RICHARD C. CAVO
Rick focuses his practice on environmental
and toxic tort coverage defense, monitoring of major commercial
litigation, evaluation of coverage matters and complex commercial
litigation including the defense of executives, professionals,
and employers.
Rick served in the Westchester County New York District Attorney's
office before joining a New York firm defending environmental
and other complex insurance coverage actions. In 1988, he joined
Aetna Casualty & Surety Company as claim counsel for major
litigation, including environmental, latent health, products liability
and construction litigation. While at Aetna from 1988 to 1996,
Rick was recognized for his accomplishments with the Chairman's
Award, the highest distinction given by Aetna to an employee.
He has been rated an AV® Preeminent™ lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell,
representing the recognition of the highest level of professional
excellence by his peers.
Rick serves as chairman of the Firm’s executive committee.
Education
- St. Johns University School of Law, JD, 1984; St. Thomas
More Scholar, member of Law Review
- St. Lawrence University, BA, 1980; sociology, honors
Niagara University
Admissions
- Connecticut
- New York
- United States District Courts: Southern District of New York,
Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York,
District of Connecticut
- United States Court of Appeals: Second Circuit
Publications
- “The Path of Least Resistance: Policyholder Export
of Expected or Intended Pollution Harms,” Mealey’s
Insurance Litigation Reports, June 1998
- “A Study of History: The Evolution of Pollution Insurance
Regulation,” Mealey’s Insurance Litigation Reports,
July 1997
- “The Sophist’s Maze: The Polluters’ Revision
of the History of the Total Pollution Exclusion,” Mealey’s
Insurance Litigation Reports, September 1994
- “The Polluters’ Web: The Pollution Exclusion
and the Question of Deception,” CPCU Journal
(Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters), June 1994, co-author
- “Morton International: The Fiction of Regulatory Estoppel,”
24 Seton Hall Law Review 847, 1993, co-author
- “Survey of New York Practice,” St. John’s
University Law Review, 1983
Professional Activities
- American Bar Association
- Insurance Environmental Litigation Association; Chair, 1995-96,
Vice-Chair, 1993-95
