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Darren S. Teshima

Partner

San Francisco

Darren Teshima helps clients intelligently manage risk. From providing counsel to safeguard against anticipated and unforeseen dangers to handling high stakes litigation, clients turn to him for creative solutions to protect their businesses. Chambers USA 2020 quotes clients praising his ability to “balance expert knowledge with practical application.” Darren is sought-after for his advice to policyholders in insurance coverage disputes. With the profound uncertainty of COVID-19, clients are relying on Darren’s extensive insurance coverage experience to pursue claims and his proactive judgement to review policies to mitigate and eliminate potential coverage gaps.

Darren’s proactive judgement has protected clients’ long-term business goals time and again. He serves as a true business partner to clients in the technology, fintech and financial services industries. He tailors innovative strategies to help avoid litigation and minimize cyber, data and cryptocurrency concerns, as well as D&O and professional liability. Leaders in the fintech space also seek Darren’s counsel on E&O and cyber loss coverage.

When litigation is necessary, Darren helps clients assert their rights. He’s successfully litigated high stakes commercial disputes with significant wins in connection with insurance coverage, RMBS, D&O coverage, and cyber insurance for some of the largest data breaches in history. He was part of the Orrick team for Credit Suisse that handled one of the only post-financial crisis RMBS cases to go to trial.

A recognized leader, Darren has been ranked for his work on behalf of insurance policyholders by Legal 500, Chambers USA, and has been named a Law360 Rising Star, one of the "Best Lawyers Under 40" by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

Darren is a leader at Orrick serving currently as co-Partner-in-Charge of Diversity and Inclusion, and previously as deputy, co-leader and leader of the Complex Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice from 2016-2020. He is passionate about making the legal profession inclusive for all and takes an active role in D&I industry engagements, including as a fellow in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and participating in the Diversity in Law Hackathon.

Darren also is deeply committed to pro bono work and community involvement. He’s handled administrative trials and hearings on behalf of asylum seekers and low-income tenants and provided litigation advice to nonprofit organizations. For his efforts, Legal Services for Children honored him with the Pro Bono Advocate Award twice. Currently, Darren is the chair of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus, and serves on the boards of Center for Gender & Refugee Studies and Legal Services for Children.

    • Credit Suisse in defending a dozen lawsuits brought by monoline insurers and trustees alleging claims related to RMBS transactions following the global financial crisis, including a suit brought by MBIA, which was one of the only post-crisis RMBS cases to go to trial, and one of the financial sector’s largest and most complex litigations.
    • Premera Blue Cross in a lawsuit related to defense coverage under a commercial general liability policy following a data breach affecting 11 million customers, an issue of first under Washington law.
    • EFG Bank in three lawsuits against life insurers related to universal life insurance policy cost increases that violated policy terms and the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
    • IEC, a for-profit education company, in a coverage lawsuit in which the professional liability insurer wrongfully settled an underlying class action, exposing the insurer to bad faith and punitive damages liability.
    • Pacific Pulmonary Services in a bad faith action against its D&O insurer related to establishing the insurer's duty to advance defense costs for an FCA investigation.
    • Getaround, an on-demand carsharing company, in a coverage dispute with its auto rideshare insurance company.
    • Scopely, a leading mobile gaming company, in a coverage dispute with its cyber insurer regarding coverage for a trade secrets misappropriation claim.
    • Sony Pictures, advising on insurance claims related to a cyber-attack on its network and IT infrastructure.

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