Expert Analysis

• How 2 Decisions Reframed Witness-Centered Trials

  

  The recent Maryland federal jury verdict in U.S. v. Goldstein and the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Villarreal v. Texas suggest that the traditional paradigm of American civil trial practice, with its emphasis on witness performance and assertive advocacy, may not reflect the ideal approach for the modern courtroom, says Joshua Robbins at Crowell & Moring.

• Meta Coverage Ruling Could Erode Broad Duty To Defend

  

  A Delaware court recently decided that Meta's insurers need not defend the company from lawsuits alleging addictive platform design — a troubling decision for policyholders that, if upheld, warns that insureds' business decisions can be weaponized to deny a duty to defend, say attorneys at Anderson Kill.

• Trial Advocacy Lessons From 3 Oscar-Nominated Films

  

  Several films up for best picture at this weekend’s Academy Awards provide useful tips for trial lawyers, from the power of a dramatic opening to the importance of pivoting when the unexpected happens, say attorneys at Robins Kaplan.

• Can Trump's AI Order Override State Insurance Rules?

  

  Although a December executive order charts a course to potentially dismantle state artificial intelligence regulations applicable to virtually any industry, the effect on the insurance industry deserves special attention because under federal law, the regulation of the business of insurance is largely delegated to the states, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

• Calif. Case Could Lead To A Redefined Pollution Exclusion

  

  In recently agreeing to hear Montrose Chemical v. Superior Court, the California Supreme Court will decide whether a court should consider extrinsic evidence offered by a party to prove its interpretation of the insurance policy language, opening the door to a different definition of "sudden" in insurance policies' pollution exclusions, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

• How To Counter 7 Logical Fallacies In Legal Arguments

  

  Many legal arguments are riddled with reasoning flaws that can effectively distract or persuade the fact-finder, but these tactics lose much of their power when attorneys recognize and strategically shine a light on them, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

• Reel Justice: 'Sentimental Value' And Witness Anxiety

  

  "Sentimental Value" reminds us that anxiety can interfere with performance, but unlike actors, witnesses cannot rehearse their lines or control the script, so a lawyer's role is not to eliminate stress, but to create conditions where the accuracy of a witness's testimony survives under pressure, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University.

• Clarifying A Persistent Misconception About Settlement Talks

  

  An Indiana federal court’s recent Cloudbusters v. Tinsley ruling underscores the often-misunderstood principle that Rule 408 of the Federal Rules of Evidence does not bar parties from referencing prior settlement communications in their pleadings — a critical distinction when such demands further a fraudulent or bad faith scheme, say attorneys at Hanson Bridgett.

• Tick, Tock: Maximizing The Clock, Regardless Of Trial Length

  

  Whether a judge grants more or less time for trial than an attorney hoped for, understanding how to strategically leverage the advantages and attenuate the disadvantages of each scenario can pay dividends in juror attentiveness and judicial respect, says Clint Townson at Townson Litigation.

• Notable Q4 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

  

  Last quarter featured a novel class action theory about car rental reimbursement coverage, another win for insurers in total loss valuations, a potentially broad-reaching Idaho Supreme Court ruling about illusory underinsured motorist coverage, and homeowners blaming rising premiums on the fossil fuel industry, says Kevin Zimmerman at BakerHostetler.

• NC Ruling Shows Mallory's Evolving Effects For Policyholders

  

  A recent North Carolina decision, PDII v. Sky Aircraft, demonstrates how the U.S. Supreme Court's consequential jurisdiction decision in Mallory v. Norfolk Southern may permit suits against insurers anywhere they do business so long as the forum state has a business registration statute that requires submitting to in-state lawsuits, says Christopher Popecki at Pillsbury.

• What To Know About Project-Specific Professional Liability

  

  The ongoing rebuild of the Francis Scott Key Bridge is an example of a construction megaproject that may call for project-specific professional liability insurance, a specialized product that must be negotiated with care, especially when it comes to its multiple claims provisions, say attorneys at Maslon.

• How Insurers Are Wording AI Exclusions

  

  Artificial intelligence exclusions are now available for use in insurance policies, meaning corporate risk managers must determine how those exclusions are interpreted and applied, and how they define AI, says David Kroeger at Jenner & Block.