Ernesto Rafael Palomo

Ernesto Palomo has extensive experience representing large multinational companies in court and commercial arbitration proceedings around the country. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of complex business disputes, including cases involving civil RICO, antitrust, fraud, copyright infringement, interference with contractual relations, unfair competition, cases alleging theft of trade secrets and cases involving emergency equitable remedies, such as temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions. He serves as Co-Chair of the Firm’s ‎COVID-19 Insurance Dispute Resolution Group.

Ernesto has substantial experience counseling clients on issues of insurance and reinsurance coverage and has represented domestic and overseas insurers and reinsurers in coverage disputes. Ernesto serves as a key strategic adviser for insurers and their national coordinating counsel regarding personal-injury asbestos and environmental pollution litigation throughout the United States. He has handled disputes in both the life reinsurance and property and casualty reinsurance and direct insurance markets.

Some recent highlights of Ernesto's practice include:

• Obtained a federal court ruling appointing a Rule 53 monitor against the Cook County Clerk's office after a bench trial. The ruling is part of the Firm’s ongoing enforcement of the Shakman consent decrees prohibiting state and local governments from discriminating against employees and job applicants on the basis of their political affiliation
• Obtained a Seventh Circuit ruling affirming summary judgment opinion holding that certain claims brought by the assignee of an insolvent cedent’s reinsurance receivables was time-barred
• Obtained an order from a federal district court judge holding that a South American reinsurer was immune from the security requirements of the Illinois Insurance Code under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act
• Obtained an order from a federal district court judge holding that the purported assignee of several reinsurance contracts lacked standing to compel arbitration
• Obtained a panel order granting summary disposition in favor of a life reinsurer on a retrocessionaire's misrepresentation and breach of "minimum cessions" provision claims
• Obtained an order from a state court judge dismissing claims against an insurance company under the Illinois Trade Secrets Act
• Represented a life reinsurance company in an arbitration hearing regarding YRT Treaty rate increases
• Obtained a panel order granting reformation of a life reinsurance treaty and damages for breach of contract