Terence M. Ridley

Practice Details

• Firm Information
  Position

  Partner

  Firm Name

  Neuner Mediation & Dispute Resolution
• Representative Cases & Transactions
  Cases

  Representative Cases: Terence Ridley focuses his practice on civil litigation in the insurance industry, with an emphasis on the defense of bad faith claims
  class action cases.
  Auto-Owners v. Summit Park, Nos. 16-1348
  16-1352 (10th Cir. 2018) - Won complete affirmance in the Tenth Circuit of l
  mark rulings governing insurance appraisals. In two published opinions, the Tenth Circuit affirmed trial court rulings vacating an eight-figure appraisal award against the client, disqualifying for bias a national policyholder appraiser,
  sanctioning the policyholder
  its lawyers for misconduct in connection with the appraisal. Terence Ridley
  Evan Stephenson argued the two appeals, respectively.
  Claycomb v. Fox (Colo. Ct. App. 2017) - Won reversal
  rem
  of an adverse jury verdict
  affirmed sanctions against opposing counsel. The defendant's insurer hired WTO to h
  le the appeal after the trial judge directed that the defendant be found at least 51% liable, leading the jury to award the plaintiff over $1,000,000.
  Warne v. Hall, 2016 CO 50 - Assisted in winning a ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court requiring Colorado state courts to apply the Twombly pleading st
  ard. WTO co-authored an amicus brief for the Colorado Civil Justice League urging the Court to adopt plausibility pleading in Colorado to discourage forum shopping
  improve the Colorado justice system.
  Auto-Owners v. Summit Park, 2016 WL 1321507 (D. Colo.) - Won order vacating a $10.87 million property insurance award
  disqualifying a national property appraiser,
  subsequently won sanctions against the policyholder
  its lawyers,
  won 99.7% of attorneys' fees
  costs.
  Snyder v. ACORD, 2016 WL 192270 (D. Colo.) - Successfully represented seven codefendants in a property insurance class action lawsuit in Colorado. Plaintiffs claimed they were systematically underinsured in a monumental conspiracy, in violation of federal RICO
  antitrust laws,
  involving virtually all property insurers in Colorado as well as industry trade groups. WTO served as liaison committee counsel,
  the joint defense group ultimately won its motion to dismiss.
  Fisher v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., No. 2015-SC-472 (Colo. Sup. Ct.) - Represented three of the nation's preeminent insurance industry trade associations in an amici curiae brief urging the Colorado Supreme Court to grant certiorari review of a Court of Appeals decision that st
  s to rewrite virtually every UM/UIM insurance policy issued in Colorado. The Court granted review
  is expected to hear the case in 2017.
  Allstate Ins. Co. v. Med. Lien Mgmt., Inc., 2015 CO 32 - Won reversal from the Colorado Supreme Court for Allstate in a precedent-setting ruling on the practice of assigning potential future personal injury settlements to third parties, such as medical lien companies.
  Sipes v. Allstate Indemnity (D. Colo. 2013) - Won complete defense verdict in a bad faith matter on behalf of Allstate before the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.
  Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies v. Skaj (D. Wyo. 2013) - Won summary judgment on issue of bad faith in a failure to defend case arising under a commercial auto policy. The trial court found coverage by estoppel under Wyoming law. The Tenth Circuit affirmed.
  King v. Allstate Insurance (D. Colo. 2013) - Won a complete defense verdict on behalf of Allstate Insurance Company in an insurance bad faith case brought in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.
  Gold Peak at Palomino Park v. Wiliam W. George & Associates, et al. (Douglas Cty. Dist. Court 2012) - Defended negligence suit against retail insurance broker for allegedly failing to procure sufficient insurance under an Owner Controlled Insurance Program to cover an $18.2 million dollar construction defect verdict involving 250 condominiums.
  Apodaca v. Allstate Insurance (Colo. June 20, 2011) - Won a Colorado Supreme Court decision favorable to WTO's client, Allstate,
  all Colorado auto insurers in a purported class action involving disclosures associated with underinsured
  uninsured motorist policies.
  Friedl
  v. TIC & Geosyntec Consultants, 566 F.3d 1203 (10th Cir. 2009) - Won affirmation of a trial court's summary judgment ruling
  exposed pollution for profit in protracted CERCLA litigation before the Tenth Circuit.
  Estate of Hill v. Allstate Insurance, 479 F.3d 735 (10th Cir. 2007) - Won affirmance from the Tenth Circuit of summary judgment for an insurer in a case seeking unlimited no-fault benefits for alleged failure to offer no-fault benefits.