Paul Gorfinkel represents insurance companies on complex coverage issues in courts across the country.

Paul has extensive experience in environmental, toxic tort, mortgage impairment, intellectual property, additional insured, construction, and advertising injury coverage. He has litigated declaratory judgment actions throughout the United States, including briefing and arguing dispositive motions and appeals, conducting trials, and engineering settlements. Paul has also broadened his expertise to include the area of municipal finance and taxation. He has been actively involved in representing several insurance companies, in five New York Dioceses, in the massive litigations over alleged sexual abuse by Catholic priests.

Paul was the successful lead trial attorney in the seminal case, Sybron Transition Corp. v. Security Insurance of Hartford, 258 F.3d 595 (7th Cir. 2001), which created important precedent regarding the allocation of liability between insurer and insured.   He also assisted in developing and asserting the government contractor defense and third party causes of action against the United States in nationwide product liability actions.

A frequent lecturer and writer on hazardous waste, asbestos, and insurance matters, Paul has spoken at professional seminars and graduate school classes. He also has addressed a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) symposium on the topic of coverage for lead poisoning claims.

Paul previously served as law secretary to Justice Moses M. Weinstein of the New York State Appellate Division.  He also served on the editorial board of Matthew Bender’s publication Moore’s Federal Practice and was responsible for rewriting the chapters on Rules 16 and 53 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Paul is a past president of Congregation Toras Chaim, in Hewlett, NY, and sat on the board of directors of the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Congregation Anshei Chesed, the successor of Toras Chaim.

Since 2019, The Legal 500 has recommended Rivkin Radler’s Insurance Coverage practice in the insurance: advice to insurers category. The Insurance Coverage Practice Group since 2016 has been included in the Chambers USA directory in the Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Insurer category.