Insurance

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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claim for lost business income after its laundromat development project was destroyed in a fire, saying Monday in an unpublished opinion that the developer's claim is not unduly speculative.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • November 01, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen two industry magnates take on the Gambling Commission, Ordinance Survey hit with a claim from a Swiss GPS maker, and China's largest oil company PetroChina face a claim from a Polish documentary maker. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • October 31, 2024

    2nd Circ. Draws BDO Back In Investor Suit In Revised Opinion

    The Second Circuit on Thursday reversed course in an amended opinion about an investor suit over financial restatements made by AmTrust Financial Services Inc., finding that auditor BDO USA LLP is not off the hook for certifying the insurer's financial statements.

  • October 31, 2024

    4th Circ. Told Door-Maker's $10M Claim Double-Dips Coverage

    A Travelers unit says it shouldn't have to fork over $10 million in excess coverage to a North Carolina door manufacturer that paid $39.5 million to settle a securities class action, telling the Fourth Circuit that the case stems from a flurry of antitrust litigation that began before its policy went into effect.

  • October 31, 2024

    Chubb Says No Coverage For Texas Chemical Explosion Suits

    Two Chubb units told a Texas federal court Thursday they owe no coverage to Team Industrial Services Inc. for two lawsuits seeking to hold it liable for injuries from an explosion at a chemical plant, arguing a pollution exclusion applies because a release of a chemical caused the explosion.

  • October 31, 2024

    Airbnb Insurance Providers Sued Over Undisclosed Fees

    A proposed class of Airbnb users sued two insurers for the rental platform in Washington federal court, alleging the providers violate state law by charging consumers who buy their travel insurance with an unavoidable "assistance fee."

  • October 31, 2024

    Kirkland Adds Partner To Insurance Transactions Practice

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP has added another partner to the firm's insurance transactions and regulatory practice group, following two other partner hires to the group earlier this year.

  • October 31, 2024

    The 2024 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard

    Check out the Law360 Pulse Leaderboard to see which firms made the list of leaders in all-around excellence this year.

Expert Analysis

  • How Associates Can Build A Professional Image

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    As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.

  • Insurers Have A Ch. 11 Voice Following High Court Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser Gypsum — which reaffirmed a broad definition of "party in interest" — will give insurers, particularly in mass tort Chapter 11 bankruptcies, more opportunity to protect their interests and identify problems with reorganization plans, says George Singer at Holland & Hart.

  • Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age

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    As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Cyber Takeaways For Cos. From Verizon Data Breach Report

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    Camilo Artiga-Purcell at Kiteworks analyzes the key findings of the 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report from a legal perspective, examining the implications for organizations' cybersecurity strategies and compliance efforts.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing

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    When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Reps And Warranties Insurance Considerations As M&A Slows

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    The first six months of the year have seen increasingly favorable rates and policy terms for the representations and warranties insurance market, and policy purchasers are right to pay close attention to pricing, coverage, exclusions, structures and claims as the M&A market cools, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • 8th Circ. Insurance Ruling Spotlights Related-Claims Defenses

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    The Eighth Circuit’s recent Dexon v. Travelers ruling — that the insurer must provide a defense despite the policy’s related-acts provision — provides guidance for how policyholders can overcome related-acts defenses, say Geoffrey Fehling and Jae Lynn Huckaba at Hunton.

  • Series

    Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians

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    Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Unpacking NY's Revised Hospital Cybersecurity Rule Proposal

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    The New York State Department of Health's recently revised hospital cybersecurity rule proposal highlights increased expectations and scrutiny around cybersecurity in the healthcare sector, while adapting to both recent industry developments and public comments, say Christine Moundas and Gideon Zvi Palte at Ropes & Gray.

  • Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent

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    As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.

  • The Uncertain Scope Of The First Financial Fair Access Laws

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    With Florida and Tennessee soon to roll out laws banning financial institutions from making decisions based on customer traits like political affiliation, national financial services providers should consider how broadly worded “fair access” laws from these and other conservative-leaning states may place new obligations on their business operations, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • An Insurance Coverage Checklist For PFAS Defendants

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    With PFAS liability exposures attracting increased media attention, now is a good time for companies that could be exposed to liability related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to review existing and past insurance policies, and consider taking proactive steps to maximize their likelihood of coverage, say attorneys at Nossaman.

  • Series

    Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge​​​​​​​ at Robinson Bradshaw.

  • A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence

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    The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.

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