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Terence M. Ridley
Partner
Overview
Terence Ridley focuses his practice on assisting clients in civil litigation related to a variety of insurance matters, including property, casualty, construction defect, cybersecurity, environmental, fidelity, and class actions. When his insurance company clients face bad faith claims and class actions, he works closely with leadership and experts to understand complex issues in order to develop strong defense strategies.
He has handled dozens of insurance cases in the state and federal courts, winning jury trials and appeals, defeating class certification, winning motions to dismiss or for summary judgment, attaining successful settlements, and achieving other successful outcomes for insurers facing substantial financial exposure. Terence is often called on to rehabilitate cases that have gone awry. He recognizes that insurance fraud is a major national problem, and when not challenged, hurts all consumers of insurance.
He was recently inducted as a fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel, and became the Chair of the Colorado Bar Association’s Committee on Insurance.
Credentials
Education
- University of Denver Sturm College of Law (J.D.)
- University of Pennsylvania (B.A.), magna cum laude
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
- In 2021, argued before the Colorado Supreme Court an insurance case of first impression involving the relationship between reservation of rights, the duty to defend, and whether an insurer has the right to intervene in a liability case in the face of a lay-down defense announced on the eve of trial.
- In 2020, argued before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals an issue of first impression, in the area of insurance appraisals, involving interlocutory jurisdiction over a district court order to appraise a loss where the insurer denied coverage and whether such disputes are subject to appraisal.
- Serving as national coordinating counsel on COVID-19 property litigation for a major property and casualty insurer.
- In 2020, won a significant victory before the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation for an insurance company facing an attempt to centralize all federal COVID-19 business-interruption insurance cases.
- Won a groundbreaking ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court requiring insurance appraisers to be fully unbiased and impartial.
- Won a federal jury verdict in a trial for an insurer pursuing counterclaims against a homeowners association that filed an inflated insurance claim and sought more than $5 million in total damages. The Court entered judgment for the client for the full amount that had been paid in benefits, plus interest and costs. Argued and won affirmance from the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Won reversal of a $3 million property appraisal award against a national insurance company and disqualification of the plaintiff’s national property appraiser as well as the umpire on grounds that they were not impartial and failed to disclose directly relevant financial incentives and relationships.
- Represented seven co-defendants in a property insurance class action lawsuit in Colorado. The plaintiffs claimed they were systematically underinsured in a “monumental” conspiracy, in violation of federal RICO and antitrust laws, and involving virtually all property insurers in Colorado as well as industry trade groups. Served as liaison counsel for the joint defense group, and successfully argued and won a motion for an attorneys’ fee exceeding $1 million.
- Won complete affirmance in the Tenth Circuit of landmark rulings governing insurance appraisals. In two published opinions, the Tenth Circuit affirmed trial court rulings vacating an eight-figure appraisal award against the client, disqualifying for bias a national policyholder appraiser, and sanctioning the policyholder and its lawyers for misconduct in connection with the appraisal.
- Assisted, as amicus curiae, in winning a ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court requiring Colorado state courts to apply the federal Twombly pleading standard. Co-authored the amicus brief for the Colorado Civil Justice League urging the Court to adopt “plausibility” pleading in Colorado to discourage forum shopping and improve the Colorado justice system.
- Represented three of the nation’s preeminent insurance industry trade associations in an amici curiae brief urging the Colorado Supreme Court to grant certiorari review of a Court of Appeals decision that essentially reinterpreted the duty of virtually every UM / UIM insurance policy issued in Colorado.
- Won reversal from the Colorado Supreme Court for a large national insurance company in a precedent-setting ruling on the practice of “assigning” potential future personal injury settlements to third parties, such as medical lien companies.
- Won a complete defense verdict for a national insurance company in an insurance bad faith property case where coverage had been denied based on evidence of arson. The case was tried in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.
- Won a complete defense verdict in a bad faith “set-up” case for a national insurance company, tried in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.
- Won summary judgment in the U.S. District Court, Wyoming, on issue of bad faith in a failure to defend case arising under a commercial auto policy. Argued and won the bad faith issue before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Defended negligence suit against insurance producer allegedly failing to procure sufficient insurance under an Owner Controlled Insurance Program to cover an almost $18 million construction defect verdict involving 250 condominiums.
- Won a Colorado Supreme Court decision favorable to a national insurance company in a purported class action involving coverage issue associated with uninsured / underinsured motorist policies.
- Won affirmation of a trial court’s summary judgment ruling and exposed “pollution for profit” in protracted CERCLA litigation for an engineering client before the Tenth Circuit.
- Chambers USA, Insurance, Colorado Band 1, 2023
- American College of Coverage Counsel, Fellow
- Best Lawyers in America
- Collaborative Law: Civil, 2024
- Insurance Law, 2010-2024
- Litigation – Insurance, 2017-2024
- Commercial Litigation, 2016-2024
- Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, 2022-2024
- Colorado Super Lawyers
- Insurance Coverage, 2006-2024
- Top 100, 2012-2016, 2019-2024
- Civil Litigation Defense, 2006-2011
- Benchmark Litigation, Local Litigation Star, 2023-2024
- Benchmark Litigation, Future Star, 2020, 2022
- 5280 Magazine Top Lawyer, Insurance, 2017-2024
- Law Week Colorado
- Top Litigator, 2019
- Barrister’s Choice, Best Insurance Defense Lawyer, 2019
- People’s Choice, Best Insurance Defense Lawyer, 2017
- Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent Attorney
- Colorado Bar Association
- Committee on Insurance, Chair, 2021
- Insurance Committee, Vice-Chair, 2020
- Board of Governors, Former Member
- American Bar Association, Insurance Coverage Litigation, Litigation Section
- Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), 2004-present
- Board of Directors, 2015-2017
- Extra Contractual Liability, Vice-Chair, 2020-2024
- Insurance Coverage Training Academy Committee, 2021-2023
- Amicus and Public Policy Committee, 2020-2023
- Class Action and Multidistrict Litigation Section, Former Chair
- Reinsurance, Excess, and Surplus Lines Section, Member
- Membership Development and Retention, Former Vice-Chair
- Colorado Defense Lawyers Association
- “Recent Developments in Colorado Appraisal Law,” Colorado Bar Association Committee on Insurance, Autumn 2020
- Coverage Boot Camp, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC), March 2020
- “Variations on a Theme,” FDCC, Extra-Contractual Section, March 2020
- “The Ever Changing Landscape of Appraisal,” May 2018
- “Bad Faith Set-Ups of Insurance Companies,” FDCC Insights, June 2016
- “Recent Assaults on the Most Sacred Privilege of All: Does the Attorney-Client Privilege Still Exist?” FDCC, Extra-Contractual Liability, July 2014
- “Sampling, Extrapolation, and Experts: What’s Left?” FDCC Winter Meeting, Class Action Section, March 2014
- “Bad Faith Claims: Managing Risks and Avoiding Liability,” November 18, 2013
- “Depositions of the Corporate Representative: What You Need to Know,” October 2012
- “Class Action Litigation One Year After Dukes v. Wal-Mart: A Happy Anniversary?” FDCC Annual Meeting, August 2012
- “Arbitration Clauses and Class Certification,” Association of Corporate Counsel, Colorado Chapter, June 26, 2008