Forget the days of commoditized work, low billing rates and heavy-handed client control (i.e. insurance defense up until, oh, February). Insurers are suddenly springing for top-shelf litigators to wage high-profile battles testing COVID-19 coverage limits.

The industry’s latest champion? O’Melveny & Myers trial practice chair Daniel Petrocelli, who is representing Chubb Group in a fight with the Simon Wiesenthal Center over lost income from cancelled events including a dinner honoring George and Amal Clooney.