Holdsworth & Inkwell has secured a favorable resolution in coordinated multi-county California wildfire subrogation proceedings, defending a utility client against consolidated insurance carrier claims. The matter involved subrogation actions filed by multiple carriers across several California counties, consolidated for coordinated case management before California Superior Court.
The Matter
The subrogation actions alleged utility responsibility for wildfire damage to insured residential and commercial properties. The proceedings engaged California's inverse condemnation framework under Barham v. Southern California Edison and its successors, along with the comparative fault and apportionment frameworks that apply to negligence-based wildfire defense. The plaintiff carrier population spanned dozens of insurers with subrogated claims totaling substantial damages.
Strategic Significance
The resolution reflects the firm's sustained engagement with California's inverse condemnation framework and the operational mechanics of multi-county wildfire subrogation defense. The case management, expert development, and coordinated motion practice required for matters of this scale exemplify the integrated multi-state defense capabilities that the firm's Wildfire Litigation Practice provides to utility clients.
The Team
The matter was led by Patty Hewes, Chair of the firm's Wildfire Litigation Practice, supported by Erin Brockovich (Senior Paralegal, Denver) on case management. Coordination with the client's insurance program and reinsurance arrangements was supported by Howard Hamlin (Partner, Denver) on the insurance recovery side.
One team, start to finish.
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