Michael J. deBarros

Mike deBarros is the leader of Kean Miller’s Insurance Coverage and Recovery practice group. Mike represents insureds in obtaining the insurance coverage they purchased and bargained for. He defends the rights of Fortune 500 companies and local businesses faced with insurance disputes.

Mike has handled hundreds of Texas and Louisiana insurance matters involving commercial general liability (CGL), directors and officers liability (D&O), employment practices liability (EPLI), fiduciary liability, pollution liability (PLL), crime, builder’s risk, commercial property, errors and omissions (E&O), and cyber/privacy insurance policies. He litigates and negotiates business-critical verdicts and settlements – often in excess of a million dollars.

From pursuing insurance carriers for failure to pay, to litigating settlements within stated policy limits, Mike has collectively recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients. He brings veteran know-how to enforcing policyholder rights under a wide variety of insurance policies.

Mike’s knowledge of Texas and Louisiana insurance law makes him a go-to advisor in the region. Mike helped “write the book” on insurance law. He is the author of the Louisiana and Florida chapters of the ABA's Reasonable Expectations: Interpreting Insurance Policies in Common Law Jurisdictions, and a co-author of the ABA’s The Reference Handbook on the Commercial General Liability Policy. Moreover, Mike’s familiarity with the major carriers often results in his ability to anticipate their next move and then leverage that position as the catalyst for his client’s win.

Mike also drafts a full array of insurance provisions – designed to keep his clients away from potential disputes. He negotiates client insurance provisions and contracts with vendors, property owners, and other service providers. In everything he does, Mike is appreciated for being hyper-efficient in conserving client resources and bringing significant value to his clients.

In addition to his insurance coverage practice, Mike represents trustees, succession representatives, businesses, owners, directors, and officers in a variety of commercial disputes, including trust and estate matters and antitrust, RICO, and shareholder derivative lawsuits.