Dawn A. Hove
Partner
Biography
BIOGRAPHY
Dawn has more than 15 years of experience advising and litigating on behalf of insurance companies on coverage-related matters.
Her experience includes commercial general liability (CGL), commercial property, builders risk, directors and officers (D&O), and professional liability policies, as well as owner-controlled insurance programs (OCIPs), contractor controlled insurance programs (CCIPs), and risk transfer. Dawn evaluates and resolves insurance disputes arising from high-exposure complex construction defects, environmental conditions, product liability, premises liability, and bad faith claims. She has been involved in declaratory relief, complaints in intervention, subrogation and contribution, and priority of coverage disputes.
Her experience includes commercial general liability (CGL), commercial property, builders risk, directors and officers (D&O), and professional liability policies, as well as owner-controlled insurance programs (OCIPs), contractor controlled insurance programs (CCIPs), and risk transfer. Dawn evaluates and resolves insurance disputes arising from high-exposure complex construction defects, environmental conditions, product liability, premises liability, and bad faith claims. She has been involved in declaratory relief, complaints in intervention, subrogation and contribution, and priority of coverage disputes.
Memberships
- Member, Claims & Litigation Management Alliance
Awards & Rankings
- CALI Award for Excellence in Patent Law and Entertainment Law
Before Nicolaides
Dawn was a partner at an Orange County, California-based law firm that focused on the areas of construction, environmental, real estate, insurance coverage, business, and commercial litigation. Dawn represented many of the world’s largest insurance companies, Fortune 500 companies, private developers, international general contractors, large-scale subcontractors, and public entities in complex cases. In addition, with her Intellectual Property Law Certificate, Dawn has also handled federal trademark registrations, privacy rights defense, and other emerging internet-related matters.Outside Nicolaides
Dawn enjoys traveling with her husband and daughter (especially when amazing restaurants are involved), cheering on the Lakers, and pursuing her lifelong passions for ballet and Pilates.EXPERIENCE
- Obtained dismissal via demurrer of a bad faith action against a primary CGL insurer in which the additional insured general contractor sought damages when there was no duty to defend or indemnify for claims involving the additional insured's own damages against the named insured subcontractor and where no third party claim was asserted.
- Secured dismissal via demurrer of bad faith and duty to indemnify action against excess CGL insurer whereby the additional insured property owner sought damages when there was no duty to defend or indemnify for claims involving the additional insured property owner's own damages against the named insured general contractor and where no third party claim was asserted.
- Successfully resolved a complex commercial property construction defect action on behalf of a second layer excess insurer due to lack of resulting property damage resulting in a de minimis settlement contribution on behalf of second layer excess carrier despite threats of bad faith.
- Successfully resolved a residential construction defect action on behalf of the primary and excess insurer who intervened in the action due to receivership of the developer entity and corporate suspension of the general contractor entity.
- Routinely evaluates and provides strategies to clients regarding complex priority of coverage disputes involving catastrophic bodily injury claims and property damage claims.
INSIGHTS
ADDITIONAL SPEAKING & WRITING
- Presenter, When Wrap Limits Exceed Exposure: An Actual Case Study Exploring Ethics and Resolution Obstacles, CLM Annual Conference, Chicago (2018)