2023 Women to Watch Awards Americas EMEA
Josianne El Antoury Special counsel
Covington & Burling LLP
London
One of the best things about insurance law is the scope of disputes and topics that a lawyer can become involved with, says Josianne El Antoury.
“I find the variety of work in insurance incredibly interesting. You can be working on a fraud case, then a property buyer dispute, then a business interruption case from the pandemic,” she said.
Born in Lebanon, Ms. El Antoury emigrated to the United Kingdom at the age of four and went on to study law at university.
She started her career at a law firm in London focused on the construction sector before moving to a larger firm that provided her with the opportunity to spend two years in Dubai, where she was able to use her Arabic skills in her work with a wide range of clients and focus on insurance law.
She joined Covington & Burling in 2021 and is one of the firm’s lead lawyers in London dealing with insurance coverage disputes.
Ms. El Antoury works on both litigation and advisory work, said Marialuisa Gallozzi, a Washington-based partner at Covington & Burling and one of the 2014 Women to Watch.
“She has this just wonderful mix of mastery of nuance and detail and yet at the same time the capacity to step back and see the big picture, which is just absolutely invaluable in advising clients,” she said.
In addition to her work with commercial policyholders, Ms. El Antoury does a significant amount of pro bono work, including negotiating settlements related to COVID-19 claims filed by various charities. Covington & Burling encourages pro bono work, she said.
She also works with organizations that help students from diverse and unprivileged backgrounds who are interested in the law — the Social Mobility Foundation and Aspiring Solicitors.
Ms. El Antoury said she had benefited from similar organizations when she began her career.
“Now, as a senior lawyer, I ensure that I’m getting involved in those forums and reaching out to students from not-privileged backgrounds and diverse backgrounds and ensuring that I’m giving back,” she said.
Gavin Souter
