William T. Mandia

Co-Chair, Nonprofit and Religious Organizations

wmandia@stradley.com

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William Mandia

Overview

Bill Mandia represents clients in complex commercial and class-action litigation with a particular focus on the insurance and financial services industries. Bill is an experienced courtroom lawyer who has tried cases in federal and state courts and before arbitration panels.   

Bill regularly represents primary and excess insurers in a wide range of coverage disputes and bad faith claims, including disputes involving property-casualty, environmental, D&O, E&O and other specialty lines of coverage. Bill has significant experience representing insurers in courts throughout the country in multi-million dollar disputes over long-tail liability exposures, such as asbestos and environmental claims. Bill’s experience also includes the representation of property-casualty insurers in connection with complex disputes involving construction defects and construction accidents, including disputes over additional insured coverage. 

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Results

Representative Matters

Insurance

  • securing summary judgment in favor of a CGL insurer in the defense of $10 million construction defect claim arising from the construction of a multi-level parking garage at a major transportation center
  • successfully defending an excess insurance at a phase-1 jury trial in which the insured sought in excess of $30 million for underlying asbestos claims
  • obtaining summary judgment in favor a CGL insurer in case where the insured sought in excess of $15 million for a judgment entered in an underlying wrongful death lawsuit 
  • securing summary judgment in favor of  one of the country’s largest independent insurance brokers in a professional negligence action seeking $10 million in damages
  • obtaining summary judgment in favor of a life insurer in a case seeking in excess of $1.5 million in damages alleging that the insurer failed to provide proper notice of the policy’s lapse
  • defending an insurer against a social engineering fraud claim brought by an insured under a commercial crime policy 
  • representing one of the nation’s largest insurers in multiple cases filed by Class 1 Railroads located throughout the country seeking millions of dollars in coverage for underlying asbestos and environmental exposures
  • defending an insurer against a putative class action alleging that it failed to pay claims for mold remediation made under homeowner’s insurance policies 

Class Action Defense 

  • obtained complete dismissal with prejudice of a shareholder class action and derivative suit brought by a shareholder seeking to enjoin a $244 million merger between two public company banks
  • secured the dismissal of a nationwide securities fraud class action brought by the customers of a broker-dealer on the grounds of SLUSA preemption 
  • defending a GSE in a putative nationwide class action filed under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) that resulted in the dismissal of all claims against the GSE 
  • successfully defended common law trusts against several putative class actions alleging that the held mortgages against claims that the trusts were acting as unregistered debt collectors in violation of state licensing law 
  • obtained the dismissal at the pleading stage of a putative class action brought by borrowers against a bank alleging that the bank violated several state consumer protection laws by allegedly providing inflated payoff statements in connection with refinancing transactions 

Food and Beverage

  • advised a producer and distributor of novelty ice cream products in the acquisition of a controlling interest by a private investment firm
  • defending a seller of flower and vegetable seeds against a putative class action alleging that its website utilized data analytics software that functioned a “wiretap” in violation of state law 
  • representing a baker of snack cakes and sweet baked goods against a putative class action filed by its independent distributors alleging that scan-based trading (SBT) practices violated their distributor agreements
  • defending a publicly traded bakery against shareholder derivative and class action claims challenging the bakery’s acquisition by a national food company 
  • representing the producer of frozen novelty dessert items in several matters, including a multi-million dollar dispute over the company’s right to purchase intellectual property and other assets 
  • obtaining dismissal of claims asserted in a putative class action against the owner of a pet food company alleging that the pet food company’s products contained deceptive labeling
  • advising clients on customer complaints and pre-litigation demands alleging deceptive or misleading food labeling 
  • representing food companies in connection with disputes arising under co-packing, supply, and other agreements 
  • advising numerous food and beverage companies on a wide range of legal issues related to the production, distribution, and sale of their products

Complex Commercial Litigation

  • defending a rehabilitation center and its owner against a qui tam action alleging that it violated the False Claims Act and whistleblower protection laws
  • obtaining a defense verdict for a publicly traded company and its two principal offers in a securities fraud action alleging violations of Rule 10b-5 
     
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Credentials

Bar Admissions
  • Pennsylvania
  • New Jersey
Court Admissions
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
Education
  • J.D., summa cum laude, Rutgers University School of Law – Camden
  • B.A., University of Pennsylvania
Memberships

  • Chair, Board of Trustees, Holy Family University
  • Vice Chair, Board of Specified Jurisdiction, Father Judge High School 
  • Board of Directors, Fort Freedom Foundation
  • Board and Executive Committee, Garden State Council for the Boy Scouts of America

Speaking Engagements

  • Presenter, “Emerging Pollution Risks and PFAS Litigation Update,” Insurance Coverage & Allocation Issues
  • Presenter, “PFAS: An Overview of the Scientific and Legal Issues Presented by the ‘Forever Chemicals’,” Association of Insurance and Reinsurance Run-Off Companies
  • Panelist, “Recent Developments in Allocation Issues," Perrin Insurance Coverage & Allocation Issues Virtual Conference
  • Moderator, “Resources Available to Attract Top Talent in the Food Industry,” New Jersey Food Processors Association Annual Conference
  • Co-Presenter, “Update on SEC Best Interest Standard Proposal/State Fiduciary Laws,” National Council of Insurance Legislators Spring Meeting
  • Presenter, “Navigating the Minefield: Hot Issues in Mortgage Litigation and Compliance,” CLE
  • Panelist, “Legal and Regulatory Panel,” Fay Servicing’s 7th Annual Rooftop and Roundtable
  • Presenter, “Executive Board Governance – Roles & Responsibilities … Do You Know What You Don’t Know?” Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers
  • Presenter, “MERS and Securitization in Contested Foreclosure Litigation,” myLaw CLE
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Recognitions

Bill received the Paul C. Ireton Memorial Award for graduating with the highest grade point average in his law school class.
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In The Community

As an active member in the local community, Bill serves on the Board of Trustees for Holy Family University, the Board of Specified Jurisdiction for Father Judge High School, the Board of Directors for Fort Freedom Foundation, and the Board and Executive Committee of the Garden State Council for the Boy Scouts of America. He also serves as head travel soccer coach for Cherry Hill Soccer Club.
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