Leasa Stewart is a shareholder in the Oklahoma City office of GableGotwals. She practices insurance coverage and bad faith litigation in state and federal courts throughout Oklahoma. Her expertise includes employee benefits litigation relating to life, health, and disability insurance, and she has represented numerous major insurers in this field. She also has an active appellate practice and has handled appeals in the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
Leasa is an active member of McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church and volunteer for the Sooner Theatre. She is honored to serve as Chancellor on the Board of Directors for the OU Wesley Foundation.
Publications
- Misrepresentation in the Life, Health, and Disability Application Process: A National Survey (Oklahoma), Third Edition, American Bar Association (April 2022)
- Life Insurance Law Update, Defense Research Institute Life, Health, Disability, and ERISA Seminar Course Materials (March 2019)
- Insanity, Minors, and Foreign Death: Payment Hurdles for Life Insurance Claims, Defense Research Institute Life, Health, Disability, and ERISA Seminar Course Materials (March 2018)
- The Law of Life Insurance: Key Issues in Each State (Oklahoma), Defense Research Institute Defense Library Series (2017)
- Life Insurance Law Update, Defense Research Institute Life, Health, Disability, and ERISA Seminar Course Materials (March 2015)
Experience:
- Leasa was lead counsel and obtained a complete defense jury verdict in a case involving allegations of misrepresentation and fraud in the sale of annuity products in the District Court of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma.
- Leasa was lead counsel and obtained summary judgment in favor of a large life insurance carrier in a suit alleging breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing based on the rescission of a life insurance policy for misrepresentations in the policy application.
- Leasa was lead counsel for a life insurer and obtained a declaratory judgment that no proceeds were due under a term life policy that had been converted by the insured based on mistaken billing and acceptance of premium. She also handled the appeal and the judgment was affirmed by the Tenth Circuit.
- Leasa was lead counsel for a large disability insurance carrier in a case removed to federal court where the plaintiff alleged improper application of the mental disorder limitation, obtaining a favorable judgment affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
- Leasa was lead counsel for a long-term care insurance carrier in a declaratory judgment action where the issue was whether the insured met the requirements to receive benefits under the policy and the insured asserted counterclaims for breach of contract and breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing.
- Leasa was lead counsel in defending a large insurer in a jury trial arising from the sale of credit life insurance to credit union members in the District Court of Muskogee County, Oklahoma.