Robinson+Cole Managing Partner Rhonda J. Tobin is among those recognized in the 2021 Insurance Law Trailblazers list. Published in a special supplement of the National Law Journal, the inaugural list spotlights professionals who are agents of change in the area of insurance law.
Tobin was named a “trailblazer” for being a leader in the insurance industry, representing insurance companies for 30 years in litigation, arbitration, and mediation of complex disputes involving insurance and reinsurance coverage. She is a frequent lecturer at insurance industry programs focused on insurance coverage and litigation. Prior to becoming the first woman to lead Robinson+Cole as managing partner, she served on the firm’s Managing Committee for the last 12 years and as a chair of the firm’s Litigation Section for the past 13 years.
A trial lawyer who has spent her entire thirty-year law career at Robinson+Cole, Tobin has significant trial experience in state and federal courts, and has been involved in high-profile coverage litigation on behalf of insurers, including the September 11 terrorist attacks, sexual abuse claims involving the Catholic church and academic institutions, and coverage issues arising out of the #MeToo movement and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an excerpt from the profile published in the Insurance Law Trailblazers supplement, Tobin said “After 9/11, I spent several years litigating some of the more contentious cases over lost profits and business interruption claims. More recently, I have been involved in complex liability coverage issues. These are cases in the headline news which make being an insurance lawyer exciting.” Tobin works strategically with clients not only to resolve individual claims but also to proactively respond to emerging risks. “That brainstorming and planning is especially satisfying.”
Tobin’s reputation, as well as her expertise and knowledge in insurance coverage litigation, led to her election as a Fellow of the highly-selective American College of Coverage Counsel. She was recognized in 2020 by Business Insurance as one of its 30 “Women to Watch” in North America, and by the Hartford Business Journal as one of its 15 “Women in Business” honorees. Tobin has been listed as one of the Top 250 Women Litigators in the United States by Benchmark Litigation since 2014, and one of its Local Litigation Stars in Connecticut since 2015. She is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and The Connecticut Bar Foundation, and has been active in the Professional Liability Underwriting Society, the Defense Research Institute (DRI) and Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM).
About Robinson+Cole
Robinson+Cole is an AmLaw 200 law firm established over 175 years ago, with a deeply-rooted culture of collaboration, civility and inclusion. The Mansfield Rule Certified-firm has more than 220 lawyers in ten offices throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Florida and California, serving regional, national, and international clients, from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies. Robinson+Cole is a service mark of Robinson & Cole LLP. For more information, please visit www.rc.com.