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Ryan Buschell

Ryan Buschell represents policyholders in high-stakes insurance coverage disputes, litigating in federal and state courts across the country as well as in domestic and international arbitrations.  His cases often involve legal questions on the cutting-edge of insurance law, securing precedent-making decisions and verdicts on many untested coverage issues.  As a member of Covington’s insurance practice group, Ryan exclusively represents policyholders, having successfully recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for a wide variety of losses and liabilities, including products liability and mass tort litigation, antitrust claims, securities litigation, CERCLA liability, property losses, and cyber events.  He is an experienced advocate and trial lawyer, leading numerous cases to trial and serving as first chair trial counsel in multiple proceedings.

Outside of the courtroom, Ryan serves on the Executive Committee for the Insurance Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco, on the Board of Editors of the Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, and as a member of Law360’s Insurance General Liability Editorial Board.

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June 27, 2024, Covington Alert

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals”—have garnered significant attention in recent years, becoming a focus of government regulation and a deluge of civil litigation targeting a wide array of industries. As with any developing area of risk, it is critical that companies assess what insurance coverage they have for PFAS-related risks; allegations of PFAS exposure can trigger decades of potentially available insurance coverage. Policyholders across industries are taking steps to assess their exposure to PFAS liability and to evaluate the insurance coverage that may respond to any PFAS-related claims.

Recent Developments

The science concerning the human health and environmental effects of PFAS has progressed significantly over the last two decades. For example, in 2024, environmental and other regulators took significant action on PFAS:

  • In February, the Food and Drug Administration announced a voluntary ban on PFAS-containing food packaging, such as takeout containers, microwave popcorn bags, and fast-food wrappers, in the U.S.
  • In April, the Environmental Protection Agency set its first regulatory limits on six types of PFAS in drinking water. The EPA also designated two types of PFAS as CERCLA hazardous substances, paving the way for future contribution actions under environmental cost-recovery statutes.

Continue Reading Navigating PFAS Liability: Emerging Regulations, Litigation Risks, and Insurance Coverage Strategies