Jessica “Jessie” L. Mackaness has joined Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP, one of California’s leading litigation law firms, as an associate in the Firm’s San Diego office. Mackaness will join Luce Forward’s Insurance Litigation practice group.

Luce Forward’s experienced litigation team defends the nation’s largest insurance carriers and related entities against class actions, unfair competition suits and lawsuits alleging bad faith or other tort theories arising out of first-party and third-party insurance claims. The 2011 edition of Chambers USA ranked Luce Forward as one of the top firms in the Insurance: Insurer Firms category in California. Mackaness will work closely with partners Peter H. Klee and John T. Brooks, both of whom were individually recognized in the same category.

“Jessie brings to Luce Forward extraordinary talent we look for in order to help grow our already successful litigation practice groups,” said Kurt L. Kicklighter, Luce Forward’s Managing Partner. “The Firm’s Insurance Litigation group has long been considered one of the top in the nation, so Jessie will gain the experience not typically made available to someone so early in their career. We’re happy to have Jessie as part of our team and look forward to the added value she brings to the Firm.”

Prior to Luce Forward, Mackaness was an associate at Keesal, Young & Logan, where she represented a number of high profile financial services institutions in securities litigation matters. In addition to her insurance and securities experience, Mackaness’s practice also involved employment, maritime, and business litigation. She received her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law, Magna Cum Laude, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif, and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, Cum Laude.

Luce Forward’s Insurance Litigation practice group has obtained defense judgments before trial in more than 600 cases, but it also has extensive jury trial experience in both the state and federal courts with a near perfect track record in trial. The insurance litigation group also serves as a national counsel for major insurers on institutional issues and other matters involving significant financial risk.

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