(404) 214-1250
Robert E. McLaughlin

Partner – Atlanta

Bob McLaughlin has focused on solving problems for professionals and their insurers for thirty years. Bob’s professional liability practice emphasizes representing insurers of lawyers, architects, engineers, insurance agents and brokers, accountants, and other non-medical professionals. Most of his practice is devoted toward helping firms and their insurers avoid and resolve serious legal malpractice claims. Bob also represents reinsurers of various professional liability and general liability insurers in the United States.

Bob’s experience includes regular trial practice in state and federal courts. He has supervised the defense of legal malpractice litigation on behalf of insurers of several of the 100 largest U.S. law firms on a nationwide basis, including the defense of legal malpractice claims against several top U.S. law firms arising from the Stanford Ponzi scheme, involving a loss to investors of in excess of $5B; multiple cases arising from legal advice to taxpayers on “son of boss” tax shelters and advice regarding shelters under IRS code sections 412(i) and 419; multiple cases involving claims under the Foreign Corrupt Protection Act (FCPA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the Fair Debt Collection Protection Act (FDCPA), the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), and other state and federal statutes. Bob also regularly represents insurers of “hard to place” firms, predominantly plaintiffs class action and mass tort firms. He is adept at using creative methods to resolve multiple plaintiff cases. Additionally, Bob represents insurers on cyber liability claims throughout the U.S. He is also active in claims against Tech Media Insurers.

Bob’s practice also involves counseling insurers and professionals on litigation management, claim avoidance, and risk management issues. He is an active member of the Professional Liability Underwriters Society (PLUS) and is well versed in trends in the industry, including legal malpractice claims arising from transactional advice, securities advice and opinion letters, claims of deepening insolvency by bankrupt companies, and claims arising from unsuccessful litigation.

Bob received his Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School in 1989.

Education
  • Boston College Law School, J.D., 1989
  • University of Georgia, B.A., 1986
    • cum laude With High Honors
Presentations and Publications

10 Mistakes that Patent Practitioners Make. Authored by Robert E. McLaughlin (April 2007).  Presented to the Austin Intellectual Property Lawyers Association.

 

Admissions

State Bars
State Bar of Georgia

District Courts
United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

Memberships

American Bar Association
Defense Research Institute
Georgia Defense Lawyers Association
Insuralex Member Hub
Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS)

  • Lead Insurance Counsel for AmLaw 50 Firm in handling claims from Receiver and Investor Group arising from Stanford Ponzi Scheme (over $5B lost in investments).
  • Lead Insurance Counsel for claim against an AmLaw 100 firm arising from Apple v. Samsung litigation.
  • Lead Insurance Counsel for largest AmLaw 100 patent firm.
  • Lead Insurance Counsel for several AmLaw 100 firms handling claims arising from transactional, securities and litigation work throughout the United States.
  • Lead Insurance Counsel on Engineering Firm involve in dispute over
    increased costs to build largest U.S. oil refinery.
  • Lead Insurance Counsel on Engineering firm involved in Flint, Michigan water case.
  • Lead Insurance Counsel on Engineering Firm involved in Florida
    International University bridge collapse.
  • Lead Insurance Counsel on claims against Engineering Firm involving Atlanta Falcons Stadium.
  • Lead Insurance Counsel on handling tax shelter claims against several of the 100 largest U.S. law firms.
  • Working with large South Florida law firm and insurer to resolve conflict of interest claims arising from representation of now bankrupt client whose officers were complicit in fraud leading to bankruptcy.
  • Representing insurers of national plaintiff’s law firm in resolving claims arising from alleged aggregate settlements.
  • Representing insurers of large Ohio law firm and working in conjunction with defense counsel against claims of “deepening insolvency” brought against firm as the result of bankruptcy of client due to fraud by client.
  • Working with insurers, law firm, and defense counsel to resolve securities class action against former client and account and legal professionals, with law firm settling on a favorable basis.
  • Representing insurers of class action plaintiff firm involving claims arising out of alleged mishandling of thalidomide cases.