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December 13, 2024
Philadelphia Eagles Can't Revive COVID-19 Coverage Suit
A Pennsylvania federal judge refused to reconsider the Philadelphia Eagles' bid for COVID-19 loss coverage Friday, saying that although the football team thought it "made a clean pass for coverage," there would be no touchdowns scored against its insurer in court.
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December 13, 2024
Retirees Say Lumber Co.'s $1.5B Pension Transfer Upped Risk
A wood product manufacturer violated federal benefits law when it transferred $1.5 billion of pension obligations to a private equity-backed insurance company, substantially increasing the risk that retirees will see their benefits slashed, according to a proposed class action filed in federal court.
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December 13, 2024
NC Justices Topple Insurer Victory In COVID Coverage Battle
The North Carolina Supreme Court handed policyholders a rare win Friday in their bid to get property insurance coverage for their pandemic-related business interruption losses, unanimously finding that the insuring phrase "direct physical loss" included the loss of use of property due to COVID-19 public health orders.
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December 13, 2024
Construction Co. Fights Stay In Small Biz Qui Tam Suit
The owners of a construction firm accused in a whistleblower suit of defrauding a program for disadvantaged small businesses objected to a request to delay the suit while the Eleventh Circuit considers the appeal of another suit that resulted in a controversial decision deeming the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act unconstitutional.
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December 13, 2024
UnitedHealth To Pay $69M In Suit Over 401(k) Fund Roster
UnitedHealth Group has agreed to pay $69 million to settle a class action claiming it included low-performing investment options in its 401(k) plan to preserve its business relationship with Wells Fargo, according to a filing Friday in Minnesota federal court.
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December 12, 2024
Insurer Owes Defense In Faulty Landscaping Row, Court Told
A contractor facing claims it did faulty irrigation and landscaping work told a Florida federal court that its commercial general liability insurer must defend it, saying while the insurer declined additional insured coverage to the underlying claimant, it still hasn't communicated a coverage position with the contractor.
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December 12, 2024
USAA Inks $3.25M Data Breach Deal With 22K Customers
More than 22,000 USAA customers have asked a New York federal judge to grant preliminary approval to a $3.2 million settlement to resolve a proposed class action alleging the company's security failures in its online insurance quote system allowed cybercriminals to open fraudulent memberships.
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December 12, 2024
Insurer Must Defend Texas Oilfield Against Burned Worker
An insurer must continue to defend an oilfield services company in a suit brought by a severely burned worker seeking over $1 million for his injuries, a Texas federal court ruled, finding nothing in his short complaint triggered exclusions.
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December 12, 2024
Insurer Seeks Exit From $1.35M Wire Loss Dispute
A broker accused of negligently causing a buyer to lose roughly $1.35 million in a business acquisition because of a wrong email address should receive no coverage, its insurer told an Arizona federal court, citing three separate exclusions in the broker's business owners liability policy.
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December 12, 2024
Wash. Justices OK Tax Break For Pharmacy Benefits Manager
A Washington pharmacy benefits manager is exempt from a state business tax on its services for Medicaid patients because its corporate sibling paid premium taxes in connection with the same services, the state's high court affirmed Thursday.
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December 12, 2024
Hartford Needn't Defend Contractor In Workplace Injury Suit
A Hartford unit has no duty to defend an electrical contractor against an employee's workplace injury suit, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Thursday, saying the underlying negligence- and intent-based claims don't fall within the scope of a workers' compensation and employers' liability policy.
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December 11, 2024
High Court Urged To Take Up Web Scraping Trade Secret Spat
An insurance agent is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take up his challenge to an Eleventh Circuit ruling reviving software company Compulife's copyright claim against him, saying the high court should resolve an issue surrounding web scrapes of public information.
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December 11, 2024
Ex-Rep. TJ Cox Reaches Plea Deal On Fraud Charges
Former U.S. Rep. T.J. Cox reached a deal with California federal prosecutors and agreed to plead guilty to two charges and pay up to a $3.5 million fine over allegations he stole from his companies and took illegal campaign contributions, according to a plea agreement filed Wednesday.
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December 11, 2024
Law Firm Manager Gets Prison For Bribes In No-Fault Scam
A Manhattan federal judge on Wednesday hit a former law firm manager with a five-year prison sentence for paying $800,000 in bribes that fueled a $70 million no-fault automobile insurance fraud racket, saying his lawbreaking "was massive in scope."
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December 11, 2024
Embattled Texas Law Firm Heading To Mediation In Ch. 11
Troubled Houston law firm MMA Law said it will engage in mediation with litigation funders Equal Access Justice Fund LP and creditors to try to sort out issues pertaining to the firm's bankruptcy plan and other matters, days after Equal Access escaped a class action involving MMA Law.
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December 11, 2024
6th Circ. Probes Rationale For State Farm Worker's Firing
The Sixth Circuit grappled Wednesday with whether to reopen a former State Farm employee's suit alleging she was illegally fired after counseling a colleague about a disability accommodation complaint, with one judge questioning if the insurer had looked into the worker's claim that she faced selective discipline.
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December 11, 2024
Dutch Duo Beats Insurer's Claims Of Poor Greenhouse Design
Neither a Dutch greenhouse builder nor designer were responsible for the failure of a Michigan produce farm's $14.1 million greenhouse, a federal judge ruled, granting an early win to the pair in an insurer's subrogation suit seeking coverage for a storm loss.
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December 11, 2024
Insurer Seeks $900K For Conn. Dehumidifier Fire Damages
An insurer said it is entitled to recover over $900,000 from a dehumidifier manufacturer and its subsidiaries for costs the carrier incurred in covering a policyholder's house fire, telling a Connecticut federal court that the manufacturer's product was defective and unreasonably dangerous.
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December 11, 2024
Class Seeks Final OK Of Contentious $147.5M Insurance Deal
A class of insurance policyholders has urged a Connecticut federal judge to give his final blessing to a $147.5 million settlement resolving claims that two insurers overcharged when deducting costs from savings accounts attached to universal life insurance plans.
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December 11, 2024
Liberty Mutual Accused Of Stalling On $21M Loss Claims
The owners of a Massachusetts metal recycling plant that was severely damaged in an explosion last year say Liberty Mutual is attempting to avoid a $20.8 million payout in part by claiming that the facility, ordered razed by the city of Springfield, could have been repaired instead.
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December 11, 2024
6 Firms Guide Nippon Life's $8.2B Resolution Life Acquisition
Japanese life insurer Nippon Life said Wednesday that it has agreed to buy the remaining 77% stake in holding group Resolution Life that it does not already own for $8.2 billion.
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December 10, 2024
9th Circ Reverses Cert. In Widow's Allianz Life Insurance Suit
A unanimous Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday reversed a lower court decision granting class certification in a case claiming that Allianz LIfe Insurance didn't follow statutorily required notice provisions before denying life insurance claims, saying the lead plaintiff wasn't an adequate representative for the proposed class, among other concerns.
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December 10, 2024
Ohio Justices Undo Paint-Maker's Lead Paint Coverage Win
Insurers for Sherwin-Williams Co. don't have to cover the paint-maker's portion of a $305 million settlement to abate lead paint in California homes, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, finding the payment does not qualify as damages under its commercial general liability policies.
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December 10, 2024
Insurer Eyes Dismissal Of Pot Co. Trulieve's Coverage Case
An insurance company that is a unit of Berkshire Hathaway is arguing that it has no obligation to defend Trulieve Inc., which is being sued over a cannabis worker's death, urging a federal judge to toss the lawsuit brought by the largest medical marijuana operator in Florida.
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December 10, 2024
NC Law Firm, Insurer Drop Phishing Coverage Row
A law firm specializing in real estate transactions and its cyber insurer told a North Carolina federal court Tuesday they've agreed to settle their dispute over coverage for a phishing scam the firm said caused it to unwittingly wire roughly $647,000 to the hacker's bank account.
Expert Analysis
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The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO
The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.
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Navigating Fla.'s Shorter Construction Defect Claim Window
In light of recent legislation reducing the amount of time Florida homeowners have to bring construction defect claims, homeowners should be sure to understand their rights and responsibilities regarding maintenance, repairs and inspections set forth in developer-drafted documents, say Brian Tannenbaum and Nicholas Vargo at Ball Janik.
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Why Diversity Jurisdiction Poses Investment Fund Hurdles
Federal courts' continued application of the exacting rules of diversity jurisdiction presents particular challenges for investment funds, and in the absence of any near-term reform, those who manage such funds should take action to avoid diversity jurisdiction pitfalls, say attorneys at Sher Tremonte.
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What Hawaii High Court Got Right And Wrong In AIG Ruling
Though the Hawaii Supreme Court in its recent Aloha Petroleum v. National Union Fire Insurance decision correctly adopted the majority rule that recklessly caused harm is an accident for coverage purposes, it erred in its interpretation of the pollution exclusion by characterizing climate change as "traditional environmental pollution," say attorneys at Haynes Boone.
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7 Tips To Help Your Witness Be A Cross-Exam Heavyweight
Because jurors tend to pay a little more attention to cross-examination, attorneys should train their witnesses to strike a balance — making it tough for opposing counsel to make their side’s case, without coming across as difficult to the jury, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.
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Series
Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.
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Insurance Considerations For Cos. That May Face Strikes
The recent surge in major work stoppages in the U.S. highlights the growing importance of strike preparedness for businesses, which includes understanding strike insurance coverage options, say Chris D’Amour and Brooke Duncan at Adams and Reese.
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Tobacco Surcharge Suits Spotlight Wellness Reg Compliance
A mounting wave of tobacco-user surcharge litigation against employee benefit plans highlights compliance challenges associated with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act wellness regulations, and reminds plan sponsors to ask existential questions about the utility of their wellness programs, say Finn Pressly and Lesley Wolf at Ballard Spahr.
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Challenges Of Insuring An NIL Collective
Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty examines the emergence of name, image and likeness collectives for student-athletes, the current litigation landscape that has created a favorable environment for these organizations, and considerations for director and officer insurers looking to underwrite NIL collectives.
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Opinion
Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits
With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.
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How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program
During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.
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Series
Home Canning Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.
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Navigating The Bankruptcy Terrain After Purdue Pharma
The U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma is having a significant impact on bankruptcies, with recent cases addressing nonconsensual third-party releases and opt-out mechanisms, and highlighting strategies practitioners can employ to avoid running afoul of the decision, say Brett Axelrod and Agostino Zammiello at Fox Rothschild.
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An Update On Legal Issues In The Drone Market
Marialuisa Gallozzi and Alex Slawson at Covington examine recent developments in the legal issues surrounding the growing drone market, including possible First Amendment protections, Fourth Amendment surveillance, and litigation involving criminal and civil penalties, evidentiary pursuits, and insurance.
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Key Insurance Implications Of Hawaii's Historic GHG Ruling
In Aloha Petroleum v. National Union Fire Insurance, the Hawaii Supreme Court became the first state court to classify greenhouse gasses as pollutants barred from insurance coverage, a ruling likely to be afforded great weight by courts across the country, say Scott Seaman and Gar Lauerman at Hinshaw & Culbertson.