Expert Analysis

• Key Insurance Coverage Considerations For AI Data Centers

  

  The burgeoning artificial intelligence industry has sparked a surge in data center projects — a trend likely to be accelerated by the White House's AI Action Plan — but with these complex facilities come equally complex risks, engendering important insurance coverage considerations, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: September Lessons

  

  In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses seven decisions pertaining to attorney fees in class action settlements, the predominance requirement in automobile insurance cases, how the no mootness exception applies if the named plaintiff is potentially subject to a strong individual defense, and more.

• 5 Key Steps To Prepare For Oral Arguments

  

  Whether presenting oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court or a local county judge, effective preparation includes the same essential ingredients, from organizing arguments in blocks to maximizing the potential of mock exercises, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

• Maryland High Court Ruling Clarifies Claim Assignment

  

  In its recent opinion in Featherfall Restoration, the Maryland Supreme Court reemphasized a policyholder's ability to assign a claim despite the presence of general liability policy language requiring an insurer's written consent, nevertheless highlighting the importance of specific wording, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

• NY Ruling Eases Admission Of Medical Record Evidence

  

  A New York appellate court’s recent ruling in Pillco v. 160 Dikeman clarifies the standard for evaluating accident-related entries from medical records, likely making it easier to admit these statements into evidence at trial, says Shawn Schatzle at Lewis Brisbois.

• 9 Jury Selection Lessons From The Combs Trial

  

  U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian’s unusually thorough jury selection process for the trial of Sean Combs offers attorneys and judges a master class in using case-specific juror questionnaires and extended attorney-led voir dire to impanel better juries that produce more just outcomes, say Kevin Homiak at Wheeler Trigg and Leslie Ellis at The Caissa Group.

• Mitigating Employer Liability Risk Under Sex Assault Rule

  

  The American Law Institute's newly approved rule expands vicarious liability to employers for certain sexual assaults that employees commit, which could materially increase employers' exposure unless they strengthen safeguards around high-risk roles, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

• 4 Questions For Insureds To Overcome Flood Exclusions

  

  In a year of record flash flooding in the U.S., affected policyholders, who may assume that their policy's flood exclusion precludes recovery for losses, should look to the many factually and legally nuanced cases presenting pathways to coverage, says Micah Skidmore at Haynes Boone.

• Ill. Toxic Tort Jurisdiction Law Raises Constitutional Concerns

  

  Illinois' S.B. 328, purporting to broaden state courts' jurisdictional reach over out-of-state corporations, is presented as a measure aimed at facilitating recovery in toxic tort cases, but the legislation raises significant due process and dormant commerce clause issues, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

• What Insurers Must Know About New La. Proof Of Loss Law

  

  Insurers that comply with all the requirements under a Louisiana law effective this month may condition claim payments on receipt of proof of loss statements, but those that overlook even one prerequisite risk penalties and late payments, say attorneys at Phelps Dunbar.

• How To Successfully Challenge Jurors For Cause In 5 Steps

  

  To effectively challenge a potential juror for cause, attorneys should follow a multistep framework rather than skipping straight to the final qualification question, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

• Notable Q2 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

  

  Vehicle valuation challenges regarding the use of projected sale adjustments continued apace in insurance class actions this quarter, where insurers have been scoring victories on class certification decisions in federal circuit courts, says Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler.

• When Failure To Satisfy Insured Duty Is Fatal To Texas Claims

  

  Recent rulings from federal district courts in Texas demonstrate when an insured's failure to satisfy certain duties is fatal to recovery under their policy, and when this failure may result in abatement, say attorneys at Zelle.