More Insurance Coverage
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April 15, 2024
Tax Attys, Broker Peddled 'Financial Fantasy,' NC Jury Told
A North Carolina federal jury on Monday heard a series of secret recordings at the start of a tax fraud trial in which an insurance agent and a St. Louis attorney unwittingly pitched an undercover IRS agent on a way to decrease taxable income — or what the government characterized as a "financial fantasy."
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April 15, 2024
Allstate Asks Court To Order Takedown Of 'Smear' Posts
Allstate asked a Colorado federal judge to order a former independent contractor to remove false statements on his website accusing the insurer of selling customers' personal information to criminals, arguing it has been irreparably injured and that the defendant has signaled he has no plans to stop his smear campaign.
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April 15, 2024
Maynard Nexsen Boosts IP And Insurance Teams With Hires
Maynard Nexsen PC has added an intellectual property shareholder in Nashville and an insurance shareholder and counsel in Austin, Texas, the firm said last week.
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April 12, 2024
Jackson Lewis Hires Employment Litigator In Baltimore
Employer-side firm Jackson Lewis PC has added a former U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission litigator to its Baltimore office who says her experience with the federal bias watchdog gives her a comprehensive view on how to advise clients.
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April 12, 2024
Absent Link To $10M Root Suit, Exec's Family Info Off Limits
An Ohio federal magistrate judge has shut down two subpoenas directed at the wife and father of an advertising executive named in car insurance company Root Inc.'s $10 million racketeering and fraud suit, writing in the order that the insurer cannot simply assume documents are relevant in requesting them.
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April 11, 2024
Norfolk's Proposed Deal Shows Risk Management Is Critical
Norfolk Southern Railway Co.'s proposed $600 million settlement with residents and businesses stemming from last year's train derailment and toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, highlights the importance of a proactive risk management department and transparency between policyholders and carriers, experts say.
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April 11, 2024
UnitedHealth Patients' Addiction Coverage Suit Revived, Again
The Ninth Circuit on Thursday revived for the second time a proposed class action accusing UnitedHealth of wrongly rejecting coverage for outpatient substance use disorder treatments in violation of federal benefits law, finding the plaintiff plausibly alleged the insurer employed an excessively strict review process for those claims.
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April 11, 2024
Judge Invalidates Software Patents Over Generic Parts
A Nebraska federal judge ruled Thursday that agricultural software developer AGI Suretrack's claims for a series of software hardware patents were too abstract to be valid.
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April 11, 2024
Insurer Says Firm Not Covered For Bogus Check Scheme
An insurance firm has filed a complaint in Washington federal court seeking a declaration that it doesn't owe coverage to a Seattle-area firm and its sole attorney, who are embroiled in litigation with a bank after the firm fell prey to a counterfeit check scheme.
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April 11, 2024
6th Circ. Orders Redo In Brokerage's Trade Secrets Row
The Sixth Circuit ordered an Ohio district court to take another look at its ruling that a team of insurance brokerage's workers who defected for a competitor must comply with non-compete terms, reasoning that the lower court referenced standards for the injunction, but didn't actually consider them.
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April 10, 2024
BDO Fights SEC's 'Misdirected' Call For 2nd Circ. Rehearing
BDO USA LLP is urging the Second Circuit not to reconsider a decision that freed the firm from private litigation over AmTrust Financial Services Inc.'s financial restatements, saying the court should not heed "misdirected concerns" from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission about the ruling's supposed impact on shareholders' ability to sue public company auditors.
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April 10, 2024
La. Top Court Asked To Hear Insurance Arbitration Questions
The Louisiana Supreme Court should examine the enforceability of arbitration clauses in certain insurance contracts as lawsuits seeking coverage for hurricane damage mount, a Louisiana district court said, certifying a series of questions to the state high court after the Fifth Circuit found they were enforceable.
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April 10, 2024
Bankrupt Hospital Co.'s $16M Deal With Ex-Execs OK'd
A Delaware bankruptcy judge agreed Wednesday to let the liquidating trustee for hospital operator Promise Healthcare proceed with a $16 million settlement with former executives to resolve his Florida federal court lawsuit, which alleged they abused the company's trust by lying to board members for their own benefit.
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April 10, 2024
Insurer Slams 'Price-Gouging' Doctor's COVID Billing Suit
Health plan administrator United Medical Resources Inc. fired back at a doctor's $783,000 suit claiming that he and his practice firms were shortchanged for COVID-19 testing services, with multiple counterclaims alleging that the doctor billed for unnecessary extra testing and put in claims for services that were never rendered.
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April 10, 2024
Honeywell Sues Insurer For $8.75M Performance Bond
A company that issued a $8.75 million performance bond is refusing to honor its deal with Honeywell International Inc. after a subcontractor declared bankruptcy and didn't finish its work at the Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania, Honeywell claims in a suit filed Tuesday in Pennsylvania federal court.
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April 10, 2024
Iowa Lawmakers OK Lowering Captive Insurer Premium Taxes
Iowa would lower the rate of tax imposed on some captive insurance companies' reinsurance premiums under a bill unanimously approved by the state Senate and headed to the governor.
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April 10, 2024
Henderson Franklin Grows With Litigator From Fla. Boutique
Henderson Franklin Starnes & Holt PA has added a seasoned litigator to its Naples, Florida, office who previously was a co-founder of his own firm, Goddy & Donnelly PLLC.
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April 10, 2024
Feds Cleared To Use Undercover Recording In Atty's Tax Trial
Federal prosecutors trying an attorney next week on charges he orchestrated a tax fraud scheme that spanned seven states will be allowed to play for the jury an audio recording made by an undercover agent, a North Carolina federal judge ruled.
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April 10, 2024
DOJ, La. Nursing Home Owner Settle FHA Loan Fraud Claims
A Louisiana nursing home owner reached a deal with the U.S. Department of Justice to end a lawsuit accusing him of misusing funds and assets for his Federal Housing Administration-insured facilities before and after Hurricane Ida.
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April 10, 2024
Liberty Mutual Says Former Star Sales Rep Poached Clients
A former high-performing sales representative for a Liberty Mutual Group Inc. subsidiary violated nonsolicitation and nondisclosure agreements when he left to start his own competing agency, the insurer alleged in a Massachusetts state court complaint.
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April 09, 2024
9th Circ. Says Hotel, Restaurant Virus Losses Not Covered
The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday said two groups of Washington state restaurants and hotels can't claim COVID-related business losses under their insurance policies because they failed to show they physically lost functional use of their properties as a result of the virus.
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April 09, 2024
3 Years In, 'No Surprises' Gets Mixed Reviews From Providers
It's been more than three years since President Joe Biden signed federal "surprise" medical billing legislation. But after a rocky roll-out and several successful legal challenges, some are giving the No Surprises Act mixed reviews, including its particularly contentious independent dispute resolution process.
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April 09, 2024
Insurers Can Expect Scrutiny Over AI Use, Pa. Agency Says
Pennsylvania insurers can expect to receive scrutiny over their use of artificial intelligence tools, the state's insurance department said in guidance that urges companies to take measures to minimize discrimination, inaccuracies and potential harms to consumers.
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April 09, 2024
Colo. Justices Doubt Workers' Comp Stops Insurance Suits
A Colorado Supreme Court justice expressed doubt Tuesday that lawmakers, in crafting Colorado's workers' compensation law, intended to make employees choose between getting workers' comp and suing their employer's auto insurer when injured on the job by an underinsured driver — tackling a question that has stymied the state's federal judiciary.
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April 09, 2024
Predatory Medicare Marketing Faces Regulator Pushback
Consumers weighing Medicare plan options should have greater protections from predatory marketing and sales tactics, thanks to a new rule by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that was finalized April 4.
Expert Analysis
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Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD
Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.
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M&A Ruling Buoys Loss Calculation Method, R&W Insurance
The recent Southern District of New York decision in Taylor Precision Products v. Larimer affirms the use of EBITDA as a basis to quantify loss, highlighting the potential shortcomings of a traditional seller indemnity compared to representation and warranty insurance, say Mark Schwartz at Lockton, and William O’Neil and Gretchen Scavo at Winston & Strawn.
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Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence
Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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ESG Around The World: The UK
Following Brexit, the U.K. has adopted a different approach to regulating environmental, social and governance factors from the European Union — an approach that focuses on climate disclosures by U.K.-regulated entities, while steering clear of the more ambitious objectives pursued by the EU, say attorneys at Dechert.
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Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes
Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.
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Air Ambulance Ch. 11s Show Dispute Program Must Resume
Air Methods’ recent bankruptcy filing highlights the urgent need to reopen the No Surprises Act’s independent dispute resolution program for air ambulances, whose shutdown benefits insurance companies and hurts providers, says Adam Schramek at Norton Rose.
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Pro Bono Work Is Powerful Self-Help For Attorneys
Oct. 22-28 is Pro Bono Week, serving as a useful reminder that offering free legal help to the public can help attorneys expand their legal toolbox, forge community relationships and create human connections, despite the challenges of this kind of work, says Orlando Lopez at Culhane Meadows.
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Creating A Safe Workplace Goes Beyond DEI Compliance
The Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority recently proposed a new diversity and inclusion regulatory framework to combat sexual harassment in the workplace, and companies should take this opportunity to holistically transform their culture to ensure zero tolerance for misconduct, says Vivek Dodd at Skillcast.
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The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Espinosa On 'Lincoln Lawyer'
The murder trials in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” illustrate the stark contrast between the ethical high ground that fosters and maintains the criminal justice system's integrity, and the ethical abyss that can undermine it, with an important reminder for all legal practitioners, say Judge Adam Espinosa and Andrew Howard at the Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court.
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Calif. GHG Disclosure Law Will Affect Companies Worldwide
California's Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, which will require comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions disclosures from large companies operating in the state, will mean compliance challenges for a wide range of industries, nationally and globally, as the law's requirements will ultimately trickle out and down, say attorneys at Brownstein Hyatt.
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Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform
The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.
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ESG Around The World: Japan
Japan is witnessing rapid developments in environmental, social and corporate governance policies by making efforts to adopt a soft law approach, which has been effective in encouraging companies to embrace ESG practices and address the diversity of boards of directors, say Akira Karasawa and Landry Guesdon at Iwata Godo.
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How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing
Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.