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Insurance
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May 23, 2024
NC High Court Grants Review In Clothier's Virus Coverage Suit
North Carolina's top court on Thursday agreed to take up a clothing company's coverage appeal for COVID-19 losses against Zurich after a lower appellate panel found the virus did not cause the kind of physical loss or damage necessary to invoke coverage.
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May 23, 2024
4th Circ. Rules No Coverage For Mars' COVID Losses
Candymaker Mars Inc. can't get coverage from Factory Mutual Insurance Co. for its COVID-19-related losses, the Fourth Circuit ruled Thursday, further rejecting Mars' bid to certify a question to the Virginia Supreme Court.
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May 23, 2024
Houston Law Firm Wants To DQ Creditors' Counsel In Ch. 11
Troubled MMA Law Firm PLLC is seeking to stop another firm from representing its bankruptcy creditors, arguing that MMA's principal had previously spoken with the other firm as a prospective client and had shared confidential information that now could be used against his firm.
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May 23, 2024
Estate Sues Hanover For $13.4M Judgment In Death Suit
The Hanover Insurance Group has refused to pay a judgment of nearly $13.4 million to the family of a man who died in the care of a Connecticut group home, according to a lawsuit in state court.
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May 23, 2024
Ark. Judge Sides With Insurer's Cyber Policy Interpretation
An Arkansas federal judge ruled an insurer correctly evaluated a telemarketing company's losses from a cyberattack, agreeing that "normal operating expenses" the company paid from revenue during that period aren't included in the loss and that any other interpretation would give the company a windfall.
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May 23, 2024
Insurer, Ski Resort Co. Battle Over COVID Coverage
An owner and operator of 15 ski resorts urged a Colorado state court to find that an AIG unit owes coverage under its policy's "loss of attraction" provision for COVID-19-related business interruption losses, while the unit argued that a voluntary shutdown of business, "even for good reasons," isn't covered.
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May 23, 2024
Coverage Suit Paused Until Resolution Of Gun Sales Dispute
A California federal court paused Crum & Forster's suit against a police gun and fitness club and the city of Los Angeles over coverage for underlying actions brought by officers accusing the club of selling them stolen handguns, citing factual overlap between the actions.
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May 22, 2024
Calif. Justices Debate Time To Sue To Change Insurer's Practices
A California state attorney urged the California Supreme Court on Thursday to revive a policyholder's Unfair Competition Law claim against State Farm, saying the law's four-year statute of limitation applies over an insurance law's one-year period because the policyholder is seeking a change to its claim-handling practices, not damages.
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May 22, 2024
Conn. Judge Doubts Restaurant's Insurance Beef Is Stale
Connecticut's chief intermediate appellate court judge appeared skeptical Wednesday of Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.'s position that a restaurant is barred from suing over the denial of coverage for a worker's hand injury, suggesting that previous litigation over the worker's compensation policy has no bearing on the current suit.
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May 22, 2024
Seattle Sues Train Cos. Over Bike Track-Crossing Suits
The city of Seattle says two short-line railroads have breached agreements to maintain liability insurance and indemnify the city in lawsuits from cyclists injured crossing tracks along a perilous stretch of a popular bike trail, according to a complaint filed in Washington state court.
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May 22, 2024
Skadden, Latham Lead Specialty Insurer's Upsized $128M IPO
Private equity-backed insurer Bowhead Specialty Holdings Inc. on Wednesday priced an upsized $128 million initial public offering above its planned price range, represented by Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP and underwriters' counsel Latham & Watkin LLP, marking the first sizable insurance IPO of 2024.
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May 22, 2024
Fla. Judge Won't Pause Russian Planes Coverage Suit
A Florida judge on Wednesday refused to pause an aircraft leasing company's coverage suit for $700 million worth of airplanes reappropriated by Russian airlines after the Ukraine war began, denying a request by some of the company's insurers to wait until litigation in the U.K. is resolved.
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May 22, 2024
Ill. Justices Weigh Zurich's Right To Recover $3M Flood Loss
The Illinois Supreme Court weighed Wednesday whether Zurich American Insurance Co. can recoup $3 million from a subcontractor for water damage repair costs the insurer paid to a general contractor despite Zurich filing suit on behalf of a different insured.
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May 22, 2024
Insurer Denied Win In Leaky Window Coverage Dispute
A Kansas federal court refused to rule that an insurer has no duty to defend or indemnify its policyholder in a defective window installation dispute with a county board of commissioners, saying granting the insurer's request would impact the board's rights as a third-party beneficiary.
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May 22, 2024
Insurance Co. Says Ex-Underwriter 'Lured' Away Colleagues
An insurance brokerage and its affiliate have accused a former high-ranking company official of decamping for a competitor and encouraging colleagues to follow suit, according to a complaint designated Wednesday to North Carolina Business Court.
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May 22, 2024
3M Says Insurers Are Dodging Coverage Of $6B Earplug Deal
3M and its subsidiary Aearo Technologies have reported difficulties getting their insurers to pay out more than $1.5 billion in coverage after the companies reached a $6 billion deal to settle multidistrict litigation alleging their combat earplugs failed to protect the hearing of service members and veterans.
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May 21, 2024
Calif. Justices Mull COVID-19 Business Interruption Coverage
Counsel for Sentinel Insurance urged the California Supreme Court on Wednesday to reverse an appellate court's finding that a San Francisco restaurant's policy covered COVID-19 business interruption losses, disputing that court's finding that the policy's promise of virus coverage would otherwise be "illusory."
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May 21, 2024
No Coverage For Real Estate Appraiser For Disciplinary Action
Great American Assurance owed no defense to a real estate appraiser for a disciplinary action over claims of an "egregiously inaccurate" valuation, an Indiana federal court ruled, finding that her failure to disclose the underlying claims in her insurance renewal application warranted rescinding the policy.
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May 21, 2024
Texas Court Questions Luxottica On 'Playing Favorites' In Sale
A Texas appellate court on Tuesday asked whether an eyewear conglomerate was "playing favorites by not disclosing" alleged fraud by its franchisees in a sale of two stores to other franchisees, questioning Luxottica's assertion it had to keep its hands off the transaction.
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May 21, 2024
NY High Court Upholds State Abortion Coverage Mandate
New York's highest court on Tuesday upheld a state law requiring employee health plans to cover medically necessary abortions, finding a 2021 U.S. Supreme Court decision didn't change the state court's determination that an exemption process in the law was constitutional.
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May 21, 2024
Ex-LA DA Sues State Farm Over Gun Incident Legal Fees
Former Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey sued her insurer in California state court Tuesday, alleging State Farm cost her more than $2.1 million by failing to cover legal fees when she and her late husband were sued because he brandished a gun against protesters at their home.
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May 21, 2024
Strategic Hiring Was The New Normal For BigLaw In 2023
The 400 largest law firms by headcount in the U.S. grew more slowly in 2023 than in the previous two years, while Kirkland & Ellis LLP surpassed the 3,000-attorney threshold, according to the latest Law360 ranking.
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May 21, 2024
The Law360 400: Tracking The Largest US Law Firms
The legal market expanded more tentatively in 2023 than in previous years amid a slowdown in demand for legal services, especially in transactions, an area that has been sluggish but is expected to quicken in the near future.
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May 21, 2024
Georgia State Farm Office, Ex-Worker Settle Overtime Suit
A State Farm franchise reached a settlement with a former insurance agent producer, putting to rest claims the company misclassified him as an overtime-exempt salaried worker, failing to pay him overtime wages in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
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May 20, 2024
Travelers Owed Tech Co. Defense In TM Row, 8th Circ. Says
Travelers had a duty to defend a computer retailer in an underlying trademark infringement action filed by Cisco Systems, the Eighth Circuit affirmed Monday, saying it cannot conclude that coverage is barred by the policy's related-acts provision.
Expert Analysis
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Parsing Insurance Issues After Mass Shooting 'Occurrences'
A Florida district court’s recent decision in Tony v. Evanston Insurance, which held that the 2018 Parkland High School mass shooting was a single "occurrence" under the town's commercial general liability policy, sheds light on how other courts may make this determination following other mass shooting events, says Elan Kandel at Bailey Cavalieri.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic
Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals
Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.
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Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: April Lessons
In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses three notable circuit court decisions on topics from the Class Action Fairness Act to consumer fraud — and provides key takeaways for counsel on issues including CAFA’s local controversy exception and Article III standing to seek injunctive relief.
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Series
Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.
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Top 10 Queries For Insurers Entering Surplus Lines Market
John Emmanuel at Locke Lord discusses what insurers should understand before entering into the surplus lines market, a growing, state-regulated area, subject to much variation in application and enforcement.
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Considering CGL Defense For Social Media Addiction Claims
A recent lawsuit filed in California state court against Meta seeks damages from technology companies for the costs of treating children allegedly suffering from social media addiction, but the prospects of defense coverage under commercial general liability insurance policies for a potential new wave of claims look promising, say Craig Hirsch and Tae Andrews at Pasich.
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4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy
With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.
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9th Circ. Ruling Puts Teeth Into Mental Health Parity Claims
In its recent finding that UnitedHealth applied an excessively strict review process for substance use disorder treatment claims, the Ninth Circuit provided guidance on how to plead a Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act violation and took a step toward achieving mental health parity in healthcare, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.
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Sorting Circuit Split On Foreign Arbitration Treaty's Authority
A circuit court split over whether the New York Convention supersedes state law barring arbitration in certain disputes — a frequent issue in insurance matters — has left lower courts to rely on conflicting decisions, but the doctrine of self-executing treaties makes it clear that the convention overrules state law, says Gary Shaw at Pillsbury.
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What New Conn. Insurance Bulletin Means For Data And AI
A recent bulletin from the Connecticut Insurance Department concerning insurers' usage of artificial intelligence systems appears consistent with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' gradual shift away from focusing on big data, and may potentially protect insurers from looming state requirements despite a burdensome framework, say attorneys at Day Pitney.
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The Future Of BIPA Insurance Litigation After Visual Pak
A recent Illinois appellate court decision, National Fire Insurance v. Visual Pak, may have altered the future of insurance litigation under the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act by diametrically opposing a prominent Seventh Circuit ruling that found insurance coverage for violations of the act, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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Series
Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.
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This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener
As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.
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An NYDFS-Regulated Bank's Guide To Proper Internal Audits
As certification deadlines for compliance with the New York State Department of Financial Services’ transaction monitoring and cybersecurity regulations loom, lawyers should remember that the NYDFS offers no leeway for best efforts — and should ensure robust auditing and recordkeeping processes for clients, say attorneys at Arnall Golden.