Richard B. Allyn
Experience
- Particular experience with large catastrophic property and casualty losses.
- Examples of losses include the Northeast Power Outage of 2003, World Trade Center building collapse, numerous power plant losses, water damaged structures in an ocean-side resort, a food processing plant, warehouses, a telephone switching station, major office buildings, an airplane hanger, a grain elevator, chemical damage, a paper mill, a commercial horse barn, a mining facility, and a world famous painting. These losses involved fires, explosions, floods, construction defects, mold, electrical malfunctions, chemical spills, arson, and terroristic acts.
- Involved in counseling and representing insurance companies and private corporations involved in coverage disputes, including property, liability, intellectual property, life insurance, employment practices, products liability, construction and builders risk, as well as anti-trust, fraud, and wrongful market conduct cases in court and arbitration.
Outside Experience
As Minnesota Solicitor General, supervised the Attorney General’s principal litigation office where he had years of experience in motion, civil and criminal trial and appellate litigation, including insurance related cases. During this time, he presented two arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court; Malone v. White Motor Co., 425 U.S. 497 (1979), and Marquette National Bank v. First Omaha Service Corp., 439 U.S. 299 (1978).
While with the Minnesota Attorney General’s office, Mr. Allyn headed the Criminal Division. Experience included trials, appeals and Grand Jury presentations.
Selected Results*
Silver Lake Dam Collapse: Multi-million dollar recovery for damage to powerhouse from catastrophic upstream dam collapse.
Rouge Powerhouse explosion: Multi-million dollar arbitration award for boiler explosion.
Chicago flooded tunnel cases: Multi-million dollar recoveries for several large buildings damaged by a sudden break in the freight tunnel system under the Chicago loop.
Illinois Bell Hinsdale Central Office fire: Recovery from a telephone switching station fire caused by runaway electrical arcing.
Co-lead counsel in a trial defense of a multi-million dollar claim against insurance company. The six month trial resulted in a jury verdict for insurer.
Resolution of a number of claims for pollution coverage, professional errors and omissions, and other liability issues.
Falk Industries factory explosion in Milwaukee: Defense of negligent engineering and inspection claims in fatal LP gas explosion.
Recognition
- "Professional Excellence Award," from the Minnesota State Bar Association, awarded to a group of lawyers who represented survivors of the 35W Bridge Collapse on a pro bono basis (2009)
Memberships
- American Bar Association (Tort and Insurance Practice Section)
Civic Associations
- Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, St. Paul, MN, Volunteer
- Board of Commissioners, Bass Lake Rehabilitation District
Bar Admissions
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court, Minnesota
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
- U.S. Supreme Court
Education
- University of Minnesota Law School, J.D. (1969)
- University of Minnesota, B.A.
Selected Speeches
- Insurance Coverage for Intellectual Property
Insurance Law 2005, St. Paul, MN (August 23, 2005) - Service Interruption Claims After Disaster
The Loss Executives Association (June 17-18, 2004) - Getting Something Back: Subrogating After the Catastrophe
ABA Tort and Insurance Practice Section, New York, NY (November 5, 2001) and The Loss Executives Association, Portland, ME (June 12-13, 2002)