Wood, Smith, Henning & Berman is thrilled to announce the expansion of its national insurance practice with the addition of two new partners, Richard Sprock and Timothy Church. These two veterans to the London insurance marketplace bring a deep wealth of knowledge and experience to the firm and will join the team in our New York office. Both come to us from Bruckmann & Victory, LLP in New York City.
“Tim and Rich are another great addition to our London practice,” said Managing Partner Vince Beilman, Head of the WSHB London practice. “They expand our capacity in New York, at a time when New York arbitrations are on the rise. And, across the rest of the country, they bolster our bench in key sectors like Marine, Transportation, Mining, and Energy.”
“We are thrilled to bring on two international thought leaders known for their successful handling of complex issues with the London market,” said Founding Partner Daniel Berman. “Tim and Rich are extremely well known to our firm clients and to our firm. Their addition is a perfect complement to the continued national growth of our full-service London team.”
In his practice, Tim advises international and domestic insurers concerning first-party property and builder’s risk claims involving commercial, energy, industrial, mining, and homeowner risks. He also advises insurers regarding commercial general liability, environmental liability, and professional liability claims. Along with providing advice, Tim regularly represents insurers in coverage litigation in state and federal courts around the country, and was lead trial counsel for primary-layer insurers in Nat’l R.R. Passenger Corp. v. Arch Specialty Ins. Co., 124 F. Supp. 3d 264 (S.D.N.Y. 2015), a case that involved a favorable summary judgment ruling enforcing a flood sublimit and insurers’ one occurrence position. He also advises claims and legal teams on a variety of claims, underwriting, and regulatory issues.
Along with his coverage practice, Tim also handles complex commercial litigation. He enjoys a wealth of experience having practiced as an attorney for over 20 years. Early on in his career, and immediately after graduating from law school, Tim worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York where he prosecuted felony cases and was first in his class to be promoted to Senior Assistant District Attorney.
Tim earned his law degree at the University of Notre Dame Law School. While there, he served as the Executive Editor of the Journal of College and University Law and co-authored an article on student-athletes with disabilities. He also served as President of the Public interest Law Foundation. Tim earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and American Studies from the University of Delaware. He is admitted to practice law in the State of New York.
Rich focuses his practice in both the domestic and London insurance markets. His guidance is highly sought after in complex first-party and third-party insurance matters due to his impressive results in complex insurance litigation, arbitration, and appeals. He routinely advises the world’s largest domestic and international insurers. In addition to his coverage work, Rich is also experienced in commercial litigation, product liability, subrogation, and construction. His wide-ranging and varied experience includes cases involving business interruption claims of large industrial companies including power, oil and gas, and manufacturing.
Rich obtained his law degree from Brooklyn Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Binghamton University. He is licensed to practice law in New York State as well as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Please join us in a warm welcome for Tim Church and Rich Sprock as they join the team at WSHB!