Rachel Kronowitz focuses her practice on insurance recovery for significant claims, counseling corporations in strategic risk management (including structuring insurance and risk transfer portfolios), and counseling directors and officers of corporations on issues related to their D&O coverage.  For many clients, Rachel serves as an outside risk manager and senior corporate advisor.

Having focused on insurance recovery and risk management for nearly three decades, Rachel has developed strong relationships and a reputation that helps her to meet her clients’ needs efficiently and effectively.  This includes the ability to resolve clients’ issues as quickly as possible, with the goal of avoiding litigation and securing a favorable settlement. These insurance coverage disputes involve losses associated with mass tort claims, first party liability issues, and claims arising out of shareholder litigation and corporate governance disputes.  Rachel also represents corporate policyholders in negotiations and formal alternative dispute resolution proceedings to obtain recovery of insurance assets for defense and liability costs associated with covered claims.

Rachel understands that strategic risk management can go a long way towards protecting her clients from potential claims.  She works with clients to audit their risk transfer portfolios, including their insurance, contractual indemnifications, and coverage under additional insured endorsements to ensure that they understand their risks and the extent of their coverage.  For clients who are planning a corporate transaction, such as opening a new business, merging companies, or opening in new countries, Rachel helps determine the risks involved and ensure that their insurance portfolio matches those risks. If a risk transfer portfolio falls short, she provides recommendations based on a cost-benefit analysis and alternative approaches to risk transfer. Her guidance to clients has included revisions to a company’s corporate structure, consideration of other types of risk transfer mechanisms, and negotiations related to relations with corporate entities that share liability. Rachel’s client base ranges from mom-and-pop companies, venture capital and private equity firms, to some of the largest corporations in the country.

• Corporate counselor for nearly thirty years to a Fortune 50 pharmaceutical company related to risk management and insurance recovery counseling for mass tort and D&O claims.  
• Special Insurance Counsel to bankruptcy trustee in Chapter 7 bankruptcy case.
• Insurance counsel to class of sexual abuse claimants with claims against mid-western Catholic Diocese.
• Insurance counsel to privately-held financial services company related to claims against directors and officers.
• Insurance counsel to private equity firm related to property damage claims for renovations of historic hotel.
• Insurance and risk management review of insurance portfolio and risk transfer mechanisms for national organization related to historic preservation.
• Governance and insurance counsel to many local non-profit organizations, including the Washington Area Women’s Foundation and Equal Justice Works.

• 1987 — J.D., Harvard Law School
  • cum laude
• 1984 — M.S., Columbia University
• 1982 — B.A., Smith College
  • cum laude

• District of Columbia

• Fellow, American Bar Foundation
• Washington, DC Super Lawyers 2010–2020
• International Who’s Who of Insurance & Reinsurance Lawyers 2010–2018
• International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers 2010–2018
• Expert Guide to World’s Leading Women in Business Law 2012–2018
• The Legal Media Group’s Guide to the World’s Leading Insurance and Reinsurance Lawyers 2011–2018
• Best Lawyers in America, Insurance Law 2012–2023
• Recipient of the BBYO Phil Berg Alumni Award, 2013
• One of Business Insurance Magazine’s 2007 Women to Watch
• One of Washington Business Journal’s 2007 Women Who Mean Business
• Board Chair, Safe Shores, the Children’s Advocacy Center
• Member, Board of Directors, Leadership Greater Washington
• Member, Board of Directors, Catalogue for Philanthropy
• Member, Board of Directors, Tzedek DC
• Member, Board of Directors, Ben’s Chili Bowl Foundation
• Former Chair, Board of Directors, Washington Area Women’s Foundation
• Former member, Board of Directors, Equal Justice Works