Carl E. Metzger

Carl Metzger is a partner in Goodwin’s Complex Business Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Financial Services Litigation practice and Chair of the firm’s Risk Management & Insurance practice. He currently serves on the firm’s Executive Committee, and formerly served as Chair of the firm's Partnership Committee. His clients include both public and private companies, major insurance carriers and brokerages, private equity and venture capital firms and non-profit and educational institutions.

Carl is recognized as an expert in advising boards of directors and senior officers on liability and risk management issues, as well as D&O insurance, indemnification and fiduciary duty issues. His experience includes securities litigation defense, financial fraud litigation, insurance claim disputes, governmental and self-regulatory organization investigations, and complex business disputes.

Throughout his career, Carl has played leading roles in a variety of professional and civic organizations. He is currently on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS), the American Camp Association and the Squam Lakes Conservation Society. He has also served as a board member of the New England Children’s Foundation, the Massachusetts Appleseed Center of Law and Justice, the John and Anna Newton Porter Foundation and the First Unitarian Society of Newton. He has previously served as co-chair of the American Bar Association's Subcommittee on Securities and the Internet, and editor of the American Bar Association's journal, Securities News.

Prior to joining Goodwin, Carl was a partner at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault in Boston where he led the firm’s risk management and insurance practice area and was the litigation partner liaison to the Private Equity Group.

Carl has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America Best Lawyers for his work in Venture Capital Law 2022-2023.

Benchmark Litigation recognizes Carl as a 2021 Litigation Star in Massachusetts for his work in Insurance. Carl has been elected as a Fellow to the American College of Coverage Counsel. He has been recognized by Corporate LiveWire as a Global Award winner for expertise in the field of insurance and reinsurance, was the exclusive winner of Lexology’s Client Choice Award for Insurance and Reinsurance in Massachusetts, is highlighted as a Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation, is recognized by Best Lawyers in America, and is continuously recognized by Boston Magazine as both a Massachusetts and New England “Super Lawyer.”

Carl writes and speaks nationally on insurance and litigation-related topics, and he has been quoted in such media outlets as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Corporate Board Member Magazine, Business Insurance and CFO Magazine. He has made several appearances on The Directors Letter’s Boardroom Video Series to address board liability and governance issues.

Carl’s recent speaking engagements include:

• Speaker, “D&O Insurance: Defensive Maneuvers and Unintended Consequences,” Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) Conference, December 2023
• Speaker, “The Future of M&A Transactions,” Chubb Internal Webinar Series, October 2020
• Speaker, “D&O Perspectives on Coronavirus,” Professional Liability Underwriting Society’s (PLUS) Series, April 2020
• Speaker, “Modifying Clinical Trials: Regulatory, Liability & Insurance Considerations,” Goodwin Webinar, April 2020
• Speaker, “Professional Liability and D&O Liability Perspectives on Coronavirus,” Professional Liability Underwriting Society’s (PLUS) Series, March 2020
• Speaker, The 2018 Professional Liability Underwriting Society’s (PLUS) International Conference November, 2018
• Speaker, “Quarterly D&O Claims Trends: Q2 2018,” Advisen Webinar, July 2018
• Speaker, The Professional Liability Underwriting Society's (PLUS) 2018 Directors & Officers Symposium, January 2018

Carl’s recent publications include:

• Co-Author, “Recent Legal Developments in the U.S. Affecting Insurance Coverage for COVID-19 Related Losses,” Goodwin Client Alert, April 2020
• Co-Author, “Insurance Considerations in Light of COVID-19,” Goodwin Client Alert, March 2020
• Co-Author, “Challenging Times: The Hardening D&O Insurance Market,” Goodwin Client Alert, January 2020