Andrew M. Meerkins
Senior Counsel
Andrew (Andy) Meerkins litigates complex commercial matters, concentrating his practice in the areas of insurance and reinsurance.
Andy has represented and counseled ceding companies and reinsurers in a variety of disputes involving property, casualty and life, accident, and health care business. Andy’s recent matters include arbitrating numerous high-stakes matters involving yearly renewable term life-reinsurance premium rate increases as well as several property-casualty disputes involving numerous complex issues. Andy also represents insurers in complex coverage disputes with policyholders, in both court and arbitration, and regularly counsels many of Foley’s clients on matters touching on insurance coverage. In addition to handling insurance and reinsurance issues, Andy has notable experience with disputes involving distribution and franchise, and antitrust and unfair competition.
Before entering private practice, Andy served as a law clerk to the Honorable Joel Flaum, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Prior to his legal career, Andy was a Teach for America corps member, teaching high school history and government on Chicago’s west side.
Representative Experience
- Prevailed on behalf of multiple ceding companies in multimillion-dollar reinsurance arbitrations involving rate increases under yearly renewable term life-insurance contracts.
- Prevailed on behalf of a ceding company in a complex workers’ compensation arbitration with a reinsurer.
- Successfully represented numerous insurance carriers in declaratory-judgment actions with policyholders involving complex coverage issues.
- Tried successfully a trade secret and unfair competition case on behalf of an oilfield services company.
- Represented a waste management company in a post-acquisition dispute with a selling company.
- Represented a manufacturer in a dispute with an unauthorized reseller in a case involving Lanham Act and antitrust claims.
- Represented a medical device manufacturer in antitrust litigation related to insurance coverage.
Awards and Recognition
- Wisconsin Super Lawyers® Rising Star – Business Litigation (2021 – 2023)
Presentations and Publications
- Co-author, “In Search for Clarity,” ARIAS-U.S. Quarterly (2d ed.) (2023)
- Co-author, “Constitutional Challenges to Proposed Retroactive COVID-19 Coverage Legislation,” FORC Journal (3rd ed., Vol. 31) (2020)
- Co-author, “Dworkinian Antitrust,” Iowa Law Review (Vol. 10, Rev. 1) (2016)
- Co-author, “Avoiding Double Damages: 3 Practical Tips and a Hail Mary,” Law360 (July 2016)
- Co-author, “Atypical Coverage Charts and Knotty Allocation Issues,” DRI Insurance Coverage and Claims Institute (2015)
- Author, “Distressing Speech After Snyder: What’s Left of IIED,” Northwestern University Law Review (Vol. 107, No. 2, Rev. 999) (2013)