PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY

Eve-Lynn Gisonni has dedicated her entire legal career to the representation of policyholders facing diverse and technical coverage issues. She has represented individuals and corporate policyholders in coverage actions across a wide array of lines of insurance including property insurance, builder’s risk insurance, cyber insurance, life insurance, and private disability insurance. Eve-Lynn’s extensive background in championing the rights of policyholders under insurance contracts on a national platform makes her a valuable member of the SDV team.

Resident of the firm’s Northeast office, Eve-Lynn’s experience in forging paths to the best possible outcome for clients epitomizes SDV’s client-centric philosophy. She is seasoned in all aspects of federal and state litigation and trial practice, and court decisions in her cases continue to be relied on as insurance law precedent. Eve-Lynn has made inroads in the insurance law field by applying cutting-edge arguments to novel issues of insurance contract interpretation. She successfully argued before the New York Court of Appeals in the landmark case of Benesowitz v. MetLife regarding the proper interpretation of New York’s pre-existing condition clause. Her victory also resulted in the New York Superintendent of Insurance ordering all group disability carriers to modify how they conduct business, reopen claims, and pay insureds suffering from pre-existing conditions.

Representative cases that exemplify Eve-Lynn’s advocacy on behalf of clients include:

  • Successfully resolved declaratory judgment action against excess liability insurer for nearly 100% of policy limits.
  • Resolution of Civil Rico litigation against Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company.
  • Obtained summary judgment on behalf of policyholder of several disability insurance policies regarding the issue of total disability against First Unum Life Insurance Company and MetLife.
  • Defeated insurer’s attempt to rescind life insurance policy and settled death claim.

Eve-Lynn is a prolific writer and continues to look for ways to squash insurance company bad faith tactics. She enjoys fresh-water fishing and spending time outdoors with her family in her spare time.
 

Press
Publications
Professional Associations
American Bar Association
Connecticut Bar Association
New York State Bar Association
Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
- Advocate, Order of Certus
- Member, Trial Law Institute
- Member, Diversity Law Institute
NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers
Westchester County Bar Association
Fairfield County Bar Association
Selected Decisions
Benesowitz v. MetLife, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64269 (E.D.N.Y. 2009)
Benesowitz v. MetLife, 8 N.Y.3d 661 (N.Y. 2007)
Benesowitz v. MetLife, 514 F.3d 174 (2d Cir. 2007)
Prudential Ins. Co. of Am. v. Dukoff, 674 F. Supp.2d 401 (E.D.N.Y. 2009)
Kolb v. The Paul Revere Life Insurance Company, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24982, (E.D. Ark., West. Div. 2002) aff'd 355 F.3d 1132 (8th Cir. 2004)
Connors v. Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6250 (S.D.N.Y. 2003)
Mossa v. Provident Life & Casualty Ins. Co., 36 F. Supp.2d 524 (E.D.N.Y. 1999)
Speaking Engagements

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