Charles J. Fischette

Counsel

Overview

Charles represents businesses and other policyholders in complex insurance coverage disputes, litigation, and arbitration. With more than 20 years of insurance coverage experience, he helps clients pursue coverage for significant liabilities and losses involving asbestos, environmental claims, business and trade secret disputes, cyber incidents, professional liability, product liability, major equipment breakdowns, and other complex claims.

Charles brings a particularly broad perspective to coverage disputes. He has represented both policyholders and insurance companies and spent more than five years as in-house coverage counsel. His experience on both sides of the insurance relationship gives him insight into how insurers analyze claims, develop coverage positions, and approach disputes, perspective he draws on when helping policyholders evaluate their coverage, advocate for their positions, and pursue recovery.

His practice encompasses both litigation and counseling. Charles represents clients in significant coverage disputes in court and arbitration and advises on coverage issues before they develop into litigation. His recent work includes coverage litigation involving asbestos liabilities, business and trade secret claims, cyber insurance coverage disputes, and a substantial international reinsurance arbitration.

Charles also advises insurers on complex coverage issues, including coverage analysis and the preparation of reservation of rights letters and other coverage correspondence. 

Before joining Anderson & Kreiger, Charles developed extensive insurance coverage experience in private practice and in-house roles. He began his legal career in the Washington, D.C. office of a multinational law firm, handling complex insurance coverage matters involving asbestos claims, major product liability cases, environmental liabilities, and other significant losses. He later served as in-house coverage counsel for a major insurer and specialty run-off company. 

After law school, Charles served as a law clerk to Chief Judge John M. Walker, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and was a John M. Olin Fellow in Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

PRACTICE AREAS

Practice Areas

Credentials

Education

  • University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 2005
  • University of Pittsburgh, M.A., 2002
  • Swarthmore College, B.A, 2001 Honors

 

Admissions

  • Massachusetts
  • New York

Clerkship

  • Honorable John M. Walker, Jr., Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Recognition

Washington DC Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2014-2018)

Affiliations

  • American Bar Association, Section on Litigation
    • Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee—Vice-Chair, London/International Sub-Committee (2011-19, 2025-present)
  • Boston Bar Association
    • Insurance & Tort Litigation Section Steering Committee (2026 to present)

Experience

Insurance Coverage Litigation & Arbitration

  • Represents a policyholder in significant insurance coverage litigation involving asbestos liabilities.
  • Represents a policyholder in coverage litigation arising from business disputes, including trade secret and related claims.
  • Represents a policyholder in cyber insurance coverage disputes involving cyber incidents and related financial losses.
  • Represented a captive insurer in a substantial international reinsurance arbitration.
  • Successfully represented a Fortune 500 company in insurance coverage litigation related to asbestos liabilities, including winning an appeal.
  • Represented a Fortune 500 company in a complex environmental coverage dispute in Wisconsin state court, resulting in a settlement of more than $300 million.
  • Has significant experience litigating extra-contractual and bad-faith claims in multiple jurisdictions.

Coverage Counseling

  • Advises policyholders on insurance coverage for significant liabilities and losses, including asbestos, product liability, environmental, professional liability, medical professional liability, and other complex claims.
  • Advises insurers on complex coverage issues, including coverage analyses, reservation of rights letters, and other coverage correspondence.
  • Advised a major charitable hospital and other charitable organizations concerning coverage for abuse and malpractice claims.

Prior Insurance Industry Experience

Charles has more than five years of experience serving as in-house coverage counsel, including advising on long-tail product liability, mass tort, and environmental claims and overseeing significant coverage litigation. His insurer-side experience provides a practical understanding of how coverage decisions are made and how disputes develop.

Charles represents businesses and other policyholders in complex insurance coverage disputes, litigation, and arbitration. With more than 20 years of insurance coverage experience, he helps clients pursue coverage for significant liabilities and losses involving asbestos, environmental claims, business and trade secret disputes, cyber incidents, professional liability, product liability, major equipment breakdowns, and other complex claims.

Charles brings a particularly broad perspective to coverage disputes. He has represented both policyholders and insurance companies and spent more than five years as in-house coverage counsel. His experience on both sides of the insurance relationship gives him insight into how insurers analyze claims, develop coverage positions, and approach disputes, perspective he draws on when helping policyholders evaluate their coverage, advocate for their positions, and pursue recovery.

His practice encompasses both litigation and counseling. Charles represents clients in significant coverage disputes in court and arbitration and advises on coverage issues before they develop into litigation. His recent work includes coverage litigation involving asbestos liabilities, business and trade secret claims, cyber insurance coverage disputes, and a substantial international reinsurance arbitration.

Charles also advises insurers on complex coverage issues, including coverage analysis and the preparation of reservation of rights letters and other coverage correspondence. 

Before joining Anderson & Kreiger, Charles developed extensive insurance coverage experience in private practice and in-house roles. He began his legal career in the Washington, D.C. office of a multinational law firm, handling complex insurance coverage matters involving asbestos claims, major product liability cases, environmental liabilities, and other significant losses. He later served as in-house coverage counsel for a major insurer and specialty run-off company. 

After law school, Charles served as a law clerk to Chief Judge John M. Walker, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and was a John M. Olin Fellow in Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Education

  • University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 2005
  • University of Pittsburgh, M.A., 2002
  • Swarthmore College, B.A, 2001 Honors

 

Admissions

  • Massachusetts
  • New York

Clerkship

  • Honorable John M. Walker, Jr., Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Washington DC Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2014-2018)

  • American Bar Association, Section on Litigation
    • Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee—Vice-Chair, London/International Sub-Committee (2011-19, 2025-present)
  • Boston Bar Association
    • Insurance & Tort Litigation Section Steering Committee (2026 to present)

Insurance Coverage Litigation & Arbitration

  • Represents a policyholder in significant insurance coverage litigation involving asbestos liabilities.
  • Represents a policyholder in coverage litigation arising from business disputes, including trade secret and related claims.
  • Represents a policyholder in cyber insurance coverage disputes involving cyber incidents and related financial losses.
  • Represented a captive insurer in a substantial international reinsurance arbitration.
  • Successfully represented a Fortune 500 company in insurance coverage litigation related to asbestos liabilities, including winning an appeal.
  • Represented a Fortune 500 company in a complex environmental coverage dispute in Wisconsin state court, resulting in a settlement of more than $300 million.
  • Has significant experience litigating extra-contractual and bad-faith claims in multiple jurisdictions.

Coverage Counseling

  • Advises policyholders on insurance coverage for significant liabilities and losses, including asbestos, product liability, environmental, professional liability, medical professional liability, and other complex claims.
  • Advises insurers on complex coverage issues, including coverage analyses, reservation of rights letters, and other coverage correspondence.
  • Advised a major charitable hospital and other charitable organizations concerning coverage for abuse and malpractice claims.

Prior Insurance Industry Experience

Charles has more than five years of experience serving as in-house coverage counsel, including advising on long-tail product liability, mass tort, and environmental claims and overseeing significant coverage litigation. His insurer-side experience provides a practical understanding of how coverage decisions are made and how disputes develop.