Blaney McMurtry LLP Barristers & Solicitors

Marcus Snowden is a partner with Blaney McMurtry. Marcus' insurance law practice focuses primarily on insurance coverage issues. His client services include advising on all aspects of Property & Casualty coverage from drafting the wording, through advising on coverage positions to litigating disputes over wording and statutory coverage interpretation.

On the corporate-commercial & risk management side of his practice, Marcus advises underwriters on drafting and revising policy wording including "Canadianizing" wordings for foreign carriers entering the local P&C market. His work includes drafting advice for underwriters on some of the largest primary, excess and reinsurance markets in North America. He also provides input to assist the Corporate Insurance group on insurance law, indemnity and related issues in the context of commercial transactional, due diligence wording review, product launch and related regulatory retainers. Corporate clients in underwriting and transactional sectors of the insurance industry benefit from a combination of practical litigation background, academic interest and commitment to the industry.

On the claims handling and litigation side of his practice, Marcus advises clients on and prepares coverage opinions for first party indemnity and third party liability coverage disputes including claims for domestic business interruption and property losses as well as local, national and cross-border third party liability claims and class action litigation. Opinion work often leads to drafting position letters for clients in anticipation of or in the context of underlying claims or pending coverage litigation.

Marcus is routinely retained as coverage and monitoring counsel where coverage issues may impact the client's position depending on the outcome of or evidentiary developments in underlying domestic and cross-border litigation involving bodily injury, property damage, product liability, professional liability and intellectual property infringement. When coverage disputes cannot be compromised through negotiation, Marcus is retained to advise and represent clients in litigation including summary judgment or declaratory proceedings, administrative tribunal hearings, private or court ordered alternative dispute resolution as well as trial and appellate advocacy.

Marcus also handles workers' compensation coverage disputes. He represents clients in applications before the Ontario Workplace Safety & Insurance Appeals Tribunal in the context of disputed statutory coverage defences and immunity claims, usually on behalf of employers and their insurers. He is also retained to defend commercial policyholders in litigation for bodily injury, property damage, products liability, and professional errors & omissions claims.

Marcus volunteers his services as an occasional lecturer at the Insurance Institutes of Ontario and Canada, the educational arm of the risk and insurance management industry. He participates in commercial module seminars and provides editorial input and coverage-related advice on the Institutes’ course materials. He has also presented papers on various coverage-related topics to the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Ontario Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, Inc. as well as other professional and industry seminar providers.

With Mark G. Lichty, Marcus has co-authored and continues to provide annual updates to Annotated Commercial General Liability Policy, first published by Canada Law Book in 1997. [ Book summary and ordering information ]

Marcus Snowden is a partner with Blaney McMurtry. Marcus' insurance law practice focuses primarily on insurance coverage issues. His client services include advising on all aspects of Property & Casualty coverage from drafting the wording, through advising on coverage positions to litigating disputes over wording and statutory coverage interpretation.

On the corporate-commercial & risk management side of his practice, Marcus advises underwriters on drafting and revising policy wording including "Canadianizing" wordings for foreign carriers entering the local P&C market. His work includes drafting advice for underwriters on some of the largest primary, excess and reinsurance markets in North America. He also provides input to assist the Corporate Insurance group on insurance law, indemnity and related issues in the context of commercial transactional, due diligence wording review, product launch and related regulatory retainers. Corporate clients in underwriting and transactional sectors of the insurance industry benefit from a combination of practical litigation background, academic interest and commitment to the industry.

On the claims handling and litigation side of his practice, Marcus advises clients on and prepares coverage opinions for first party indemnity and third party liability coverage disputes including claims for domestic business interruption and property losses as well as local, national and cross-border third party liability claims and class action litigation. Opinion work often leads to drafting position letters for clients in anticipation of or in the context of underlying claims or pending coverage litigation.

Marcus is routinely retained as coverage and monitoring counsel where coverage issues may impact the client's position depending on the outcome of or evidentiary developments in underlying domestic and cross-border litigation involving bodily injury, property damage, product liability, professional liability and intellectual property infringement. When coverage disputes cannot be compromised through negotiation, Marcus is retained to advise and represent clients in litigation including summary judgment or declaratory proceedings, administrative tribunal hearings, private or court ordered alternative dispute resolution as well as trial and appellate advocacy.

Marcus also handles workers' compensation coverage disputes. He represents clients in applications before the Ontario Workplace Safety & Insurance Appeals Tribunal in the context of disputed statutory coverage defences and immunity claims, usually on behalf of employers and their insurers. He is also retained to defend commercial policyholders in litigation for bodily injury, property damage, products liability, and professional errors & omissions claims.

Marcus volunteers his services as an occasional lecturer at the Insurance Institutes of Ontario and Canada, the educational arm of the risk and insurance management industry. He participates in commercial module seminars and provides editorial input and coverage-related advice on the Institutes’ course materials. He has also presented papers on various coverage-related topics to the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Ontario Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, Inc. as well as other professional and industry seminar providers.

With Mark G. Lichty, Marcus has co-authored and continues to provide annual updates to Annotated Commercial General Liability Policy, first published by Canada Law Book in 1997. [ Book summary and ordering information ]