Specialty Lines
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July 19, 2024
Chubb Unit Beats Manufacturer In R.I. COVID-19 Coverage Suit
A knitted wire mesh manufacturer lost its bid for coverage for pandemic losses at its Mexico facilities because it didn't show that COVID-19 caused covered physical damage, a Rhode Island federal court ruled Friday, handing a win to the manufacturer's Chubb insurer.
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July 18, 2024
Insurer Settles Coverage Row Over Wash. Day Care Sex Abuse
Following a contested nearly $25 million settlement agreement, an insurance coverage dispute arising from the molestation of children at an Olympia, Washington, day care center has been resolved, a Washington federal court announced Thursday.
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July 18, 2024
Tobacco Cooperative's $10M Coverage Suit Trimmed
A North Carolina federal court pared down a tobacco cooperative's suit accusing its excess insurer of wrongfully refusing to pay up to the full $10 million policy limit for defense and settlement costs associated with underlying suits brought by member growers.
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July 18, 2024
Split 9th Circ. Panel Backs Restoring DHS Bond Rule
A Ninth Circuit panel upheld a Department of Homeland Security rule barring some immigration surety firms from posting bonds for detained border-crossers Thursday, saying the rule's 2021 ratification by current Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas cured any defects with its original introduction in 2020.
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July 18, 2024
9th Circ. Weighs Nevada High Court Cert. In Subrogation Suit
The Ninth Circuit on Thursday suggested it might certify a question to the Nevada Supreme Court over whether an insurer can subrogate against another carrier if an underlying, covered settlement doesn't exceed their combined limits, questioning the extent they should be persuaded by two unpublished Nevada Supreme Court decisions.
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July 18, 2024
Vineyard Says Insurer Owes Coverage For $50M Of Bad Wine
A vineyard is blaming its excess insurer for refusing to contribute to a settlement after an underlying lawsuit asserted more than $50 million in claims against it for allegedly damaging over 300,000 cases of wine, according to a case moved to Washington federal court.
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July 18, 2024
FEMA Flood Standard A Step In Right Direction, Experts Say
The Biden Administration's decision last week to continue implementing a stronger flood protection standard is being welcomed by experts as a way to improve resiliency, even though the rule likely won't have a significant direct effect on flood insurance.
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July 18, 2024
Former Md. Insurance Head Reflects On Return To DLA Piper
Kathleen Birrane returned to DLA Piper to lead the firm's U.S. insurance regulatory practice after four years as Maryland's insurance commissioner, resuming her role in private practice with years of experience working across state and international lines on emerging issues. Law360 spoke with Birrane by email about her career.
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July 18, 2024
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
An Amazon insurer was given the green light to pursue its subrogation claims, a former Georgia insurance commissioner was sentenced to 3½ years for his kickback scheme, 3M couldn't get a quick win in its combat earplugs multidistrict litigation coverage dispute, and an electronics components maker lost its $100 million COVID-19 coverage appeal. Here, Law360 takes a look at this week's top insurance news.
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July 18, 2024
Ga. Mineral Co. Can't Nab Win In Row Over Talc Suit Coverage
A Georgia federal judge declined to grant a win to a mineral products company trying to compel a Travelers unit to defend it against an underlying suit claiming that it supplied asbestos-containing talc products.
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July 17, 2024
Conn. Enacts Legislation To Support Captive Insurers
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law an act aimed at furthering the state's commitment to the captive insurance industry, building upon the legislative efforts of recent years that have positioned Connecticut as the leading domicile for captives.
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July 17, 2024
Insurer Says No Coverage For Payment Software Sale Dispute
A management liability insurer told an Illinois federal court that it had no duty to defend sellers accused of fraud and other misdeeds as part of the sale of a payment processing company.
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July 16, 2024
The 2024 Diversity Snapshot: What You Need To Know
Law firms' ongoing initiatives to address diversity challenges have driven another year of progress, with the representation of minority attorneys continuing to improve across the board, albeit at a slower pace than in previous years. Here's our data dive into minority representation at law firms in 2023.
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July 16, 2024
These Firms Have The Most Diverse Equity Partnerships
Law360’s law firm survey shows that firms' efforts to diversify their equity partner ranks are lagging. But some have embraced a broader talent pool at the equity partner level. Here are the ones that stood out.
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July 15, 2024
Towers Watson Asks 4th Circ. To Find Merger Dispute Covered
Towers Watson's insurers must pay out $54 million in remaining directors and officers coverage to help fund a $75 million settlement in a shareholder suit over the company's merger with Willis, Towers Watson told the Fourth Circuit, saying a so-called bump-up exclusion does not apply.
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July 15, 2024
Mogul's Co. Drops Bid To Stop Insurer's Liquidation
A company owned by convicted insurance mogul Greg Lindberg wants to end a fight against North Carolina's liquidation of an insurer, saying that it desires to withdraw its case in the state Court of Appeals.
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July 15, 2024
Diocese's Insurer Says No Coverage For Sex Abuse Claims
An excess insurer for the Roman Catholic Bishop of Orange told a California federal court it owes no coverage for over 200 consolidated child sex abuse lawsuits, arguing that despite the primary insurer's insolvency, underlying limits must deplete before excess coverage kicks in.
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July 15, 2024
Casino Owner Says Insurer Must Face $130M COVID Loss Suit
A casino operator with properties on the Las Vegas strip and beyond asked a Nevada federal judge to keep its $130 million COVID-19 pandemic loss coverage suit alive, arguing that its insurer presented no valid reason to end the dispute.
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July 12, 2024
Law360 Names 2024's Top Attorneys Under 40
Law360 is pleased to announce the Rising Stars of 2024, our list of 158 attorneys under 40 whose legal accomplishments belie their age.
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July 11, 2024
NY Tells Insurers To Test AI For Discrimination Before Use
New York has set a high bar for insurers' artificial intelligence systems, recommending Thursday that they avoid the technology for underwriting or pricing unless they determine the systems and their underlying data are compliant with consumer protection laws.
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July 11, 2024
The Top Property Insurance Decisions of 2024 So Far
Two major state supreme court decisions on insurance coverage for pandemic losses and a Colorado ruling on whether policyholders can be excused for making late homeowners claims are among the top property insurance decisions of 2024 so far.
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July 11, 2024
9th Circ. To Weigh When Inter-Insurer Subrogation Is Allowed
The Ninth Circuit next Thursday will hear oral arguments on whether an excess insurer can recoup from a primary insurer its $4 million share of a $5 million wrongful death settlement, even though the total settlement sum did not exceed the insurers' combined policy limits.
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July 11, 2024
Syracuse Diocese To Notice Creditors On Ch. 11 Releases
Lawyers for the Diocese of Syracuse said they've come up with a process to collect creditor consent for third party releases in an already voted on reorganization plan, telling a New York bankruptcy judge Thursday the approach will hopefully head off confirmation issues after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down nonconsensual third party releases in Chapter 11 plans.
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July 11, 2024
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
Foreclosure prevented a man's house fire windfall, a former Georgia insurance commissioner sought a lesser sentence for his kickback scheme, Kiwanis leaders and sex abuse survivors demanded coverage, and a federal judge extended a penile enlargement injury coverage suit.
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July 11, 2024
Jurisdiction Issue May Doom Taliban-Seized Warehouse Suit
A logistics company's suit seeking $41 million in coverage after one of its warehouses in Afghanistan was seized by the Taliban will be tossed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction unless the company can cure the deficiency, which "does not appear feasible," a New York federal court ruled.
![Policyholder experts told Law360 that a lower court decision that Willis Towers Watson is appealing to the Fourth Circuit flew in the face of principles for settling coverage disputes over ambiguous policy language and that a win at the appellate level would stand as a bulwark against insurers that are increasingly wielding a bump-up exclusion to strike down coverage. (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)](https://assets.law360news.com/1859000/1859797/70fb78f3acd33578b4c71766831b4158d9fa127d-willis-towers-watson.jpg)
Towers Watson's Bump-Up Appeal Lifts Policyholder Hopes
Towers Watson's request that the Fourth Circuit reject a lower court decision freeing its insurers from paying out $54 million in directors and officers coverage has raised policyholders' hopes that a favorable ruling will clarify the reach of so-called bump-up exclusions.
![Trump Climate Plan
In this July 27, 2018 photo, the Dave Johnson coal-fired power plant is silhouetted against the morning sun in Glenrock, Wyo. The Trump administration on Tuesday proposed a major rollback of Obama-era regulations on coal-fired power plants, striking at one of the former administration’s legacy programs to rein in climate-changing fossil-fuel emissions. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)](https://assets.law360news.com/1857000/1857230/9834de84f0ff6020c558c7877f05430bc460fea3-e056600f4d72449fbe21fb5fbf7f9ad2_trump_climate_plan_77870_4443x2962.jpg)
Climate Suit Report Highlights Carrier Greenwashing Risk
A recent report highlighting global trends in climate change litigation points to a potentially significant source of exposure for insurers in the form of what are known as greenwashing suits against their insureds, and more direct risks against carriers themselves, experts say.
![The U.S. Supreme Court's decision striking down Chevron deference and another finding the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission must bring cases seeking civil penalties before federal courts favor the courts' enforcement powers over those of federal regulators, leaving questions for how the corporate and specialty lines coverage landscape may change. (Getty Images)](https://assets.law360news.com/1854000/1854391/6e4ba9d88c0c1f997a9fade2828295132e9965fa-supreme-court-building.jpg)
High Court's Regulatory Rulings Unsettle Coverage Risks
The U.S. Supreme Court's decisions that empower the courts at the expense of federal regulators' enforcement powers have unsettled the regulatory risks companies are used to, raising uncertainty for how professional and specialty line insurance coverage will adapt.
Expert Analysis
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3 Policyholder Tips After Calif. Ruling Denying D&O Coverage
A California decision from June, Practice Fusion v. Freedom Specialty Insurance, denying a company's claim seeking reimbursement under a directors and officers insurance policy for its settlement with the Justice Department, highlights the importance of coordinating coverage for all operational risks and the danger of broad exclusionary policy language, says Geoffrey Fehling at Hunton.
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M&A In The AI Era: Key Deal Terms To Watch
As the artificial intelligence market matures, so will due diligence needs, as M&A deals aimed at consolidation and new synergies raise unique legal and regulatory challenges, including potential antitrust and national security reviews, say attorneys at Skadden.
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Purdue Ch. 11 Ruling Reinforces Importance Of D&O Coverage
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, holding that a Chapter 11 reorganization cannot discharge claims against a nondebtor without affected claimants' consent, will open new litigation pathways surrounding corporate insolvency and increase the importance of robust directors and officers insurance, says Evan Bolla at Harris St. Laurent.
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Del. Bankruptcy Ruling Will Give D&O Insureds Nightmares
In Henrich v. XL Specialty Insurance, the Delaware Bankruptcy Court recently found that a never-served qui tam claim had been "brought" before a D&O policy's retroactive date, thereby eliminating coverage, and creating a nightmare scenario for directors and officers policyholders facing whistleblower claims, says David Klein at Pillsbury.
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Takeaways From Justices' Redemption Insurance Decision
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Connelly v. U.S. examines how to determine the fair market value of shares in a closely held company for estate tax purposes, and clarifies how life insurance held by the company to enable redemption of a decedent’s shares affects that calculation, says Evelyn Haralampu at Burns & Levinson.
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Reps And Warranties Insurance Considerations As M&A Slows
The first six months of the year have seen increasingly favorable rates and policy terms for the representations and warranties insurance market, and policy purchasers are right to pay close attention to pricing, coverage, exclusions, structures and claims as the M&A market cools, say attorneys at Cooley.
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8th Circ. Insurance Ruling Spotlights Related-Claims Defenses
The Eighth Circuit’s recent Dexon v. Travelers ruling — that the insurer must provide a defense despite the policy’s related-acts provision — provides guidance for how policyholders can overcome related-acts defenses, say Geoffrey Fehling and Jae Lynn Huckaba at Hunton.
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Managing Legal Risks After University Gaza Protests
Following the protests sparked by the war in Gaza, colleges and universities should expect a long investigative tail and take steps to mitigate risks associated with compliance issues under various legal frameworks and institutional policies, say Wiley's Diana Shaw and Colin Cloherty.
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An Insurance Coverage Checklist For PFAS Defendants
With PFAS liability exposures attracting increased media attention, now is a good time for companies that could be exposed to liability related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to review existing and past insurance policies, and consider taking proactive steps to maximize their likelihood of coverage, say attorneys at Nossaman.
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Key Lessons From Recent Insurance Policy Reform Litigation
A review of recent case law reveals the wide range of misunderstandings that may arise between insurers and policyholders in the purchase and renewal of insurance policies, as well as the utility — and the limits — of reformation and related remedies for these misunderstandings, say Jad Khazem and Seth Tucker at Covington.
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Insurer Quota-Sharing Lessons From $112M Bad Faith Verdict
In Indiana GRQ v. American Guarantee and Liability Insurance, an Indiana federal jury recently issued a landmark $112 million bad faith verdict, illustrating why insurers must understand the interplay between bad faith law and quota-sharing before entering into these relatively new arrangements, say Jason Reichlyn and Christopher Sakauye at Dykema.
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Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance
A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.
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Leveraging Insurance Amid Microplastics Concerns
A pending microplastics lawsuit — New York v. PepsiCo Inc. — may be a harbinger of what is to come for companies whose products are exposed to the environment, so any company considering how to address microplastics liability should include a careful assessment of the potential for insurance coverage in its due diligence, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.