Sara J. Brundage

Sara Brundage is an insurance coverage and litigation attorney who handles complex commercial disputes involving domestic and international commercial insurance companies, captives and risk-retention groups, self-insured entities, and other corporate entities on coverage, claim loss, cyber liability, and risk analysis. She has extensive experience handling insurance coverage and reinsurance matters for clients, including disputes arising out of professional and general liability, advertising, construction, data security and privacy, directors and officers, employment, environmental, errors and omissions, and products liability.

• Represents policyholders and insureds in insurance and reinsurance reimbursement disputes that involve third-party liability claims
• Counsels clients on interpreting and constructing insurance policy language, risk management issues and coverage disputes
• Advises clients on complex insurance claims, reinsurance issues, bad faith exposures, and general business matters
• Provides policy language with manuscripted policies for captives, self- insurers and risk retention groups
• Conducts policy form reviews and comparisons
• Assists clients in legal and coverage issues arising in the operation of a self-insured loss control and claims management program, including the preparation of coverage analyses (i.e. reservation of rights and denial letters) 
• Advises clients in a wide range of issues, such as defense rights of policyholders involved in pending litigation and complex commercial litigation matters
• Frequently speaks at industry seminars and for clients on insurance risk, coverage and related issues

Representative Matters

• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of the insurer client in a declaratory action filed in circuit court in Cook County, Illinois; Pekin Ins. Co. v. Roszak/ADC, LLC, 402 Ill. App. 3d 1055 (1st Dist. 2010)
• Represented client in a favorable dismissal on appeal on the issue of whether a release and waiver was valid and excused a management company’s liability for injury of a bicyclist during a cycling event; Hellweg v. Special Events Management, 2011 IL App (1st) 103604
• Obtained summary judgment on the issue of whether an insurance policy endorsement provided coverage for a purported additional insured; Am. Trucking and Transp. Ins. Co. v. Allied Tube & Conduit Corp., No. 10-8021, 2011 WL 5980635 (N.D. Ill. Nov. 23, 2011)

Prior Experience

• Pretzel & Stouffer, Chartered, Associate, 2006-2011

Awards

• Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Women in the Law Class of 2019
• Michigan Super Lawyers, Recognized as a Rising Star, 2013-2016

Professional & Community Involvement

State Bar of Michigan

• Insurance and Indemnity Law Section, 2012-present
• Litigation Section, 2012-present

Illinois State Bar Association, 2006-present

American Bar Association, 2006-present

Ingham County Bar Association, 2012-present

Kalamazoo Bar Association 2012-present

Chicago Bar Association, 2006-present

Chicago Bar Foundation Young Professionals Board, 2009-2012

Huntington’s Disease Society of America

• Drive to Cure HD Committee, 2013

PRO BONO

Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, volunteer attorney working with Spanish-speaking victims of domestic violence to prepare and submit applications for citizenship pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

Open Roads Bike Program, volunteer attorney