Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Insurance
-
September 04, 2024
Turning Tides: Real Estate's Impending Insurance Crisis
Climate risk, once an abstract concept, is now a stark reality in the real estate industry as damage from stronger and more frequent weather events portends a drastic correction in the property insurance market. This new series explores state and local government efforts, shifting investor behavior, and home-buying trends as the climate-driven insurance crisis bubbles to the surface.
-
September 04, 2024
NC Biz Court Bulletin: Blackbeard IP Fight, Firm Data Breach
As summer winds down, the North Carolina Business Court tackled usage rights pertaining to footage and artifacts from Blackbeard's shipwreck while grappling with uncovering the details of a cyberattack that exposed the data of Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP. In case you missed those and others, here are the highlights.
-
September 04, 2024
NC Brewery, Broker Settle Flood Coverage Row
A North Carolina brewery and its insurance broker have reached an agreement in a dispute over flood coverage mere days before the action was set to go to trial, according to a notice filed in federal court, moving the case toward dismissal.
-
September 04, 2024
Ga. Justices Take On Barnes & Thornburg Malpractice Case
The Georgia Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to consider reviving a legal malpractice lawsuit against Barnes & Thornburg LLP over its handling of an underlying case against a life insurance company, with the justices focused on whether the doctrine of judgmental immunity should have barred the claims.
-
September 04, 2024
Insurer Must Cover Woman's Fire Claim, Wash. Panel Says
An insurer must cover a woman's claim for damage to her former home after she was assaulted and set on fire by her ex-husband, a Washington state appeals court ruled, finding that a domestic abuse exception to the policy's intentional loss exclusion applies.
-
September 03, 2024
5th Circ. Won't Revive BP Spill Malpractice Settlement
The Fifth Circuit will not take another look at a proposed global settlement over accusations that attorneys botched Louisiana residents' claims following the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, issuing an order on Tuesday denying residents' bids for an en banc hearing to revive the settlement that a Fifth Circuit panel overturned in August.
-
September 03, 2024
Insurance Intermediary Can't Revive Biz Interference Claims
Liberty Mutual and two of its adjusters had no obligation to work with an intermediary that helps contractors secure coverage, an Ohio appeals court ruled, rejecting the intermediary's claims that Liberty and the adjusters tortiously interfered with the intermediary's business relationships by refusing to communicate with it.
-
September 03, 2024
Pharma Co., State Street Hit With Pension Annuity Suit
Bristol-Myers Squibb retirees hit the pharmaceutical giant and its investment adviser, State Street, with a class action Tuesday in New York, alleging they breached their fiduciary duty to pensioners by converting pension benefits into annuity insurance contracts using a provider that wasn't the safest available.
-
September 03, 2024
Biz Groups Fail In 2nd Try To Stop NJ Temp Worker Law
A New Jersey law strengthening protections for temporary workers will stay in place because halting it would create more harm than good, a New Jersey federal judge ruled, turning down a renewed bid by staffing industry associations to pull the emergency brake on the law.
-
September 03, 2024
Landlord's Insurer Says Other Carrier Must Cover Death Suit
The insurer of a New Jersey restaurant must provide additional insured coverage to the restaurant's landlord in an underlying wrongful death suit, a Travelers unit told a federal court, saying Travelers shouldn't be the one to foot the bill for the landlord's defense costs.
-
September 03, 2024
Ex-Worker Says Car Parts Co. Hit Smokers With Illegal Fee
A former employee of a car parts manufacturer sued the company in Illinois federal court, claiming it violated federal benefits law by saddling tobacco users with a $100 monthly fee in its health plan without making clear they could dodge the charge by enrolling in a tobacco cessation program.
-
August 30, 2024
Connecticut Judge Wants More Info In Doctors' Billing Row
A Connecticut federal judge on Friday declined to immediately dismiss a medical staffing company's lawsuit against Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of Connecticut Inc. after the state's highest court answered three certified questions in the insurer's favor, asking for briefs after the insurer countered with a demand for a judgment.
-
August 30, 2024
HHS Wins Escape From Low-Income Hospital Payment Fight
A D.C. federal judge on Friday agreed to toss a lawsuit brought by a group of hospitals against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services challenging its Medicare payment determinations for low-income patients, finding the hospitals didn't exhaust their administrative remedies.
-
August 30, 2024
5th Circ. Rejects SEC Whistleblower Award Calculation Appeal
The Fifth Circuit on Friday rejected petitions by two whistleblowers who allege that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission shortchanged them after they helped to uncover purportedly the largest fraud in Texas history, by a company that was driven into bankruptcy.
-
August 30, 2024
Convicted NC Insurance Mogul Puts Off 2nd Criminal Trial
A North Carolina federal judge has pushed back convicted insurance mogul Greg Lindberg's latest criminal trial on charges he lied to state insurance regulators and defrauded policyholders, setting a new trial date for the November term.
-
August 30, 2024
NC Justices Scrap Mogul's Bid To Block Financial Overseer
The North Carolina Supreme Court blocked a bid by convicted insurance mogul Greg Lindberg to stave off a takeover of his finances as part of a legal battle with an insurer seeking to collect a $524 million arbitration award.
-
August 30, 2024
Door-Maker Demands $10M In Excess Insurance At 4th Circ.
A door manufacturer pressed the Fourth Circuit to force an insurer to hand over $10 million in excess coverage in connection with a $39.5 million shareholder settlement over alleged lies to investors, arguing Friday that the matter was unrelated to other litigation and counts as a separate claim.
-
August 30, 2024
3 Atty Takeaways On What's Ahead As ERISA Turns 50
As the Employee Retirement Income Security Act turns 50 years old this Labor Day, attorneys reflecting on five decades of development of the federal employee benefits law see a complex path ahead for both litigation and policy. Here are three key takeaways from top attorneys on what’s next for ERISA on its golden anniversary.
-
August 30, 2024
Condo Board Coverage Suit Over Maui Wildfire Gets Tossed
A Hawaii federal judge tossed an insurer's suit seeking to avoid representing a condo association and property manager after owners sent a letter blaming the association for illegally having insufficient insurance before the 2023 Maui wildfires decimated Lahaina, concluding matters were best left to Hawaii state court.
-
August 30, 2024
Insurers Say Honda, Dealership Owe $1M For Auto Fire
Insurers for a homeowners association and two residents told a New York federal court that Honda and a local dealership must foot the bill for a 2021 vehicle fire that caused property damage and "additional expenses" totaling over $1 million.
-
August 30, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen television property developer Kambiz Babaee hit with a fraud claim, a Bitcoin podcaster reignite a dispute with Australian computer scientist Craig Wright and football club owner Massimo Cellino's company file a claim against ClearBank. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
-
August 29, 2024
Pa. Justices To Examine Axing Of 'Red Book' Drug Pricing
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has agreed to review a decision tossing the "Red Book" pricing values used by the state's Bureau of Workers' Compensation to calculate reimbursement for prescription drug costs.
-
August 29, 2024
Insurer's $20M Tribal Loan Claim Goes To Fed. Claims Court
An Ohio federal judge has transferred a challenge to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland over the agency's cancellation of a $20 million tribal loan guarantee to Federal Claims Court, arguing this week that the sole alternative of an outright dismissal would be detrimental to the interests of justice and judicial economy.
-
August 29, 2024
Insurer Won't Let Brokerage Platform 'Eat Cake' In TM Suit
A Colorado workers' compensation insurance company, Cake Insure Inc., Thursday accused a brokerage platform called Eat Cake Inc. of infringing on its trademarked name, saying the web platform can't touch the delectable monicker.
-
August 29, 2024
Panel Tosses Insurer Dispute Over Drowning Death Coverage
It's too early to determine whether Farmers Insurance Exchange and Cincinnati Insurance Co. must both provide excess coverage to a property manager facing potential liability for a drowning, a Texas state appeals court ruled Thursday, finding the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction.
Expert Analysis
-
Justices' Ch. 11 Ruling Is A Big Moment For Debtors' Insurers
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Truck Insurance v. Kaiser Gypsum ruling upends decades of Chapter 11 bankruptcy jurisprudence that relegated a debtor’s insurer to the sidelines, giving insurers a new footing to try and avoid significant liability, say Stuart Gordon and Benjamin Wisher at Rivkin Radler.
-
3 Policyholder Tips After Calif. Ruling Denying D&O Coverage
A California decision from June, Practice Fusion v. Freedom Specialty Insurance, denying a company's claim seeking reimbursement under a directors and officers insurance policy for its settlement with the Justice Department, highlights the importance of coordinating coverage for all operational risks and the danger of broad exclusionary policy language, says Geoffrey Fehling at Hunton.
-
Opinion
Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism
As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.
-
Series
Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.
-
A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates
Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.
-
7th Circ Joins Trend Of No CGL Coverage For Structural Flaws
The Seventh Circuit, which recently held potential structural instability did not count as property damage under a construction company's commercial general liability policy, joins a growing consensus that faulty work does not implicate coverage without tangible and present damage to the project, say Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty, and Elan Kandel and James Talbert at Bailey Cavalieri.
-
M&A In The AI Era: Key Deal Terms To Watch
As the artificial intelligence market matures, so will due diligence needs, as M&A deals aimed at consolidation and new synergies raise unique legal and regulatory challenges, including potential antitrust and national security reviews, say attorneys at Skadden.
-
Opinion
States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions
Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.
-
New La. Managing Agent Law May Portend Growing Scrutiny
Recent amendments to Louisiana’s managing general agent regulations impose expansive new obligations on such agents and their insurer partners, which may be a sign of heightened regulatory, commercial and rating agency scrutiny, say attorneys at McDermott.
-
7th Circ. Exclusion Ruling Will Narrow BIPA Coverage
The Seventh Circuit's recent decision in Thermoflex Waukegan v. Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, holding that the access or disclosure exclusion applies to insurance claims brought under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, departs from the majority rule and opens the door to insurers more firmly denying coverage under general liability policies, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.
-
Series
Solving Puzzles Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Tackling daily puzzles — like Wordle, KenKen and Connections — has bolstered my intellectual property litigation practice by helping me to exercise different mental skills, acknowledge minor but important details, and build and reinforce good habits, says Roy Wepner at Kaplan Breyer.
-
Texas Ethics Opinion Flags Hazards Of Unauthorized Practice
The Texas Professional Ethics Committee's recently issued proposed opinion finding that in-house counsel providing legal services to the company's clients constitutes the unauthorized practice of law is a valuable clarification given that a UPL violation — a misdemeanor in most states — carries high stakes, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.
-
2 Options For Sackler Family After High Court Purdue Ruling
After the U.S. Supreme Court recently blocked Purdue Pharma's plan to shield the family that owns the company from bankruptcy lawsuits, the Sacklers face the choice to either continue litigation, or return to the bargaining table for a settlement that doesn't eliminate creditor claims, says Gregory Germain at Syracuse University.
-
In Memoriam: The Modern Administrative State
On June 28, the modern administrative state, where courts deferred to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, died when the U.S. Supreme Court overruled its previous decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council — but it is survived by many cases decided under the Chevron framework, say Joseph Schaeffer and Jessica Deyoe at Babst Calland.
-
What Fla. Ruling Means For Insurer Managed Repair Programs
A recent Florida state court ruling in Fraga v. Citizens Property Insurance, holding that the insurer could not seek to add additional terms in its managed repair program consent form, should promote clear written contract terms that clarify the relationship between insurers, policyholders and contractors, says Chip Merlin at Merlin Law Group.