Charles A. "Tony" Jones

As a longtime litigator, Charles A. “Tony” Jones represents clients nationwide in high-stakes matters regarding directors and officers (D&O) liability, professional liability, general liability, and transactional/financial risk insurance policies. He brings an objective, analytical, and strategic approach to every engagement, helping insurance carriers maximize recoveries, mitigate risk, and effectively manage their exposure.

Focused on aligning legal strategy with business objectives, Tony addresses problems in a pragmatic and collaborative manner. He frequently works constructively with all parties, including opposing counsel, to identify efficient and creative solutions that avoid unnecessary expense and disruption. When litigation is the best or only option, Tony is a vigorous advocate who has defended clients in courts across the United States.

Tony leverages his knowledge of the insurance market to help clients draft and revise policy forms and endorsements using coverage language that is clear, practical, and responsive to emerging risks. Recent examples include developing a new suite of environmental policies, building a financial lines portfolio of products, creating a new Healthcare Professional Liability policy, and assisting clients with approaches to cyber and business auto liability forms and endorsements.

Tony is a member of the firm’s Policy Committee.

• Represented an insurer in a D&O coverage action, winning summary judgment in New York federal court on “related claims” issues and application of an insolvency exclusion.
• Provided an insurer with coverage advice regarding underlying litigation against an insured hospital for alleged violation of the False Claims Act and for allegedly conspiring with partner hospitals in a way that resulted in false/fraudulent billing.
• Represented a defendant in the landmark case Liggett Group, Inc. v. ACE Property & Casualty Insurance Co., effectively ending all tobacco litigation for the insurance industry.
• Obtained a favorable summary judgment on behalf of an insurer sued in West Virginia over the amount of coverage available in connection with negligent credentialing claims against an insured hospital employing a surgeon who implanted medical devices.
• Represented an insurer in preserving and asserting coverage issues related to injuries allegedly suffered at an Illinois hospital neonatal unit, which included claims for negligence and fraud.
• Represented an insurer in a direct action brought against the insurers of a large health care system alleging that several employees, directors, and officers were negligent in their outside service to the state’s nonprofit health exchange, allegedly leading to its insolvency.
• Obtained an affirmance by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit of a summary judgment ruling in favor of an employment practices liability insurer finding that an EEOC Charge of Discrimination constituted an “administrative proceeding” and therefore a “claim” made prior to the relevant policy period.
• Obtained summary judgment for $524 million on behalf of a Puerto Rico-based insurance carrier against guarantor of reinsurer in liquidation.
• Represent insurers in a variety of human trafficking claims, developing strategies to address coverage issues and mitigate risks.
• Represent a major insurer in California antitrust litigation alleging that property insurers conspired to restrict coverage availability, increase costs, and push policyholders toward the state’s insurer of last resort.
• Joined a Stowers/bad-faith trial team shortly before trial in a catastrophic-injury case involving a restaurant, developed a strategy that undercut plaintiffs’ exemplary damages and expert testimony, and secured a substantially reduced pretrial settlement.
• Evaluated a high-exposure claim by a professional athlete alleging negligent medical treatment, advising an insurer on liability, settlement strategy, and potential extra-contractual exposure if the case proceeded to trial.
• Advise an insurer on coverage for a putative class action against residential youth facilities alleging forced, unpaid labor under federal trafficking laws and related sexual abuse claims, arguing that certain claims fall outside coverage while managing the risk of exhausting primary and umbrella limits.
• Assist insurers in evaluating coverage for a lawsuit alleging severe mistreatment of a teenager at a behavioral health facility, including misrepresented staff qualifications and failures to respond to self-harm, and advise on prior notice, knowledge issues, and allocation of limits among multiple insureds.
• Advise an insurer client on coverage issues arising from hundreds of lawsuits alleging that patients were sexually abused by a physician at multiple health care institutions, addressing complex questions in a $250 million insurance tower that is expected to be exhausted.
• Represent an insurer client in a union-related employment case involving allegations of retaliation and discrimination over the use of union funds for a political event, managing coverage issues arising from a substantial jury verdict, subsequent reductions, multiple appeals and sanctions disputes.

• Chambers USA: Insurance, Virginia (2026); Insurance: Insurer, District of Columbia (2017-2019, 2024-2026)
• Legal 500 United States: Insurance: Advice to Insurers (2015-2016, 2023-2025)
• Best Lawyers in America®: Insurance Law (2023-2027)
• Super Lawyers: Washington, D.C. (2014-2021)