Benjamin A. Blume, JD

Mr. Blume joined the CGL Reporte board in 2012, where he summarizes cases involving environmental, excess and umbrella, and directors and officers liability insurance coverage cases.

Mr. Blume is a partner in the Chicago office of Kennedys CMK, where he represents insurers and reinsurers in every aspect of their business, including claim counseling, litigation and arbitration, premium disputes, policy drafting, regulatory issues, and formation of captive insurers and risk retention groups. He has extensive experience with a wide variety of issues under personal and commercial lines, primary, umbrella, excess, surplus lines, and reinsurance. He has litigated many long-tail claims arising out of environmental contamination and exposure to asbestos and other toxic substances. His reinsurance practice includes representing excess of loss reinsurers written over self-insurers and self-insured pools and representing and counseling clients with respect to disputes over asbestos and environmental claims. Mr. Blume also regularly represents and counsels clients with respect to bad faith, fraud, spoliation of evidence, and other extra-contractual matters. He also counsels clients on protecting privileged communications with in-house counsel and personnel.

He is a member of the American Bar Association. Mr. Blume is a frequent article contributor on attorney-client privilege, global warming, and pollution issues, and he regularly speaks on insurance and reinsurance issues and attorney-client privilege.

Mr. Blume received his bachelor of arts degree from Knox College and his juris doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.