HKR_61821_96_BobHorst

  484-243-6862

  rhorst@hkr.law

Bob Horst

Bob Horst is HKR’s Managing Partner.  An active litigator, Bob also acts as a mediator and a private Arbitrator within HKR’s burgeoning ADR practice group with a focus on commercial disputes, insurance claims/cases and subrogation.

With numerous jury trials to verdict, Bob litigates in his native Philadelphia often.  He also sits as a Judge Pro Tem in Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas, having conferenced hundreds of civil matters for settlement. His publications and presentations have addressed trial tactics, emerging issues and insurance coverage.  Bob also co-authored/edited the treatise Extracontractual Litigation Against Insurers and served for 6 years as General Counsel to the 4000 member International Association of Special Investigative Units (“IASIU”), along with a term on the National Committee of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (“CLM”).

Named among America’s Top 100 Civil Defense Litigators® since 2018, Bob has been recognized as a Best Lawyer® (2019-present), Super Lawyer®, and rated 10/10 by the national website, avvo.com. He’s also been quoted in Claims Journal, The New York Times, PropertyCasualty360, Inc. magazine, Law360, National Underwriter magazine, The Legal Intelligencer, Student Lawyer magazine and The Jackson Clarion Ledger.

Bob and his wife, Kelly, met in law school and have resided in Bucks County for over 30 years, where they raised 3 adult children. Penn State Football has been known to take over Bob’s life for a few hours at a time and the central Jersey shore is a passion.  Soccer also holds a special place in the Horst household. Two of Bob’s children played Division 1 soccer, while Bob coached his children — and many others — at club and high school for more than 2 decades, including very special runs with both the girls and boys teams at Central Bucks West HS (Go Bucks!) in Doylestown PA.

Bar Admissions

  • Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York
  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • 11th Circuit Court of Appeals
  • 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Eastern & Middle Districts of Pennsylvania
  • District of New Jersey

Classes/Presentations

  • Presenter, "Reptilian Tactics:  Litigating First-Party Insurance Litigation – Lessons For Insurers," Strafford Webinars (February 2024)
  • Presenter, "Dealing With a Policyholder Representative: Public Adjusters, Assignees & Advocates," PLRB Regional Conference (Schaumburg, IL) (September 2023).
  • Faculty/Instructor, "The Appraisal Clause," 2023 Claims College — Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (“CLM”)(Baltimore, MD) (August 2023).
  • Presenter, "Dealing With a Policyholder Representative: Public Adjusters, Assignees & Advocates," PLRB Regional Conference (Dallas, TX) (June 2023)
  • Co-Presenter, “The Assignment of Benefits Phenomenon,” Pennsylvania Automobile Crimes Insurance Ass’n, Monthly Meeting (Philadelphia, PA) (June 2023)
  • Speaker, “Ethics & The Investigator: How’s Your Decision Making?” Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority, Annual Meeting (Hershey, PA) (April 2023)
  • Presenter, "Appraisal: The New Normal," PLRB Annual Claims Conference (Orlando, FL) (April 2023)
  • Participant, "How Decision Making Science Can Make You A Better Arbitrator", American Arbitration Association Seminar (January 2023)
  • Participant, "Construction Mediation & the User Experience", American Arbitration Association Seminar (January 2023)
  • Presenter, "Insurance Company Counsel Perspective/Debate," Public Adjuster Greater Philadelphia Summit (Cherry Hill, NJ) (October 2022)
  • Presenter, "Ethics & Claims: How's Your Decision-Making?," PLRB Eastern Regional Adjusters Conference (Providence, RI) (2022)
  • Presenter, "Ethics & Decision-Making for the Insurance Professional," The Institutes -- CPCU Society of New Jersey, Annual Meeting (2022)
  • Presenter, "Appraisal: Evolution & Evaluation of the New Normal," PLRB Annual Claims Conference (San Antionio, TX) (April 2022)
  • Speaker, “Ethics & The Investigator: How’s Your Decision Making?” Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority, Annual Meeting, Hershey, PA (2022)
  • Speaker, “Business Interruption Losses & COVID-19: An Update,” The Philadelphia Loss Conference (April 2021)
  • Panelist, “Appraisal — Evolution & Evaluation of the New Normal,” PLRB Hot Topics Webinar Series (April 2020)
  • Panelist, “How to Handle a COVID-19 Property Claim,” Timoney Knox Webinar (March 2020)
  • Speaker, "Red Flags Mean Go: Absolute Defenses to the Bad Faith Cause of Action," Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority, Annual Meeting, Hershey, PA (2019)
  • Speaker, “Potential Liability of the Individual Adjuster” Property Insurance Plan Services Organization (“PIPSO”) Annual Conference, Naples, Florida (October 2018)
  • Speaker, “2018 Property Potpourri,” PAMIC Annual Claims Conference (April 2018)
  • Speaker, “In Bob We Trust: Ethical & Decision Making Dilemmas for The Insurance Investigator,” Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority, Annual Conference (March 2018)
  • Presenter, “Minimizing Bad Faith Insurance Risks in First-Party Property Claims,” Strafford Webinar (December 2017)
  • Speaker, Ethics & the Insurance Investigator, New Jersey Special Investigators Association, Annual Conference, Atlantic City, NJ (October 2017)
  • Speaker, "Depreciation of Labor: Yes or No?," Property Insurance Plan Services Organization ("PIPSO") Annual Conference, Naples Florida (November 2016)
  • Presenter, “Demystifying the “Bad Faith Set-up” in Insurance Litigation,” Strafford Conferences, August 2016.
  • Presenter, "Emerging Issues for the Insurance Investigator," Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority, Annual Conference, Hershey, PA (April 2016)
  • Presenter, "Appraisal and Business Interruption Claims," Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, Annual Meeting (April 2016)
  • Presenter, "Litigating the Insurance Bad Faith Case," Pennsylvania Bar Institute (December 2015)
  • Presenter, "Ethics and Decision Making for the Insurance Lawyer and the Claims Professional," New Jersey Special Investigators Association, Annual Meeting (October 2015)
  • Presenter, "Case Law Update for the Insurance Investigator," Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority, Annual Conference, Hershey, PA (April 2015)
  • Keynote Speaker, "Ethics and Decision Making for the Insurance Investigator," Annual Conference for the Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Protection Authority, Hershey, PA (April 2014)
  • Presenter, “Ethics for the Litigator,” New Jersey Special Investigators Association, Annual Meeting, Atlantic City, NJ (October 2014)
  • Presenter, "Bad Faith in the Absence of Coverage" - American Conference Institute's 27th National Advanced Forum on Bad Faith Litigation (March 31, 2014)
  • Keynote Speaker, "The Psychology of Fraud and Decision Making" - New Jersey Special Investigators Association, Annual Meeting (October 2013)
  • Speaker, "Is it Insurance Fraud, Bankruptcy Fraud...or Both?" - Delaware Valley Chapter of IASIU, Quarterly Meeting (September 2013)
  • Speaker/Panelist, "The Present and Future of Concussion Litigation" - Pennsylvania Defense Institute 45th Annual Conference (July 2013)
  • Presenter, "Emerging Tort Issues in 2013: Punitive Damages" - Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel (May 2013)
  • Speaker, "Data Security and Privacy Concerns with New Technology" - Property Loss Research Bureau Annual Meeting (March 2013)
  • Speaker, "Dealing with Public Adjusters" - Central Pennsylvania Claims Association, Monthly Meeting (March 2013)
  • Speaker/Panel Chair, "Identifying and Combating Fraud in First Party Property Claims" - Loss Executives Association, Winter Meeting (January 2013)
  • Speaker, "Recent Changes in Pennsylvania Public Adjuster Law" - Philadelphia Loss Conference, Monthly Meeting (January 2013)
  • Panelist and Course Planner, “Identifying and Combating Fraud in First Party Property Claims,” Loss Executives Association, 82nd Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL (January 2013)
  • Speaker, "Ethics, Morality and the Special Investigator" - International Association of Special Investigative Units, Annual Seminar (September 2012)
  • Speaker, "Dealing with Public Adjusters" - Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority, Annual Meeting (May 2012)
  • Speaker, "Everyday Ethical Issues for the Litigator" - Insurance Society of Philadelphia (December 2011)
  • Presenter, "Balancing Act: Dealing with Allegations of Bad Faith when Coverage is Disputed" - Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, Annual Conference (March 2011)
  • Panelist and Course Planner, “Appraising the Appraisal Process: Deconstruction Appraisal Myths and Debunking Appraisal Avoidance,” Loss Executives Association Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL (January 2011)
  • Speaker, "Preventing and Defending Bad Faith Claims: Current, Trends and Strategies" - Council on Litigation Management, Annual Conference (March 2010)
  • Presenter, “Bad Faith Claims for the Insurance Professional,” American Bar Association – Insurance Law Committee, Section Meeting for Construction Industry, Philadelphia, PA (October 2009)
  • Presenter, “Ethics and the Claims Professional,” Delaware Claims Association, Annual Meeting, Newark, DE (October 2009)
  • Panelist and Course Planner, “Ethics and the Large Loss Property Adjuster,” Loss Executives Association, Summer Conference, Portland, ME (June 2009)
  • Presenter/Panelist, “Containing Insurance Losses When Pandemics Strike,” Webinar -- HB Litigation Conferences (May 2009)

Publications

  • White Paper, “The Benefits & Efficiencies of Coordinating Counsel,” (April 2020)
  • White Paper, “COVID-19 and Property Insurance: Coverage Considerations,” Co-authors Rob Runyon & Dan Grossman (March 2020)
  • Article, "Sixty Days to Being Stronger With the Federal Rules of Evidence," Trials and Tribulations Newsletter for DRI (co-author, Brian O. Phillips), March 2017
  • Article, "The Five Most Effective Motions in Limine in Any Coverage Dispute," For the Defense magazine (co-author, Daniel L. Petrilli), October 2015
  • Book, Extra-Contractual Litigation Against Insurers, Law Journal Press (2009 – present)
  • Article (co-author), "The Top 13 of '13," Counterpoint, December 2013
  • Article (co-author), "Measuring What Can't be Counted - The Financial Impact of Fraud Prevention," Litigation Management Magazine, Fall 2013
  • Article, "Insurance Fraud and Perceptions of the Truth: What Do You See?" Claims Management Magazine, April 2013
  • Article (co-author), “Fighting Back: How Detection and Prevention Can Avoid the High Cost of Insurance Fraud,” Litigation Management magazine, Summer 2011
  • Featured in Article, "Ready to Rumble", Claims Advisor Magazine, Summer 2011 Edition
  • Article, “U.S. Supreme Court: FRCP 23 Trumps State Law Limits on Class Action Practice,” New York State Bar Association Newsletter, Spring/Summer 2010
  • Article, "The Cadmium Crisis and its Impact on Liability Insurers," with co-author Mark Rosenberg, Claims Magazine, March 2010
  • Article, “Using Crimen Falsi,” Defense Research Institute (DRI), Trial Tactics Committee Newsletter, October 2009
  • Article, “The Psychology of Voir Dire,” Defense Research Institute (DRI) Trial Tactics Committee Newsletter, July 2009
  • Article, “Property Case Law Update,” Claims Advisor Magazine, July 2009 ed.
  • Article, “Demonstrative Aids in the Courtroom,” For the Defense magazine, Defense Research Institute, 2009
  • Article, "The Growing Wave of Data Breach Litigation," with co-authors John F. Mullen, Sr. and Mark H. Rosenberg, Risk Management Magazine, 2009
  • Article, "Short Circuited: 3rd Circuit Reduces Punitive Damage Award to Bad Faith Plaintiffs," with co-author Bill Krekstein, The Legal Intelligencer, March 9, 2009
  • Article, "When the Honeymoon Ends: How Firms Can Focus on Retaining Lateral Partners," The Legal Intelligencer, February 9, 2009
  • Article, “The Fifth Amendment Privilege in Civil Litigation: What is the Practical Effect of an Adverse Inference?” The Voice, Defense Research Institute, July 2008
  • Article (co-author), “Fraud in the Application: When Can a Carrier Void the Policy All Together,” Claims Advisor magazine, July 2008
  • Article (co-author), “The Deposition Testimony,” Claims magazine, November 2007
  • Article, “The Illinois Supreme Court Enters the Class Action Debate in Avery v. State Farm,” American Bar Ass’n, Class Actions and Derivative Suits Newsletter, Fall 2005
  • Article, (co-author), “Pre-exemption of Bad Faith Claims by ERISA,” For the Defense magazine, Defense Research Institute, May 2004
  • Article, "The Impact of "Prohibitive Costs" of Arbitration Upon the Defense of Class Actions," with co-author Mark Rosenberg, The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, March 2004
  • Commentary, “State Farm v. Campbell: The United States Supreme Court Reinforces Constitutional Limits on Punitive Damage Awards, Mealey’s Litigation Report, August 2003
  • Article, (co-author), “Erosion of the Antitrust Exemption for Insurers,” For the Defense magazine, Defense Research Institute, May 2003
  • Analysis, Avoiding Class Action Exposure Through Due Diligence in Vendor Selection: Insurance Carrier Utilization of Third Party Vendors,” FDCC Quarterly, Winter 2003
  • Article, “Animation Evidence in the New Millennium Courtroom,” For the Defense magazine, March 2002
  • Contributing Reporter, “Protecting the Privilege: State by State Survey,” Defense Research Institute, Ad Hoc Privilege Task Force, September 2001
  • Article, ‘Using Fire Cause & Origin Experts at Trial,” For the Defense magazine, March 2001
  • Commentary, “How to Diagnose and Avoid the Bad Faith Set-Up in the First Party Property Insurance Context,” Mealey’s Litigation Report, November 2000

Education

  • Villanova University School of Law
  • Pennsylvania State University, BS Finance

Honors & Awards

  • Best Lawyers®, 2019 - 2023
  • Pennsylvania Super Lawyers®: 2006-2018, 2022-23
  • America’s Top 100 Civil Defense Litigators®, 2018 - 2021
  • Outstanding Educator Award, Insurance Society of Philadelphia, June 2014
  • "Fifty on the Fast Track," Inaugural Class, Presented by The Legal Intelligencer and American Lawyer Media, 2002

Professional Associations

  • Loss Executives Association ("LEA"), Member
  • IASIU, Del-Val Chapter, General Counsel, 2012 - Present
  • International Association of Special Investigative Units ("IASIU"), General Counsel, 2007 - 2014
  • Claims and Litigation Management Alliance ("CLM"), National Committee 2010 - 2012
  • Defense Research Institute ("DRI")
    • Law Practice Management Steering Committee, 2012 – 2018
    • Trial Tactics Committee, 2004 - 2018
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • Philadelphia Bar Association
  • New York State Bar Association

Community Involvement

  • Judge Pro Tem and Settlement Master, Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia, 2012 - Present
  • Investigative Division, Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention, Philadelphia Bar Association, 2002-2005
  • Assistant Coach, Central Bucks West High School Soccer, 2011, 2013-Present
  • Coach, FC Bucks Soccer (ECNL), 2011- 2019
  • National Board - Rush Soccer, 2008-2011