Stephen M. Schatz
Partner
Practice Areas
Arson & Fraud, Bad Faith Litigation, Construction Law, Environmental Law, Insurance Coverage, Products Liability, Professional Liability, Property Insurance
Education
University of North Carolina School of Law (J.D., 1988), University of Virginia (B.A., 1985)
Biography
Stephen M. Schatz practices in a wide variety of litigation cases, especially areas related to insurance, construction and general liability. Throughout his career, he has handled a multitude of complex coverage issues under commercial general liability, excess, reinsurance, auto, specialty lines, D&O, disability, pollution, professional liability and first-party insurance policies. He has litigated numerous bad faith, insurance coverage, arson, fraud, theft, damage disputes, agency liability, subrogation and construction defects cases. He has also litigated and tried cases involving general liability, products liability, class actions, multi-district litigation (MDL), environmental liability, employer liability, professional liability and business/contract disputes.
Mr. Schatz is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and practices in all state and federal courts in Georgia. In addition to Georgia, he has litigated matters in jurisdictions pro hac vice, including Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Mr. Schatz is a member of the Defense Research Institute, the Council on Litigation Management, the Georgia Fire Investigators Association and the Southern Loss Association. He has published an article every year in the Mercer Law Review (the "Annual Insurance Survey") since 2002 and the National Fire and Arson Report. He is also a frequent speaker on insurance coverage, bad faith and construction litigation issues. Mr. Schatz graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia in 1985, and earned his J.D. degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1988. He has been a partner with Swift Currie since 1997.
Memberships
Council on Litigation Management, Defense Research Institute, Georgia Fire Investigators Association, Southern Loss Association, State Bar of Georgia
Bar Admissions
Georgia
Publications and Presentations
- "Recent Developments in Georgia Insurance Law" - Claims & Litigation Management Alliance (2013)
Awards & Recognitions
AV® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Interests/Additional Information
Mr. Schatz enjoys spending time with his wife, Anne, and his two children, Jack and Claire. In his spare time, he is section hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.