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Expert Analysis

• 9th Circ. Should Rethink Inadequate UBH Ruling

  

  The Ninth Circuit should seriously consider rehearing Wit v. United Behavioral Health en banc because its recent claims reprocessing decision in the case raises troubling questions about the future of Employee Retirement Income Security Act's class actions, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.

• Hertz Ruling Could Help Debtors Avoid Make-Whole Premiums

  

  A Delaware bankruptcy court’s recent ruling in Hertz, disallowing claims for make-whole premiums and post-petition interest at the contract rate, could be relied upon by debtors to sidestep those provisions, and potentially provide higher recoveries for equity holders, say Theresa Foudy and Alexander Severance at MoFo.

• Atty-Client Privilege Arguments Give Justices A Moving Target

  

  Recent oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case regarding the scope of the attorney-client privilege appeared to raise more questions about multipurpose counsel communications than they answered, as the parties presented shifting iterations of a predictable, easily applied test for evaluating the communications' purpose, say Trey Bourn and Thomas DiStanislao at Butler Snow.

• Predictions For The 2023 Drug Pricing Landscape

  

  2022 was the year of legislative action around drug pricing, while 2023 is likely to serve up precedential judicial action — including active legal challenges with respect to the government's programs covering outpatient prescription drugs, accumulators and third-party funders, says Margaux Hall at Ropes & Gray.

• NY Adult Survivors Act Look-Back: What Orgs Must Know

  

  With the look-back window for New York's Adult Survivors Act now open, survivors of past sexual abuse have a new opportunity to file civil claims — so organizations that could face litigation should take specific steps to ensure best practices both before and after lawsuits arise, say Michael Appelbaum and Christina Holdsworth at Goldberg Segalla.

• Legal Standing For Nature: The Road Not Taken

  

  Fifty years have passed since former U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas asked whether natural objects like trees and rivers should have standing — and while the high court has since narrowed access to the courtroom for potential environmental plaintiffs, Douglas' vision is worth revisiting, says Ninth Circuit Judge Margaret McKeown.

• 4th Circ. Disability Ruling Shows ERISA Procedure Flaw

  

  The Fourth Circuit's recent decision in Tekmen v. Reliance Standard that summary judgment was inapt highlights how summary judgment has been misused in Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation — and may help restore civil procedure norms in such lawsuits, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.

• Medical Malpractice Settlements Shouldn't Require NDAs

  

  Hospitals and insurance companies can go to great lengths to avoid accountability — as depicted in the recent Netflix film "The Good Nurse" — and nondisclosure agreements used to settle medical malpractice cases out of court leave patients without crucial information when seeking treatment, says Andrew Barovick at Sandra Radna.

• Benefits Ruling Shows Need For Revised ERISA Procedure

  

  The Ninth Circuit's recent ruling in Collier v. Lincoln Life Assurance demonstrates that not only are there no uniform court procedures for Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are not always followed, demanding a reappraisal of ERISA civil procedure, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.

• Privacy Ruling Highlights Risks Of Third-Party Web Tracking

  

  The Ninth Circuit’s recent ruling in Javier v. Assurance — that third-party session replay software usage without user consent may violate a California privacy law — highlights why companies should remain proactive and review all technologies that collect information from their websites, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

• Why Warranty Providers May Explore CCPA Exemption

  

  In order to prepare for the coming wave of state consumer privacy laws across the country, organizations in the extended warranty industry should assess their exposure to the California Consumer Privacy Act and the applicability of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act’s exemption, say attorneys at Locke Lord.

• ERISA Ruling Reinforces Claimant Right To Know Denial Basis

  

  A Louisiana federal court’s recent ruling in Rushing v. Sun Life Assurance, finding that an insurer could not remand a case to raise a new basis for a benefit denial, reinforces claimants' rights and illustrates how limited court review in Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation can prevent insurers from raising new rationales for denial post-filing, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.

• What To Expect From The Post-Midterms Lame-Duck Session

  

  Depending on the results of the midterm elections, the upcoming lame-duck session may be the last chance for Congress to enact meaningful legislation for the next several years, so organizations must push through legislative priorities now, lest they are forced to restart their efforts in a much different environment next year, says James Brandell at Dykema.