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Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP
Greg Gotwald has seen more than his share of high-profile, high-stakes cases during his career as a specialist in insurance coverage law. Gotwald became interested in the field after he graduated from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering and went to work for a large manufacturer. “I became really frustrated that the regulatory attorneys I was dealing with did not really understand the basic science and engineering of what they were regulating,” he said. So he returned to school, earned a law degree and embarked on a career that includes handling high-stakes cases with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake. One of his biggest was helping to lead USA Gymnastics through its Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Acting as coverage counsel, Gotwald won two cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, ensuring insurance funding would be available to help the organization compensate abuse survivors, facilitating the group’s reorganization. That’s quite a record for someone who when first starting at Plews Shadley Racher & Braun thought he would do environmental counseling work. “The firm had also hired a new associate who had been a professional geologist for about a decade,” Gotwald said. “She got all the counseling work, and I got all the environmental insurance coverage litigation. I loved it. I haven’t looked back.”
Givebacks: Gotwald has served as a volunteer guardian ad litem and past president of the board with Child Advocates Inc. and served on the board of trustees for Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Gotwald and his family also funded the Annie Gotwald Makerspace and STEM Lab at the Westfield Washington Public Library in memory of their daughter, Ann. The facility provides resources such as 3D printers and recording studios to inspire future innovators.
First job: detailed cars for a used-car dealership
Mentors: “The top of the list is George Plews. He taught me how to write. He taught me how to analyze an insurance policy. He taught me how to prepare.”
Important traits: “Hard work and preparation. Being prepared enhances so many attributes of a good lawyer — writing, oral advocacy, client management, negotiations, et cetera.”
Advice: “Have a passion for going to law school, but don’t be afraid to explore areas beyond what you think you want to do. That can change, and it can change for the better.”
Favorite de-stressors: quality time with family•
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