Lance J. Kalik

Partner

Practice Areas

973.451.8447

lkalik@riker.com

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Bio

Lance J. Kalik started his legal career at the Firm in 1994 and became a Partner in 2003. He has been Co-Managing Partner of the Firm since 2017, and Co-Chair of its Insurance and Reinsurance Group since 2014.

Lance builds long-term relationships with his clients, who value his skills as a litigator, his insight into the substantive areas of law, and his practical approach to solving complex and difficult problems. Lance’s clients often go to him for their most challenging and important cases. With his vast experience built over 25 years at the Firm, Lance provides his clients with a no-nonsense approach that helps them reach closure of disputes in the most economically feasible way. When a settlement is not possible, however, Lance is frequently able to obtain winning results as demonstrated by his notable experience as a trial attorney and appellate lawyer.

Lance is a litigator and represents a wide variety of clients. Most of his practice is devoted to representing insurers in complex coverage and bad faith lawsuits across the U.S. A significant amount of his practice also involves representing attorneys in legal malpractice disputes.

Lance’s practice is even more varied, as he recently represented a chemical company in a dispute under the Consumer Fraud Act, a technology company in a dispute over software development, and a proposed class of municipalities and school districts in a class action over defective turf fields.

Previously, Lance has handled cases involving insurance agency malpractice suits, small business dissolution lawsuits, environmental liability cases, and construction defect disputes. Lance has also been qualified by a trial court to serve as an expert in a legal malpractice dispute.

Lance has argued extensively in state and federal courts and most frequently in New York and New Jersey. He has handled numerous trials and appeals, and the list in the “Published Cases” tab is representative of his cases that have resulted in published decisions. He also has considerable experience in arbitration and mediation proceedings.

The New Jersey Supreme Court has appointed Lance to several committees, and he has previously served on the Ad Hoc Committee on Attorney Malpractice Insurance, the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, and the District 13 Ethics Committee.

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Areas of Emphasis

Legal Malpractice

Insurance Litigation

School Law

Bar Admissions

New Jersey

New York

United States District Court, District of New Jersey

United States District Court, Southern District of New York

United States District Court, Eastern District of New York

United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit

United States District Court, Northern District of New York

United States District Court, Western District of New York

United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit

Pennsylvania

Education

Rutgers University School of Law-Newark, J.D., 1994

Brandeis University, B.A., 1989

Professional Activities

Member, Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel

Former Member, Ad Hoc Committee on Attorney Malpractice Insurance

Member, Claims & Litigation Management Alliance

Former Member, N.J. Supreme Court Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee

Former Member, New Jersey Supreme Court District XIII Ethics Committee

Rankings & Recognitions

In 2022, Lance was honored on the inaugural ROI-NJ “Influencers in Law” list. The Influencers list recognizes “lawyers in New Jersey that have the most influence on business issues and transactions — and/or running the business of a firm.”

Since 2017, Chambers & Partners has included Lance in its Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business Client’s Guide for Insurance Litigation. A source praises Lance as “one of the best lawyers I know. His responsiveness, subject matter expertise and efficiency are second to none.” He is noted as a respected insurance litigator who is described by sources as a “top-notch coverage lawyer” and praised for his “depth and breadth of experience.” Chambers notes that Lance “acts on insurance claims involving fraud, personal injury and road accidents for both insurers and policyholders. He is also noted for expertise in subrogation claims.” Chambers sources say, “Lance is a terrific lawyer and always responsive to his clients’ needs.” “He is a well-known leader in the field.”

Best Lawyers in America®, a peer review of U.S. lawyers, has honored Lance on its Best Lawyers list in the fields of Commercial Litigation and Insurance Law since 2007.

In 2015, Lance received the Anti-Defamation League’s Sidney Wilf Distinguished Leadership Award.

He was awarded the 2014 Client Choice Award by Lexology and was the only recipient of the award for Insurance and Reinsurance in New Jersey.

Thomson Reuters has included Lance on its “Super Lawyers” list for General Litigation since 2006. In addition, Lance was recognized on the “Super Lawyers Top 100” List in 2019, 2020 and 2021, a list of those lawyers rated the most highly following Thomson Reuters’ independent research and evaluation.

In 2006, the New Jersey Law Journal named Lance one of the state’s “40 Under 40” worth watching for their impressive achievements.

See Awards and Honors Methodology.

No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Published Cases

New Jersey Supreme Court
Sun Chemical Corp. v. Fike Corp., 243 N.J. 319 (2020)
Gilleran v. Twp. of Bloomfield, 227 N.J. 159 (2016)
Magic Petroleum Corp. v. Exxon Mobil Corp., 218 N.J. 390 (2014)
Charles Beseler Co. V. O’Gorman & Young, Inc., 188 N.J. 542 (2006)
New Jersey Mfgs. Ins. Co. v. Delta Plastics Corp., 188 N.J. 582 (2006)
French v. Hernandez, 184 N.J. 144 (2005)
Banco Popular v. Gandhi, 184 N.J. 161 (2005)
Cherry Hill Manor Associates v. Rogan & Faugno, 182 N.J. 64 (2004)

Second and Third Circuit Courts of Appeals
Harleysville Preferred Ins. Co. v. Allstate Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co., No. 21-1955-cv, 2022 U.S. App. LEXIS 16827 (2d Cir. June 17, 2022) (summary order)
Sun Chem. Corp. v. Fike Corp., 891 F.3d 231 (3d Cir. 2020)
Harleysville Worcester Ins. Co. v. Wesco Ins. Co., 752 F. App’x 90 (2d Cir. 2019)
Uvino v. Harleysville Worcester Ins. Co., 708 F. App’x 16 (2d Cir. 2017)
Board of Educ. of Twp. of Branchburg v. Livingston, 312 F.3d 614 (3d Cir. 2002)

Federal District Courts
Harleysville Worcester Ins. Co. v. Wesco Ins. Co., Inc., 314 F. Supp. 3d 534 (S.D.N.Y. 2018)
Zurich Am. Ins. Co. v. Harleysville Ins. Co., 194 F. Supp. 3d 253, 255 (S.D.N.Y. 2016)
Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co. v. Caris, 170 F. Supp. 3d 740 (D.N.J. 2016)
Same Day Delivery Serv., Inc. v. Penn Star Ins. Co., 151 F. Supp. 3d 380, 382 (S.D.N.Y. 2015)
Arch Ins. Co. v. Harleysville Worcester Ins. Co., 56 F. Supp. 3d 576 (S.D.N.Y. 2014)
Travelers Cas. & Surety Co. v. Dormitory Authority of State of NY, 732 F. Supp.2d 347 (S.D.N.Y. 2010)
United National Ins. Co. v. Granoff, Walker & Forlenza, P.C., 598 F. Supp.2d 540 (S.D.N.Y 2009)

New Jersey and New York Intermediate Appellate Courts
Hocutt v. Minda Supply Company, 464 N.J. Super 361 (App. Div. 2020)
Liberty Surplus Ins. Corp. v. Harleysville Ins. Co. of New York, 140 A.D.3d 621, 33 N.Y.S.3d 706 (2016)
Vosough v. Kierce, 437 N.J. Super. 218, 97 A.3d 1150 (App. Div. 2014), certif. denied, 221 N.J. 218 (2015)
Cambria v. Two JFK Blvd, LLC, 423 N.J. Super. 499 (App. Div. 2012), certif. denied, 210 N.J. 109 (2012)
Structure Building Corp. v. Abella, 377 N.J. Super. 467 (App. Div. 2005)
Smith v. Fireworks by Girone, Inc., 380 N.J. Super. 273 (App. Div. 2005), certif. denied, 186 N.J. 243 (2006)
Firemen’s Fund V. Imbesi, 361 N.J. Super. 539 (App. Div. 2003), certif. denied, 178 N.J. 33 (2003)
Banco Popular v. Gandhi, 360 N.J. Super. 414 (App. Div. 2003), aff’d in part, rev’d in part, 184 N.J. 161 (2005)
Simonelli v. Chiarolanza, 355 N.J. Super. 380 (App. Div. 2002); certif. denied, 178 N.J. 28 (2003)
Quincy Mutual Fire Ins. Co. v. Borough of Bellmawr, 338 N.J. Super. 395 (App. Div. 2001), rev’d 172 N.J. 409 (2002)
Raso v. Harleysville Ins. Companies, 319 N.J. Super. 373 (App. Div. 1999), certif. denied, 161 N.J. 148 (1999)
Equitable Life Assur. Society of U.S. v. Madis, 240 A.D. 100 (1st Dept. 1998)