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Insurance
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November 05, 2024
Susman Godfrey Opposes Fee Bid In $147.5M Insurance Deal
Susman Godfrey LLP lawyers have objected to three firms' requests for $36.9 million in attorney fees in a life insurance class action, saying they spent millions pressing similar New York and Pennsylvania claims being swept into an allegedly undervalued $147.5 million global settlement in Connecticut.
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November 05, 2024
Insurer Says No Coverage For Doctor Sex Assault Claims
An insurer covering an Ohio doctor who was indicted for over 50 counts of sexual misconduct and a private practice he worked at told an Ohio federal court that their policies must be rescinded because of multiple misrepresentations in policy renewals.
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November 05, 2024
Father, Daughter Attys Ask To Avoid Prison For Tax Scheme
Father and daughter attorneys convicted of participating in a multimillion-dollar tax avoidance scheme asked a North Carolina federal court to spare them prison sentences, with the daughter saying her father should have protected her and the father highlighting his mental illness.
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November 05, 2024
9th Circ. Says State Farm Needn't Cover Sex Assault Claims
A State Farm unit doesn't owe coverage to a man accused of sexual assault, the Ninth Circuit held Tuesday, affirming that the man engaged in deliberate and intentional conduct and thus there was no occurrence, or accident, for the purpose of triggering coverage.
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November 05, 2024
UBH Strikes Deal To End Mental Health Coverage Class Action
United Behavioral Health told a New York federal court Tuesday it needs more time to finalize an agreement that would resolve a class action alleging the insurance company denied coverage for mental health treatments it deemed "experimental" while paying for unproven remedies in other medical settings.
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November 05, 2024
Bright Health Beats Investor Suit Over COVID-19 Costs
The health insurer previously known as Bright Health Group Inc. no longer faces a proposed investor class action after a Brooklyn federal judge found that the company's initial public offering risk disclosures hadn't deliberately misled investors about its anticipated costs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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November 05, 2024
Management Co. Says Insurer Can't Duck HOA Fire Coverage
A property management company has taken an Auto-Owners Insurance unit to North Carolina federal court for allegedly trying to pull back defense and indemnity coverage it had already been providing in an underlying lawsuit brought by a homeowners' association over a 2021 fire, arguing that it's too late for the insurer to back out.
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November 05, 2024
Insurer Can't Avoid Paying $122K LSU Frat Hazing Award
The Fifth Circuit refused to let an Allstate unit off the hook for coverage of a $122,000 judgment entered in favor of the parents of a former Louisiana State University student who died during a fraternity hazing incident.
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November 05, 2024
MVP: Covington's Gretchen Hoff Varner
Gretchen Hoff Varner of Covington & Burling LLP secured a $70 million judgment in favor of Brooklyn Union Gas Co., now owned by National Grid, establishing coverage for decades of environmental contamination along New York's Gowanus Canal, earning her a spot as a 2024 Law360 Insurance MVP.
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November 05, 2024
Dems Push Insurance Regulators To Tackle Hurricane Fraud
Three Democrats on the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, including ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, sent letters to insurance regulators in the states hit by hurricanes Helene and Milton urging them to do more to prevent fraud and dishonesty from insurers looking to avoid covering damages.
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November 05, 2024
On The Ground: How Attorneys Safeguarded The Election
Attorneys worked tirelessly Tuesday to support citizens and election workers on the final day of voting in one of history's most contentious presidential contests.
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November 04, 2024
Cigna Scores $7.3M Verdict Against Fla. Drug Testing Labs
A Connecticut federal jury on Monday handed Cigna Health and Life Insurance Co. a victory against three Florida boutique drug testing laboratories, finding the labs unjustly billed nearly $7.3 million for tests on substance abuse patients that the insurer declared medically unnecessary.
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November 04, 2024
Yale Gets 2nd Circ. Win In COVID Test Reimbursement Row
A Connecticut medical practice can't sue Yale University under federal legislation enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic to recover the $1.1 million it said it incurred while providing COVID testing to university health plan members, the Second Circuit ruled Monday, finding no private cause of action existed.
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November 04, 2024
9th Circ. Revives Developer's Fire Loss Coverage Suit
The Ninth Circuit revived a company's claim for lost business income after its laundromat development project was destroyed in a fire, saying Monday in an unpublished opinion that the developer's claim is not unduly speculative.
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November 04, 2024
Judge Says She'll Likely Send Talc Ch. 11 Plan Out For Vote
A Delaware bankruptcy judge said Monday she will likely give a pair of talc producers permission to send their Chapter 11 plans out for a creditor vote, saying she was satisfied with the changes made since last week.
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November 04, 2024
La. City Seeks To Ax Arbitration Order In Storm Coverage Suit
A New Orleans suburb urged a Louisiana federal court to vacate its order forcing the city to arbitrate its claims against a group of domestic insurers over Hurricane Ida damage in light of a recent Louisiana Supreme Court decision nixing arbitration as an option.
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November 04, 2024
Insurer Says Only Sublimit Available In Sex Misconduct Suits
A commercial general liability insurer for a Nashville-based gym told a Tennessee federal court that only a $100,000 "each abuse" sublimit in an abuse endorsement is available for four civil lawsuits stemming from a personal trainer's sexual misconduct.
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November 04, 2024
Justices Remand Atty Privilege Case After Judge Admits Gaffe
The Colorado Supreme Court has remanded a case over whether communications between an insurance company's outside lawyer and the experts it hired to study an alleged construction defect are privileged, after some justices said the appeal was "half-baked" because the trial judge had already admitted she was wrong.
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November 04, 2024
MVP: Simpson Thacher's Andrew T. Frankel
Andrew Frankel, the head of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP's insurance and reinsurance practice, has represented insurers in complex coverage disputes over mass tort litigation, including a PFAS case, talc injury claims against Johnson & Johnson and thorny receivership issues in South Carolina asbestos litigation, earning him a spot among the 2024 Law360 Insurance MVPs.
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November 01, 2024
Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action
One circuit court will hold an oral argument for the history books, with dizzying logistics and stakes surpassing almost anything on the U.S. Supreme Court's calendar. Other circuit showdowns will delve into the high court's latest opinions and flesh out fascinating feuds involving big beer brands and emerging theories of "administrative state" overreach. All that and more is making November a month of exceptional appellate intrigue.
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November 01, 2024
Elevance Says Flawed Medicare Rating System Cost It $375M
Elevance Health Inc. has hit the Biden administration with a $375 million lawsuit in Texas federal court after the government slashed star ratings for its Medicare Advantage and Part D health plan contracts in the latest of multiple lawsuits by insurance companies challenging the government's rating system.
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November 01, 2024
FEMA Finalizes Rule Allowing Monthly NFIP Bill Payments
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders will be able to pay their premiums on a monthly basis starting next year, under a rule finalized Friday that is meant to incentivize greater and continued participation in the nation's largest provider of flood insurance.
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November 01, 2024
Gallery Owner Ends Virus Coverage Fight After Calif. Ruling
A California gallery owner has ended its COVID-19 property insurance dispute with a Hartford unit in the wake of a California Supreme Court ruling in August finding that a virus exclusion in a restaurant's policy, issued by the same unit, did not render coverage illusory.
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November 01, 2024
Retail Center Says AIG Unit Must Cover Foundation Damage
A real estate management company owned by Rick Caruso, a 2022 candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, accused an AIG unit of failing to cover property damage at one of its shopping complexes, telling a California federal court the insurer delayed notice for nearly 10 years.
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November 01, 2024
Taco Bell Franchisee Insurers Want Out Of BIPA Suit Coverage
Two Nationwide units told an Illinois federal court they owe no coverage to two Taco Bell franchisees facing a proposed class action alleging that they violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, invoking three separate exclusions in the franchisees' commercial general liability and umbrella policies.
Expert Analysis
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Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity
Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.
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Opinion
Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules
The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.
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The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO
The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.
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Navigating Fla.'s Shorter Construction Defect Claim Window
In light of recent legislation reducing the amount of time Florida homeowners have to bring construction defect claims, homeowners should be sure to understand their rights and responsibilities regarding maintenance, repairs and inspections set forth in developer-drafted documents, say Brian Tannenbaum and Nicholas Vargo at Ball Janik.
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Why Diversity Jurisdiction Poses Investment Fund Hurdles
Federal courts' continued application of the exacting rules of diversity jurisdiction presents particular challenges for investment funds, and in the absence of any near-term reform, those who manage such funds should take action to avoid diversity jurisdiction pitfalls, say attorneys at Sher Tremonte.
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What Hawaii High Court Got Right And Wrong In AIG Ruling
Though the Hawaii Supreme Court in its recent Aloha Petroleum v. National Union Fire Insurance decision correctly adopted the majority rule that recklessly caused harm is an accident for coverage purposes, it erred in its interpretation of the pollution exclusion by characterizing climate change as "traditional environmental pollution," say attorneys at Haynes Boone.
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7 Tips To Help Your Witness Be A Cross-Exam Heavyweight
Because jurors tend to pay a little more attention to cross-examination, attorneys should train their witnesses to strike a balance — making it tough for opposing counsel to make their side’s case, without coming across as difficult to the jury, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.
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Series
Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.
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Insurance Considerations For Cos. That May Face Strikes
The recent surge in major work stoppages in the U.S. highlights the growing importance of strike preparedness for businesses, which includes understanding strike insurance coverage options, say Chris D’Amour and Brooke Duncan at Adams and Reese.
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Tobacco Surcharge Suits Spotlight Wellness Reg Compliance
A mounting wave of tobacco-user surcharge litigation against employee benefit plans highlights compliance challenges associated with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act wellness regulations, and reminds plan sponsors to ask existential questions about the utility of their wellness programs, say Finn Pressly and Lesley Wolf at Ballard Spahr.
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Challenges Of Insuring An NIL Collective
Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty examines the emergence of name, image and likeness collectives for student-athletes, the current litigation landscape that has created a favorable environment for these organizations, and considerations for director and officer insurers looking to underwrite NIL collectives.
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Opinion
Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits
With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.
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How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program
During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.
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Series
Home Canning Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.
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Navigating The Bankruptcy Terrain After Purdue Pharma
The U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma is having a significant impact on bankruptcies, with recent cases addressing nonconsensual third-party releases and opt-out mechanisms, and highlighting strategies practitioners can employ to avoid running afoul of the decision, say Brett Axelrod and Agostino Zammiello at Fox Rothschild.