Philadelphia, May 1, 2023 — Weber Gallagher welcomes two powerhouse lawyers Neal Novak and Colleen Costello, formerly of Novak Law, adding to the firm’s prominent insurance practice and expanding its geographical reach to Chicago. Novak and Costello join as Partners of the firm and will spearhead the opening of Weber Gallagher’s new Chicago presence. With the addition of a Chicago office, Weber Gallagher now has 10 offices in the Mid-Atlantic and the Midwest.
“The addition of Neal and Colleen was both driven by our clients’ needs and the quality of their offerings to their clients,” said Andrew Indeck, Weber Gallagher’s Firm Chair. “Our insurance clients rely on us to skillfully guide them on developments in the law and business of the insurance industry so they can make informed decisions on how to best move ahead with their goals. Neal and Colleen add significant experience to our bench of insurance professionals and bring a keen understanding of the insurance industry. We are happy to welcome Neal and Colleen to the firm.”
Neal and Colleen bring more than 60 years of collective experience focusing their practice on insurance law, litigating, mediating and managing insurance coverage disputes throughout the United States, including, but not limited to, disputes implicating professional liability, commercial general liability, umbrella and excess commercial general liability, commercial property, business interruption, extra expense, commercial auto, trucking, technology and accident and health policies.
Weber Gallagher continuously seeks to complement our growth strategy and provide our clients with expanded services and resources to maintain our strong reputation. These attorneys and the addition of a new office reflect the firm’s commitment to ensuring our clients’ needs are met across vast jurisdictions and practices.
“Our team is thrilled to bring on the Novak Law team. Their reputation and experience in the Chicago market will be of tremendous value to our existing clients,” said Denise Marra DePekary, Managing Partner of the Insurance Practice Group at Weber Gallagher. “In addition, our growing team is looking forward to expanding and solidifying our reach outside of the United States and in the London Market.”
Neal and Colleen represent U.S. and U.K.-based carriers and have litigated coverage issues and disputes in Federal and State courts throughout the country, representing clients in more than 25 states and the Virgin Islands.
Neal Novak
Neal focuses his practice on reinsurance, commercial general liability insurance, commercial/first-party property insurance and personal accident and disability insurance. Drawing on his vast experience, Novak keeps an eye towards managing costs to assist clients in product development and risk analysis. Novak has resolved complex casualty claims, provides coverage opinions, and more. He works hand in hand with his clients to produce unique strategies and insights into handling complicated questions of allocation, aggregation and related problems arising out of long-tail liability business.
Neal received his J.D. from the University of Cincinnati in 1977. He is admitted to practice in Ohio, Illinois, Hawaii, and the Virgin Islands. Additionally, he is admitted to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Colleen Costello
Colleen focuses her practice on insurance law, successfully litigating, mediating and managing insurance coverage disputes throughout the United States. Colleen’s experience includes handling disputes implicating professional liability, commercial general liability, umbrella and excess commercial general liability, commercial property, business interruption, extra expense, commercial auto, trucking policies, and more. She has significant experience litigating extra-contractual and bad faith disputes in multiple jurisdictions.
Colleen received her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She is admitted to practice in Illinois and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
About Weber Gallagher
At Weber Gallagher, lawyers work collaboratively with clients to understand their legal and business needs and develop impactful results for them. The firm encompasses more than 110 legal professionals working interactively across 10 offices in Mid-Atlantic and Midwest United States. Weber Gallagher provides legal counseling and representation to local, national, and international businesses, financial institutions, and insurance companies. With a strong commitment to excellent service and innovative solutions, and a dominant reputation, the firm has an exceptional ability to efficiently address clients’ legal and business concerns, distinguishing Weber Gallagher from other law firms. To learn more, visit www.wglaw.com.
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