Quyen Thi Le Carpenter

Partner

  • Office Contact Info
  • Biography

    Quyen Thi Le is Assistant Managing Partner of the firm's San Francisco and Oakland offices. Quyen has extensive experience in complex litigation for insurance, class actions, and business and contractual disputes in California and other jurisdictions across the nation. She works closely with clients and is able to effectively communicate complex legal concepts, as well as formulate multiple practical and resourceful solutions to serve her clients' interests.

    Quyen primarily represents insurance carriers in bad faith litigation arising out of claims involving general negligence, professional liability, shareholder liability, sexual misconduct, foster parent liability, and premise liability, just to name a few. She also provides coverage advice for first- and third-party claims under various insurance policies, including commercial general liability, professional liability, directors and officers, errors and omissions, building and personal property, homeowners, personal and business auto liability, aviation, life and disability, foster parent liability, and excess and umbrella policies.  Her experience in insurance coverage litigation provides her with a unique ability to efficiently investigate claims and evaluate complex issues

    Admissions

    • California
    • U.S. District Court, Northern, Eastern and Central Districts of California
    • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

    Memberships

    • American Bar Association
    • Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area
    • Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California and Nevada
    • DRI The Voice of the Defense Bar, Women in the Law Committee

    Community Involvement

    • Volunteer, APILO/AABA (Pro Bono Legal Clinic), San Francisco, CA
  • Practice Areas
  • Representative Experience
    • Obtained summary judgment for partnership on grounds that claims for breach of contract and open book account were barred by the four-year statute of limitations, resulting in dismissal of entire action and defense judgment. As the prevailing parties, also obtained award of nearly $90,000 for attorneys’ fees and costs incurred to defend the lawsuit. (Contra Costa County Superior Court, January 2019)
    • Obtained dismissal of claims against insurer for breach of contract, misrepresentation, and fraud on grounds that insurance policy did not provide death benefits as a matter of law, and the statute of limitations barred all claims for misrepresentation and fraud, resulting in defense judgment. (N.D. Cal. 2018)
    • Effectively resolved credit dispute between supplier and contractor concerning amounts owed under a credit agreement. (Sonoma County Superior Court, August 2017)
    • Obtained summary judgment for insurer on grounds that there is no duty to defend or indemnify under an auto liability policy where the trailer at issue was neither listed as an insured auto nor owned by any insured at time of accident, resulting in judgment for plaintiff insurer in declaratory relief action. (N.D. Cal. 2015)
    • Successfully opposed an insured’s motion to dismiss/stay the insurer’s declaratory relief action on grounds that insurer was seeking purely legal determination based on evidence that was a matter of public record and not adjudicating overlapping facts in underlying habitability claims. (N.D. Cal. 2015)
    • Successfully arbitrated an insurance coverage claim on grounds that a Charge of Discrimination filed with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing is not a “civil legal action” as required to trigger defense reimbursement coverage under professional liability policy. (JAMS Arbitration, October 2013)
  • Education

    Education

    LL.M., International and Comparative Law, The George Washington University Law School, 2010

    J.D., University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, 2009

    • Editorial Board, Research Editor, The Urban Lawyer Law Review 

    B.A., International Relations, Wellesley College, 2002

    Honors

    Rising Stars® distinction in the fields of Insurance Coverage, Civil Litigation: Defense, and Business Litigation, Law & Politics (2015-2020)

  • Meet Me

    What do you enjoy most about your practice?

    Insurance coverage is never dull because no two cases are ever the same and there are always interesting facts to make each case unique.

    What is the secret to obtaining successful trial results?

    Organization, preparation, attention to details and being confident in your trial strategies and trial team are all important factors in obtaining successful trial results. But you also need a competitive spirit going into trial because that provides the drive and motivation to “win” every case.

    What are your favorite pastimes when you are not practicing law?

    When time permits, I like reading mystery novels, working on various painting/photography projects, improving upon my culinary and baking skills, and designing cake pops for all occasions.

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