Insurance

  • October 03, 2024

    10th Circ. Denies Gunshot Injury Coverage To Hookah Lounge

    The Tenth Circuit backed an insurer's win Thursday against a hookah lounge seeking coverage of underlying litigation over paralyzing gunshot wounds a man suffered in 2019 during a shootout between lounge security guards and an armed patron.

  • October 03, 2024

    12 Lawyers Who Are The Future Of The Supreme Court Bar

    One attorney hasn't lost a single U.S. Supreme Court case she's argued, or even a single justice's vote. One attorney is perhaps "the preeminent SCOTUS advocate." And one may soon become U.S. solicitor general, despite acknowledging there are "judges out there who don't like me." All three are among a dozen lawyers in the vanguard of the Supreme Court bar's next generation, poised to follow in the footsteps of the bar's current icons.

  • October 03, 2024

    Startup Undercuts Its Case In Trade Secrets Brief, AIG Says

    A group of AIG insurers told a New Jersey federal court that a competitor insurance startup they've accused of misappropriating their trade secrets undercut its own arguments for dismissal by citing a case that "does nothing to undermine the many cases" AIG has previously cited in opposition.

  • October 03, 2024

    NJ Mogul's Brother Says Lawyering Isn't Racketeering

    Parker McCay PA shareholder Philip A. Norcross is urging a New Jersey state judge to toss the sweeping indictment against him, his power broker brother and others over an alleged extortion scheme to acquire riverfront property in a distressed city, arguing that none of the targeted conduct is criminal.

  • October 03, 2024

    Ex-GC Returns To Lead Massachusetts Insurance Division

    Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced Wednesday the appointment of a veteran in-house counsel with government and corporate experience as commissioner of the state's Division of Insurance.

  • October 03, 2024

    Calif. Eateries End COVID-19 Coverage Fight

    The operators of two high-end Napa Valley restaurants told the Ninth Circuit they have agreed to end their suit seeking to recover pandemic-related losses from a Hartford unit following the California Supreme Court's ruling in a similar case that a virus exclusion didn't render limited virus coverage illusory.

  • October 02, 2024

    Insurer Seeks To Ax NC Mogul's Appeal In Receivership Row

    An insurer seeking to collect on a $524 million arbitration award against insurance mogul Greg Lindberg told a North Carolina appeals court that in order to avoid a court-appointed receiver taking control of his assets, he's filed a "baseless" appeal arguing the state's courts lack jurisdiction over him.

  • October 02, 2024

    Gordon Rees Atty Asks Judge To Rethink Malpractice Ruling

    A Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP attorney urged a Washington state court to reconsider a recent ruling denying the dismissal of legal malpractice claims brought by the insurer for a climbing equipment manufacturer, saying the assignment and subrogation of professional liability claims is improper.

  • October 02, 2024

    Ex-PBM Worker Says He Bribed Co-Workers In $160M Fraud

    A former employee of a pharmacy benefit manager told a Texas federal jury on Wednesday that he accepted more than $180,000 in bribes over five years from a Houston man accused of running a multimillion-dollar healthcare fraud, testifying that he would often accept money to bribe his co-workers with.

  • October 02, 2024

    Defense Atty Escapes DQ In $3M Transaction Row, For Now

    An attorney representing a businessman facing a $3 million fraud suit over a botched business transaction will not be forced to step away from the case, a South Dakota federal judge determined Wednesday, denying a motion seeking to disqualify the lawyer because he worked on the deal at issue in the suit.

  • October 02, 2024

    State Farm's Sanctions Bid Nixed In Driver Tech Patent Tangle

    Noting that both parties had unclean hands, a Texas federal judge denied State Farm's request for sanctions in consolidated patent infringement cases brought by an inventor who patented driver monitoring technology that he claims the insurer and automakers Mercedes-Benz and Honda used without permission.

  • October 02, 2024

    Co. Nixes 2nd Insurer From Chemical Leak Defense Suit

    A subcontractor facing consolidated personal injury claims over a chemical leak at a LyondellBasell facility in La Porte, Texas, voluntarily tossed its coverage claims against a second insurer in Texas federal court, leaving one insurer remaining in the dispute.

  • October 02, 2024

    4th Circ. Says Murdaugh Can't Appeal Fraud Sentence

    Former South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, who is serving life in prison for murder, was denied an appeal of a separate 40-year sentence after pleading guilty to stealing at least $9 million from clients by a Fourth Circuit panel that said he'd waived his right to appeal.

  • October 02, 2024

    Starr Says School Insurer Owes $1.9M For Abuse Settlement

    Starr Indemnity & Liability Co. said it is entitled to reimbursement for its $1.9 million portion of a $3.5 million settlement paid to resolve a sexual abuse suit against a California high school, telling a federal court that a school risk-sharing pool insurer is solely liable for the payment.

  • October 01, 2024

    Convicted CEO Narrows Fee Bid Against Conn. Utility Co-Op

    A former Connecticut utility CEO has dropped some attorney fee claims against his onetime employer following a jury conviction for stealing public funds, telling a federal judge on Tuesday to focus on a bid for fees should prosecutors choose to litigate a second indictment.

  • October 01, 2024

    Ga. County Urges Full 11th Circ. To Nix Trans Deputy's Win

    A Georgia county told the Eleventh Circuit on Monday that a health plan coverage exclusion for gender-affirming surgery is comparable to other exclusions in coverage and does not violate federal anti-discrimination laws.

  • October 01, 2024

    Calif. Judge Won't Let Insurers Slip Mold Coverage Suit

    A California federal judge mostly refused to allow a group of insurers to escape a suit filed by the owner and operator of a 231-unit California apartment complex seeking coverage for mold under a $69 million builders risk policy.

  • October 01, 2024

    Colo. Workers' Comp. Doesn't Exempt Employer Auto Insurers

    Workers who are injured in car accidents while on the job can sue their employers' auto insurance carriers for underinsured motorist coverage, even if they have received workers' compensation benefits, Colorado's supreme court concluded, finding no state law precluded it.

  • October 01, 2024

    Insurers Say $40M Hurricane Claims Must Be Arbitrated

    A group of insurers led by certain underwriters at Lloyd's, London urged a Louisiana federal court to reject a group of property owners' "last-ditch effort" to avoid arbitrating their hurricane damage claims totaling over $40 million, arguing the owners "don't dispute" that the arbitration provision in their policy is enforceable.

  • October 01, 2024

    Military Contractor's Widow Can Continue Death Benefit Suit

    A widow's pursuit of $670,000 in benefits following her husband's death in Afghanistan while training the country's police force can continue, an Illinois federal judge ruled, trimming claims against the man's employers and benefits administrators but leaving her breach of contract claim against an insurer intact.

  • October 01, 2024

    First Marshall Fire Trial To Decide Liability For All Plaintiffs

    A Colorado state judge ruled Monday that the first trial in consolidated lawsuits against Xcel Energy and telecom companies for damages related to a 2021 wildfire will decide liability for all plaintiffs unless they show a good reason to opt-out.

  • October 01, 2024

    Willis Towers Watson Inks $632M Sale Of Tranzact To PE Firms

    Insurance company Willis Towers Watson Plc, advised by Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP, on Tuesday announced that it is divesting its direct-to-consumer insurance distribution business Tranzact and selling it to Kirkland & Ellis LLP-advised private equity firm GTCR and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP-led technology services investment platform Recognize for $632.4 million.

  • October 01, 2024

    Doctors Were 'Bamboozled' By $160M Health Fraud, Jury Told

    A Houston man accused of defrauding the government out of $160 million by submitting false claims for diabetes medication is only guilty of creating a competitive business model, his attorney said Tuesday, telling a Texas federal jury it was "ridiculous" to say doctors across the country were "bamboozled" by an alleged scheme.

  • October 01, 2024

    Insurer Says Polaris Gave Late Notice Of Death, Burn Suits

    An excess insurer for a manufacturer of off-road vehicles said it should recover the $10 million it spent to help settle two lawsuits against the manufacturer over a fatal vehicle fire, telling a Minnesota federal court it was "severely prejudiced" by the manufacturer's claim notice delay.

  • October 01, 2024

    Battery Companies' Fire Cleanup Fight Trimmed In Ga.

    A Georgia federal judge trimmed a battery reseller and its recycling counterpart's lawsuit against their insurer over claims that the carrier failed to fully cover them after a two-week-long fire ravaged their property, finding that the insurer didn't owe additional coverage for the companies' personal property losses.

Expert Analysis

  • Revisiting Scalia's 'What's It To You?' After Kaiser Ruling

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    While the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser allows insurers to be considered "parties in interest" in Chapter 11 cases, they still need to show they would face an injury in fact, answering the late Justice Antonin Scalia's "what's it to you?" question, say Brent Weisenberg and Jeff Prol at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • How To Clean Up Your Generative AI-Produced Legal Drafts

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    As law firms increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence tools to produce legal text, attorneys should be on guard for the overuse of cohesive devices in initial drafts, and consider a few editing pointers to clean up AI’s repetitive and choppy outputs, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

  • Series

    Boxing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Boxing has influenced my legal work by enabling me to confidently hone the skills I've learned from the sport, like the ability to remain calm under pressure, evaluate an opponent's weaknesses and recognize when to seize an important opportunity, says Kirsten Soto at Clyde & Co.

  • Purdue Ch. 11 Ruling Reinforces Importance Of D&O Coverage

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, holding that a Chapter 11 reorganization cannot discharge claims against a nondebtor without affected claimants' consent, will open new litigation pathways surrounding corporate insolvency and increase the importance of robust directors and officers insurance, says Evan Bolla at Harris St. Laurent.

  • Opinion

    Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.

  • 3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Roundup

    After Chevron

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    Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard in June, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 36 different rulemaking and litigation areas.

  • Opinion

    Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem

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    The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.

  • Calif. Long-Tail Ruling Continues Policyholder-Friendly Trend

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    The California Supreme Court's recent ruling in Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser Cement & Gypsum, rejecting horizontal policy exhaustion, was the latest in a string of its decisions involving insurance coverage for continuous or progressive injury claims that favor policyholders, say Billie Mandelbaum and David Goodwin at Covington.

  • Series

    NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    The second quarter of 2024 saw less enforcement activity in the realm of New York financial services, but brought substantial regulatory and legislative developments, including state regulators' guidance on cybersecurity compliance and customer service processes for virtual currency entities, say James Vivenzio and Andrew Lucas at Perkins Coie.

  • Series

    Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.

  • Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule

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    Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.

  • 4 Steps To Repair Defense Credibility In Opening Statements

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    Given the continued rise of record-breaking verdicts, defense counsel need to consider fresh approaches to counteract the factors coloring juror attitudes — starting with a formula for rebuilding credibility at the very beginning of opening statements, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

  • Del. Bankruptcy Ruling Will Give D&O Insureds Nightmares

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    In Henrich v. XL Specialty Insurance, the Delaware Bankruptcy Court recently found that a never-served qui tam claim had been "brought" before a D&O policy's retroactive date, thereby eliminating coverage, and creating a nightmare scenario for directors and officers policyholders facing whistleblower claims, says David Klein at Pillsbury.

  • NJ Justices Clarify First-Party Indemnification Availability

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    In Boyle v. Huff, the New Jersey Supreme Court recently held that indemnification can be available in first-party claims, resolving an open question and setting up contracting parties for careful negotiations around indemnity clauses, says Todd Leon at Marshall Dennehey.

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