Deirdre Johnson is a partner in the Washington, DC office of Crowell & Moring LLP. Ms. Johnson has nearly two decades of experience handling disputes in the U.S., Bermuda, London and European markets in lawsuits and arbitration proceedings arising out of a broad range of claims and virtually all types of insurance and reinsurance agreements.

For example, Ms. Johnson has represented insurers and reinsurers in coverage disputes involving variable annuity, general liability, surety, product liability, employment discrimination and environmental matters. She has handled dozens of reinsurance arbitrations in both domestic and international proceedings, including many Bermuda and London arbitrations arising out of a broad range of claim types. Ms. Johnson also represents mono-line insurers in disputes concerning financial guaranty contracts covering mortgage-backed securities, collateralized debt obligations and other asset-backed securities. She also represents primary insurers and reinsurers in insolvency proceedings and has counseled insurers providing directors and officers/errors and omissions fidelity coverage to the mutual fund industry.

Ms. Johnson's practice also includes the defense of public corporations in class actions, derivative lawsuits, mergers and acquisitions litigation, and SEC enforcement actions. For example, Ms. Johnson represented an international life reinsurer in a class action alleging material misstatements in financials concerning certain valuation allowances on deferred tax assets and the company's Sarbanes-Oxley certifications. She has also led internal investigations of reserving practices employed by Health Maintenance Organizations and property/casualty reinsurers in response to shareholder demand letters.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Johnson was a partner at Dewey & LeBoeuf and prior to that she worked as a law clerk for the Office of Thrift Supervision, where she dealt in regulatory liability of professional advisers, such as attorneys and accountants, to thrifts and savings and loans. She is a frequent lecturer on reinsurance issues and has published a number of articles addressing insurance and reinsurance principles.

Representative Matters

• Trials and arbitrations. Ms. Johnson has extensive trial, arbitration and deposition experience, including numerous domestic and international reinsurance arbitrations, including those governed by the Bermuda International Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1993, and the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration; and
• London markets. Ms. Johnson represents various London market insurers and reinsurers in complex disputes including those relating to liability, surety, and property and casualty issues.

Selected Activities

• NCAA, Division I, All-American in Swimming
• Participant in the 1988 U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials
• Captain, University of Tennessee Womens Swimming Team

Professional Designations

• Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) Earned Credit:
  • CPCU 500: Foundations of Risk Management & Insurance
  • CPCU 530: Business Law for Insurance Professionals
  • ARe 144: Reinsurance Principles and Practices

Honors

• Nominated and included in the International Who's Who of Insurance and Reinsurance Lawyers 2011.