Charan M. Higbee

Senior Attorney

Phone: (510) 879-3436

Fax: (510) 628-2146

Email: charan.higbee@mhllp.com

Office: NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Charan Higbee is a senior attorney in MH’s California office. For more than twenty-five years, Charan has handled insurance matters in state and federal court during every phase of litigation. Her specialty is representing insurers in cases involving life, health and disability policies and group policies subject to ERISA. Charan litigates cases ranging from high-value coverage cases, which seek bad faith and punitive damages, to interpleader and subrogation matters. She also frequently provides pre-litigation advice to insurers regarding policy rescissions.

Charan is a go-to attorney on the firm’s appellate and trial teams. She has a reputation for excellence in her legal writing and oral advocacy. She has prevailed on numerous state and federal court appeals and motions for summary judgment. Charan also is gifted at preparing corporate witnesses, taking and defending depositions, resolving cases at mediation, and providing her clients with creative strategies in litigation.

Charan has defended the firm’s clients in California, Texas, Washington, Hawaii and Oklahoma. She is a member of the Alameda County Bar Association and DRI’s Life, Health and Disability Committee.

PUBLICATIONS
  • DRI’s ERISA Report: “Cautionary Tales: The Administration of ERISA Claims Relating to Domestic Partners” (9/6/2019).
  • DRI’s ERISA Report: “Disability Plan Offsets: Insights for Administering Claims and Defending Disputes” (4/17/2020).
  • DRI Life, Health and Disability News: “Wait for It: California State and Federal High Courts to Issue Long-Awaited Clarification Regarding California’s Life Insurance Statutes” (10/13/2020).
  • DRI’s ERISA Report: “Challenging Service Provider Liability Under ERISA” (12/29/2021).
  • DRI’s The Brief Case: “The Wild, Wild West: An Update on Retroactive Application of California’s Lapse and Notice Statutes” (March 7, 2022).
  • DRI’s For the Defense: “Reading the Tea Leaves: Determining a Former Spouse’s Entitlement to Life Insurance Proceeds” (March 2023).
ADMISSIONS
  • California
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Central District of California
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
EDUCATION
  • University of San Diego School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 1990
  • University of California at Los Angeles, B.A., English, cum laude, 1986
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