Robert J. McKennon

Robert J. McKennon is a founding partner of McKennon Law Group PC. He represents individuals and small-to-large corporations in sophisticated litigation matters in state and federal court. Mr. McKennon is admitted to all federal and state courts in California, and regularly handles litigation matters in federal courts in the Western United States. He is a nationally recognized expert in insurance litigation matters and has tried, litigated, and resolved hundreds of insurance litigation matters, including life, health and disability insurance, insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, class actions, unfair trade practices, ERISA/employee benefit, and insurance agent/broker litigation. Mr. McKennon has also handled numerous business litigation cases in the areas of general business and contract disputes, unfair competition and employment, and he has represented numerous individuals and institutional clients in FINRA (formerly called NASD) arbitrations, and has arbitrated numerous securities cases.

Mr. McKennon frequently serves as a guest speaker at local and national conferences concerning life, health, disability, and ERISA issues, and has chaired numerous national conferences on these topics.

Mr. McKennon formerly represented insurance companies in first-party insurance lawsuits involving life, health and disability insurance disputes, insurance bad faith and punitive damages for over twenty-four years. He is now using this knowledge and experience to represent insureds, claimants, businesses and other consumers who believe that their insurance companies have improperly denied their claims for insurance benefits.

Mr. McKennon was the founder and editor of the Life, Health & Disability Insurance Law Blog at lifehealthdisabilityinsurancelaw.com while he was a partner at Barger & Wolen LLP. He is currently the editor of the California Insurance Litigation Blog at californiainsurancelitigation.com. He is also a regular contributing author of insurance and business articles in the Los Angeles Daily Journal, the most read and respected legal journal in California. The nationally respected Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and the nationwide Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers has awarded Mr. McKennon their highest possible rating, "AV." This assessment is based on confidential recommendations received exclusively from lawyers and judges. The rating highlights an attorney's competence, ethical conduct, professional ability, diligence and overall performance. Mr. McKennon has been also awarded AVVO's rating of "Excellent" which also highlights an attorney's competence, ethical conduct, professional ability, diligence and overall performance. Mr. McKennon has also been recognized as a 2011 and 2012 Southern California "Super Lawyer," which recognizes him as one of California's top attorneys.  Mr. McKennon was recently profiled in Forbes magazine as a top Southern California insurance and business litigation attorney.

Education

   * University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, J.D., 1985
   * California State University, Fullerton, with honors, B.A., 1982

Professional Memberships

   * The State Bar of California (1986)
   * American Bar Association
   * Orange County Bar Association
   * ABA's Tort and Insurance Law Committee
   * Orange County Bar Association
   * Consumer Attorneys of California
   * Celtic Bar Associaton

Articles & Publications

   * Boon or Bust for Employee Rights Under ERISA Plans, Los Angeles Daily Journal (June 3, 2011)
   * In ERISA Cases, The Standard of Review Really Does Matter, Los Angeles Daily Journal (December 6, 2010)
   * The Waiver Doctrine, Alive And Well in ERISA Cases, Los Angeles Daily Journal (August 11, 2010)
   * Differential Standard of Review in ERISA Cases Clarified, Los Angeles Daily Journal, (May 4, 2010)
   * ERISA Plan Administrators Take Heed, Los Angeles Daily Journal (February 10, 2010)
   * Accidental Injury vs. Sickness Provisions in Disability Policies, Defense Research Institute(2009).
   * Disability Cases: The Requirement for Regular and Appropriate Care, Defense, Defense Research Institute (2004)
   * Managing and Litigating Mental-Nervous Insurance Claims, American Conference Institute (2003)
   * Introduction to Disability Fraud, Western Claims Conference (2003)
   * The Requirement for Regular and Appropriate Care in Disability Cases, American Conference Institute (2002)
   * Recent Developments: The Contestable Clause, Bad Faith and Punitive Damages, Southern Claims Conference (2002)
   * Special Investigative Unit Training Manual (2002)
   * The Public Policy Defense: The New Frontier in Disability Insurance Litigation, American Conference Institute (2000)
   * Litigating the Bad Faith Case, American Conference Institute (2000)
   * Insurance Sales on the Internet: A Work in Progress, International Insurance Law Review (May 1998)
   * California Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations Manual (1997)
   * Contestable Life Claims, Southern Claims Conference (1997)
   * Unique and Emerging Issues in Insurance Litigation, Southern Claims Conference (1996)
   * Emerging Issues in Disability, Health and Life Claims, Midwest Claims Conference (1996)
   * Insurance Issues in Bankruptcy: An Insurer's Perspective, Tort & Insurance Law Journal, American Bar Association (Fall 1994)
   * The Life Insurance Law of California, “Delinquency Proceedings" and "Formation and Issuance of Life Insurance Policies” Chapters, Association of Life Insurance Counsel (1990)
   * Insolvency of Insurers, California Insurance Law and Practice, Matthew Bender (1986-92)

Professional Notes & Events

   * June 15 & 16, 2009 – Co-Chair: Litigating Disability and ERISA Claims, American Conference Institute – Boston, Ma.
   * May 23, 2007 - Panelist/Presenter: Bad Faith Insurance Law Update, 38th Annual Midwest Claim Conference – Chicago, Ill.
   * February 23, 2006 - Panelist/Presenter: Litigating Disability Insurance Claims Conference, American Conference Institute – Boston, Ma.
   * September 26, 2005 - Panelist/Presenter: Bad Faith Litigation Conference, Mealey’s – Philadelphia, Pa.
   * May 24, 2005 - Panelist/Presenter: Managing and Litigating Mental Illness Disability Insurance Claims, American Conference Institute
   * March 04, 2005 - Panelist/Presenter: Advanced Forum on Litigating Disability Insurance Claims, American Conference Institute – Coral Gables, Fl.
   * June 10, 2004 – Co-Chair: 7th National Advanced Forum on Litigating Disability Insurance Claims, American Conference Institute – Boston, Ma.
   * March 23, 2004 - Panelist/Presenter: Disability Fraud Issues Forum –Newport Beach, Ca.
   * December 09, 2003 - Panelist/Presenter: Managing and Litigating Depression Disability Insurance Claims, American Conference Institute – San Francisco, Ca.
   * June 09, 2003 - Panelist/Presenter: 19th Annual Western Claims Conference – Indian Wells, Ca.
   * June 22, 2000 - Panelist/Presenter: 3rd National Strategies for Success in Litigating Disability Insurance Claims, American Conference Institute – Boston, Ma.
   * March 30, 2000 - Panelist/Presenter: 6th National Conference on Bad Faith and Punitive Damages, American Conference Institute – San Francisco, Ca.
   * February 10, 2000 - Co-Chair: Strategies for Success in Litigating Disability Insurance Claims, American Conference Institute –San Diego, Ca.
   * June 4, 1998 Panelist/Presenter: Are You Really Complying With States’ Fair Claim Practices? Southwest Insurance Association Conference – San Antonio, Tx.
   * April 11, 1997- Panelist/Presenter: Contestable Life Claims, Southern Claims Conference – Panama City, Fla.
   * March 3, 1997 - Panelist/Presenter: Uncivilized Behavior in a Civilized System, Eastern Claims Conference – New York, NY.
   * January 10, 1997 – Panelist/Presenter: Insurance Bad Faith: Plaintiff & Defense Perspectives, Orange County Bar Association – Costa Mesa, Ca.
   * May 20, 1996 - Panelist/Presenter: Emerging Issues in Disability, Health and Life Insurance Litigation, Southern Claims Conference – Chicago, Ill. (1996)
   * May 7, 1996 - Panelist/Presenter: Unique and Emerging Issues in Insurance Litigation, Southern Claims Conference – New Orleans, La.