Kurt M. Zitzer

Mr. Zitzer is a litigation attorney who practices out of the firm’s Chicago, Illinois and Phoenix, Arizona offices, and is a leader of the firm serving on its Management Committee. He serves as the Practice Chair for the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Professional Liability practice groups. Kurt was recently honored by his peers by being selected once again as one of the Top 50 attorneys in the Southwest by Southwest Super Lawyers list. He is also included in the Illinois Super Lawyers list. Additionally, AzBusiness magazine recently selected Kurt as one of Arizona’s top 100 lawyers and a top 10 lawyer in the area of Employee Benefits and Insurance Law. Kurt is also included in The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Insurance Law and Products Liability Litigation - Defense. He has twice been named by Best Lawyers as its Scottsdale “Lawyer of the Year” for insurance law, in 2026 and in 2019. He is also a Senior fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America-an invitation-only honor society that limits its membership to the top 0.5 percent of trial lawyers. Kurt is a member of the Trial Law Institute and Diversity Law Institute. His practice focuses on writing coverage opinions for a wide variety of insurance product lines. When these positions are disputed, he defends them.

“The cases I enjoy most are those that derive from one-of-a-kind commercial insurance policies-cases that present brand-new issues to the courts and create new law.”

He has defended commercial insurance cases in 14 states-in mediation, arbitration, litigation, on trial and on appeal. Kurt also has experience serving as an arbitrator in private arbitrations involving insurance coverage disputes, and as an expert witness involving coverage and bad faith claims.

Kurt also engages in reinsurance coverage opinion writing, mediation and arbitration-focusing primarily on facultative reinsurance agreements for property and casualty insurers.

In addition to insurance coverage and commercial litigation, he defends clients-especially lawyers and accountants-faced with professional liability claims. He represents accountants confronted with disciplinary proceedings and malpractice claims, as well as other professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering, real estate and insurance. As an active member of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society, Kurt regularly speaks at this group’s seminars on emerging issues in professional liability.

Kurt’s practice includes the defense of product liability claims involving the manufacturing, distribution and sale of vehicles and their component parts, small machinery, household products, HVAC equipment, construction materials and other consumer products. He has successfully defended serious bodily injury and wrongful death claims as well as property damage claims in Arizona and other jurisdictions. He has resolved suits through trial, arbitration, motion practice and mediated settlement, and Kurt is regularly called upon to defend the interests of those companies accused of manufacturing, distributing or selling a dangerous or defective product.

Kurt also represents real estate developers, with a focus on projects that include hospitality, medical and professional office buildings. He uses his knowledge of insurance coverage to advise clients on risk management issues-including procurement of insurance and drafting of construction contracts.

“Before I became a lawyer, I ran a small business, so I understand that legal issues are just one of the many concerns faced by business owners. I take great pleasure in helping them successfully resolve a conflict, so they can get on with their lives and their business.”

Kurt maintains close ties with his colleagues in the business community via his active involvement with the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce, where he serves as Board Chair. Outside of the office, Kurt enjoys family activities, sports, coaching, travel and skating with other “over the hill” ice hockey players in local recreational leagues.

Kurt was profiled in the April/May 2010 issue of Scottsdale@Work .

Accolades

•Senior fellow, Litigation Counsel of America, (A trial lawyer honorary society, with membership limited to one-half of one percent of American lawyers, and by invitation only)
•Barrister, Order of Veritas and Order of Certus, Litigation Counsel of America
•fellow, American Bar Foundation (Membership is limited to one percent of the lawyers admitted to practice in each jurisdiction of the United States, by invitation)
•Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers of America in the areas of Insurance Law and Product Liability Litigation-Defendants (2015-2026)
•Named by Best Lawyers as a 2026 Insurance Law 'Lawyer of the Year' in Scottsdale
•Named by Best Lawyers as a 2019 Insurance Law 'Lawyer of the Year' in Scottsdale
•Named by AZ Business magazine (January/February 2026 issue) as a Top 100 Lawyer in commercial litigation and professional liability (2026)
•Named by AZ Business magazine (January/February 2025 issue) as a Top 100 Lawyer in commercial litigation and professional liability (2025)
•Named by AZ Business magazine (January/February 2024 issue) as a Top 100 Lawyer in commercial litigation and professional liability (2024)
•Awarded the Platinum Client Champion award by Martindale-Hubbell, a top award that recognizes attorneys who excel at service and representation as affirmed by their clients (2017-2025)
•Awarded the highest possible Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating, AV Preeminent (AV is a registered certification mark of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies)
•Named to the Illinois Super Lawyers list (2021-2026)
•Named to Southwest Super Lawyers Top 50 list (2013-2020, 2023-2026)
•Named to Southwest Super Lawyers list (2012-2026)
•Named by AZ Business magazine (March/April 2019 issue) as a Top 100 Lawyer in insurance coverage, commercial litigation, and professional liability (2019)
•Named by AzBusiness Leaders Magazine as a Business Leader in Insurance Law (2018, 2019)
•Named by AZ Business magazine (March/April 2017 issue) as a Top 100 Lawyer in insurance coverage, commercial litigation, and professional liability (2017)
•Named by AZ Business magazine (March/April 2016 issue) as a Top 100 Lawyer in insurance coverage, commercial litigation, and professional liability (2016)
•Named by AZ Business magazine (March/April 2015 issue) as a Top Lawyer in Insurance (2015)
•Named by AZ Business magazine (March/April 2014 issue) as a Top Lawyer in Insurance (2014)
•Selected as one of Arizona's Finest Lawyers (2011)
•America’s Most Honored Lawyers 2020 - Top 1% by American Registry
•Association of Trial Lawyers of America (2006)
•Former Editor-in-Chief of The John Marshall Law Review

Speaking Engagements

•Defense Research Institute (DRI) Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium, New York, New York, The Coverage Side of Claims-Made Professional Liability Policies (December 2019)
•Claims Litigation Management (CLM) Construction Community Webinar, Significant Construction Defect Litigation and CD Coverage Decisions for 2017 (January 2018)
•Claims Litigation Management (CLM) Construction Community Webinar, Construction Claims - Case Law and Statutory Updates (October 2017)
•State Bar of Arizona CLE, Arizona Tort Law Handbook Seminar, Phoenix, Arizona, Design Professional Liability (June 2013)
•Defense Research Institute (DRI) Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium, New York, New York, Hot Issues in Professional Liability Coverage: Lessons from the DRI Compendium (December 2012)
•State Bar of Arizona CLE, Bad Faith Insurance Law Seminar, Phoenix, Arizona, Third-Party Bad Faith (August 2012)
•Panelist on the subject of legal ethics, malpractice and risk management for law firms, Arizona State Bar Annual Convention (June 2012)
•The Defense and Indemnity of Claims in Arizona, Navigators Group of Companies, San Francisco, California (August 2010)
•Arizona State Bar CLE by the Sea in Scottsdale, Arizona, Ethical Considerations for Law Firm Management (June 2010)
•Arizona State Bar CLE by the Sea in San Diego, California, Minding the Store, Internal Ethics and Liability Management (July 2009)
•Hot Topics in Professional Liability Insurance: Electronic Data and Bad Faith, Professional Liability Underwriting Society in Denver, Colorado (April 2008)

Publications

•Quoted, 'Forms Meant To Tackle Social Inflation Cause Confusion' Law360 Insurance Authority (January 22, 2026)
•Quoted, “Ga. Tort Reform Promises Relief From Insurance Industry Ills” Law360 (April 10, 2025)
•Quoted, “2nd Circ. Insurer Win Stirs Fears Over Mixed Coverage Claims” Law360 (October 25, 2023)
•Quoted, “2nd Circ. Coverage Chain Ruling Marks Risk-Transfer Woes” Law360 (May 23, 2023)
•'When Claims and Potential Claims May Intersect in Claims Made Coverage' Covered Events, DRI Newsletter of the Insurance Law Committee (March 2020)
•'The 'Insured v. Insured' Exclusion as Applied in Bankruptcy' Covered Events, DRI Newsletter of the Insurance Law Committee (March 2017)
•Co-author for Arizona section, 'Professional Liability Insurance: A Compendium of State Law' published by the Defense Research Institute (October 2012)
•Co-author, Chapter on Design Professional Liability, Arizona Tort Law Handbook, published by the State Bar of Arizona (2012) 'Continuous Impact' Best's Review 82 (June 2005)

News

• Apr 17, 2026
Meagher + Geer attorneys named to 2026 Southwest Super Lawyers

• Jan 23, 2026
Kurt Zitzer quoted in Law360 on new commercial general liability forms

• Jan 21, 2026
Kurt Zitzer selected to the 2026 Illinois Super Lawyers list

Events

•Nov
10 - 12,
2025

2025 Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) Conference Meagher + Geer is a proud sponsor
•Sep
14 - 16,
2022

Professional Liability Defense Federation (PLDF) 2022 Annual Meeting Meagher + Geer is a proud sponsor of the PLDF 2022 Annual Meeting
•Dec 5, 2019
DRI Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium Partner Kurt Zitzer co-presents 'The Coverage Side of Claims-Made Professional Liability Policies'

Articles

•Mar 6, 2020
When Claims and Potential Claims May Intersect in Claims Made Coverage

By Kurt Zitzer for Covered Events

•Apr 18, 2019
Amendments to Arizona's Purchaser Dwelling Act Signed Into Law

Construction Law Update by Kurt Zitzer

•Apr 7, 2017
The “Insured v. Insured” Exclusion as Applied in Bankruptcy

DRI Covered Events newsletter