Braden Morell

Braden is an Associate in Maynard Nexsen’s Insurance Practice Group and its Appellate Practice Group. Braden’s practice is primarily focused on defending insurance carriers in complex civil disputes across the United States arising under a wide variety of coverage lines, from single-plaintiff claims to large-scale class actions in both state and federal courts. He also maintains an active appellate practice and has argued before two United States Courts of Appeal.

Braden advises insurers confronting a broad spectrum of lawsuits, including coverage disputes, bad-faith allegations, disputes over policy terms, and multi-party class actions challenging claims-handling practices. He has managed cases at every stage of litigation, from removal and early dispositive motions through discovery, trial preparation, post-judgment proceedings, and on appeal. Braden has also litigated the propriety of class certification in cases arising under state insurance statutes, consumer protection laws, and common law theories.

Braden’s appellate experience includes merits briefing before numerous state and federal appellate courts, both on behalf of insurance carriers and other commercial clients. He has addressed issues on appeal that included questions of first impression, the interpretation of written instruments, and the scope of federal subject-matter jurisdiction. Braden has argued in two federal appellate courts, including a case in which he was appointed to argue before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of a pro bono client.

Prior to joining the Firm, Braden served as a law clerk for the Honorable Andrew L. Brasher in the United States Courts of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Before that, Braden was a law clerk to the Honorable Danny C. Reeves in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Braden received his J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School, where he served as Chief Justice of the Moot Court Board. During his time at Vanderbilt, he received several awards for written and oral advocacy. Braden holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from The University of Alabama.

• Successfully defended on appeal the dismissal of a putative class-action lawsuit alleging that a certificate of insurance issued under an Illinois policy to a California resident was subject to the requirements of sections 10113.71 and 10113.72 of the California Insurance Code.
• Obtained demurrer on behalf of an excess insurer in a lawsuit alleging breach of a directors and officers liability insurance policy and bad faith under California law, and successfully defended demurrer ruling on appeal. 
• Successfully defeated certification of proposed classes of insureds in a handful of class-action lawsuits alleging violations of sections 10113.71 and 10113.72 of the California Insurance Code.  
• Obtained writ of mandamus from the Alabama Supreme Court vacating case-dispositive sanctions order relating to alleged discovery misconduct. 
• Obtained summary judgment on multi-million dollar third-party bad-faith-failure-to-settle claims against property and casualty carrier under Kentucky law, and defended summary judgment ruling on appeal.
• Appointed by the Eleventh Circuit United States Court of Appeals to argue on behalf of an unrepresented plaintiff in Hogan v. Department of Veterans Affairs, wherein the Court recognized the abrogation of 25-year precedent holding that a federal court lacks subject-matter jurisdiction over an unexhausted public sector employee’s Title VII claims.  121 F.4th 172 (11th Cir. 2024).
• Obtained state appellate court ruling directing dismissal of time-barred claims arising from the sale of a multi-million-dollar premium-financed life insurance policy under Louisiana law.
• Successfully obtained appellate ruling affirming summary judgment to a financial institution in a dispute over tens of millions of dollars in retirement benefits allegedly owed to employees of bankrupt corporation.

Recognition

• Mid-South Super Lawyers Rising Star, Insurance Coverage (2025)