Neal A. Thakkar is a member of the New Jersey and Pennsylvania bars and is also admitted to practice in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the District of New Jersey, and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. His clients include Fortune 500 companies, including retailers, resorts, and casinos, and several national and regional insurers for both commercial and homeowner claims. Neal has successfully tried numerous cases to verdict before juries in New Jersey and Pennsylvania in personal injury matters and has obtained the dismissal of many more cases of all types through summary judgment. In addition to handling the defense of litigated claims against his clients, Neal regularly serves as coverage counsel for primary and excess insurers and guides them in matters of insurance policy interpretation and coverage litigation. He has a wealth of experience handling appeals before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the Superior Court of New Jersey – Appellate Division, and the Pennsylvania Superior Court.
Neal is a member of the National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association, an industry-centered organization that works to develop and mount effective defense strategies against claims and litigation. He is the past President and current board member of the South Jersey Claims Association and serves as its Director of Continuing Education. In this capacity, and as an instructor for the Institute of Strategic Educational Partners, Neal prepares and presents numerous continuing education classes each year for corporate clients, insurance companies, and organization members on a variety of topics.
When he’s not at work, Neal enjoys surf fishing, mountain biking, camping, and spending time with his family.
- Hand v. Philadelphia Ins. Co., 408 N.J. Super. 124 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. 2009)
- Knight v. Family Dollar, 2022 WL 3905917 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. 2022)
- Cranmer v. Harleysville Ins. Co., 719 Fed. Appx. 95 (3d Cir. 2017)
- Goldenstein v. Repossessors, Inc., 815 F.3d 142 (3d Cir. 2016)
- Pep Boys v. Conlin Trust, 2024 WL 1109075 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. 2024)
- Satya Sankalp, LLC v. Five Star Auction, Inc., 2014 WL 4428363 (App. Div. 2014)
- Byrd v. Salem Community College, 2009 WL 2015128 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. 2009)
- Pannebecker v. Philadelphia Indem. Ins. Co., 2011 WL 1135149 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. 2011)
- Mt. Holly Gardens Citizens In Action v. Twp. of Mt. Holly, 658 F.3d 375 (3d Cir. 2011)
- Represented a commercial tenant in a lawsuit against its landlord in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Gloucester County, alleging trespass, tortious interference with contractual relations, and nuisance. Obtained a judgment for consequential and punitive damages as well as injunctive relief that was upheld on appeal.
- Obtained summary judgment for a national retailer in a premises liability matter venued in Middlesex County, New Jersey, where the plaintiff claimed that the “mode of operation” exception relieved her of the obligation of proving notice of a dangerous condition; case affirmed on appeal.
- Obtained summary judgment on behalf of an insurer in a first party insurance case where the plaintiff asserted claims for business interruption and other coverages arising from Superstorm Sandy on the basis of accord and satisfaction where the insured’s attorney accepted and deposited a settlement check prior to filing suit. The District Court for the District of New Jersey granted summary judgment and denied plaintiff’s motion for reconsideration, and the rulings were affirmed by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Defended a limousine service and its driver in a damages only personal injury trial in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in a matter involving four experts for the plaintiff and three for defendant. Plaintiff’s pretrial demand was $1.5 million, and the jury awarded $10,000 after a five-day trial and one hour of deliberations.
- Successfully defended an insurance company in a declaratory judgment action in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas where the plaintiff sought to reform a commercial auto insurance policy to provide $1 million in underinsured motorist coverage. Following a 1-day bench trial and pre- and post-trial briefing, the Court held that UIM coverage was limited to $35,000.
Insurance Ethics; South Jersey Claims Association; via Zoom; February 2025
- Dram Shop and Social Host Liability; South Jersey Claims Association; via Zoom; October 2024
- Premises Liability; South Jersey Claims Association; via Zoom; October 2023
- Statutory and Common Law Immunities; South Jersey Claims Association; via Zoom; March 2023
- UM/UIM; South Jersey Claims Association; via Zoom; December 2022
- Ethical Decision Making In The Insurance Industry; South Jersey Claims Association; via Zoom; October 2022
- Personal and Commercial Auto Coverage; South Jersey Claims Association; via Zoom; December 2021
- Personal Auto Coverage; South Jersey Claims Association; via Zoom; March 2021
- Litigating Equine Personal Injury Cases; Lawline; via Zoom; January 2021
- Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist: Coverage & Arbitration; South Jersey Claims Association; Mount Laurel, NJ; September 2018
- Insurance Ethics; South Jersey Claims Association; Mount Laurel, New Jersey; April 2018
- Statutory & Common Law Immunities; South Jersey Claims Association; Mount Laurel, New Jersey; February 2017
Practice Areas
Education
- Lawrence University - B.A. History
- Rutgers University School of Law - Camden - J.D.
Bar Admission
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania