Robert N. Naifeh Jr.
Bob Naifeh is president and managing partner of Derryberry & Naifeh, LLP. He has over 30 years of experience advising and representing property and casualty insurers and policyholders on a variety of coverage issues under both commercial and personal lines policies.
Bob received his B.A. degree in Journalism in 1979 and his J.D. from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1983. He began his law practice in 1983 with Pierce Couch Hendrickson Johnston & Baysinger, a long time Oklahoma City insurance defense firm, after working during law school as a legal intern with the firm. In 1989, he joined Derryberry, Quigley, Solomon & Blankenship (now Derryberry & Naifeh, LLP), becoming a partner in the law firm in 1992.
His extensive experience includes the representation of insurers in coverage litigation in both state and federal courts. He has served as lead counsel for insurers in numerous cases involving coverage disputes under general liability, commercial automobile, professional liability, and directors and officers policies. His court cases have involved a broad range of insurance issues, including coverage for construction, environmental, professional liability, and uninsured/underinsured motorist claims, resulting in several significant state and federal court decisions. His expertise also includes insurance insolvency and guaranty association law. He serves as general counsel/coverage counsel to the Oklahoma Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association, a position he has held since 1989.
Bob is admitted to practice before all trial and appellate courts of the state of Oklahoma, all federal district courts in Oklahoma, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. He is a member of the Oklahoma County Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, and Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel (Vice-President 2005; Board of Directors 2006-2009), and the Federal Bar Association.
Since 1994, Bob has held an AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. In 2015, he was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel (ACC), the preeminent association of United States and Canadian lawyers who represent the interest of insurers and policyholders.
Bob has lectured on insurance-related topics for the National Business Institute, Mealey’s on Insurance, the National Conference of Insurance Guaranty Funds, and the Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel.
Areas Of Practice
- Insurance Coverage
- Insurance Defense
- Insurance Regulation
- Policyholder Representation
- State and Federal Trial Practice
- State and Federal Appellate Practice
- Class Actions
Bar Admissions
- Oklahoma, 1983
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Oklahoma, 1985
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Oklahoma, 1991
- U.S. District Court Western District of Oklahoma, 1983
- U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit, 1994
Education
- Oklahoma City University School of Law, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- J.D. - 1983
- Honors: President, Board of Governors, 1983
- Honors: Phi Delta Phi, Graduate of the Year, 1983
- Honors: American Jurisprudence Award: Property II
- Honors: Alumni Association Service Award, 1983
- University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
- B.A. - 1979
- Major: Journalism
Published Works
- "Insurance Coverage Law in Oklahoma" , National Business Institute, 1997,1998;
- Advanced Insurance Coverage Conference, Top Ten Issues For Practitioners, Mealey Publication 2003; Handling Insurance Coverage Issues in Oklahoma, Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel, 2005.
Representative Cases
- Chandler v. Valentine , 330 P .3d 1209, 2017 OK 61, Okla 2014
- Yousuf v. Cohlmia, 718 F. Supp.2d 1279 (N.D. Okla. 2010), 741 F .3d 41, 2014, 10th Cir.
- Bituminous Cas. Corp v. Pollard, 2011 WL 6012608 (W.D. Okla.2011), 508, Fed. Appx. 780 , 2013, 10th Cir
- Bituminous Cas. Corp. v. O'Kelley, 2011 WL 4834462 , 2011, E.D. Okla.2011
- Ritter v. Bituminous Cas. Co., 64 P.3d 558, 2003 OK CIV APP 17, 2002, Okla.Civ.App.Div.1
- Mueggenborg v. Ellis, 55 P.3d 452, 2002 OK CIV APP 88, 2002, Okla.Civ.App. Div.3
- Bituminous Cas. Corp. v. Cowen Const., Inc., 55 P.3d 1030, 106 A.L.R.5th 713, 2002, Oklahoma
- Pope v. Farmers Ins. Co., Inc., 962 P.2d 1284, 1998 OK 77, 1998, Oklahoma
- Farmers Alliance Mut. Ins. Co. v. Salazar, 77 F.3d 1291, 64 USLW 2628, 1996, 10th Cir. Oklahoma
- St. Paul Fire and Marine Ins. Co. v. Runyon, 53 F.3d 1167, 1995, 10th Cir. Oklahoma
- Mosier v. Oklahoma Property and Cas. Ins. Guar. Ass'n, 890 P.2d 878, 1994 OK 145, 1994, Oklahoma
- Navistar Intern. Transp. Corp. v. Vernon Klein Truck & Equipment, 919 P.2d 443, 1994 OK CIV APP 168, 1994, Okla.App. Div.3
- Oglesby v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 832 P.2d 834, 1992 OK 61, 1992, Oklahoma
- Evans v. Sitton, 735 P.2d 334, 1987 OK 12, 1987, Oklahoma
Honors and Awards
- Phi Delta Phi, Graduate of the year
- Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Achievement Award
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Oklahoma City University School of Law Alumni Association, President, 1988 to 1988
- Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel, Vice-President, 2006 to 2006
Past Employment Positions
- Pierce Couch Hendrickson Johnston & Baysinger, Attorney, 1982 to 1989
Fraternities/Sororities
- Beta Theta Pi
- Phi Delta Phi