Overview
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery continues to advance its insurance-sector capabilities with the addition of Jane M. Byrne, who is consistently recognized as one of the top litigators in the country representing domestic and international insurer clients on large-exposure matters, high-value coverage and transactional disputes. Guyon Knight also joined from Quinn as partner.
“Jane is wonderful! She will immediately make us better. She is an extraordinarily talented lawyer, not only with world-class experience as a partner and leader at Quinn but also as a client, having served in-house with a major insurer. From every vantage point, she gets it,” said Ira Coleman, Chairman of McDermott. “We are delighted to welcome such a powerhouse and longtime friend to our growing New York team and our expanding litigation practice, both in terms of expertise and diversity.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Jane and know that she will be a great addition in helping us provide even more value to our current and future clients,” added David Rosenbloom, global head of McDermott’s litigation practice. “From our ongoing conversations with clients, we know that insurance is an increasingly important area, and bringing in Jane, the best of the best, is part of our response to that. There may be a particular bump due to the impact of Covid-19, but we expect the need for this expertise to be enduring.”
“McDermott’s platform is a perfect fit for me, both substantively and culturally,” said Jane. “Beyond its stellar reputation, there is a great energy and enthusiasm for the future, which is underpinned by incredibly deep and broad expertise. I couldn’t be more delighted to join this fantastic partnership and bring my practice to this thriving environment.”
Guyon Knight represents insurers and reinsurers in high-stakes coverage and bad faith disputes across the country. He has been ranked by Legal 500 as a recommended lawyer for advice to insurers. Guyon has extensive experience with the various phases of litigation and arbitration, including arguing dispositive and procedural motions; taking and defending fact and expert witness depositions; evaluating claims and drafting complaints; briefing motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, motions for preliminary equitable relief, Daubert motions, discovery motions, and appeals; mediating disputes; and going to trial and arbitration. Guyon has also represented clients in litigation and arbitration in a wide range of fields, including financial products, complex contracts, class actions, trademarks, trade secrets, trusts and probate, and the False Claims Act.
Jane and Guyon are the most recent arrivals to the growing litigation group with new teams in New York, Miami, Delaware and London over the past year. This includes top-flight class-action partners Joshua Simon, Warren Haskel and Dmitriy Tishyevich and their teams joining from Kirkland & Ellis in March; and, late last year, Felicia Perlman, co-head of McDermott’s restructuring and insolvency group, joined from Skadden.
Jane holds a JD from Catholic University Law School, where she was the executive editor of Catholic University Law Review and a BA from State University of New York, Albany. She previously served as Co-Chair of Quinn Emanuel’s Insurance and Reinsurance Litigation Group.
Guyon received his JD from Fordham University School of Law.
About McDermott
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,100 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
