John Polak

John Polak has practiced law for over 40 years, and over the past three decades has focused his practice on insurance issues, including cases involving coverage disputes, claims handling, excess verdicts and allegations of bad faith. John has represented both insurers and insureds in these types of cases including individuals, corporations, small businesses, non-profit organizations and local government entities. This dual-sided experience makes him especially interested and qualified to represent people who need help with complex legal issues today. John is committed to understanding the client's legal issues from the outset of the relationship.

He has extensive experience in both the state and federal court system on the trial and appellate level and has been involved as counsel in several significant West Virginia decisions which govern the interpretation of the Commercial General Liability policy. John also has an extensive background in litigating employee-benefits and ERISA-governed health and welfare benefit claims, having represented claimants, insurers, self-funded plans, and employers. He also has experience in complex litigation, including asbestos property-damage litigation, tobacco litigation, pharmaceutical litigation, construction litigation and other products liability and commercial tort cases.

John is a 1982 graduate of the West Virginia University College of Law. He is admitted to the bar in West Virginia, the U.S. District Court Northern District of West Virginia, the U.S. District Court Southern District of West Virginia, the U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He previously served as an Assistant Attorney General for West Virginia.