Edward Susolik

Edward Susolik specializes in complex insurance litigation and catastrophic personal injury, as well as a broad spectrum of commercial and business litigation from both plaintiff and defense perspectives, including professional liability, intellectual property, construction law, employment law, real estate, securities law, directors and officers liability, governmental liability and numerous other areas of commercial litigation.

Mr. Susolik is chair of the Insurance Department at Callahan & Blaine. He has been responsible for many multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements over the years, including settlements in the amount of $28 Million, $15.5 Million and $8.1 Million.

In the insurance area, Mr. Susolik has wide expertise in insurance coverage and bad faith litigation covering the full spectrum of insurance law. First, Mr. Susolik has extensive experience in representing policyholders who have been denied insurance benefits. For example, he has successfully represented many professionals in insurance disputes, including doctors, lawyers, accountants, brokers, directors, architects and consultants. Likewise, Mr. Susolik has represented many corporations, homeowners’ associations, municipalities, charitable organizations, contractors and other business organizations in complex insurance disputes. Mr. Susolik also has broad experience in the representation of insurance industry professionals, including agents, brokers and insurance companies in disputes within the insurance industry, including litigation with reinsurers, excess and umbrella insurers and the Department of Insurance.

Mr. Susolik has broad expertise in resolving both first party and third party insurance disputes. In the first party context, Mr. Susolik has tried, litigated and handled hundreds of first party insurance claims, including major claims arising out of the Northridge earthquake, landslides and mudslides, toxic mold contamination, fire claims, water damage, pollution, life insurance, disability insurance, health insurance and numerous other contexts. Likewise, in the third party context, Mr. Susolik has litigated hundreds of liability insurance disputes, including advertising injury claims, Cumis counsel, duty to defend and recovery of attorneys’ fees, wrongful failure to settle, reimbursement, rescission, and other third party insurance disputes.

Mr. Susolik is a frequent speaker on insurance and litigation issues to lawyers, business groups and others. Mr. Susolik is currently a member of the adjunct faculty at USC Law School, where he teaches Insurance Law. He was also Chair of the Insurance Law Section of the Orange County Bar Association for 12 years. Mr. Susolik has been retained on many occasions as an expert witness on insurance law issues by both insurance companies and policyholders. He is also frequently retained by attorneys to provide expert insurance advice and consultation.

Mr. Susolik is the author of many articles on litigation and insurance issues and is a frequent contributor to periodicals, treatises and other legal publications. Mr. Susolik was an editor for the Rutter Group California Practice Guide on Insurance Litigation for over 15 years, where he updated chapters on Insurance Bad Faith and the Duty to Defend.

Mr. Susolik's many awards and accolades speak to his reputation in the legal community. For example, Mr. Susolik has been recognized by his peers as one of the "Top 100 Attorneys in Southern California" for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 , 2017, 2018, and 2019 -- one of only a handful of Orange County attorneys given that distinguished honor by Super Lawyer Magazine.

On the personal side, Mr. Susolik was born in Trnava, Czechoslovakia. He graduated from the University of Southern California with degrees in Philosophy, English and History. He also received his law degree from the University of Southern California Law School, where he graduated Order of the Coif and was an Articles Editor on the Law Review.