Jennifer “Jenny” Michel is the managing partner in the Lafayette office of Lewis Brisbois and co-chair of the London Market Group; the Pollution Legal Liability/Environmental Impairment Liability (PLL/EIL) Practice; and chair of the Marine & Energy Practices. She has worked with London insurers her entire career. Licensed in both Louisiana and Texas, she leads a team of experienced attorneys focused on marine, both traditional and alternate energy, onshore and offshore property, construction, environmental, general liability, professional liability, insurance coverage and bad faith claims, as well as advice and litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels. She is frequently asked to evaluate and monitor claims in all these areas on behalf of excess insurers. Through the years, she has had particular experience in negotiation and interpretation of and litigation involving exploration and production energy contracts, including defense, indemnity and additional insured demands. Drawing on her experience in coverage disputes, she also assists insurers in drafting and refining policy wordings.

Publications

Professional Presentations

• “Deposition Workshop,” Probitas 1492 Seminar (February 2024)
• “Unique (a bit worrisome) Louisiana Law,” Ascot Seminar (July 2023)
• “You can run, but can you effectively hide? Punitive damages, bad faith and other extracontractual exposures – might choice of law and jurisdiction save the day?,” U35 Lloyd’s Marine and Energy Insurance Group, The Old Lloyd’s Library (June 2023)
• “Risk Transfer,” Lewis Brisbois Webinar (January, 2023)
• “Risk Transfer, Defense and Indemnity and Additional Insured Claims” & “Complex Claims Handling Pointers,” Two Part Seminar for Travelers, London (September 2022)
• "U.S. Legal Update,” CFC Underwriting Seminar (September 2022)
• “Risk Transfer, Defense and Indemnity and Additional Insured Claims,” Canopius Seminar (September 2022)
• “U.S. Legal Update – Marine & Energy,” discussing Social Inflation, Nuclear Verdicts, Reptile Theory and Climate Change Litigation for both the Joint Liability Committee and the Marine & Energy U35 Committee (March 2022)
• “U.S. Legal Update – Marine & Energy,” The Insurance Institute of London (November 2021)
• “Liability Primer – Jones Act, Trucking, Indemnity & Additional Assured Status,” Travelers Seminar (October 2019)
• “All You Ever Wanted to Know About US Maritime Law but Didn’t Have Time to Learn,” Liberty Specialty Markets Seminar, London (October 2019)
• “Recent Developments in US Maritime Law and Their Impact on Underwriters,” U35 Lloyd’s Marine and Energy Insurance Group, The Old Lloyd’s Library (October 2019)
• “Twentieth Century Policy Exposure for Twenty-First Century Claims,” Hartford Seminar (October 2018)
• “Twentieth Century Policy Exposure for Twenty-First Century Claims,” Lewis Brisbois Webinar (July 2018)
• “Contractual Risk Shifting Through Master Service Agreements: Who Ultimately Pays?,” American Institute of Marine Underwriters Seminar (March 2018)
• “Building & Breaking Risk Allocation – Master Service Agreements Analysis/Defense, Indemnity & Additional Insured Status,” Berkley Offshore Seminar (October 2017)
• “Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say – The Development and Application of Additional Insured Coverage,” Travelers Seminar (October 2017)
• “Deposition Workshop,” Munich Re – London Seminar (March 2017), Tokio Marine Kiln – London Seminar (June 2017), Navigators London Seminar (October 2017)
• “Building and Breaking Risk Allocation: Two Part Seminar” Lloyd's Market Association, London (November 2016)
• “Evaluating Master Service Agreements: Good Things to Know” XL Catlin Seminar (October 2016), Ironshore Seminar (October 2016), Chubb Seminar (December 2016), XL Catlin Seminar – London (March 2017)
• “Umbrella/Excess Policies Coverage: California-Louisiana” Aspen Insurance Seminar (October 2016)
• “Good Things to Know (If you didn’t already) - Master Service Agreements and Additional Insured Coverage – What You Need To Know” Hiscox London Seminar (July 2016)
• “Master Service Agreements – What Underwriters Need To Know” MS Amlin London Seminar (July 2016)
• "Examining Occurrence and Claims Made Policies for Third Party Claims” Lewis Brisbois Webinar (March 2016)
• “Master Service Agreements – What Underwriters Need To Know” Travelers London Seminar (February 2016)
• "Presentation to Underwriters of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company discussing Construction Anti-Indemnity Statutes in various states” (February 2016)
• “Reallocating Liability through Contractual Indemnity and Additional Insurance” Lloyd's Market Association, London Seminar (November 2015)
• “2015 Guidelines for Avoiding Bad Faith Liability” AIG London Seminar (November 2015)
• “At Fault? So What? Evaluating and Responding to Defense, Indemnity and Additional Insured Tenders” CNA Marine Seminar (October 2015)
• “At Fault? So What? Evaluating and Responding to Defense, Indemnity and Additional Insured Tenders” ACE Seminar (October & December 2014, April 2015)
• “Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Update” ACE Seminar (August 2014)
• “A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That”- liberated and missing goods from warehouses, container ship casualties, and the additional insured issues arising from the Deepwater Horizon Loss, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Underwriting Seminar, London (August 2014)
• “What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You: A Primer on the Rights and Obligations of Excess Carriers” Advent Underwriting Limited, London (February 2014)
• “Recent Developments in Coverage and Bad Faith” General Star Insurance Company (February 2014)
• “Unintended Consequences: Examining Intersecting Occurrence and Claims Made Policies” Watkins Seminar (2013), AIG/Lex-London  Seminar, London (July 2014)
• “Bad Faith and Ethics, How to Stay Out of Trouble on All Fronts” ACE Seminar (2013)
• “Recent Developments in Coverage and Bad Faith Law” AIG Seminar (2013)
• “Does In Re Deepwater Horizon Spell Disaster For The Future? Risk Allocation And Additional Insured Coverage After The Gulf Oil Spill” Arch Seminar (2013), Travelers Seminar (2013)
• “When is a Claim Not a Claim? When is No Notice, Notice? When is an occurrence not a loss?” Xchanging Seminar, London (2013)
• “Why Does Everyone Want to be a Longshoreman Now?” XL Seminar (2012)
• “What Goes Around, Comes Around: The Sometimes Conflicting Interests of Primary and Excess Carriers,” Catlin Seminar, London (2011), Chaucer Seminar, London (2012)
• “Exploring Challenges Facing Insurers under Louisiana, Texas and Maritime Law,” XL Seminar (2011)
• “Venturing into the Gulf: Conflict of Laws in the Gulf of Mexico,” Xchanging Seminar, London (2010)
• “From Driving to Drilling: Exploring Insurance Challenges in Louisiana, Texas and Maritime Law,” ACE Seminar (2010)
• Deposition Workshops, Watkins Syndicate, London (March & July 2009), Lexington Seminar, London (July 2010)
• “Indemnity Contracts Update: What Law Applies?” 8th Annual Judge Alvin B. Rubin Conference on Maritime Personal Injury Law (2010)
• “Hurricane Survival Tips for Property Insurers: What You Don’t Know Can Cost You,” Lexington Seminar, London (July 2009)
• “Wading through Troubling Issues in Louisiana and Maritime Law,” ACE Seminar (2009)
• “Stepping into the Insurance Choice of Law TARDIS - Wherever Will We Land?,” Xchanging Seminar, London (2009)
• “Mind the Gap: Seaman, Longshoreman, State Worker. What is This Claimant Anyway?,” Xchanging Seminar, London (2008)
• “Analyzing Indemnity and Insurance Obligations in Master Service Agreements. Could a Simple Idea Get More Complicated?,” Independent Insurance Agents of Houston Seminar (2008)
• “Oilfield Contracts & Anti-Indemnity Acts- A Basic Outline,” AON Seminar on Oilfield Contracts, Anti-Indemnity Acts, and Insurance Impacts of the Evil Twins: Rita and Katrina (2005)
• “Contractual Indemnity Issues in Maritime Law,” Judge Alvin B. Rubin Conference on Maritime Personal Injury Law, Louisiana State University (2002)
• “MSA Relationship to Insurance Coverage: What Are They Doing? Who Trumps Who? And Where Do We Go From Here?” 7th Annual Conference on Contract Risk Management (2002)
• “Are Indemnity Agreements Still Strictly Construed?” 6th Annual Conference on Contract Risk Management (2001)
• “Indemnity Issues in the Year 2000,” Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel Seminar (1999)

Admissions

• State Bar Admissions
  • Louisiana
  • Texas
• State Supreme Courts
  • Louisiana Supreme Court
  • Texas Supreme Court
• United States District Courts
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
  • United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
• United States Courts of Appeals
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• United States Supreme Court

Admissions

Louisiana

Texas

United States Supreme Court

Louisiana Supreme Court

Texas Supreme Court

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana and the Southern District of Texas

Associations

• Fellow, American College of Coverage Counsel (ACCC)
• Louisiana Bar Association
• State Bar of Texas
• Lafayette Bar Association
• Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
• American Bar Association
• The Maritime Law Association

Awards & Honors

• Named “Top Lawyer” in Insurance Law by Acadiana Profile Magazine in 2023
• Named “’Top Lawyer” in both Energy Law and Transportation Law by Acadiana Profile Magazine in 2021
• Named “Top Lawyer” in both Insurance and Energy Law by Acadiana Profile Magazine in 2016, 2017, 2018, & 2020
• Named “Top Lawyer” in Energy Law by Acadiana Profile Magazine in 2019
• Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent® Top Rated Lawyer
• Named “2008, 2009 and 2010 Louisiana Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics. Featured in Super Lawyers Business Edition 2011
• Associate Editor - Louisiana Law Review (1986-1987)
• Member – Louisiana Law Review (1985-1987)

Education

Louisiana State University

Juris Doctor, 1987

• Order of the Coif (top 10%) 

Louisiana College

Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude, 1984