W. Gustin Vandiford

Associate

Gustin focuses his practice on prosecuting large subrogation claims related to losses caused by fire, flood, product defects/failures, and construction defects.

Prior to joining the firm Gustin was an associate at a law firm in American Samoa where he represented corporate and municipal clients in a wide variety of matters, including insurance defense and coverage, worker’s compensation , creditor’s rights, and contractual disputes. As a former assistant attorney general in the territory, Gustin used his intimate understanding of the local government to advise domestic and international  businesses on regulatory compliance and navigating the bureaucracy. After law school, he was an associate in a Minneapolis law firm where he handled insurance defense and product liability matters.

Gustin earned his bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from East Carolina University and his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.

Publications

Waive or Do Not Waive Subrogation, But There is No Try [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

November 30, 2022

A recent federal case provided an excellent example that not all supposed waivers of subrogation are, in fact, waivers. In National Surety Corp., et al. v. Bozeman, 2022 WL 953053, No. 1:20-cv-01187-WJM-GPG (D. Colo. March 30, 2022), National Surety filed a subrogation action alleging the defendant...

Can Your Insured be Sued? Carriers Should not Worry about Defendants Filing Counterclaims and Third-Party Complaints against their Insureds [Subrogation & Recovery Law Blog]

August 11, 2021

When evaluating the potential recovery for pursuing a subrogation action, insurance carriers must consider to what extent, if any, its insured negligently contributed to its injuries. Accounting for the insured’s potential liability is a significant part of the cost-benefit analysis for pursuing...

Industry Sectors

Education

  • Wake Forest University, J.D., 2015
  • East Carolina University, B.S., magna cum laude, 2012
  • Colorado
  • Minnesota
  • American Samoa

Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District, Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Robert J. Raupp

American Samoa Bar Association, Vice President, 2018-2019