Robert Sweeney

Full Profile

Robert (Bob) Sweeney represents the interests of insurers and reinsurers. He has a demonstrated appreciation and understanding of business goals as well as technical legal issues. Bob is experienced as a lead attorney in all phases of litigation, jury trials, reinsurance arbitrations, legal opinions, client counselling, negotiations, claim analysis, contract interpretation, and the formulation of efficient strategies to resolve disputes.

Prior to joining Clyde & Co, Bob was an in-house litigation attorney at an international insurance company where his practice primarily focused on reinsurance issues concerning ceded and assumed business. He has experience with various types of reinsurance treaties and facultative contracts. He also has experience with claim issues including asbestos, environmental, D&O, workers' compensation, captive arrangements, contract wording and premium disputes. Bob was the company's sole representative in the ARIAS U.S. organization pertaining to reinsurance arbitration and was selected to serve on the ARIAS Arbitration Task Force.

Earlier in his career Bob was an attorney at a large Chicago-based law firm where he defended personal injury cases as a first-chair trial lawyer. He provided counsel and representation to primary and excess insurers concerning coverage issues, handled insurance-coverage disputes, advised reinsurers, and represented ceding companies and reinsurers in arbitration and litigation.

Bob has been designated as a “Leading Lawyer” in Illinois for Insurance/Reinsurance, and he has received an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Admissions

• Illinois
• US District Court for Northern District of Illinois, including Trial Bar
• US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

Education

• J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 1980
• B.S., Business Administration, University of Connecticut, 1977

Memberships

• ARIAS US

Experience

• Represented a ceding company in a reinsurance arbitration arising from a premium dispute.
• Represented a reinsurer in a reinsurance arbitration relating to excess coverage concerning a worker’s compensation book of business.
• Represented a ceding company in a reinsurance arbitration involving contract termination issues relating to a D&O book of business.
• Represented a ceding company in a reinsurance arbitration against a captive reinsurer.
• Represented reinsurers involved in a reinsurance arbitration arising from their subscription to various facultative certificates.
• Represented a reinsurer in a reinsurance arbitration relating to excess coverage pertaining to certain financial institutions.