Barnes & Thornburg Raids Rival for 12-Lawyer Insurance Powerhouse Team

NEW YORK, NY – April 10, 2026 – In a decisive move that underscores a strategy of aggressive expansion, national law firm Barnes & Thornburg has acquired a highly decorated 12-lawyer insurance recovery group from competitor Lowenstein Sandler. The team, led by nationally renowned litigator Lynda Bennett, significantly bolsters the firm's East Coast presence and positions its policyholder-exclusive practice as a dominant force in the high-stakes world of corporate insurance disputes.

This lateral acquisition is no simple talent grab; it is the transplantation of an entire, cohesive practice group known for securing billions of dollars in recoveries for corporate clients. The move creates a formidable 50-lawyer insurance recovery team at Barnes & Thornburg, establishing what the firm is calling a "coast-to-coast powerhouse" with deep expertise from Los Angeles to New York. The new team will be strategically spread across the firm's offices in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, and Atlanta.

"This sophisticated group joins us at a pivotal time as we execute on our vision to build on our national areas of strength and provide crucial, market-leading service to our clients," said Barnes & Thornburg's Managing Partner, Andrew J. Detherage. "This latest acquisition continues our strategic growth and success as a destination for high-level talent."

A Blueprint for Aggressive Growth

The arrival of the insurance recovery team is the latest and one of the most significant chess moves in Barnes & Thornburg's ambitious national growth campaign. The firm has been on an unprecedented hiring spree in 2026, welcoming 85 lawyers in just over three months. This strategy appears focused on acquiring not just individuals, but entire high-performing teams to rapidly accelerate its market position in key practice areas.

This trend was starkly illustrated in February when the firm absorbed a 39-lawyer Public Finance and Infrastructure group, a move that instantly catapulted its government services practice to the top tier and prompted the opening of new offices in Baltimore, Denver, and Phoenix. The addition of the Lowenstein Sandler team follows the same blueprint: identify a market-leading group and integrate it to achieve immediate scale and credibility.

This approach signals a broader shift in the competitive landscape of "Big Law," where firms are increasingly bypassing slower, organic growth in favor of strategic acquisitions that can redefine a practice area's strength overnight. For Barnes & Thornburg, which has added over 200 lawyers since 2020 and opened new offices in Boston, Nashville, and Philadelphia, this strategy is clearly paying dividends, transforming it into a formidable competitor for the nation's most complex legal work.

Fortifying the Corporate Shield

The strategic value of the new team is rooted in the escalating complexity and financial stakes of modern insurance disputes. Corporations are facing a barrage of emerging risks, from devastating cyberattacks and supply chain disruptions to massive regulatory actions and shareholder lawsuits. Securing coverage for these events under intricate policies for Directors & Officers (D&O), Representations & Warranties (R&W), and Cyber liability is a critical battle for survival, and the new Barnes & Thornburg team is composed of seasoned veterans of these wars.

The group is led by Lynda Bennett, who will now serve as co-chair of Barnes & Thornburg's Insurance Recovery Group. A titan in the field with over 30 years of experience, Bennett holds a "Band-1" ranking from Chambers USA, the highest honor for an individual attorney, and is lauded for her aggressive and business-oriented approach. She is a trailblazer who previously founded her former firm's Women's Initiative Network and served as President of the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association.

"I'm excited to join Barnes & Thornburg as co-chair of its Insurance Recovery Practice... I'm especially proud that my team of 11 lawyers and two outstanding assistants have joined me in this next chapter," said Bennett. "Our team is highly effective because we are a known quantity within the insurance industry and we understand how the market works."

Joining Bennett are seven other partners—Arthur Armstrong, Alexander Brown, Craig Dashiell, Rachel Hudgins, Eric Jesse, Jeremy King, and Heather Weaver—along with four associates. This team brings a track record of success across a wide spectrum of claims, including product liability, environmental, construction, and employment matters. Their exclusive focus on representing policyholders aligns perfectly with Barnes & Thornburg's own long-standing tradition, making it one of a select group of national firms that does not represent insurance carriers, thus avoiding conflicts of interest.

Shifting the East Coast Legal Landscape

This move sends shockwaves through the East Coast legal market, particularly for policyholder-side insurance recovery. The departure represents a significant blow to Lowenstein Sandler, which loses not only a dozen lawyers but also the chair who has led its acclaimed practice for over a decade. While the firm maintains a practice in this area, the loss of its entire leadership team and their deep client relationships will necessitate a major rebuilding effort.

Simultaneously, Barnes & Thornburg vaults into the top echelon of a highly competitive field, now better equipped to challenge established powerhouses like Covington & Burling, Anderson Kill, and Jones Day for the most lucrative corporate insurance matters. Before this move, the firm held respectable but not dominant rankings. By absorbing a nationally recognized team wholesale, it has made a clear statement of intent to climb into the market's top tier.

Michael C. Zogby, managing partner of the firm's New Jersey office, emphasized the regional impact. "We are excited for this powerhouse insurance recovery team to join our East Coast offices, particularly in New Jersey and Philadelphia where we have built a substantial presence since opening in 2022 and continue to scale our regional footprint," he stated. "Their deep roots in New Jersey and Philadelphia, combined with a prominent national profile, reinforces our commitment to excellence for our clients."

Bennett will now join fellow co-chairs Lilit Asadourian and Kevin Dreher to lead the newly expanded 50-lawyer group, creating a unified national practice with the bench strength and geographic reach to serve clients anywhere. This strategic integration of talent is a powerful model for how law firms can rapidly adapt and conquer new ground in an ever-evolving legal industry.