Evan T. Knott

Evan Knott is a strategic, results-oriented counselor and advocate for corporate policyholders and insureds in complex insurance coverage disputes and litigation. His insurance recovery practice is national. Evan has helped his clients recover hundreds of millions of dollars in insurance assets. He has extensive experience litigating coverage disputes for claims involving mass tort and environmental liability, product liability, director and officer liability, professional liability, consumer class actions, employer liability, and commercial property and business interruption losses.

Evan has advised and represented clients ranging from Fortune 50 corporations to mid-market privately-held businesses, including animal agricultural producers, “big box” retailers, commercial real estate developers and management companies, hedge funds, manufacturers of heavy trucks and agricultural equipment, manufacturers of plumbing products, marine dredging companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, private equity firms, regional oil refineries, scrap metal dealers, and solid waste landfill operators.

Evan has favorably resolved disputes under a wide range of insurance coverages, including commercial general liability, pollution legal liability, commercial property, business auto, directors and officers liability, professional liability, cyber liability, errors and omissions liability, fiduciary liability, and employers liability. He has extensive experience assisting clients seeking coverage as an “additional insured” under insurance policies issued to other entities and has successfully recovered insurance proceeds from insolvent domestic and London market insurers. Evan has arbitrated multi-million-dollar hedge fund liability and catastrophic hurricane loss claims to decision and has tried cases to verdict in courts in Illinois and California.

Practice Areas

Representative Matters

• Murphy-Brown, LLC, et al. v. Ace Am. Ins. Co., et al., 2020 WL 7711360 (N.C. Super. Ct. Dec. 22, 2020). Obtained partial summary judgment ruling that Smithfield Foods’ primary Business Auto liability insurers breached their duty to defend underlying mass tort lawsuits involving over 500 claimants arising from the hog farming operations of Smithfield’s hog production subsidiary.*
• Navistar, Inc. v. Affiliated FM Ins. Co., et al. (Ill. Cir. Ct.) – monetized dozens of historic insurance policies issued to International Harvester to fund the defense and settlement of thousands of asbestos claims. Obtained partial summary judgment ruling that Navistar was entitled to allocate its damages under an “all sums” rather than pro rata allocation methodology.*
• Greenwich Ins. Co. v. John Sexton Sand & Gravel Corp., 2013 IL App (1st) 121263-U (Ill. App. Ct.) Affirmed partial summary judgment for insureds that insurers had a duty to defend an underlying mass tort lawsuit against the Hillside Landfill operator Republic Services.*
• CNH Am., LLC v. Am. Cas. Co. of Reading, Pennsylvania, et al., 2014 WL 626030 (Del. Super. Ct. Jan. 6, 2014). Obtained partial summary judgment ruling that primary CGL insurers had duty to defend client in thousands of underlying asbestos claims involving J.I. Case agricultural equipment.*
• Second-chaired three-week jury trial in Los Angeles, California seeking coverage for client as an additional insured vendor against primary insurer arising out of underlying product liability lawsuit. Obtained highly favorable settlement with excess insurer exceeding its allocable compensatory damages exposure.*
• Represented national retailer in arbitration seeking recovery for catastrophic “property damage” and “extra expense” losses to multiple Gulf Coast stores resulting from Hurricane Katrina.*
• Represented Fortune 500 retailer in separate lawsuits in Georgia and California against security services provider and its insurer seeking additional insured coverage and contractual indemnity for an underlying wrongful death action. Prevailed on summary judgment on contractual indemnity claim against security service provider and made full recovery against insurer on the eve of trial.*
• Represented major manufacturer of plumbing products to obtain defense coverage under general liability and D&O policies in connection with multiple “bet the company” consumer class action lawsuits.*
• Successfully negotiated – without litigation – full funding of underlying settlements by insurers in multiple discrimination class actions and professional liability disputes after insurers denied coverage.*
• Appeared as coverage counsel for clients in state and/or federal courts in Illinois, North Carolina, New York, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Mississippi, New Jersey, California, Florida, Arizona, Delaware, Connecticut, Georgia, and Colorado.*

*matter handled prior to joining Honigman LLP

Prior Experience

• Reed Smith
• Anderson, Kill & Olick

Education

Admissions

Awards

Illinois Super Lawyers

• Recognized in Insurance Coverage Litigation, 2018-2019
• Recognized as a Rising Star in Insurance Coverage Litigation, 2011; 2013-2017

Professional & Community Involvement

• American College of Coverage Counsel, Fellow
• Chicago Bar Association, Insurance Law Committee (Chair 2019, Vice-Chair 2018)
• United Policyholders Amicus Project, pro bono volunteer service
• Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, pro bono volunteer service

Press Releases

Events

• “In Pursuit of Safer Harbors: Navigating Current and Common Marine Insurance Claim Issues” American Bar Association (2023)
• “The Targeted Tender Rule In Illinois: A (Sometimes) Powerful Tactic For Navigating Thorny Contribution and ‘Other Insurance’ Issues” Chicago Bar Association (2018)
• “Insurance Coverage for Product Contamination and Recalls” Chicago Bar Association (2015)
• “Long-Tail Coverage Issues Related to Corporate Successors” Chicago Bar Association (2015)
• “Plan B - Liability of Insurance Agents, Brokers and Producers to Policyholders and Insureds: A Primer” Chicago Bar Association (2013)
• “Recent Developments in CGL Insurance Law” Illinois State Bar Association (2012)

Publications

• Cyber and Data Privacy Insurance Trends in an Era of Increased Regulation” Reuters (2024)
• “D&O Coverage for DEI – Related ESG Claims” Reuters (2024)
• “Navigating the Post-Catastrophe Minefield: Maximizing Insurance Recovery in the Face of Multiple Conflicting Obligations and Exposure” American Bar Association - “The Brief” (2012)
• “Obtaining Insurance for Consumer Class Actions” Corporate Counsel (2007)
• “End-Running Contractor Delays Claims in Illinois” Handling Construction Risks 2004 - Practicing Law Institute (2004) (co-author)