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November 15, 2024
Judge Doubts Wildfire Trial Plan Would Hurt Some Plaintiffs
A Colorado state judge was skeptical Friday that a single liability trial for the thousands of plaintiffs suing Xcel Energy over a 2021 wildfire would deprive some people of a fair day in court, pressing lawyers for individual plaintiffs to explain why his plan would infringe on due process.
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November 15, 2024
Pa. Top Court Snapshot: Silent Partners, Skill Games In Nov.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's November argument schedule will task the justices with determining whether a property owner's absentee partner is an "indispensable party," whether CBD oil is reimbursable under workers' comp, and whether operating legally gray "skill games" should disqualify someone from getting a gaming license.
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November 15, 2024
California Blames Travelers For Rot Remediation Policy Deceit
In a case with potentially untold financial consequences, California district attorneys are blaming Travelers in state court for trying to attract customers by offering coverage for fungi and rot remediation for years without adequately disclosing stringent exclusions to state policyholders, in violation of state code.
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November 15, 2024
Insurer Drops Daycare Abuse Suit Following Settlement
A Michigan federal court formally dismissed an insurer's declaratory action seeking to avoid covering a daycare and a former employee in an underlying lawsuit accusing the employee of physically and emotionally abusing three children, finding the matter is now moot since the underlying parties reached a settlement.
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November 15, 2024
Philadelphia Eagles Seek To Revive COVID-19 Coverage Suit
The Philadelphia Eagles pressed a Pennsylvania federal court to rethink its decision tossing the football team's suit against its insurer over coverage for pandemic-related losses, calling its case different from all other COVID-19 loss cases and demanding further proceedings.
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November 15, 2024
HOA's Insurer Says Pool Chemical Injury Suits Aren't Covered
A homeowners association's insurer told a Virginia federal court it needn't cover underlying lawsuits alleging a lifeguard employed by the association's contractor allowed hazardous chemicals to spread and hurt pool patrons, arguing that its commercial general liability policy excluded bodily injury as a result of pollutants.
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November 15, 2024
Pharma Biz To Pay $47M To Settle Feds' Kickback Claims
A Florida pharmaceutical company and its chief executive have agreed to pay $47 million to settle claims that their practice of paying for certain patient tests crossed the line into being an illegal kickback to increase prescriptions of an enzyme replacement therapy, Boston federal prosecutors said on Friday.
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November 15, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen Ocado file an intellectual property claim against an African fruit and vegetable importer, a claim filed against a Swiss bank founded by Indian billionaire Srichand Parmanand Hinduja and 300 individuals sue travel company TUI. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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November 14, 2024
Insurer Says Mich. Lawyers Lying About Its Auto Coverage
A no-fault auto insurer alleged in a new complaint Wednesday that Michigan personal injury attorneys and their law firms are engaging in a smear campaign to drive the insurer out of the state, accusing the attorneys and firms of posting lies that the company discourages drivers from selecting adequate policies and overcharges its customers.
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November 14, 2024
Emergency Medical Providers Oppose $2.8B BCBS Deal
A group of emergency clinic medical providers objected to the $2.8 billion settlement a broader class of medical providers reached with the Blue Cross Blue Shield network of insurers last month, as attorneys for the overall class boasted that the settlement would transform the insurers and bring historic payouts.
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November 14, 2024
Takeda Rips Cert. Order's 'Whale Of Assumption' At 9th Circ.
Takeda Pharmaceutical urged the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to reverse a ruling certifying a class of third-party payors who allege Takeda and Eli Lilly & Co. hid their anti-diabetes drug's bladder-cancer risks, arguing the lower court erroneously made a "whale of an assumption" that 56.7% of prescriptions wouldn't have been written with disclosures.
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November 14, 2024
Fake Bear, Real Fraud: Calif. Arrests 4 In Insurance Scheme
Four Los Angeles area residents were charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy after claiming that over $141,000 in damages to luxury autos were caused by a bear, though videos submitted to their insurers showed a person in a bear costume wreaking havoc, a California Department of Insurance spokesperson said.
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November 13, 2024
Judge Cites 'Deterrence' In Attys' Tax Scheme Prison Sentence
Two St. Louis tax attorneys and a North Carolina insurance agent's pleas for leniency were largely ignored Wednesday by a federal judge sentencing them for their role in a multimillion-dollar tax avoidance scheme, with the judge declaring that the need for public deterrence was too great to let them off the hook without prison time.
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November 13, 2024
Mich. Justice Jokes He's To Blame For PIP Assignment Fights
A Michigan Supreme Court justice joked Wednesday that his 2017 footnote about patients assigning medical claims to healthcare providers was to blame for complicated recent insurance litigation surrounding plaintiffs who sign over their rights but nevertheless sue insurers.
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November 13, 2024
6th Circ. Partially Vacates Insurer's ERISA Disability Suit Win
The Sixth Circuit partially invalidated on Wednesday an insurance company's win in an ex-worker's suit seeking additional disability benefits, directing a lower court to reconsider arguments regarding when to apply a 24-month policy limitation on benefits for total disability caused by a mental health condition.
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November 13, 2024
Insurer Says Condo That Prevented Hunting Has No Coverage
The insurer for a homeowners association asked a South Carolina federal court Wednesday to determine that a dispute over the organization's attempt to ban residents from hunting deer on their property was not owed coverage under its policy's provisions.
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November 13, 2024
Insurers Say Hyundai, Kia Should Pay For Combusting Cars
A slew of insurers for owners of certain Hyundai and Kia vehicles are suing the companies in a case removed to California federal court Wednesday, seeking to recoup costs associated with almost a decade of claims for cars that allegedly spontaneously combust and have not been fixed by the manufacturers.
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November 13, 2024
$1.2M Excessive Hammering Spat Not Covered, Insurer Says
An insurer for a Nashville subcontractor told a Tennessee federal court that it doesn't owe coverage for an underlying $2.5 million lawsuit brought by residents surrounding a project site where the subcontractor was doing demolition work, arguing that the underlying suit falls under several exclusions.
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November 13, 2024
Insurer Says No Coverage For House Fire Caused By Owner
A property insurer said it doesn't owe coverage to a woman whose Biloxi, Mississippi, home was destroyed in a fire, telling a federal court that its investigation into the loss suggested that the owner started the blaze.
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November 13, 2024
Blue Cross Workers Get Final OK On $667K Unpaid OT Deal
A Pennsylvania federal judge greenlighted a $667,000 deal that resolves two customer service representatives' proposed class action accusing a Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee of failing to compensate them for their preshift tasks, which they said led them to lose out on overtime pay.
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November 13, 2024
Perkins Coie Insurance Litigator Returns From Pillsbury
Perkins Coie LLP is rehiring an insurance litigator from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, as the firm's insurance recovery work has more than doubled in the past three years, that group's practice chair told Law360 Pulse on Wednesday.
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November 12, 2024
Trump Taps Elon Musk To Head New 'Gov't Efficiency' Dept.
President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a newly created "Department in Government Efficiency" for his administration come January.
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November 12, 2024
Mich. High Court Snapshot: 3M's PFAS Fight, Detroit Fire Fees
The Michigan Supreme Court returns to the bench Wednesday in a packed oral argument sitting, including a major case on the viability of state PFAS regulations in a challenge brought by 3M Co.
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November 12, 2024
After Bribery Conviction, Insurance Mogul Cops To $2B Fraud
An insurance mogul convicted on bribery and wire fraud charges turned himself into the U.S. Marshals Service on Tuesday in North Carolina after pleading guilty to separate charges stemming from a $2 billion scheme to defraud insurance companies, regulators and policyholders.
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November 12, 2024
9th Circ. Affirms Insurer's Win In Invalid Exclusion Dispute
Injured third-party claimants seeking coverage for an auto collision under an auto repair company's commercial auto policy are entitled only to minimum limits required under Oregon's Financial Responsibility Laws, the Ninth Circuit has affirmed, rejecting the claimants' argument that the company's $2-million-per-occurrence limit applies instead.
Expert Analysis
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Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics
Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.
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What To Know About Insurance Coverage For Antitrust Risks
With all the regulatory activity surrounding antitrust and unfair competition claims, as highlighted by last month's D.C. federal court decision that Google is a monopolist, businesses must not only ensure compliance, but also understand their potential insurance coverage when such claims arise, says Micah Skidmore at Haynes Boone.
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It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers
Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.
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Rise Of Transpo Contractors Brings Insurance Disputes
As more independent contractors are contracted and subcontracted in the delivery industry, companies must be prepared to defend claims from drivers who are injured on the job as they are often seeking to establish an employment relationship with one of the entities in the chain, says Nathan Milner at Goldberg Segalla.
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A Preview Of AI Priorities Under The Next President
For the first time in a presidential election, both of the leading candidates and their parties have been vocal about artificial intelligence policy, offering clues on the future of regulation as AI continues to advance and congressional action continues to stall, say attorneys at Mintz.
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Keys To Successful Commercial Property Insurance Claims
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
While insurance needs for commercial leasing arrangements are driven by the characteristics of the premises and the nature of the tenants' intended operations, there are several universal best practices landlords and their counsel can follow when making claims after loss or damage.
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How Companies Are Approaching Insider Trading Policies
An analysis of insider trading policies recently disclosed by 49 S&P 500 companies under a new U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule reveals that while specific provisions vary from company to company, certain common themes are emerging, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.
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How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations
Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.
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Finding Coverage For Online Retail Privacy Class Actions
Following recent court rulings interpreting state invasion of privacy and electronic surveillance statutes triggering a surge in the filing of privacy class actions against online retailers, companies should examine their various insurance policies, including E&O and D&O, for defense coverage of these claims, says Alison Gaske at Gilbert LLP.
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Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles
Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.
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Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.
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What We Know From Early Cyberinsurance Rulings
Recent cyber disruption incidents, like the Crowdstrike outage and the CDK Global cyberattack this summer, highlight the necessity of understanding legal interpretations of cyberinsurance coverage — an area in which there has been little litigation thus far, say Peter Halprin and Rebecca Schwarz at Haynes Boone.
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5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond
As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.
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Series
Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer
My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.
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How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'
Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.