Braden Morell

Braden is an Associate in Maynard Nexsen’s Insurance Practice Group and its Appellate Practice Group. He represents insurance companies in high-stakes litigation arising under a wide variety of coverage lines. His practice is primarily focused on first- and third-party bad faith litigation, and Braden also has significant experience defending insurers against class-action claims.

Braden also maintains an active appellate practice. He has been appointed to argue before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and he has authored several merits briefs in State and Federal courts of appeals. 

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

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. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from The University of Alabama.

• Successfully defended the dismissal of a 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.  Clark v. Transamerica Life Ins. Co., No. 20-16756, 2023 WL 3143689 (9th Cir. Apr. 28, 2023).
• 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.  Fox Paine & Co., et al., v. Twin City Fire Ins. Co., et al., 104 Cal.App.5th 1034 (2024).
• Part of a team that successfully defeated certification of proposed classes of insureds in class-action lawsuits alleging violations of sections 10113.71 and 10113.72 of the California Insurance Code.  Wollam v. Transamerica Life Ins. Co., 2024 WL 1117050, at *1 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 13, 2024); Phan v. Transamerica Premier Life Ins. Co., 2023 WL 3468313, at *1 (N.D. Cal. Apr. 17, 2023); Nieves v. United of Omaha Life Ins. Co., 2023 WL 2705836 (S.D. Cal. Mar. 28, 2023). 
• Obtained writ of mandamus vacating case-dispositive sanctions order relating to alleged discovery misconduct.  Ex parte Hankook Tire Am. Corp., 400 So.3d 585 (Ala. 2023).
• Obtained summary judgment on multi-million dollar third-party bad-faith-failure-to-settle claims against property and casualty carrier under Kentucky law.
• 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).