Areas of Practice

• Insurance defense

• Workers compensation defense

• Insurance coverage defense

• Professional liability and insurance agent liability defense

Ms. Cooley earned a bachelor’s degree from Goucher College in 1995 and graduated from Vermont Law School, cum laude, in 1998.  She then clerked for the Honorable Arrie W. Davis, Court of Special Appeals of Maryland.  Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Cooley was a partner at Pierson Wadhams Quinn Yates & Coffrin, LLP, where she worked for just over twenty years. 

Ms. Cooley is admitted to practice in all state courts in Vermont, as well as the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2005).  Her practice focuses on civil litigation and insurance defense, including insurance coverage defense, workers compensation defense, insurance agency defense and professional liability defense.  Ms. Cooley also has significant experience handling appeals before the Vermont Supreme Court and has argued before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.  Ms. Cooley was identified as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers, has been recognized by the National Academy of Jurisprudence as a premier trial attorney in Vermont, and receives Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent Rating.

Representative Experience

• Successfully briefed and argued landmark insurance coverage matter before the Vermont Supreme Court involving the question of whether an insurer has a duty to indemnify where the facts alleged in the complaint are inconsistent with unintentional conduct or injury. Serecky v. National Grange Mutual Insurance Company, 2004 VT 63, 177 Vt. 58, 857 A.2d 775.

• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of defendants in two wrongful death cases, and subsequently briefed and argued the matters before the Vermont Supreme Court, which affirmed summary judgment for defendants in both cases. Lussier v. Bessette et al., 2010 VT 104, 189 Vt. 95, 16 A.3d 580; Collins v. Thomas et al., 2007 VT 92, 182 Vt. 250, 938 A.2d 1208.

• Represented employer in workers compensation claim before Department of Labor, and subsequent Vermont Supreme Court appeal, involving claims for permanent partial disability and neck, hip, and back injuries.  Heller v. Bast & Rood Architects, 2011 Vt. Unpub. LEXIS 113, 24 A.3d 594 (unpublished).

• Obtained summary judgment for plaintiff insurer in high profile declaratory judgment insurance coverage matter, including briefing and arguing Vermont Supreme Court appeal, in case involving the question of whether insurer had a duty to defend or indemnify wife on claims made against husband of sexual abuse, assault, kidnapping, and murder.  Co-operative Insurance Companies v. Denise Woodward et al., 2012 VT 22, 45 A.3d 89.

• Obtained defendant’s verdict in case alleging wrongful cutting of trees, and, after co-defendant tree removal company appealed the dismissal of its indemnity claim, successfully briefed and argued appeal.  Knappmiller v. Bove et al., 2012 VT 38.

• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of defendant insurance agency against the insured’s claims of negligence, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract, breach of good faith of fair dealing and consumer fraud. Subsequently briefed and argued the matter before the Vermont Supreme Court, which affirmed the favorable summary judgment determination. Michael Johnson & Joseph M. Finnigan II v. Smith Brothers Insurance LLC and Scott Garcia, Supreme Court Docket No. 2020-101 (Sept. 4, 2020), 2020 Vt. Unpub. LEXIS 98.