Calfee Welcomes Jodi D. Spencer, Policyholder Insurance Coverage Senior Counsel

Spencer joins Calfee's Cleveland Office

Cleveland, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Cleveland-based law firm of Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP is pleased to announce that Jodi D. Spencer has joined the firm as an experienced Senior Counsel with Calfee’s policyholder-side Insurance Coverage practice group. Based in the Cleveland, Ohio office, Spencer joins the firm’s recognized team of insurance coverage lawyers representing policyholder clients in commercial insurance coverage disputes.

Spencer devoted nearly 100% of her more than 20 years of experience advising clients through all phases of insurance recovery, including policy analysis, claims handling, litigation, and strategic recovery planning. She has successfully litigated high-value coverage disputes and secured favorable rulings in both trial and appellate courts.

Spencer joins Calfee's Insurance Coverage and Insurance Recovery practice group as one of only 22 attorneys in Ohio certified as an Insurance Coverage Law Specialist by the Ohio State Bar Association. This prestigious certification, which Spencer earned as part of the inaugural class in 2014, underscores her deep expertise and commitment to excellence in this complex area of law. Additionally, she has been a member of the OSBA Specialist Certification Board for nearly a decade.

At Calfee, Spencer joins fellow certified specialists and partners K. James Sullivan and Matthew A. Chiricosta, further strengthening the firm's reputation as a leader in insurance coverage law and enhancing its ability to deliver strategic, high-level counsel to clients across industries.

In addition to Spencer’s involvement within Ohio’s coverage bar, she has a long history of service and leadership with the national American Bar Association’s Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee (ICLC), including serving as Vice Co-Chair of the ICLC (2021-2023). Spencer also served as Co-Chair and Vice Co-Chair of the annual four-day CLE seminar held in Tucson, Arizona (2017 and 2016, respectively). With 2,400 members, the ICLC is one of the largest and most active committees in the Section of Litigation, and the annual CLE conference in Tucson is one of ABA’s most well attended conferences. Spencer's experience with the ICLC has allowed her to develop strong working relationships with the industry’s top lawyers nationally and help to educate colleagues in the industry on current insurance coverage legal issues.

Spencer has been recognized by Chambers USA as a leading lawyer in Insurance in Ohio (Band 3). Calfee’s Insurance Coverage practice is ranked in Band 1 in Ohio, and three additional practice attorneys are also recognized as leading lawyers in Insurance in Ohio by Chambers USA.

"I'm honored to join Calfee's Insurance Coverage team," said Spencer. "I look forward to contributing my experience and insights to support our clients and help them confidently navigate complex insurance matters."

Calfee's Insurance Coverage practice group serves corporate insurance policyholder clients in Ohio and nationwide. The practice group's principal purpose for more than 25 years has been to help the firm's clients protect against and mitigate risk through the use of insurance. Calfee collaborates with and counsels clients on all aspects of their insurance coverage legal needs. 

"We are grateful to welcome Jodi Spencer to Calfee's Insurance Coverage practice group," said K. James Sullivan, Partner and Practice Group Leader. "Jodi brings a wealth of experience and a thorough understanding of commercial insurance matters. With Jodi, we are excited about our expanded capacity to help our clients."

Calfee assists clients with the placement and enhancement of their insurance policies, reviews of their existing policies, creatively and efficiently shaping and pursuing claims to get losses paid by their insurance companies via negotiation and litigation, and finding solutions for insurance coverage issues in corporate M&A deals. Calfee has experience with a wide array of policy types, from newer products such as cyber and M&A representations and warranties insurance to more traditional policy forms such as commercial general liability (CGL), umbrella, excess, property, D&O, professional liability, and EPL policies, to more specialized policies such as builder's risk, liquor, and aviation.

"Calfee continues to grow strategically by attracting top-tier legal talent, and we are excited to welcome Jodi to the firm and one of our high-growth practices in line with our strategic initiatives," said Thomas M. Welsh, Managing Partner of Calfee.

About Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP

Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP is a full-service, corporate law firm with 160 attorneys and professionals and five offices in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Washington, D.C. Calfee serves clients in the Midwest, nationally and globally in the areas of Corporate and Finance, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, Energy and Utilities, Estate and Succession Planning and Administration, Government Relations and Legislation, Intellectual Property, Investment Management Law, Labor and Employment, Litigation, and Real Estate Law. Calfee has been recognized as a leading law firm by the Chambers USA 2025 Legal Guide in Antitrust, Banking & Finance, Construction, Corporate/M&A, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, Energy & Natural Resources, Environment, Government Relations: State & Local, Insurance: Policyholder, Intellectual Property, Investment Funds: Regulatory & Compliance, Labor & Employment, Litigation: General Commercial, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, and Real Estate Law and by the Chambers High Net Worth 2024 Guide in Private Wealth Law. A founding member of Lex Mundi, Calfee offers international representation through a network of independent law firms with access to 22,000 attorneys located in more than 125 countries. Additional information is available at Calfee.com.

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• Jodi D. Spencer, Insurance Coverage Senior Counsel

CONTACT: Susan M. Kurz
Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP
2166228346
skurz@calfee.com