William H. Craven

Member

Recent Publication:

Contractual Limitations on Umbrella Coverage and the Texas Supreme Court: Umbrella Policy Coverage Extended Beyond Service Contract Requirements [Casualty Coverage Chronicle Blog]

While not often in the limelight, standard business practice relies on service contracts and, in turn, risk transfer through those contracts. Critical issues can arise regarding whether a party seeking additional insured coverage is actually an additional insured, and if so, the amount of policy...

Will Craven's practice focuses on national litigation, insurance coverage, and regulatory matters. Merging business and government knowledge, litigation, and coverage experience, Will offers unique perspective to his clients.

Will’s litigation practice includes complex insurance coverage and bad faith matters involving professional liability, general liability, and commercial property policies. Will also represents insureds and self-insureds in commercial and business litigation, including breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference, fraud, and personal injury claims. Will also represents insurers in premium and audit disputes, working across business units to achieve the best possible outcomes for his clients.

In addition to his litigation practice, Will provides independent advice and counsel regarding complex coverage, regulatory, and business challenges. Will regularly acts as monitoring counsel, drafts coverage opinions and position letters, and provides practical solutions and strategy for resolving large claims. Will also assists clients with policy wording and drafting, both at the program launch stage and in response to claims or underwriting concerns.

Will’s regulatory experience includes legislation governing accident and health, life, workers compensation, and employee benefit policies and plans, as well as broker/agent licensing and surplus lines issues. Will also assists his clients in complying with state and federal law in handling claims involving ERISA, having developed internal policies and procedures for responding to subrogation claims made against his clients.

Prior to law school, Will graduated summa cum laude from Mississippi State University and interned with a U.S. congressman. Will also worked in Exxon Mobil’s tax department. Will graduated magna cum laude from the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he served as a member of the Corporate Board of the Mississippi Law Journal. Will began his legal practice in Dallas as an associate at an international law firm where he received the firm’s Coverage Excellence Award.

Will currently serves as Pro Bono Coordinator for the Dallas office.

News

Three Cozen O’Connor Attorney’s Named 2023 Texas Rising Stars

March 22, 2023

Super Lawyers has named William Craven, Aaron Holt, and Nandini Sane to its 2023 list of Rising Stars in Texas.

More Than 200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch

August 22, 2022

210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Three Cozen O’Connor Attorney’s Named 2022 Texas Rising Stars

April 26, 2022

Super Lawyers has named William Craven (Insurance Coverage), Aaron Holt (Labor & Employment), and Nandini Sane (Labor & Employment) to its 2022 list of Rising Stars in Texas.

More Than 205 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch By The Best Lawyers In America

August 19, 2021

Best Lawyers selected 210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

William Craven Named a 2021 Texas Rising Star

March 23, 2021

Super Lawyers has named William Craven, member of the firm's Global Insurance Department, to its 2021 list of Rising Stars in Texas.

More Than 200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch By The Best Lawyers In America

August 20, 2020

Best Lawyers selected 201 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© (Copyright 2020 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC).

Cozen O’Connor Promotes 20 to Membership

April 08, 2020

Cozen O'Connor is pleased to recognize 20 attorneys with the promotion to member.

William Craven Named Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program’s Volunteer of the Month

April 06, 2020

William Craven has been named Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program's (DVAP) Volunteer of the Month for the month of April.

Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named as 2020 Texas Rising Stars

March 05, 2020

Super Lawyers has named two attorneys at Cozen O’Connor to its 2020 list of Rising Stars in Texas. The Cozen O’Connor attorneys who have been recognized by their peers in Texas as Rising Stars are Traci Boyle and William Craven.

Publications

Contractual Limitations on Umbrella Coverage and the Texas Supreme Court: Umbrella Policy Coverage Extended Beyond Service Contract Requirements [Casualty Coverage Chronicle Blog]

May 25, 2023

While not often in the limelight, standard business practice relies on service contracts and, in turn, risk transfer through those contracts. Critical issues can arise regarding whether a party seeking additional insured coverage is actually an additional insured, and if so, the amount of policy...

Under Texas Law, No Tender Means No Obligation To Defend [Avoiding Insurance Bad Faith Blog]

June 30, 2022

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently affirmed a long-standing Texas rule: the duty to defend is not implicated unless the insured complies with the policy’s notice-of-suit requirements and demands a defense. Moreno v. Sentinel Ins. Co., Ltd., 35 F.4th 965, 975-77 (5th...

Texas Supreme Court Crafts “Undisputed Evidence of Collusive Fraud” Exception to Eight-Corners Rule [Avoiding Insurance Bad Faith Blog]

May 06, 2020

In Texas, and as a general rule, only the four corners of the policy and the four corners of the petition against the insured are relevant in deciding whether the duty to defend applies. Richards v. State Farm Lloyds, ___S.W.3d ___, 2020 WL 1313782 at *1 (Tex. 2020). Texas courts and practitioners...

Fort Worth Court of Appeal Reverses Judgment Awarding Bad Faith Damages Against Insurer [Avoiding Insurance Bad Faith Blog]

November 14, 2018

While the November 8, 2018 Court of Appeal of Texas, Fort Worth Division opinion reverses a trial court’s judgment on grounds of legal insufficiency and standing, the court’s analysis and application of current Texas bad faith law is of much more interest. The trial court judgment held that Old...

Crypto Covered Under Homeowner’s Policy? Ohio Trial Court Holds Coverage and Bad Faith Claims for Bitcoin Theft Survive Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings [Avoiding Insurance Bad Faith Blog]

October 15, 2018

From the high market cap Bitcoin, Ether, Ripple, and Litecoin, to the quirky Fonziecoin, Selfiecoin, Pizzacoin, and (thank you, Dennis Rodman) Pot Coin, we have all been blasted by news of crypto and blockchain, and tales of kids in their parents’ basements getting rich off this new wonder that many...

Texas Federal Court Holds Rock Dust Discharged into Stream is Excluded “Pollutant,” so Insurer Owed No Duty to Defend or Indemnify, and Committed No Bad Faith [Avoiding Insurance Bad Faith Blog]

August 13, 2018

On July 10, 2018, Judge John H. McBryde of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division, held an insurer owed no coverage to a New Jersey rock quarry owner for the accidental pumping of crushed rock particles into a stream. The policy’s pollution exclusion...

Industry Sectors

Education

  • University of Mississippi School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2012
  • Mississippi State University, B.A., summa cum laude, 2009

Awards & Honors

Texas Rising Star 2020 - 2023

Business Manager, Mississippi Law Journal

Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, 2021- 2023

  • Texas
  • Texas Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court -- Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court -- Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court -- Western District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court -- Eastern District of Texas

Dallas Bar Association

Dallas Association of Young Lawyers