Tejas Patel

Insurance Class Action

• Representing life insurers in class action litigation relating to universal life cost-of-insurance rates:
  • Frederick D. Taylor v. Midland National Life Insurance Co., No. 4:16-cv-00140 (S.D. Iowa).
  • Brighton Trustees, LLC, et al. v. Genworth Life and Annuity Insurance Co., No. 3:20-cv-00240 (E.D. Va.).
  • Advance Trust & Life Escrow Services LTA v. North American Company for Life and Health Insurance, No. 4:18-cv-00368 (S.D. Iowa).
  • Whitman v. State Farm Life Insurance Co., No. 3:19-cv-06025 (W.D. Wash).
  • Millwood v. State Farm Life Insurance Co., No. 7:19-cv-01445-DCC (D.S.C.).

Insurance Coverage

• Defended a major property and casualty insurer against claims of bad faith in a declaratory judgment action involving more than 50 defendants and implicating over a dozen insurance companies stemming from a large natural gas explosion occurring at a residence.
• Represented a national retailer in an insurance declaratory judgment action involving a dispute relating to coverage for multiple serious injuries caused by a product sold by the retailer.
• Represented a real estate listing service in an insurance declaratory judgment action involving a dispute relating to coverage under a D&O policy for a class action alleging violations of RESPA and the Sherman Act.
• Represented a credit card payment processor in an insurance declaratory judgment action relating to insurance coverage under a cybersecurity policy for costs stemming from a large-scale data security breach.
• Represented a leading provider of prepaid products and payment systems solutions in an insurance declaratory judgment action in which it sought coverage under a crime policy for first-party losses resulting from the unauthorized manipulation of its processing systems.

Tejas Patel concentrates his practice on complex litigation matters, with a particular focus on insurance and class action litigation. He has worked extensively with complex actuarial and economic analysis that have been at issue in these cases. Tejas also has extensive experience litigating insurance coverage disputes involving all types of insurance policies, including commercial general liability, E&O, D&O, crime, and cybersecurity policies.

Tejas also counsels clients on various insurance regulatory matters and insurance product development issues.

Before joining Alston & Bird, Tejas received his J.D., with honors, from the University of North Carolina in 2007. While in law school, he was a member of the North Carolina Law Review. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2000 with a B.S., with highest distinction, in mathematical sciences.

Bar Admissions

• Georgia

Education

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (J.D., 2007)
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (B.S., 2000)