Insurance

  • August 15, 2025

    Smoke Shop Tells Panel It's Owed Defense Over Fatal Crash

    A North Carolina smoke shop urged a state appeals court to find that its insurer must defend it in a lawsuit alleging that an individual who consumed nitrous oxide products from the shop caused a fatal auto collision, noting it has already disputed underlying allegations of negligence.

  • August 15, 2025

    Funeral Directors Can Go Forward With Life Insurance Suit

    Montana funeral home directors may proceed with their suit claiming they were led down a path of financial ruin when they were advised to place their savings into premium-financed life insurance policies, a federal court ruled.

  • August 15, 2025

    Excess Insurer Blames Primary For Costly Auto Collision Deal

    An excess insurer told a California federal court that the primary insurer of a construction company failed to reach a lesser settlement amount in a suit alleging the company's owner was responsible for a car collision.

  • August 15, 2025

    New Jersey AG Slams Power Broker's 'Flawed' Appeal Brief

    South Jersey power broker George Norcross used a flawed argument in pushing back against New Jersey's effort to revive a dismissed criminal case against him, Attorney General Matthew Platkin has argued in a reply brief filed in state appellate court.

  • August 15, 2025

    Insurer Says Towing Co. Not Covered In Car Hood Injury Suit

    Prime Property and Casualty Insurance Inc. is suing a towing company in Florida federal court, saying it has no obligation to continue defending it in an injury suit stemming from injuries to a woman after one of the company's drivers helped jumpstart her car.

  • August 15, 2025

    Taxation With Representation: Wachtell, Cooley, Sullivan

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, the NBA signs off on the sale of the Boston Celtics, Gildan Activewear acquires HanesBrands, private equity shop Advent International buys insurance software firm Sapiens, and financial software provider MeridianLink goes private via its acquisition by Centerbridge Partners.

  • August 15, 2025

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen Transport for London hit with a procurement claim by the operator of Oyster card, while Mastercard and Visa face claims from the Rocco Forte Hotel Group, and Liverpool Football Club lobbed a claim against a security company.

  • August 14, 2025

    Cadwalader Corporate Head Exits To McDermott After 40 Years

    Ira Schacter, a senior partner at Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP, is leaving the firm after 40 years to lead a new section of newly merged McDermott Will & Schulte's transactions practice that will counsel clients where private equity, insurance and financial services matters meet, McDermott confirmed Thursday.

  • August 14, 2025

    State Farm Found Liable For Bad Faith In Moped Death Suit

    A Florida federal judge has found State Farm liable for bad faith following a jury trial in a lawsuit involving the DUI-related death of a moped driver, whose family accused the insurer of failing to timely settle their claim against the estate of the driver accused of causing the fatal crash. 

  • August 14, 2025

    NC Mortgage Lender Seeks Coverage For Fraud Claims

    A mortgage lender said it is owed $540,000 from a title insurer after a borrower filed a complaint with the North Carolina Department of Justice about fraudulent activity related to his loan, telling a federal court the insurer shirked its obligations under the policy and related coverage documents.

  • August 14, 2025

    Dental Clinic Privacy Breach Claims Not Covered, Insurer Says

    A dental practice's insurer told an Illinois federal court it should owe no coverage in an underlying proposed class action accusing the practice of transmitting patients' sensitive personal information to Alphabet Inc. via the business's online scheduling platform, arguing an exclusion concerning "personal information" applies.

  • August 14, 2025

    Truck Insurer Wants Out Of AWOL Client's Crash Suit Defense

    A commercial auto insurance company asked a Georgia federal judge to declare it has no duty to defend a trucking company in a hit-and-run suit, telling the court it's been "ethically obligated to withdraw" its attorneys from defending the company in the underlying case.

  • August 14, 2025

    Fla. Condo, Insurer Settle Hurricane Damage Coverage Suit

    An insurer and a Florida condominium association have settled a dispute over coverage for property damage caused by a September 2020 hurricane, according to a New York federal court filing.

  • August 14, 2025

    Insurer Avoids Bad Faith Claims In $2M Vandalism Case

    A California state court dismissed a property owner's claims that its insurer refused in bad faith to cover nearly $2 million in vandalism losses after its tenant, a cannabis cultivator, ended its lease, but found the owner's breach of contract claim can still proceed to trial.

  • August 13, 2025

    2nd Circ. Affirms Indemnity Ruling In Still-Pending Injury Row

    A New York federal court didn't err in declaring that a subcontractor's insurer had a duty to indemnify a property owner in a worker's construction injury lawsuit that is still pending, the Second Circuit affirmed Wednesday, even though the underlying court later found the original indemnity agreement invalid.

  • August 13, 2025

    No Coverage For Senior Center In Sex Abuse Suit, Court Told

    A senior care facility isn't owed coverage for an underlying lawsuit accusing a facility chaplain of sexually assaulting a patient, the facility's insurer said, arguing coverage is precluded due to a molestation exclusion and because the allegations don't pertain to a medical incident.

  • August 13, 2025

    Sapiens Inks $2.5B PE Buyout Deal, With 4 Firms Advising

    Sapiens International, a New Jersey-based software provider for the insurance industry, has agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Advent International in a $2.5 billion all-cash deal, the technology company announced Wednesday.

  • August 13, 2025

    Insurer Owes Defense In Hotel Trafficking Suits, Court Told

    Red Roof Inn told an Ohio federal court Wednesday that a Liberty Mutual unit must defend it in 11 lawsuits alleging it violated the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act by financially benefitting from human trafficking, arguing the claims fall outside separate exclusions for intended and criminal acts.

  • August 13, 2025

    Atty Leaves Montana Firm For Tucker Arensberg In Pittsburgh

    A move across the country to new surroundings at Tucker Arensberg PC's Pittsburgh office has given a seasoned attorney the opportunity to expand the scope of his litigation practice into new areas.

  • August 12, 2025

    Split Del. Justices Back Insurers In 3M Earplug Coverage Fight

    A split Delaware Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a lower court's finding that defense costs paid by 3M in underlying multidistrict litigation over the company's combat earplugs could not satisfy the self-insured retention of subsidiary Aearo Technologies' insurance policies.

  • August 12, 2025

    SelectQuote Investor Sues Over Feds' Kickback Probe

    Insurance broker SelectQuote Inc. and three of its current and former executives face a proposed investor class action alleging the company kept investors in the dark as it accepted illegal kickbacks for steering Medicare beneficiaries to certain insurers, precipitating False Claims Act allegations from a whistleblower and subsequently the government.

  • August 12, 2025

    Pizza Chain's Cyber Claim Capped At $250K, Insurer Says

    A cyber insurer urged a Texas federal court to reject Cicis Pizza's attempt to recast a ransomware attack as a cyber extortion event in order to open the door to more coverage, saying it has fulfilled its contractual obligations by paying $250,000 under the policy's ransomware endorsement.

  • August 12, 2025

    Insurer Obstructed $116M In Funding Claims, Court Told

    A company that invested in a personal injury law firm's docket of cases alleges in a lawsuit removed to North Carolina federal court that its insurer "intentionally obstructed" its recovery of more than $116 million in coverage under policies insuring that investment.

  • August 12, 2025

    Insurer Pushes 11th Circ. To Avoid Malpractice Coverage

    An insurance company has told the Eleventh Circuit it should not have to foot the bill to defend its client against a federal malpractice suit in Atlanta, arguing its policy contains a carveout for claims involving "conversion, improper comingling, or misappropriation," and asking the appellate court to review an earlier dismissal de novo.

  • August 12, 2025

    Travelers Units Freed From Builder's Asbestos Injury Dispute

    A Travelers subsidiary has no obligation to defend a construction company against a suit seeking indemnification for asbestos-related injury claims, a South Carolina federal court ruled, finding that the suit does not seek damages but rather a declaration of contractual right.

Expert Analysis

  • Court Rulings Warn Against Oversharing With Experts

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    Recent decisions, including in bad faith insurance cases, demonstrate that when settlement information documents are inadvertently shared with testifying experts, courts may see no recourse but to strike the entire report or disqualify the expert, says Richard Mason at MasonADR.

  • 7th Circ. Insurance Ruling Resolves Major Jurisdictional Issue

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    The Seventh Circuit recently confirmed in StarStone Insurance v. Chicago that attorney fees and costs paid as part of a settlement are covered — while unexpectedly raising and answering a question of first impression about federal jurisdiction over foreign entities, says Lara Langeneckert at Barnes & Thornburg.

  • 9th Circ. Has Muddied Waters Of Article III Pleading Standard

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    District courts in the Ninth Circuit continue to apply a defunct and especially forgiving pleading standard to questions of Article III standing, and the circuit court itself has only perpetuated this confusion — making it an attractive forum for disputes that have no rightful place in federal court, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • What Calif. Appeals Split Means For Litigating PAGA Claims

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    After two recent California state appeals court rulings diverged on whether a former employee with untimely individual claims under the Private Attorneys General Act can maintain a representative action, practitioners' strategic agility will be key to managing risk and achieving favorable outcomes in PAGA litigation, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • Series

    Competing In Modern Pentathlon Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Opening myself up to new experiences through competing in modern Olympic pentathlon has shrunk the appearance of my daily work annoyances and helps me improve my patience, manage crises better and remember that acquiring new skills requires working through your early mistakes, says attorney Mary Zoldak.

  • When Rule 12 Motions Against Class Allegations Succeed

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    Companies facing class actions often attempt early motions to strike class allegations, and while some district courts have been reluctant to decide certification issues at the pleading stage, several recent decisions have shown that Rule 12 motions to dismiss or strike class allegations can be effective, say attorneys at Womble Bond.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Teaching Yourself Legal Tech

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    New graduates often enter practice unfamiliar with even basic professional software, but budding lawyers can use on-the-job opportunities to both catch up on technological skills and explore the advanced legal and artificial intelligence tools that will open doors, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.

  • State Farm Rate Hike Portends Intensifying Insurance Crisis

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    The California Department of Insurance's unprecedented emergency approval of a 17% rate increase for State Farm General Insurance, the first interim rate relief granted before completing full actuarial justification, represents a regulatory watershed and establishes precedent that could fundamentally reshape insurers' response to climate-driven market instability, says Daniel Veroff at Merlin Law Group.

  • How AI May Reshape The Future Of Adjudication

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    As discussed at a recent panel at Texas A&M, artificial intelligence will not erase the human element of adjudication in the next 10 to 20 years, but it will drive efficiencies that spur private arbiters to experiment, lead public courts to evolve and force attorneys to adapt, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.

  • 5 Insurance Claims That Could Emerge After NCAA Settlement

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    Following the recent NCAA class action settlement that will allow revenue sharing with college athletes, there may be potential management liability for universities, their executive leadership and boards that could expose insurers to tax, regulatory, breach of contract and other claims, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.

  • When Legal Advocacy Crosses The Line Into Incivility

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    As judges issue sanctions for courtroom incivility, and state bars advance formal discipline rules, trial lawyers must understand that the difference between zealous advocacy and unprofessionalism is not just a matter of tone; it's a marker of skill, credibility and potentially disciplinary exposure, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

  • 3 Corporate Deposition Prep Tips To Counter 'Reptile' Tactics

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    With plaintiffs counsel’s rising use of reptile strategies that seek to activate jurors' survival instincts, corporate deponents face an increased risk of being lulled into providing testimony that undercuts a key defense or sets up the plaintiff's case strategy at trial, making it important to consider factors like cross-examination and timing, say attorneys at Dentons.

  • Indemnity Lessons From Mass. Construction Defect Ruling

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    The Massachusetts high court's decision in Trustees of Boston University v. CHA, holding that a bespoke contractual indemnity provision means that a construction defect claim is not subject to Massachusetts' statute of repose, should spur design and construction professionals to negotiate limited provisions, says Christopher Sweeney at Conn Kavanaugh.

  • Series

    Volunteering At Schools Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Speaking to elementary school students about the importance of college and other opportunities after high school — especially students who may not see those paths reflected in their daily lives — not only taught me the importance of giving back, but also helped to sharpen several skills essential to a successful legal practice, says Guillermo Escobedo at Constangy.

  • Cos. Considering DExit Should Assess D&O Insurance Effects

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    As companies consider incorporating in less-regulated states than Delaware, they shouldn't neglect to balance the long-term insurance implications against the short-term benefits of lower taxes and a more permissive legal regime, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

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