Elizabeth S. Skilling
Partner | Richmond »
Elizabeth S. Skilling
Partner | Richmond »
Elizabeth Skilling was born in Roanoke, Virginia in 1962. Elizabeth began her career in 1987 with McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe in Richmond, Virginia. She joined Harman Claytor in November of 1993. Her primary areas of concentration are products liability and insurance coverage litigation. She is an author and frequent lecturer on insurance coverage issues.
Professional Honors & Activities
- Richmond Bar Association
- American Bar Association, Tort and Insurance Practice Section
- Virginia State Bar
- Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, Policy Coverage and Products Liability Sections
- Defense Research Institute
- Fortune Magazine, Women Leaders in the Law (2015)
- “Influential Women in the Law” – Virginia Lawyers Weekly (2020)
- Virginia Business Legal Elite (2011 – 2023)
- Civil Litigation
- Legislative/Regulatory/Administrative
- Administrative Government
- Virginia Super Lawyers (2010 – 2024)
- Insurance Coverage
- Top 25 Women Lawyers in Virginia (2011)
- Top 50 Women Lawyers in Virginia (2012 – 2019, 2022 – 2023)
- Top 50 Lawyers in Richmond (2016)
- Top 100 Lawyers in Virginia (2016)
- 10th Year of Inclusion (2019)
- Best Lawyers in America (2017 – 2025)
- Insurance Law
Representative Experience
- Lead defense counsel in a successful multi-day jury trial of a multi-million dollar federal bad faith action
- Lead counsel for insurer in a successful federal coverage action in which the Fourth Circuit upheld insurer’s right to equitable subrogation based upon contractual indemnification provision in favor of insured resort manager
- Lead defense counsel in successful federal coverage action in which the district court held, and the Fourth Circuit affirmed, that there was no coverage for certain claims brought under certain South Carolina consumer protection laws
- Counsel in successful federal coverage action in which the district court held, and the Fourth Circuit affirmed, that there was no coverage for trade association for claims alleging its promotion of the sale of allegedly defective plywood by its members
- Lead Virginia counsel in $20M rescission action brought by D & O liability insurer of defunct reciprocal insurer and its former directors and officers
- Counsel in successful dismissal of federal action seeking reformation of first party property policy based upon insured’s spoliation of evidence
- Lead Virginia counsel in multi-million dollar breach of insurance contract case wherein corporate representative for insurer in receivership admitted liability on the record in the “corporation’s” deposition, resulting in the voluntary reinstatement of the multi-million dollar variable life insurance policy
- Lead or key counsel in a variety of catastrophic injury cases representing product manufacturers, school districts, and automobile dealers, among others
- Lead or key counsel in a variety of federal and state court coverage cases involving construction defects.
- Lead counsel for major insurer in the defense of corporate depositions and subpoena in connection with product liability claim in which product manufacturer sought loss control and training information developed by insurer
- Regularly serves as coverage counsel for insurers in connection with complex multi-party mediations
- Regularly advises insurers with regard to coverage under CGL, professional liability, D & O, E & O and first party property policies
- Regularly counsels clients with regard to insurance and related risk management issues
- Lead or key counsel in a variety of regulatory matters before the Virginia Bureau of Insurance
- Lead or key counsel in a variety of matters before state agencies
The cases referenced above do not represent the lawyer’s entire record. Each case must be evaluated on its own facts. The outcome of a particular case cannot be based on past results.
Education
- Mary Baldwin College, B.A., magna cum laude (1984)
- University of Richmond, J.D. (1987)
- Law Review (1985 – 1987)
Bar & Court Admissions
- Virginia State Bar
- West Virginia State Bar
- United States District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia
- United States District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit