Atty. Dennis M. Wade
Dennis M. Wade has litigated headline-worthy cases in state and federal courts across the country and in international forums around the world for more than four decades.
Profile Summary
About Dennis M. Wade at a glance
Dennis M. Wade is a Partner based in New York, New York, practicing at Wade Clark Mulcahy LLP. They have 47+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 1979. Their practice focuses on product liability, litigation, consumer, insurance, and adr. Admitted to practice in New York (1979) and New Jersey Pennsylvania United States District Court for the Southern District of New York United St (1985). Educated at Fordham University School of Law (J.D. Editor, 1978) and Hobart College (B.A., 1974). Recognitions include AV Preeminent. Serands clients in New York, NY and the surrounding metropolitan area.
Want to Get Service From This Attorney?
Sign up free and choose one of the two methods below.
Have a legal question? Sign up free, submit it through the Ask the Attorney module and receive a focused answer from a specialist.
- Free to ask a question
- Answers from specialist attorneys
- Optional private / anonymous question
Request an online video meeting or an in-person consultation at the attorney's office. Pick a time that works for you and share the details securely.
- Online video meeting
- In-person at the attorney's office
- Secure messaging and payment
About
- Dennis M. Wade has litigated headline-worthy cases in state and federal courts across the country and in international forums around the world for more than four decades
- A skilled trial and appellate lawyer, Dennis handles complex commercial and insurance law defense matters, in particular, high-exposure casualty cases, complicated insurance coverage disputes, and the defense of errors and omissions and professional liability claims
- Dennis handles fine art and in specie matters for both domestic and international insurers, including a recent notable case in which he successfully defended a major art insurer against a $42 million claim, from judgment in the trial court through appeals to New York’s Appellate Division and the Court of Appeals (the state high court) and ultimately to the United States Supreme Court
- Over the past 20 years, he has helped recover stolen art and diamonds throughout the United States and has collaborated with counsel to achieve recoveries in Europe and elsewhere around the world
- Because of his background and experience, clients frequently call on him to investigate and advise them in matters involving suspected fraudulent activity
- Dennis has been a trial lawyer his entire career
- He served for nearly seven years with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, including as Deputy Chief, Rackets Bureau, where he investigated and prosecuted organized crime cases involving high-level members of New York’s Gambino and Bonanno crime families, violent felons from gangs such as The Ghost Shadows and Flying Dragons, and corrupt public officials
- He entered private practice as a name partner in a midsize Manhattan firm, handling a diverse range of defense litigation
- The matters Dennis handles are often sophisticated and multifaceted, and his strength as an advocate lies in his keen ability to make the complex simple and understandable
- A master of clear and compelling storytelling — a skill he attributes not to his time practicing law but to his study of Shakespeare — Dennis’s direct and practiced approach enables him to clearly and persuasively convey the facts and issues at the heart of disputes to clients, judges, juries and adversaries
- His successes on behalf of clients are as much a result of his persuasive advocacy as they are due to his abiding belief that clients are critical partners in a common endeavor — charting the best path to an optimal outcome — and that the strategy of a case should be a cooperative effort
- With the other named partners, Dennis founded WCM in 1994 to provide all the firm’s clients with this kind of personal and collaborative representation
- Dennis has been called on to appear as an expert witness on points of American insurance law in the High Court of England and Wales
- He also lectures frequently on insurance topics, including “The Art of Insuring Art” and “Art at Risk,” as well as on trial strategy and techniques, and has published extensively on topics such as settling damage claims, bad faith rulings and examinations under oath
- Select Admissions • Successfully defended a major art insurer against a $42 million claim in a case that ultimately went to the United States Supreme Court. • Successfully defended Lloyd’s of London underwriters, through summary judgment and on appeal, against a $2 million claim under a jeweler’s block policy based on the dishonest entrustment exclusion, where the insured, a high-end Manhattan jeweler, had been duped into “renting out” the pieces for a fictitious Jennifer Lopez video shoot in a wide-ranging scam orchestrated by a member of the Gambino crime family posing as a Sony Pictures representative. • Successfully unmasked fraudulent insurance schemes across the country for domestic and international insurers, including arson-for-profit, bogus diamond and precious jewelry losses, and other scams involving real and insured personal property. • Successfully tried, mediated or otherwise resolved scores of fine art and collectible disputes involving iconic works ranging from Old Masters and Picasso to Warhol and Basquiat
- Publications and Speaking Engagements • The Art of Insuring Art: Federal Bar Association Art & Litigation Conference
- February 6, 2020 • The Multi-Faceted Examination Under Oath: New York State Bar Association Coverage Update (with co-author Michael Gauvin)
- Spring, 2019 • Art at Risk: John’s University Center for Executive Education
- Dennis lectured on the legal aspects of Fine Art Claims
- May 16, 2019 • The Business of Art Observed: New York’s Roosevelt Hotel
- Dennis lectured on insurance and risk management issues in today’s competitive art world
- May 21, 2019 • Money, Power, Beauty: The Value of Art: Federal Bar Association Art Law and Litigation Seminar, Miami, Florida, 2017 • The Poison Pill?
- Settling Damage Claims Involving Living Artists (co-author Michael A. Bono): International Fine Art and Specie Conference
- Rome, Italy, 2017 • Recent Developments in First and Third Party Bad Faith Rulings (New York State Bar Association May 2017 Seminar: Updates and Hot Trending Topics Affecting Insurance Coverage) (co-author Michael Gauvin) • CounterPoint: Pennsylvania Defense Institute: Assault on the Citadel of Privilege (with co-author Colleen E. Hayes)
- February 2017 • 9th Annual Art Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Institute: The Collision Between Art & Insurance Law—And A Word About VARA’s Impact on the Collision
- November, 2016 • International Fine Art and Specie Conference, Athens, Greece, 2016, Workshop: Guilt, Innocence and Coverage under JB policies (Co-presenter: Michael Bono). • Some thoughts on the Art of Persuasion: Aristotle to Steve Jobs: 2016 (Georgetown University, Leadership Development Program). • Insurance Issues in Art Law: (Fordham University School of Law). 2016 • How Using A Professional Engineer Can Help You Win: (New York State Bar Association: 2016 Law School for Insurance Professionals—September 2016) (co-author with Daniel Beatty). • Attorney Client Privilege Under Attack: (Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel: December 2015) (Co-Author Colleen Hayes) • Deposition Boot Camp: Dennis recently served as faculty member at a program sponsored by the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel designed to hone the deposition skills of young lawyers
- Dennis focused on the examination of plaintiffs and expert witnesses
- November 2014. • International Fine Arts and Specie Conference, Malta, 2014: Workshop: Getting It Back: The Challenges of Recovering Stolen Property – – United States v
- European Union (Co-Presenter: Giando Boglione). • Assault on the Citadel of Privilege: Bad Facts Make Really Bad Law (New York State Bar Association Seminar: 2014 Law School for Insurance Professionals) (Co-Author: Michael Gauvin). • MARKET BRIEFING: Sandy’s Impact on Fine Art and Property Insurers – IUA Event: London – November 2013 (co-author with Michael Bono). • Liability for Sporting and Recreational Activities: A Balancing Act (New York State Bar Association Seminar: Premises Liability – What You Need to Know in New York, March 2015) (co-author with Alison Weintraub). • A Carnival for the Skeptic: Using Social Media In Claim And Defense Litigation – (The New York State Bar Association Seminar: 2013 Law School for Insurance Professionals – October 2013) (co-author with Michael Gauvin). • UNCHARTED WATERS: Coverage Litigation After SuperStorm Sandy – (The New York State Bar Association Seminar: Advanced Insurance Coverage: Hot Topics, Touch Issues and a Look Ahead – May 2013 (co-author Steven M. Kaye, Jr). • The Examination Before Trial – Honing your Deposition Skills in Tort and Personal Injury Cases (New York State Bar Association, May 2012, Program Chair). • What Fine Art Insurers Really Need to Know About The Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) (co-author with Michael A. Bono). • The Anatomy of a Bust Out: The Implications of Bankruptcy and Bankruptcy Fraud for Property, Fine Art and Specie Insurers (International Underwriting Association, London, England, November 2011 – co-author with Michael A. Bono). • Liability for Sporting and Recreational Activities: A Balancing Act (New York State Bar Association Seminar: Premises Liability – What You Need to Know in New York, April 2011) (co-author with Alison Weintraub). • Recent Landmark Insurance Decisions: A Guided Tour (New York State Bar Association Seminar: 2010 Law School for Insurance Professionals – More than the Basics, September 2010). • Into the Serbonian Bog: A Consideration of Extra-Contractual Damages Under Bad Faith Theories in First Party Litigation (New York State Bar Association Seminar: 2010 Insurance Coverage Update: Insurance Coverage Issues in the Commercial General Liability Policy – Emerging Issues for the Next Decade, June 2010). • Mediation for the Casualty Adjuster (Liability Insurance Research Bureau, San Antonio, TX March 2010). • Defending Underwriters, Claim Professionals and Brokers in US Coverage Litigation (International Underwriting Association, London, England, November 2009) (co-author with Michael A. Bono). • The Anatomy of a Premises Case (New York State Bar Association: Claims University, October 2009). • Transferring Risk: The Interplay Between Contractual Indemnity Agreements and Additional Insured Coverage (New York State Bar Association Seminar: Additional Insured Coverage: Hot Topics & Critical Issues for 2009, May 2009). • Getting it Back: Recovering Stolen Property in the United States (International Underwriting Association, October 2008) (co-author with Michael A. Bono). • The Employee Exclusion in a Contractor’s CGL Policy and Related Limiting Endorsements (New York State Bar Association Spring Coverage Seminar, May 2008). • Behind the Curtain: An Insider’s Guide to Mediation (Liability Insurance Research Bureau, Seattle, WA April 2008). • Defending the Insurance Professional in Coverage and Bad Faith Litigation (International Underwriting Association, December 2006). • The Intellectual Property Claim: A Strategic Approach To Analyzing Coverage And Defense Issues (Liability Insurance Research Bureau, April 2007). • Into the Vortex – New Duty for Insurance Defense Counsel?, 237 N.Y.L.J. 61 (2007) (co-author with David F. Tavella). • The World After ”Pecker”: A Case of Unintended Consequences, 236 N.Y.L.J. 36 (2006) (co-author with David F. Tavella). • No-Prejudice Rule Lives (Apparently), 232 N.Y.L.J. 115 (2004) (co-author with David F. Tavella). • The Emerging Doctrine of Contractual Contribution, 228 N.Y.L.J. 98 (2002) (co-author with David F. Tavella). • Brokers and Agents are not “Professionals,” 226 N.Y.L.J. 52 (2001) (co-author with David F. Tavella). • The Direct Examination of the Lay and Expert Witness, in A Guide to Civil Trials in New York State Supreme Court (Association of the Bar of the City of New York) (1999). • The Many-Faceted Examination Under Oath, Defense Research Institute (Spring 1999)
- Honors and Distinctions Elected to membership in the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC) Professional Activities • New York City Bar Association, Civil Trial Section, faculty member • Defense Research Institute, First Party Insurance Committee, faculty member • American Bar Association, Tort and Insurance Committees • New York State Bar Association, Tort and Insurance Committees • New Jersey State Bar Association, Tort and Insurance Committees • Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, elected member • Council on Litigation Management • The National Arts Club • The Armadillo Club
Practice Areas Explained
Dennis M. Wade's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Dennis M. Wade handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Dennis M. Wade is one of 66,193 product liability attorneys indexed nationally. Browse product liability attorneys in New York →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
Dennis M. Wade is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in New York →
Consumer protection attorneys for fraud, lemon law, debt harassment, and deceptive trade practices.
Dennis M. Wade is one of 50,607 consumer attorneys indexed nationally. Browse consumer attorneys in New York →
Insurance attorneys for coverage disputes, bad faith claims, denied claims, and policy disputes.
Dennis M. Wade is one of 121,912 insurance attorneys indexed nationally. Browse insurance attorneys in New York →
Mediators and arbitrators for civil, commercial, family, and employment dispute resolution.
Dennis M. Wade is one of 73,906 adr attorneys indexed nationally. Browse adr attorneys in New York →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in New York
Practicing law in New York. Legal matters in New York are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in New York are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate New York state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in New York brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in New York courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional New York attorneys? Browse all attorneys in New York or all attorneys in New York.
Frequently Asked
Common questions about Dennis M. Wade
Where is Dennis M. Wade's law office located?
What practice areas does Dennis M. Wade handle?
How long has Dennis M. Wade practiced law?
Where did Dennis M. Wade go to law school?
How can I contact Dennis M. Wade for a consultation?
What awards or recognition has Dennis M. Wade received?
Practice Areas
Education
Awards
Bar Admissions
Reviews
No reviews yet.