Karen H. Moriarty

Partner

(973) 631-6027
350 Mount Kemble Avenue
P.O. Box 1917
Morristown, NJ 07962
Direct (973) 631-6027
Fax (973) 267-6442
88 Pine Street, 28th floor
Wall Street Plaza
New York, NY 10005
Direct (973) 631-6027
Fax (212) 480-3899
350 Mount Kemble Avenue
P.O. Box 1917
Morristown, NJ 07962
88 Pine Street, 28th floor
Wall Street Plaza
New York, NY 10005

Karen Moriarty is a Partner in the Firm’s Insurance and Reinsurance Services Group.

Her practice concentrates in the areas of insurance coverage, reinsurance, environmental, toxic tort and commercial litigation in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania State and Federal Courts.

Karen has experience representing insurers and reinsurers in both litigated and arbitrated matters. She also has significant experience representing insurers in large coverage disputes involving environmental, toxic tort, construction defect, property damage, products liability and professional liability. Karen represents insurers in pursuing additional insured coverage, including recovery of counsel fees and costs, as well as defending claims for additional insured coverage. She is involved in supervising the handling of New York additional insured coverage litigation for the Firm.

For several years, Karen was associated with the firm of Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker where she specialized in products liability, professional liability and medical malpractice litigation. Thereafter, she served as in-house claims counsel with a New Jersey based property and casualty insurer concentrating in the areas of environmental, toxic tort, products liability and bad faith litigation. She joined Coughlin Midlige & Garland LLP at its inception in March 2004.

Karen has participated in seminars to insurance company clients on varied insurance coverage topics including claim handling, insurance contract interpretation, additional insured coverage and contractual indemnification.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

  • Litigates and counsels clients on a wide range of insurance coverage issues, with an emphasis on coverage disputes arising out of general liability, environmental liability, asbestos exposure, construction defects, additional insured claims, professional liability and directors & officers liability.
  • Represents clients in insurance coverage cases before New York and New Jersey state and federal courts involving issues including priority of coverage, allocation, recoupment of defense costs, duty to cooperate and additional insured coverage.
  • Represents insurers in multiple insurance coverage disputes relating to contamination of Lower Passaic River.
  • Represents insurers and their insureds with regard to risk transfer issues arising out of large construction projects. 
  • Handles CERCLA and Spill Act claims involving landfill contamination, soil and groundwater contamination claims arising out of large industrial and chemical operations, as well as claims of leaking underground storage tanks from gasoline stations.
  • Defends individuals and entities in products liability, professional liability and medical malpractice litigation.

Speaking Engagements

Speaker, “Lower Passaic River and Berry’s Creek Clean Up and Litigation,” New Jersey State Bar Association Insurance Law Section (January 31, 2019)

Speaker, “Additional insured coverage – life after Burlington,” Coughlin Midlige & Garland LLP’s Seminar on Emerging Issues in Insurance Coverage (May 10, 2018)

Publications and Presentations

Presenter, “Multiple Insureds With Insufficient Limits – The Law, Considerations, and Recommendations,” CLM Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA  (2021)

Presenter, “Navigating New York’s Additional Insured Landscape Post-Burlington,” Webinar (2017)

Presenter, “Current Trends and Evolving Risks; Cyber Liability,” New Jersey (2014)

Presenter, “What You Need To Know About Additional Insured Coverage,” New Jersey (2014)

Presenter, “Don’t Confuse Contractual Indemnification with Additional Insured Coverage,” New Jersey (2014)

Presenter, “What You Need to Know to Procure Proper Additional Insured Coverage to the Insured to Avoid an E&O Claim,” New Jersey (2013)

Presenter, “Insurance Coverage For IP And Cyber-Loss,” ABA’s Annual Conference, Tucson, AZ (2008)

Awards and Honors

Listed in Best Lawyers in America©, Insurance Law (2021-2025). (This list is published by Best Lawyers.  Their selection methodology is available here.  No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.)

Community Service

Chairperson, Tewksbury Township Historic Commission (2008-present)

Memberships

Member, Irish Legal 100

Member, American Bar Association (Environmental and Insurance law Sections)

Member, Morris County Chamber of Commerce

Member, New Jersey State Bar Association (Insurance Law Section)

Member, New Jersey Women’s Lawyers Association

Member, New York State Bar Association

Member, Pennsylvania State Bar Association

Member, Association of Professional Insurance Women (APIW)

Member, District XB Ethics Committee for Morris and Sussex Counties (2006-2010)

News

350 Mount Kemble Avenue
P.O. Box 1917
Morristown, NJ 07962
Direct (973) 631-6027
Fax (973) 267-6442

88 Pine Street, 28th floor
Wall Street Plaza
New York, NY 10005
Direct (973) 631-6027
Fax (212) 480-3899
Services
Education
  • Seton Hall School of Law (J.D., 1986)
  • Seton Hall University (B.S., 1983)
Professional Admissions
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2021)
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (2005)
  • United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (1986)
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (2010)
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (2010)
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (2010)
  • State of New Jersey (1986)
  • State of New York (2010)
  • Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (1986)