Kieran W. Leary

Kieran advises and represents insurers in coverage litigation through trial and appeal, with a particular concentration in complex and high-exposure claims under homeowners, commercial property, builders’ risk and commercial inland marine policies. In addition to his trial successes, Kieran has appeared in appeals before the Connecticut Supreme Court and the United States Courts of Appeal for the Second and Fifth Circuits.

Kieran served as trial and appellate counsel in the seminal Connecticut Supreme Court case, Karas v. Liberty Ins. Corp., 335 Conn. 62, 228 A.3d 1012 (2019), which resolved the crumbling foundation “collapse” litigation decisively in favor of carriers—an upset victory that saved the insurance industry over $2 billion. He additionally successfully served as trial and appellate counsel in Dino v. Safeco Ins. Co. of Am., which was identified by Law360 in its top daily story as one of “4 Insurance Battles to Watch at State High Courts” in Fall 2019. Dino concerned the appropriate trigger of coverage for a supposed progressive first-party property loss.

Kieran relocated home to Texas in 2018. Since his arrival, he has obtained numerous important decisions in COVID-19 business interruption, hail, hurricane, burst pipe and freeze damage claims and lawsuits.

Kieran credits his upbringing and proven dedication to his community as key components to his unique coverage perspective that has led to his success in practice. He was raised between the East Mt. Airy/Germantown section of Uptown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Spring, Texas. He dedicated his summers in college to educational and literacy outreach efforts in Philadelphia’s most impoverished and crime-afflicted neighborhoods on behalf of the Philadelphia Phillies. In further service to his community, Kieran began his career as a public defender in Tampa, Florida before his transition to private practice.