Sharon Corda's practice centers on insurance litigation at the trial and appellate levels, defending insurance and other commercial class actions, and arbitration issues.

Ms. Corda has worked in the insurance area since 1990.  She has represented both insurers and policyholders in coverage and bad faith disputes concerning third-party liability policies (general liability policies, errors & omissions, and directors' & officers policies) and first-party policies (health and disability, property damage, and homeowners policies).  She also has extensive experience representing both defendants and plaintiffs in class action litigation.  She is very knowledgeable about the requirements of both the Federal Arbitration Act and the California Arbitration Act and, in the course of representing an insurer, she litigated Boghos v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, the leading California Supreme Court case on the procedural requirements of arbitration between insurers and policyholders. 

Some of Ms. Corda's significant representations and reported decisions include:

		Boghos v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, 36 Cal.4th 495 (2005).  Established principle that California policyholders can lawfully be required to share with their insurers the cost of arbitrating coverage disputes.  Also established that the typical service-of-suit clause utilized by many Lloyd's syndicates and American insurers, which authorizes venue in courts of the United States for actions relating to insurance coverage, does not conflict with a policy's broadly-worded arbitration clause.
		Underwriters Reinsurance Co. v. Ace American Insurance Co., 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24814 (C.D. Cal. 2003).  Successful motion to compel arbitration of dispute over interpretation of reinsurance certificates.  The trial court ruled that the dispute was arbitrable because it fell within the purview of an ambiguous arbitration agreement.
		State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co. v. Superior Court, 114 Cal. App.4th 434 (2004).  Successfully represented amicus curiae National Conference of Insurance Legislators in contending that in a nationwide class action brought by policyholders in California against an Illinois insurer, the law of Illinois, the insurer's state of incorporation, governs issues relating to the insurer's business judgment.
		DeGrassi v. City of Glendora, 207 F.3d 636 (9th Cir., 2000).  Established that elected public officials in California who have been sued in their official capacity and are defended by public entities, as required by California law, do not have the right to control the defense and settlements of lawsuits brought against them and are not entitled to independent counsel.

		Member, State Bar of California
		Member, State Bar of Illinois (inactive status)
		Participant, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit pro bono appellate program
		Contributor to and editor of forthcoming treatise on California class action law authored   by Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Bruce Mitchell

		Dewey & LeBoeuf, LLP (formerly LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, LLP), Los Angeles, California (1997-2009)
		Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe, LLP, Los Angeles, California, (1991-1992)
		Research Attorney, Department of Writs & Receivers, Los Angeles Superior Court (1983-1984)