Steven
Plitt
Biography
During his practice career, Mr. Plitt managed a large litigation practice where he represented policyholders and insureds in litigation, as well as acting as coverage counsel for insurance companies. Since 2001, Mr. Plitt’s practice has almost exclusively involved the handling of complex insurance coverage and insurance bad faith cases for insurance companies or as an expert consultant for both insurance companies and insureds. He has extensive trial and litigation experience. He is a veteran of numerous cases he tried to jury verdict as first chair counsel.
From 2001 to 2024, Mr. Plitt was the senior editor and author of the widely recognized and authoritative insurance treatise series called COUCH ON INSURANCE 3D. Currently, Mr. Plitt has emeritus status with that publication. Mr. Plitt is also the author of additional treatises on insurance law (ARIZONA LIABILITY INSURANCE LAW, THE CLAIM ADJUSTER’S AUTOMOBILE LIABILITY HANDBOOK, and PRACTICAL TOOLS FOR HANDLING INSURANCE CASES). Mr. Plitt is the executive editor of the ARIZONA TORT LAW HANDBOOK. He was a senior contributing editor and editorial board member of the nationally recognized INSURANCE LITIGATION REPORTER. He was on the editorial board of CLAIMS JOURNAL. In addition to his books on insurance law and practice, Mr. Plitt has authored 21 academic law reviews, as well as 349 other professional publications on insurance law and practice, as reflected in his extensive CV.
Mr. Plitt has been cited by the Supreme Courts in 38 states, the Intermediate Appellate Courts in 27 states, 12 of the Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal, 81 Federal District Courts, the Federal Court of Claims, and 4 Federal Bankruptcy Courts. Mr. Plitt has also been cited in 96 scholarly articles and the Code of Federal Regulations.
Mr. Plitt’s elite status as an insurance coverage and bad faith trial attorney has been recognized by BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA®, SOUTHWEST SUPER LAWYERS®, CHAMBERS AND PARTNERS USA®, PHOENIX MAGAZINE®, AZ BUSINESS MAGAZINE®, and AZ BUSINESS LEADERS MAGAZINE®. He is a fellow in the American College of Coverage Counsel and the American Law Institute.
Mr. Plitt taught several insurance-related courses as an adjunct professor of law at Arizona State University’s College of Law (2000–2005). He recently retired from teaching at the University of Arizona College of Law, where he taught insurance law as a clinical professor of practice (2010 2024). Throughout his practice career, Mr. Plitt has been an instructor to both lawyers and insurance company adjusting departments in Phoenix, Tucson, New York City, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Dallas, Chicago, Ft. Wayne, San Diego, Hartford, and Fargo. His scholarship in the field of insurance law and regulations is national in scope.
Mr. Plitt has been qualified as a claims handling expert in both state and federal courts. Over the years Mr. Plitt has analyzed coverage issues in almost all states and has been an expert witness consultant in matters venued throughout the United States. He has been an expert consultant for policyholders/insured and insurance companies in hundreds of matters in the following venues: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Mr. Plitt is available to consult in cases involving insurance coverage, claims handling, insurance company practice and procedure, insurance company compliance with principles of good faith and fair dealing. Additionally, because Mr. Plitt has held his insurance broker’s license since 1974, he is available to consult on insurance agent E&O cases.
Practice Areas
- Insurance Bad Faith
- Litigation
Education
- University of Connecticut School of Law, Hartford, Connecticut
- LL.M. - 2012
- Honors: Honors Thesis – A Practical Exploration into the Policy Architecture of Directors and Officers Insurance Coverage
- Honors: Recipient, 2012 Insurance Law Center LLM Award (Awarded to the outstanding LLM graduating student)
- Honors: CALI Award of Excellence – Workers Compensation
- Honors: With Honors
- Major: Insurance Law
- University of Arizona College of Law, Tucson, Arizona
- J.D. - 1982
- Honors: Recipient, Best Oral Advocate Award, Second Year Moot Court Competition
- Honors: Member, U of A National Moot Court Team
- Honors: Editor, Second Year Moot Court Board
- Honors: National Order of Barristers
- Honors: With Distinction
- Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
- B.S. - 1978
- Honors: summa cum laude
- Honors: Graduated “With Honors” from ASU’s Barrett Honors College
- Honors: Honors Thesis – The Panama Canal: A Question of Sovereignty
- Major: Political Science
Bar Admissions
- Arizona, 1982
- U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 1982
- U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit, 1989
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1983
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2002
Professional Associations
- American College of Coverage Counsel, Fellow
- American Law Institute, Fellow
Teaching
- University of Arizona College of Law (Professor of Practice, Insurance Law, 2010 2024) (Class taught: Insurance Law). Currently on emeritus status
- Arizona State University College of Law (Adjunct Professor of Insurance Law, 2000 2005) (Classes taught: Insurance Law and Regulation; Liability Insurance; Advanced Coverage Research and Analysis)
- Arizona Summit Law School (Adjunct Professor of Insurance Law, 2014–2015) (Class taught: Insurance Law)
- Direct instruction to insurance companies, providing in-house training seminars on claim handling, bad faith, insurance regulations, and unfair claims practices
- Claim Litigation Management Alliance (CLM), Developed online continuing education compliant course for claim adjusters on the NAIC Model Unfair Claim Settlement Practice Act; state-sp
- Claim Litigation Management Alliance (CLM), Faculty instructor, CLM Claim College, Extra-Contractual School (Subject: Insurance Company Claim Handling Regulations and Practices)
- Speaker presentations (70) throughout the United States sponsored by professional lawyer associations and state bar organizations
- Senior Contributing Editor and Editorial Board Member – INSURANCE LITIGATION REPORTER® (2006–2025)
- CLAIMS JOURNAL®, Editorial and Advisory Board Member (2012–2014)
- Executive Counsel CLM Claim College, Extra-contractual School
Past Positions
- Law Clerk to Judge Robert J. Corcoran, Arizona Court of Appeals, 1982–1983
- Legislative Intern to the Chairman of the Committee on Banking and Insurance, House of Representatives, Arizona State Legislature, 1979
Professional Recognition
- Ranked by “Chambers and Partners (USA)” as Band One for Insurance Law (2019 present)
- Best Lawyers in America (2007*–2025) (*First year insurance law was considered for inclusion in Arizona). Listed for Insurance Law and Insurance Litigation.
- Named Lawyer of the Year for Litigation – Insurance, “BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA®” (2020, 2024)
- Named Insurance Lawyer of the Year, “BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA®” (2012*, 2017, and 2024) (*First year awarded in Arizona)
- Listed in “SOUTHWEST SUPER LAWYERS®” for Insurance Law (2007*–2025) (*inaugural year)
- Top 50 Lawyers in Arizona “SOUTHWEST SUPER LAWYERS®” (2007*–2022; 2024, 2025) (*inaugural year)
- Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona “AZ BUSINESS MAGAZINE®” (2014–2020; 2022–2024)
- Top 10 Lawyers in Arizona “AZ BUSINESS MAGAZINE®” (Category: Employee Benefits and Insurance) (2014)
- Listed in “AZ BUSINESS LEADERS MAGAZINE®” as a business leader in the field of insurance (2018–2020; 2025)
- Industry leader, “AZ BUSINESS LEADERS MAGAZINE®” (Industry Leader Edition), listed as one of Arizona’s top 5 most influential leaders in insurance law (2019)
- Profiled as a legal “trendsetter” in “AZ BUSINESS MAGAZINE®” (January/February 2018)
- Legal Leaders – Top Rated Lawyers – Insurance Law (Top 5% of AV Preeminent Lawyers)
- American Society of Legal Advocates (Top 100 Litigation Lawyers in Arizona)
- Listed in “Corporate Counsel Almanac” as one of the top lawyers in the field of insurance law in the United States
- Recipient of “MARQUIS WHO’S WHO®” (2018 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award)
- AV Preeminent Rated with Martindale-Hubbell
- Listed in “PHOENIX MAGAZINE®” as one of Phoenix’s Top Lawyers
- Listed in “WHO’S WHO IN AMERICAN LAW®” (5TH Ed.)
- Listed in “ARIZONA’S FINEST LAWYERS”
- Recipient, Outstanding Contribution to Continuing Legal Education Award, State Bar of Arizona, 1999
Publications
- Too numerous to list. See Mr. Plitt’s CV














