Ronald Getchey

Ronald D. Getchey is a partner in the Business Trial Practice Group in the firm’s San Diego office. Ronald Getchey represents insurance companies that are sued for bad faith, fraud and unfair competition.

While the focus of his practice is in California, Mr. Getchey has or currently is representing insurance company clients in cases pending in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.

These cases are all extremely large and complex cases involving the so-called “institutional bad faith” approach which is an attack on the client’s nationwide claims handling policies and procedures. Together with the members of his practice group, Mr. Getchey was one of the first attorneys in California to successfully advocate the “genuine dispute” defense.

Today, this defense is considered to be the most important and viable defense available to an insurance company that has been sued for bad faith. He was also one of the first attorneys to successfully defend the insurance industry’s use of computer technology during the handling of casualty claims.

Education:

• J.D., Loyola Law School, 1991, Order of the Coif
• B.A., University of California, Riverside, 1988, summa cum laude

Admissions:

• California
• Maryland
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Ninth Circuits
• U.S. District Court for the Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of California
• U. S. District Courts for the Middle District of Florida
• Bartholomew County Circuit Court of the State of Indiana
• U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Southern Division
• U. S. District Courts for the District of Montana, Butte Division
• Belmont County Court of Common Pleas for the State of Ohio
• District Court of Wyoming, Seventh Judicial District, County of Natrona

Memberships:

• American Bar Association
• Maryland Bar Association
• San Diego County Bar Association