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Insurance
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June 07, 2024
11th Circ. Urged To Undo Exclusion Of $80M Asset Valuation
A trustee for creditors of ATIF Inc. told the Eleventh Circuit on Friday that a trial judge erred in excluding an expert's $80 million valuation of the bankrupt title insurance underwriter's 2015 transfer of assets to Old Republic National Title Insurance Co.
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June 07, 2024
7 Health Insurers Eye Rate Hikes In Connecticut
Seven health insurers have asked Connecticut state regulators to approve rate hikes of 7.4% to 12.5% for individual market plans and 5.1% to 13.6% for small groups, averaging out to a lesser increase than last year's, according to an announcement Friday.
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June 07, 2024
Texas Top Court Denies Roofer's Challenge To Adjuster Laws
The Supreme Court of Texas tossed on Friday a roofing company's challenge to the state's public adjuster licensing laws, saying that requiring a license or preventing certain conduct didn't violate the roofer's free speech rights.
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June 07, 2024
'House of Cards' Makers May Proceed With Coverage Suit
The companies that produced the Netflix series "House of Cards" can proceed with their coverage suit over losses sustained during production of the final season after allegations of sexual misconduct against the show's lead, Kevin Spacey, came to light, a California state court said.
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June 07, 2024
State Farm Denies Defense Of Daycare In Nap Drugging Suits
State Farm told a Washington federal court it had no duty to defend a childcare center accused of deploying corporal punishment and nonconsensually drugging children with Benadryl to induce nap time.
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June 07, 2024
Judge Agrees To DQ Houston Firm In Fight Over MMA Law
A Texas bankruptcy judge sided with troubled Houston firm MMA Law and agreed this week that another Houston firm, Okin Adams Bartlett Curry LLP, had received confidential information from MMA Law and should be disqualified from representing its creditors.
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June 07, 2024
Support Co. Can't Revive Suit Blaming Lindberg For Lost Biz
A customer support company that claimed its ties to convicted insurance mogul Greg E. Lindberg cost it an important client can't revive a fraudulent concealment suit, with the Fourth Circuit ruling Friday that Lindberg wasn't obligated to disclose his criminal conduct.
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June 07, 2024
Calif. Developer Seeks $5M Excess Coverage For Defect Suits
A California developer is seeking coverage under a $5 million excess policy for an underlying settlement stemming from construction defect claims, telling a federal court that its excess insurer wrongfully refused to cooperate in the dispute resolution and that the policy expressly provided coverage.
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June 07, 2024
Zurich, Loan Co. Settle $15M Ex-3M Campus Repairs Suit
The lender and current title owner for a now-foreclosed Austin property that was once the campus of 3M reached a settlement in principle with a Zurich unit over coverage for their $15.5 million winter storm damage claim, the parties told a Texas federal court.
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June 07, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
The past week in London has seen British broadcaster GB News hit with a libel claim by climate activist Dale Vince, MGM take aim at an immersive events company over intellectual property rights to the James Bond franchise, and law firms Stephenson Harwood and Bowen-Morris & Partners tackle a contracts claim by investment adviser Yieldstreet. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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June 06, 2024
Texas AG Takes Aim At Carmakers Selling Drivers' Data
Texas' attorney general has become the latest to turn up the data-privacy heat on connected car manufacturers, revealing Thursday that his office has begun an investigation into how these companies amass and sell drivers' data to third parties, including insurance providers.
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June 06, 2024
La. Commercial Property Co. Settles Storm Insurance Dispute
A Louisiana federal judge has dismissed a commercial property owner's coverage fight over windstorm damage after the company settled in arbitration with a group of 10 insurers.
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June 06, 2024
Cellular Fraud Ring Netted $9M In Fake Lost Phone Claims
Telephone providers and insurance companies were bilked out of $9 million over a six-year period by a scam that used stolen identities to trick them into replacing mobile devices, which were then resold outside the country, according to a guilty plea secured by federal prosecutors.
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June 06, 2024
11th Circ. Won't Revive State Farm Auto Policy Coverage Fight
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Thursday the dismissal of a State Farm auto policyholder's proposed class action alleging the insurer breaches its own policies by routinely denying medical expense coverage based on an ambiguous "reasonableness" standard, finding that the policyholder's interpretation of the policy would render parts of it "meaningless."
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June 06, 2024
Wash. Judge Suggests Insurer Dragged Out IP Dispute
A Washington federal judge appeared unconvinced Thursday by a dental health insurer's argument that it acted honestly in pushing forward with trade secret claims even after the accused ex-employee returned her company-issued laptop that purportedly held sensitive information.
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June 06, 2024
Insurer Off The Hook For $3.4M Nursing Home Death Verdict
A Berkshire Hathaway unit needn't cover a $3.4 million default judgment entered against its insured in a wrongful death suit, an Illinois federal judge determined, finding that the insured nursing home "did not meet its own reporting and cooperation obligations under the policy."
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June 06, 2024
8th Circ. Affirms Cigna Noncompete Applies To CVS Hire
The Eighth Circuit has backed a lower court finding that blocked a healthcare industry executive from making a move to CVS, handing a win to Cigna in a case over trade secrets.
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June 06, 2024
State Farm Escapes Policyholder's Life Insurance GIPA Suit
An Illinois state court has permanently tossed a State Farm policyholder's privacy claims targeting family medical history questions the insurer asked as part of its life insurance underwriting process, agreeing with its argument that the state's Genetic Information Privacy Act doesn't apply to life insurance.
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June 06, 2024
Dollar Tree Mint's Injury To Toddler Not Covered, Insurer Says
The insurer of a breath mint manufacturer told a Missouri federal court that due to a pollution exclusion in its policy, it shouldn't have to defend against a suit alleging a toddler suffered severe esophageal injuries after swallowing freshening drops sold by Dollar Tree.
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June 06, 2024
In Reversal, Justices Say Insurer Has Standing In Ch. 11 Case
Truck Insurance Exchange can intervene in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings of two manufacturing companies facing numerous asbestos injury claims, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday in a reversal of the Fourth Circuit, finding Truck qualifies as a "party in interest" under the Bankruptcy Code.
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June 06, 2024
Justices Affirm Taxing Of Estate On Insurance Payout
The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed on Thursday a decision denying a tax refund to the estate of an owner of a building materials company that used a payout from his $3.5 million life insurance policy to purchase his shares in the business.
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June 05, 2024
Aluminum Co. Seeks Reversal Of $10M Coverage Cap
An aluminum supplier is urging the Fourth Circuit to reverse a lower court's ruling capping its damages at $10 million because of a molten material endorsement, arguing that the fire and water damage it sustained is separate and not subject to any sublimit or exclusion.
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June 05, 2024
Debevoise-Led Ambac Unveils 2 Deals Totaling $702M
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP-led Ambac Financial Group on Wednesday announced two deals totaling $702 million, as the insurance holding company said it agreed to sell its financial guarantee business for $420 million in cash and separately announced that it will purchase a majority stake in Beat Capital Partners for roughly $282 million.
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June 05, 2024
Chubb Needn't Cover $14.5M Mold Deal, 11th Circ. Says
A $14.5 million consent judgment that a Florida woman secured against her condominium's property manager over what she alleged was mold exposure cannot be enforced against a pair of Chubb insurers, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed, saying the manager's carriers did not breach their duty to defend.
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June 05, 2024
House Votes To Block Vets' Access To Gender-Affirming Care
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a $147.5 billion spending bill along mostly party lines funding military construction and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which would block veterans' access to gender-affirming care and which the White House has already threatened to veto.
Expert Analysis
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Cos. Seeking Cyber Coverage Can Look To Key Policy Terms
As cyberattacks increasingly threaten business operations, including one last month that partially paralyzed UnitedHealth's services, expanded interpretations of several key policy terms may allow affected companies to recover under cyber business interruption policies or other coverage, even if their business hasn't completely shut down, say attorneys at Kasowitz.
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What Recent Study Shows About AI's Promise For Legal Tasks
Amid both skepticism and excitement about the promise of generative artificial intelligence in legal contexts, the first randomized controlled trial studying its impact on basic lawyering tasks shows mixed but promising results, and underscores the need for attorneys to proactively engage with AI, says Daniel Schwarcz at University of Minnesota Law School.
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How Calif. Video Recording Ruling May Affect Insured Exams
A recent California appellate decision, Myasnyankin v. Nationwide, allowing policyholders to video record all parties to an insurance examination under oath, has changed the rules of the road for EUOs and potentially opened Pandora's box for future disputes, say John Edson and Preston Bennett at Sheppard Mullin.
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Opinion
Insurance Industry Asbestos Reserve Estimates Are Unreliable
Insurance regulators rely on industry self-reporting in approving insurance company reorganizations, but AM Best data reveals that actuarial and audit estimates have been setting perniciously low levels of loss reserves for asbestos liabilities and thus should be treated with deep skepticism, says Jonathan Terrell at KCIC.
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Insurance Implications Of Trump's NY Civil Fraud Verdict
A New York state trial court’s $450 million judgment against former President Donald Trump and affiliated entities for valuation fraud offers several important lessons for companies seeking to obtain directors and officers insurance, including the consequences of fraudulent misrepresentations and critical areas of underwriting risk, says Kevin LaCroix at RT ProExec.
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Litigation Inspiration: A Source Of Untapped Fulfillment
As increasing numbers of attorneys struggle with stress and mental health issues, business litigators can find protection against burnout by remembering their important role in society — because fulfillment in one’s work isn’t just reserved for public interest lawyers, say Bennett Rawicki and Peter Bigelow at Hilgers Graben.
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Understanding Insurance Is Key To Limiting Antitrust Liability
As regulators signal their intent to continue last year's aggressive campaign of corporate antitrust litigation, businesses must make active management of their liability insurance policies, along with a firm knowledge of the limits of their coverage, central to their strategies for limiting the enormous financial risks of enforcement, say attorneys at Nossaman.
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Series
Skiing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
A lifetime of skiing has helped me develop important professional skills, and taught me that embracing challenges with a spirit of adventure can allow lawyers to push boundaries, expand their capabilities and ultimately excel in their careers, says Andrea Przybysz at Tucker Ellis.
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Opinion
High Court Should Endorse Insurer Standing In Bankruptcy
In Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser Gypsum, the U.S. Supreme Court will examine bankruptcy standing doctrine as applied to insurers in mass tort cases, and should use the opportunity to eliminate spurious standing roadblocks to resolving insurer objections on their merits, says Frank Perch at White and Williams.
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Texas Insurance Ruling Could Restore Finality To Appraisal
The Texas Supreme Court's decision in Rodriguez v. Safeco, determining that full payment of an appraisal award precludes recovery of attorney fees, indicates a potential return to an era in which timely payment undoubtedly disposes of all possible policyholder claims, says Karl Schulz at Cozen O'Connor.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Forget Everything You Know About IRAC
The mode of legal reasoning most students learn in law school, often called “Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion,” or IRAC, erroneously frames analysis as a separate, discrete step, resulting in disorganized briefs and untold obfuscation — but the fix is pretty simple, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Lessons For D&O Policyholders From Pharma Co. Ruling
A California federal court's recent decision in AmTrust v. 180 Life Sciences, requiring insurers to advance defense costs for a potentially covered claim, provides a valuable road map for directors and officers insurance policyholders, rebutting the common presumption that a D&O insurer's duty to advance costs is more limited than under other policies, say attorneys at Pasich.
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How Firms Can Ensure Associate Gender Parity Lasts
Among associates, women now outnumber men for the first time, but progress toward gender equality at the top of the legal profession remains glacially slow, and firms must implement time-tested solutions to ensure associates’ gender parity lasts throughout their careers, say Kelly Culhane and Nicole Joseph at Culhane Meadows.
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7 Common Myths About Lateral Partner Moves
As lateral recruiting remains a key factor for law firm growth, partners considering a lateral move should be aware of a few commonly held myths — some of which contain a kernel of truth, and some of which are flat out wrong, says Dave Maurer at Major Lindsey.
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5 Tips For Policyholders Arbitrating R&W Insurance Claims
With more representations and warranties insurance disputes being arbitrated, policyholder counsel should note issues that are unique to RWI claims, including those of privilege, priority and preserving subrogation, says Micah Skidmore at Haynes Boone.