Robert L. Tucker

OVERVIEW

Mr. Tucker is a founding partner of HCP, currently serving in an Of Counsel capacity. He has represented both insurers and policyholders and holds an LL.M. in Insurance Law from the University of Connecticut. He is certified as a specialist in Insurance Coverage Law by the Ohio State Bar Association, and has taught Insurance Law as an adjunct professor at the University of Akron School of Law since 1999.

A noted author and speaker, Mr. Tucker’s published articles have been cited by federal and state courts across the nation, and in more than 60 scholarly articles that reference his work. In addition to his academic lectures, has often spoken at continuing legal education seminars for attorneys, paralegals, and insurance claim professionals. He has also served as a consulting and as a testifying expert witness in the area of claims-handling practices.

Mr. Tucker has received the UA Law Alumni Publications Award twice (2012 and 1999) and was invited by the Ohio Supreme Court to mentor in the Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program through 2011. He was recognized as the 2005-2006 Committee Chair of the Year by the Akron Bar Association and is a Fellow of the Akron Bar Association Foundation. In 2008, he received the Friend of Legal Education Award from the Ohio State Bar Association and, in 2010, the John R. Quine Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award. Mr. Tucker has maintained an “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been named an Ohio Super Lawyer in the field of insurance coverage since 2008.

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

      • One Church v. Brotherhood Mut. Ins. Co., Case No. 2024-1329 — Filed amicus curiae jurisdictional and merit briefs on the issue of whether binding appraisal provisions in first-party insurance policies preclude reopening a paid appraisal award based on an allegation of previously-undiscovered damages.
      • Marusa v. Erie Ins. Co. (2014), 136 Ohio St. 3d 118 — Represented insurer in case addressing the question of whether a policyholder was “legally entitled to recover” damages from an uninsured motorist when the tortfeasor was a police officer who was statutorily immune from suit.
      • Lincoln Elec. Co. v. Travelers Cas. & Surety Co., Ohio Supreme Court Case No. 2013-1088 — Appeared as one of several insurance law professors as amicus curiae in appeal involving question of whether a policyholder’s decision to allocate liability on a pro rata basis among all primary policies in effect during the relevant coverage period barred it from seeking an all sums method for allocation among the excess insurers.
      • Sanders v. Nationwide (8th Dist.), 2014-Ohio-2386, appeal not allowed, 130 Ohio St.3d 1416 (2011) — Represented policyholder in action to determine whether the Safeco v. White limitation on the intentional acts exclusion in the third-party liability context to damages that were expected or intended from the viewpoint of that particular insured applies in the context of first-party losses under homeowner’s policies.
      • Ohio National Life Assur. Co. v. Satterfield (9th Dist.), 2011-Ohio-2116, appeal not allowed, 129 Ohio St.3d 1477 (2011) — Represented policyholder in action alleging that insurer improperly denied of coverage for death occurring after the two-year contestability period on the grounds that continued good health was a “condition precedent” to coverage to which the incontestability statute did not apply rather than a warranty to which the incontestability statute did apply.

    EXPERT WITNESS ENGAGEMENTS

    • Allegheny Ludlum, LLC v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., et al., Case No. 2:17-cv-01243 (W.D. Pa.)—Retained by counsel for policyholder (nature of engagement subject to confidentiality order)—Deposed December 19, 2019.
    • Tembec v. Envitech, Inc. v. Perry Fiberglass Products, Inc. and Erie Insurance, Case No. 500-17-089051-158 in the District of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada—Retained by insurer to serve as an expert witness on Ohio law regarding coverage for defective workmanship claims.
    • ACE American Insurance Company v. Danisco USA, Inc., Case No. 4:13-cv-01432 (E.D. Mo.)—Retained by counsel for policyholder (nature of engagement subject to confidentiality order)—Deposed January 6, 2015.
    • Ashland, Inc. et al v. National Indemnity Company, et al., Fayette Circuit Court (Commonwealth of Kentucky) Civil Action No. 12-CI-4638—Retained by counsel for policyholder (nature of engagement subject to confidentiality order)—Deposed September 16, 2014.
    • Greenwich Insurance Company v. BBU Services, Inc. et al., Case No. 2:12-CV-00291 (W.D. Pa.) —Retained by counsel for insurer (nature of engagement subject to confidentiality order).
    • Telt Construction, Inc. v. Willis, et al., Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Case No. 560431—Opinions and testimony on impairment of subrogation rights and legal professional standard of care—Deposed March 16, 2006—Courtroom testimony May 23 and 24, 2006.

    SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

    • Stolen Art, Looted Antiquities, and the Insurable Interest Requirement, 29 Quinnipiac L. Rev. 611 (Summer 2011)
    • Disappearing Ink: The Emerging Duty to Remove Invalid Policy Provisions, 42 Akron L. Rev. 519 (Spring 2009)
    • Information Superhighway Robbery: The Tortious Misuse of Links, Frames, Metatags, And Domain Names, 4 Va. J. L. & Tech. 8 (Fall 1999)
    • The Bad News About Good Faith for Excess UM Carriers, 15 Bad Faith Law Reporter 28 (Mar. 1999)
    • Deposed Parties:  Who Has A Right to Access Depositions in Civil Cases?, 13 Ohio Lawyer 12 (Jan./Feb. 1999)
    • Industrial Espionage as Unfair Competition, 29 U. Tol. L. Rev. 245 (Winter 1998)
    • Civil and Criminal Penalties for Destruction of Evidence, Akron Bar Examiner, Vol. 39 No. 2 (Aug. 1997)
    • “And The Truth Shall Make You Free”:  Truth ss A First Amendment Defense in Tortious Interference with Contract Cases, 24 Hastings Const. L. Q. 709 (Spring 1997)
    • The Flexible Doctrine of Spoliation of Evidence; Cause of Action, Defense, Evidentiary Presumption and Discovery Sanction, 27 U. Tol. L. Rev. 67 (Fall 1995), reprinted in, 46 Def. L. J. 587 (1997)
    • Vexatious Litigation as Unfair Competition and The Applicability of the Noerr-Pennington Doctrine, 22 Ohio N. U. L. Rev. 119 (1995)

    SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

    • Insurance Law Primer: Policy Interpretation, Claims Handling, and Disputes—NBI—September 24, 2025
    • Insurance Bad Faith Basics for Attorneys—NBI—September 9, 2025
    • Pilfering the Past: A Look Behind the Scenes of a Lawsuit to Recover Stolen Antiquities—Akron-Kent Society of the Archaeological Institute of America—February 17, 2021
    • Disability Insurance—Akron Bar Association—April 30, 2015
    • Excess and Umbrella Coverage Issues: Attachment Points and the Exhaustion of Underlying Primary-Level Policies—Akron Bar Association—October 31, 2014
    • Life and Disability Insurance Coverage Issues—Akron Bar Association—June 7, 2013
    • Insurance Law from Basic to Advanced—Akron Bar Association—October 30, 2012
    • Current Litigation Issues—Celina Insurance Group—August 14, 2008
    • Insurance Coverage Litigation—NBI—March 7, 2008
    • Insurance Law Update: Understanding Current Coverage Trends—NBI—June 26, 2007
    • Insurance Law Update—Erie Insurance Company Claims Education Day—May 9, 2006
    • Tackling Critical Insurance Coverage and Litigation Issues in Ohio—NBI—September 29, 2005
    • Litigation Case Management for the Ohio Paralegal—Institute for Paralegal Education—January 20, 2004
    • Advanced Civil Discovery for the Litigation Paralegal in Ohio—Institute for Paralegal Education—April 10, 2002
    • Advanced Legal Drafting for Ohio Paralegals—Institute for Paralegal Education—November 15, 2001
    • Uninsured Motorist Coverage Update—Erie Insurance Company—May 16, 2001
    • Uninsured Motorist Coverage Under Commercial General Liability, Homeowners, and Farm Insurance Policies—Akron Bar Association—March 9, 2001
    • Special Problems in Uninsured Motorist Coverage—Erie Insurance Company—May 2000
    • Drafting and Responding to Interrogatories and Requests for Admissions—Buckingham Doolittle & Burroughs Co. LPA—January 25, 1997
    • 1996 Tort Reform Seminar—Buckingham Doolittle & Burroughs Co. LPA—November 14, 1996

    OTHER PROFESSIONAL LICENSES

    • Resident Major Lines license (Life Insurance and Accident & Health Insurance)—Ohio Department of Insurance License Number 1336220—National Producer Number 19748233—Issued December 24, 2020
    • Resident Major Lines license (Property & Casualty Insurance)—Ohio Department of Insurance License Number 1336220—National Producer Number 19748233—Issued May 25, 2021

     OTHER INTERESTS

    Mr. Tucker is an avocational archaeologist.  He holds a Certificate in Field Archaeology from the University of Akron.  He is also one of the co-founders of Stewards of Historical Preservation, which is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization devoted to preserving northeast Ohio’s cultural resources. He is also on the board of directors of the Akron/Kent chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America. 

    Mr. Tucker is the author of a chapter titled “Forgotten Graveyards and Rediscovered Bodies:  Ethical and Legal Issues” in the forthcoming book titled What Remains? (University of Akron Press 2025)

    Professional Info

    COURTS + BAR ASSOCIATIONS

      • Ohio Supreme Court 
      • U.S. Supreme Court 
      • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
      • U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit 
      • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio 
      • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio 
      • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
      • Member, Ohio State Bar Association (1984 to present)
      • Computer Technology Committee (1992 to 1999)
      • Insurance Law Committee (2008 to present)
      • Insurance Coverage Law Specialization Board (2014-2018)
      • Akron Bar Association
      • University of Akron Liaison Committee (2000 to 2010)(Chair 2005 to 2007)
      • Recipient of 2005/2006 Committee Chair of the Year Award
      • Street Law Committee (2007 to 2010)
      • Law Office Technology Committee (1993 to 2000)
      • Environmental Law Committee (1993 to 1997)
      • Member, Association of American Law Schools Insurance Law Section (2004 to present)
      • Member, Association of American Law Schools Teaching Methods Section (2004 to present)
      • Member, Akron Law Review Advisory Board (2011 to present)
      • Member, Defense Research Institute (1999 to 2018)
      • Appellate Advocacy Committee (1999 to 2018)
      • Technology Committee (1999 to 2018)
      • Insurance Law Committee (1999 to 2018)
      • Commercial Litigation Committee (1999 to 2018)
      • Member, Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys (1999 to 2018)
      • Insurance Coverage Committee (2005 to 2018)

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        PROFESSIONAL + CIVIC AFFILIATIONS

              • Akron Law Review Advisory Board

              • Association of American Law Schools Insurance Law Section

              • Association of American Law Schools Teaching Methods Section

        EDUCATION

              • University of Connecticut School of Law, Hartford CT (LL.M. in Insurance Law with honors, May 2008)

              • University of Akron School of Law, Akron OH (J.D. cum laude, 1984)

              • University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA (B.S., 1980)

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