Anderson Kill P.C. is pleased to announce that Steven J. Pudell, managing shareholder of the firm's Newark, NJ office since 2008, has been promoted to equity shareholder.
Steve's practice concentrates on insurance recovery, with a particular focus on product liability and food contamination claims, as well as D&O claims. He represents food industry companies, chemical manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and real estate developers in insurance recovery matters. Noteworthy recent representations include the following:
• Won a favorable settlement for a supplier of meals-ready-to-eat coverage providing insurance coverage for a product recall prompted by salmonella detection at a supplier’s factory. The case settled after a New York court found that coverage existed and an Ohio court rejected the insurance company’s motion for summary judgment.
• Represented a livestock company that won a New Jersey appellate ruling to the effect that stunted growth in chickens allegedly caused by policyholder's additive constitutes an accidental "occurrence" and "property damage" under a CGL policy.
• Represented a food manufacturer in settling $20 million pending dispute over insurance coverage for recall of frozen vegetables initiated in conjunction with the FDA upon detection of Listeria.
Steve has been recognized since 2011 by Chambers USA as one of New Jersey's top insurance recovery lawyers, by Best Lawyers in America since 2013, and by The Legal 500 since 2017. He is a frequent writer and speaker about insurance coverage matters. In 2018 and 2019, he was selected as a member of Law360’s insurance editorial advisory board.
Robert M. Horkovich, Anderson Kill’s managing shareholder, said, “Steve has proven to be a master litigator, relentless in pursuing and obtaining the insurance coverage his clients have paid for, instrumental in precedent-setting victories for policyholders, particularly in the food industry. We are delighted to welcome him into the ranks of our equity shareholders.”
Steve is a former co-chair of the ADR/Settlement Subcommittee of the American Bar Association, Litigation Committee (2012-2016). He has also served on the New Jersey Supreme Court Model Civil Jury Charge Committee (2009-2014) and was a member of the Risk/Safety Commission of the Associated General Contractors of America (2009-2013). He also served as president of the Teaneck Baseball Organization (2013-2015) and as a member of the Board of Trustees of his local synagogue.
After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1995, Steve clerked for the Honorable David Landau in the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division.