Insurance Defense & Coverage

Chee Markham & Feldman provides insurance defense legal services to United States providers with claim disputes in Hawaii. Our attorneys have devoted a substantial portion of their legal practice to representing insurance companies for decades. Our firm has established a reputation of dependability in the Hawaii insurance industry, with a successful track record of expert counsel and strategic advice. Defending insurers in a wide range of insurance liability matters, our insurance defense services include premises liability, construction defects, dram shop laws, products liability, and professional malpractice for realtors and attorneys.

Defense Litigation

At Chee Markham & Feldman, our attorneys possess an in-depth knowledge of insurance regulations and industry practices, as well as extensive experience representing clients before federal and state administrative and regulatory agencies. Our firm has knowledge, skills, and resources comparable to a larger firm, allowing our attorneys to aggressively defend claims brought against insurance companies while retaining the personal, communicative approach of a smaller firm.

Among our many distinguishable legal abilities is our attorneys' proficiency with alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration. The sterling reputation of our practice is rooted in consistent expert legal counsel and comprehensive support to insurance providers, including trial and appellate advocacy across the diverse range of coverage issues encountered by insurers.

Insurance agent negligence is a common claim brought against providers, often alleging a careless error by the provider's agent that resulted in the denial of coverage. Our firm conducts thorough, efficient investigations of every client's case, promptly addressing the issues behind each claim and informing the client whether settlement or trial is the most prudent option. Whenever possible, our attorneys seek amicable solutions that are cost-effective for the client.

Bad faith claims can be even more daunting, with the possibility of punitive damages accompanying a compensatory damage award. Nonetheless, many bad faith claims are defensible if our attorneys can show that the provider acted fairly. Absent evidence of deliberate or willful denials of coverage based on improperly favoring the provider's interests over the insured's, our firm can help a provider defeat a bad faith claim or reach a favorable settlement arrangement with the insured.

Coverage Opinions & Litigation

For decades, insurers in Hawaii have continuously relied on our attorneys to administer opinions regarding policy coverage. Our attorneys have extensive experience evaluating complex coverage issues and providing answers to difficult questions of policy interpretation. By carefully reviewing policies for potential coverage issues and predetermining the extent of a policyholder's coverage, our firm helps insurance companies streamline the claims process and avoid disputes.

Many clients come to our firm for representation after a previously drafted policy becomes problematic. In some situations, coverage disputes may still be unavoidable even when a policy has been meticulously drafted. When coverage disputes arise, Chee Markham & Feldman's attorneys possess the litigation experience, ability, and resources to effectively handle even the most complex coverage claims. Our trial experience encompasses a wide variety of claims brought against providers, including bad faith claims threatening punitive damages.