Years: The Song Remains the Same?” International Risk Management Institute Live Webinar, October 2023
• Co-Presenter, “Construction Builders Risk and CGL Insurance: Scope of Coverage, Covered Losses, Exclusions, AI Endorsements, Strafford Live Video Webinar, April 2024
• “Construction Indemnity: Still the Wild West?” Austin Bridge and Road, September 2022
• Co-Presenter, “Oddities of the Texas Anti-Indemnity Statute,” Construction Law Foundation of Texas, 33rd Annual Construction Law Conference, San Antonio, Texas, March 2020
• Presenter, “2018 Insurance Law Update,” Construction Law Foundation of Texas, 31st Annual Construction Law Conference, San Antonio, Texas, March 2018
• Presenter, “Dichotomizing CGL Coverage for Construction Defects,” AGC of America-Surety Bonding and Risk Management Conference, Naples, Florida, January 2018
• Presenter, “Lessons Learned: When CGL and Professional Coverages Collide,” 37th IRMI Construction Risk Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana, November 2017
• Presenter, “Contractual Risk Transfer-Lower-Tier Entity Insurance Management,” CFMA 2017 National Conference, Phoenix, Arizona, June 2017
• Presenter, “Covering All the Bases: How to Construct Your Builders Risk Policies and Prepare Your Claims to Maximize Your Coverage for General Conditions and Other Soft Costs,” AGC Surety Bonding and Construction Risk Management Conference, Naples, Florida, January 2017
• Presenter, “The Construction Defect Case: Litigating the Defect or Litigating to Coverage” American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law Annual Meeting, April 2016.

Major Publications

• Author, Insurance For Defective Construction, Sixth Edition, published by International Risk Management Institute, Inc. of Dallas, Texas, August 2023
• Author, “Beware the Stunted CGL: Breach of Contract Endorsements,” published by International Risk Management Institute, Inc. of Dallas, Texas, at www.irmi.com, July 2020
• Co-Editor, Construction Insurance: A Guide for Attorneys and Other Professionals, (Co-author with Lee Shidlofsky on Commercial General Liability chapter), ABA Forum on the Construction Industry, 2011
• Author, Third Party Over Actions: Problems And Solutions, published by The Third Party and Additional Insured Liability Task Force of the Associated General Contractors of America, 1997
• Co-Author, Contractual Risk Transfer: Strategies For Contract Indemnity And Insurance Provisions, published by International Risk Management Institute, Inc. of Dallas, Texas, August 1995
• Co-Author with Jack P. Gibson, Broad Form Property Damage Coverage, published by International Risk Management Institute, Inc. of Dallas, Texas, October 1992

Memberships & Affiliations

• American College of Construction Lawyers Fellow
• State Bar of Texas: Past Chair, Insurance Law Section; Construction Law and Insurance Sections
• Defense Research Institute: Construction Law Section
• Dallas Bar Association:  Construction and Tort and Insurance Sections
• American College of Coverage Counsel
• Associated General Contractors of America: National Surety Bonding and Construction Risk Management Committee
• TEXO (DFW Chapter), Associated General Contractors of America
• American Bar Association: Forum on the Construction Industry, Litigation Section, Tort Trial and Insurance Section

Admissions

• Supreme Court of Texas
• United States Supreme Court
• United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth, Eighth, & Eleventh Circuits
• United States District Court: Northern, Eastern, Southern, & Western Districts of Texas

Biography

Amy Rauch is a Principal in the Dallas office of Cokinos | Young. Amy’s practice focuses primarily on insurance coverage issues. In that regard, she regularly provides insurance advice to clients in the construction industry, including contractors, owners, and subcontractors. This includes advising clients on insurance and indemnity provisions in contract documents at the outset of their projects to help them manage and transfer risk, as well as advising them in disputes with their insurance companies following a claim. She frequently leads the pursuit of defense and indemnity from additional insured carriers on behalf of general contractor and subcontractor clients and has successfully obtained a defense from one or more additional insured carriers for those clients in multiple construction defect and employee injury cases.

However, Amy also provides insurance coverage advice to individuals and businesses outside of the construction context to help ensure that their insurers honor their obligations under a wide range of insurance policies, including professional liability policies, crime policies, inland marine policies, commercial property and auto policies, and homeowners policies.

In addition, she was the presenter of “Insurance Basics for the Construction Lawyer” at The Basic Course in Texas Construction Law 2024, Dallas, Texas on November 22, 2024, and she co-authored the Legal Foundations of Professional Liability article in Professional Liability Insurance, which was published by International Risk Management Institute in 2019, and the “Construction Update” article for the State Bar of Texas 18^th Annual Advanced Insurance Law CLE (Webcast) on October 1, 2021.

Education

• Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law – J.D., cum laude, 2015
  – Articles Editor, SMU Law Review
• Ohio State University – B.A., magna cum laude, 2007

Recognitions & Distinctions

• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America 2025: Insurance Law

Representative Experience

• Developed arguments and acted as primary briefing attorney for a motion for partial summary judgment on the duty to defend in a Texas state court declaratory judgment action filed by a commercial general liability (CGL) carrier against its named insured subcontractor, in which the carrier sought a declaration that it had no duty to defend or indemnify its insured in the underlying construction defect lawsuit. The court found that the carrier had a duty to defend the subcontractor, which resulted in the carrier’s participation in settling the underlying claims against the subcontractor and the subcontractor’s dismissal from the underlying lawsuit, as well as the dismissal of the state court declaratory judgment action. In connection with that same subcontractor and underlying lawsuit, developed arguments and acted as primary briefing attorney for a motion to dismiss the claims filed by the general contractor’s CGL carrier against the subcontractor in a federal declaratory judgment action. The court granted the subcontractor’s motion to dismiss in early 2022, ending the subcontractor’s involvement in the federal declaratory judgment action.
• Work with construction clients to ensure that the clients’ own insurance carriers and their additional insured carriers are properly defending their insureds and contributing to settlement of covered property damage and bodily injury claims.
• Work with homeowners to ensure that insurance carriers are properly paying first party claims or defending liability claims under homeowners policies.
• Developed arguments and acted as primary briefing attorney on lawsuit against carrier that denied coverage under client’s first-party property policy for Hurricane Harvey loss. Case resulted in seven figure settlement for client.

Memberships & Affiliations

• Dallas Bar Association: Construction Law, Environmental Law, and Tort & Insurance Practice Sections
• State Bar of Texas
  • Construction Law Section
  • Insurance Law Section, serving a two-year term (expiring 2026) on the Young Lawyer Subcommittee of the Insurance Council of the Insurance Law Section

Certifications

• Board Certified, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Insurance Law

Admissions

• State Bar of Texas
• United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• United States District Courts: Northern, Eastern, Southern & Western Districts of Texas