Post & Schell, P.C.

John C. Sullivan

Principal
Insurance Law

Philadelphia, PA

Phone: 215-806-9117
Fax: 215-587-1444
jsullivan@postschell.com

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Bio

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Jack Sullivan is a Principal in the firm's Insurance Law Department. He has handled insurance coverage questions and coverage litigation for more than 30 years. Mr. Sullivan has addressed complex insurance coverage problems, including pollution claims, toxic exposure claims, bad faith claims, personal and advertising injury liability claims, and errors and omissions and professional liability claims. 

He provides opinions and counseling on contract drafting, interpretation, and application, and trends in the law. Mr. Sullivan has also represented clients in cases filed throughout the United States, including cases with multi-million dollar exposures involving pollution, exposures to asbestos and other toxic substances, and commercial disparagement.

Mr. Sullivan serves as counsel to clients in a variety of industries with respect to the analysis and drafting of policy language to help ensure appropriate coverage protection. He also provides risk management analysis to clients helping them to avoid unnecessary liability exposures.

Mr. Sullivan is a frequent lecturer on insurance coverage matters, including topics such as using experts and investigators, insurance issues in toxic torts and environmental contamination, the trigger of coverage, and coverage for sexual harassment claims. He has spoken before the Environmental Insurance Law Institute, the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, the Philadelphia Bar Education Center, the New Jersey Bar Association, RIMS, the Vermont Captive Insurance Association, and others.

Since 2007, Mr. Sullivan has been named by his peers as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in the category of Insurance Coverage. He was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions in the category of Insurance Law. He was named a "Lawyer of the Year" in 2022 in the same category. For information about these selections and an overview of common third-party publications, rankings, and list methodologies, click here.

Read full bio > Read less >

Practices

  • Insurance Law
  • Complex Insurance Coverage Advice and Litigation
  • Bad Faith and Extra-Contractual Litigation
  • Reinsurance
  • Life/Health/Disability and ERISA Litigation
  • Appellate

Industries

  • Insurance

Education

  • J.D., Villanova University School of Law, 1980
    Staff Member, Villanova Law Review, 1979-1980
  • B.S. in Economics, University of Pennsylvania, 1977
    Emphasis in Accounting and Entrepreneurial Management

Bar Memberships

  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • District of Columbia
  • New York
  • Massachusetts

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Affiliations

  • American Bar Association
  • Philadelphia Bar Association,
  • Pennsylvania Bar Associationr

Representative Cases

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  • Obtained dismissal of claims for insurance coverage for losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of defendant insurance company in the Western District of Pennsylvania that coverage and bad faith claims were barred by the statute of limitations.  Ruling was affirmed by Third Circuit.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of plaintiff insurance company in the Western District of Pennsylvania suing insurer which had refused to provide defense and indemnity to additional insured. Ruling was affirmed by Third Circuit.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment in a case of first impression in the Kentucky state court that pro rata allocation applies to asbestos claims.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of defendant insurance company in the District of New Jersey in suit seeking coverage for commercial disparagement claims asserted in two antitrust cases in which the insured sought reimbursement of a $49 million settlement and more than $18 million in defense costs. Ruling was affirmed by the Third Circuit.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of plaintiff insurance company in the Western District of Pennsylvania that asbestos-related personal injury claims asserted against policyholder arose from one occurrence and that a non-cumulation provision precludes stacking coverage. Ruling was affirmed by the Third Circuit.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of defendant insurance company in the District of Maine in suit seeking coverage for bodily injury and property damage claims based on alleged exposure to hexavalent chromium in tanning sludge that was applied as fertilizer to farms in Missouri.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of defendant insurance company in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania that abuse or molestation exclusion precludes coverage for claims against insured, a personal care home, arising out of the abuse of an elderly patient. Ruling was affirmed by the Third Circuit.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of defendant insurance company in the District of New Jersey in suit brought under the citizen suit provision of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. § 6972, based, in part, on res judicata and the entire controversy doctrine. Ruling was affirmed by the Third Circuit.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of plaintiff insurance company in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania that employee exclusion barred coverage for sexual harassment claims against insured even where was off duty and not actually working at the time of harassment.

Publications

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  • "US Environmental Law and its Impact on the Insurance Industry," The Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue (October 16, 2014)
  • "No Coverage for Sexual Harassment Under General Liability Policies," Litigation Quarterly (August 28, 2000)
  • "Suing for Bad Faith: How Long Can You Wait?,” Legal Intelligencer Insurance Supplement (September 27, 1999)
  • “Coverage Bytes: Downloading on the Insurance Industry,” 14th Annual Conference of the Vermont Captive Insurance Association (August 1999)

News & Insights

News

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Fifty-one Attorneys Recognized as 2025 Best Lawyers in America by The Best Lawyers in America©. 

Forty-Six Post & Schell Attorneys Named to the 30th Annual Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©
 

Thirty-Two Post & Schell Attorneys Named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars for 2023

Thirty-Eight Post & Schell Attorneys Named 2022 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars for 2022

Forty-Six Post & Schell Attorneys Named to the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©

Forty-One Post & Schell Attorneys Named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars for 2021

Thirty-Eight Post & Schell Attorneys Named to the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©

Jack Sullivan and Steven Schildt Appointed Chair and Vice-Chair of Post & Schell's Insurance Law Department

Principals John C. Sullivan, Kathleen K. Kerns, and Stacey M. Zavalas Rejoin Post & Schell

Media & Articles

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Insurance Law Principal Jack Sullivan Examines U.S. Environmental Laws' Impact on the Insurance Industry for The Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue

Speaking Engagements

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Jack Sullivan Presents on Regional Symposium Examining the Recently Finalized ALI Restatement of the Law, Liability Insurance on Nov. 20

Bio Representative Cases Publications

Jack Sullivan is a Principal in the firm's Insurance Law Department. He has handled insurance coverage questions and coverage litigation for more than 30 years. Mr. Sullivan has addressed complex insurance coverage problems, including pollution claims, toxic exposure claims, bad faith claims, personal and advertising injury liability claims, and errors and omissions and professional liability claims. 

He provides opinions and counseling on contract drafting, interpretation, and application, and trends in the law. Mr. Sullivan has also represented clients in cases filed throughout the United States, including cases with multi-million dollar exposures involving pollution, exposures to asbestos and other toxic substances, and commercial disparagement.

Mr. Sullivan serves as counsel to clients in a variety of industries with respect to the analysis and drafting of policy language to help ensure appropriate coverage protection. He also provides risk management analysis to clients helping them to avoid unnecessary liability exposures.

Mr. Sullivan is a frequent lecturer on insurance coverage matters, including topics such as using experts and investigators, insurance issues in toxic torts and environmental contamination, the trigger of coverage, and coverage for sexual harassment claims. He has spoken before the Environmental Insurance Law Institute, the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, the Philadelphia Bar Education Center, the New Jersey Bar Association, RIMS, the Vermont Captive Insurance Association, and others.

Since 2007, Mr. Sullivan has been named by his peers as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in the category of Insurance Coverage. He was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions in the category of Insurance Law. He was named a "Lawyer of the Year" in 2022 in the same category. For information about these selections and an overview of common third-party publications, rankings, and list methodologies, click here.

Read full bio > Read less >

  • Obtained dismissal of claims for insurance coverage for losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of defendant insurance company in the Western District of Pennsylvania that coverage and bad faith claims were barred by the statute of limitations.  Ruling was affirmed by Third Circuit.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of plaintiff insurance company in the Western District of Pennsylvania suing insurer which had refused to provide defense and indemnity to additional insured. Ruling was affirmed by Third Circuit.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment in a case of first impression in the Kentucky state court that pro rata allocation applies to asbestos claims.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of defendant insurance company in the District of New Jersey in suit seeking coverage for commercial disparagement claims asserted in two antitrust cases in which the insured sought reimbursement of a $49 million settlement and more than $18 million in defense costs. Ruling was affirmed by the Third Circuit.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of plaintiff insurance company in the Western District of Pennsylvania that asbestos-related personal injury claims asserted against policyholder arose from one occurrence and that a non-cumulation provision precludes stacking coverage. Ruling was affirmed by the Third Circuit.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of defendant insurance company in the District of Maine in suit seeking coverage for bodily injury and property damage claims based on alleged exposure to hexavalent chromium in tanning sludge that was applied as fertilizer to farms in Missouri.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of defendant insurance company in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania that abuse or molestation exclusion precludes coverage for claims against insured, a personal care home, arising out of the abuse of an elderly patient. Ruling was affirmed by the Third Circuit.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of defendant insurance company in the District of New Jersey in suit brought under the citizen suit provision of RCRA, 42 U.S.C. § 6972, based, in part, on res judicata and the entire controversy doctrine. Ruling was affirmed by the Third Circuit.
  • Obtained award of summary judgment on behalf of plaintiff insurance company in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania that employee exclusion barred coverage for sexual harassment claims against insured even where was off duty and not actually working at the time of harassment.
  • "US Environmental Law and its Impact on the Insurance Industry," The Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue (October 16, 2014)
  • "No Coverage for Sexual Harassment Under General Liability Policies," Litigation Quarterly (August 28, 2000)
  • "Suing for Bad Faith: How Long Can You Wait?,” Legal Intelligencer Insurance Supplement (September 27, 1999)
  • “Coverage Bytes: Downloading on the Insurance Industry,” 14th Annual Conference of the Vermont Captive Insurance Association (August 1999)

Practices

  • Insurance Law
  • Complex Insurance Coverage Advice and Litigation
  • Bad Faith and Extra-Contractual Litigation
  • Reinsurance
  • Life/Health/Disability and ERISA Litigation
  • Appellate

Industries

  • Insurance

Education

  • J.D., Villanova University School of Law, 1980
    Staff Member, Villanova Law Review, 1979-1980
  • B.S. in Economics, University of Pennsylvania, 1977
    Emphasis in Accounting and Entrepreneurial Management

Bar Memberships

  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • District of Columbia
  • New York
  • Massachusetts

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Affiliations

  • American Bar Association
  • Philadelphia Bar Association,
  • Pennsylvania Bar Associationr

News & Insights

Media & Articles News Speaking Engagements

Insurance Law Principal Jack Sullivan Examines U.S. Environmental Laws' Impact on the Insurance Industry for The Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue

Fifty-one Attorneys Recognized as 2025 Best Lawyers in America by The Best Lawyers in America©. 

Forty-Six Post & Schell Attorneys Named to the 30th Annual Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©
 

Thirty-Two Post & Schell Attorneys Named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars for 2023

Thirty-Eight Post & Schell Attorneys Named 2022 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars for 2022

Forty-Six Post & Schell Attorneys Named to the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©

Forty-One Post & Schell Attorneys Named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars for 2021

Thirty-Eight Post & Schell Attorneys Named to the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©

Jack Sullivan and Steven Schildt Appointed Chair and Vice-Chair of Post & Schell's Insurance Law Department

Principals John C. Sullivan, Kathleen K. Kerns, and Stacey M. Zavalas Rejoin Post & Schell

Jack Sullivan Presents on Regional Symposium Examining the Recently Finalized ALI Restatement of the Law, Liability Insurance on Nov. 20

 

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