Specialty Lines

  • January 30, 2025

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    An environmental remediation company must cover Anadarko Petroleum Corp. in a decade-old kickback suit, a Zurich insurer owes $12.2 million to a solar energy company for rain damage and the Baylor College of Medicine can't recover a $12 million award for its pandemic-related losses. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.

  • January 29, 2025

    Senate Banking Committee Forms NFIP Working Group

    With the National Flood Insurance Program's authorization set to expire in March, the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking has formed a working group to reform the program and work toward long-term reauthorization, a press release from committee chairman and South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott said.

  • January 24, 2025

    FDIC Wins Discovery Bid In SVB Fraud Coverage Row

    A Chubb unit must give certain documents to Silicon Valley Bank's former parent SVB Financial Group regarding coverage for a fraud that SVB Financial said caused $73 million in losses, a North Carolina federal court ruled Friday, though relieving an excess insurer of doing the same.

  • January 24, 2025

    3rd Circ. Halts Pa. Med Insurer Suit Pending High Court Review

    The Third Circuit agreed Friday to put a hold on its ruling that Pennsylvania's medical malpractice insurance fund is an agency of the state and can dip into the fund's $300 million budget surplus pending the outcome of the fund's appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • January 24, 2025

    Coding Boot Camp Seeks Coverage For Tuition Financing Row

    A San Francisco-based company that runs coding boot camps said its insurers must defend and indemnify it for federal and state probes and private settlements related to its tuition financing program, telling a California federal court that coverage denials have left the company on the brink of insolvency.

  • January 24, 2025

    Law Firm Sues AIG Unit Over Sports Fraud Coverage

    A Florida-based law firm and its principal attorney have accused an AIG unit of misleading them into defending a sports memorabilia collector and his company in a Securities and Exchange Commission civil action and two related criminal cases, saying the unit had already agreed in writing to their billing rates.

  • January 23, 2025

    State-Backed Cyberattacks Highlight Coverage Challenges

    A spate of reported state-affiliated cyberattacks on government agencies, telecommunications companies and third-party vendors is drawing the attention of companies and placing greater importance on the increasingly uncertain insurance coverage options available in the wake of an attack.

  • January 23, 2025

    Fed. Climate Insurance Report Confirms Crises, Need For Info

    A new U.S. Treasury report analyzing climate risks and rising insurance costs is one of the most comprehensive studies of the U.S. homeowners market to date, but leaves out key data that could help inform a fuller understanding of the forces shaping the market.

  • January 23, 2025

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    Arbitrations for domestic insurers are out in Louisiana, Freddie Mac ended its $32 million coverage dispute, a California woman wants the U.S. Supreme Court to consider her coverage case and the 10th Circuit seemed skeptical that an insurer's reliance on an expert could set any precedent.

  • January 23, 2025

    Freddie Mac Puts End To $32M SEC Probe Coverage Dispute

    Freddie Mac told a D.C. federal court that it has reached a settlement with underwriters at Lloyd's of London, bringing an end to the government-backed mortgage lender's $32 million coverage suit stemming from civil actions and federal probes related to its collapse during the 2008 global financial crisis.

  • January 22, 2025

    Nationwide Unit Needn't Cover Self-Dealing Suit, Court Says

    A Nationwide unit doesn't owe coverage for a federal bankruptcy suit accusing two restaurateurs of engaging in self-dealing, a California federal court ruled, pointing to a policy exclusion barring coverage for wrongful acts that were noticed under a prior policy.

  • January 21, 2025

    Lyft Driver Says Carjacking Suit Should've Settled Sooner

    A Lyft driver accused his insurer of violating Washington's Insurance Fair Conduct Act over his bid for uninsured motorist benefits following a carjacking, saying the insurer forced him to go to arbitration and win an over $1.1 million award rather than accept his earlier $1 million policy limit demands.

  • January 21, 2025

    Cornell Case May Be Bellwether For ERISA Transaction Claims

    The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday from Cornell University and workers looking to reinstate a class action alleging their retirement plan paid excessive fees, in a case that could change the strategy for Employee Retirement Income Security Act plaintiffs in the future.

  • January 17, 2025

    Law360 Names Practice Groups Of The Year

    Law360 would like to congratulate the winners of its Practice Groups of the Year awards for 2024, which honor the attorney teams behind litigation wins and significant transaction work that resonated throughout the legal industry this past year.

  • January 17, 2025

    Law360 Names Firms Of The Year

    Eight law firms have earned spots as Law360's Firms of the Year, with 54 Practice Group of the Year awards among them, steering some of the largest deals of 2024 and securing high-profile litigation wins, including at the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • January 17, 2025

    Insurer Tried To 'Embarrass' Cadwalader, NC Court Told

    Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP has accused a Lloyd's of London syndicate of attempting to "embarrass" the firm by publicly revealing the firm's data breach recoveries amid the insurer's bid to toss a coverage suit stemming from a 2022 hack.

  • January 16, 2025

    Fire-Safe Rebuilding Key To Reducing LA Insurance Issues

    Reducing the potential of fires like those in Los Angeles to disrupt insurance and housing markets will require a significant and sustained effort to lower physical risks in fire-prone communities, and a commitment to rebuilding to stronger standards.

  • January 16, 2025

    Insured Atty Says Strike Trade Issues Need Special Coverage

    Union leaders and management for ports and shipping companies reached a tentative deal to avoid a major strike, a close call that highlighted how losses from trade disruptions can fall through the cracks of standard insurance coverage. Stephen Raptis, a partner at Reed Smith LLP's insurance recovery practice, spoke to Law360 about the kinds of losses that can result from a strike-induced supply chain disruption, where the usual coverage options fall short and what policyholders in the maritime trade can do to minimize their risks.

  • January 16, 2025

    Home Depot's 6th Circ. Loss Reveals Cyber Coverage Gaps

    The Sixth Circuit's finding that an electronic data exclusion in Home Depot's insurance policies barred coverage for a $50 million claim stemming from a 2014 data breach marks an important distinction in litigation over whether multiple types of policies can cover the same loss, experts say.

  • January 16, 2025

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    The Sixth Circuit backed Home Depot’s loss in its $50 million data breach coverage fight, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a California farming partnership’s crop coverage dispute, and the Fourth Circuit ruled that an insurer must reimburse Liberty Mutual for a $1 million appeal bond. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.

  • January 16, 2025

    Meet The Attys Guiding New Zealand Software Co.'s Ch. 15

    Montoux, a New Zealand-based provider of actuarial software, has hired lawyers from Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP to help secure U.S. recognition of a liquidation process the company launched in its home country.

  • January 15, 2025

    Symetra Life Policyholders Seek $32.5M Settlement Approval

    A proposed class of Symetra policyholders asked a Washington federal court to preliminarily approve a $32.5 million deal to resolve a suit alleging that the insurer overcharged them for life insurance, saying the 11-state settlement would cover the owners of 43,000 policies.

  • January 15, 2025

    Chubb Unit Seeks Exit From Bar's $105M Drunken Driving Suit

    A Chubb unit said it no longer owes coverage to a bar appealing a $105 million judgment related to a drunken patron's car crash, telling a Texas federal court the bar violated the terms of the policy by refusing to cooperate with the insurer's defense.

  • January 13, 2025

    6th Circ. OKs Home Depot's $50M Data Breach Coverage Loss

    The Sixth Circuit affirmed Monday a finding that an electronic-data exclusion provision in Home Depot Inc.'s commercial general liability excess policies with Steadfast Insurance Co. and Great American Assurance Co. unambiguously barred coverage for the retail giant's $50 million claim for defense and settlement costs over a 2014 data breach.

  • January 13, 2025

    Insurer Drops Dispute Over Private Equity Firm's Deals

    An excess insurer agreed Monday to drop its Massachusetts federal suit seeking to avoid coverage of two settlements made by its insured, the private equity firm Advent International, over supposed wrongful acts the company committed related to the sale of two portfolio companies to two different buyers.

Expert Analysis

  • Wis. High Court Ruling May Open Door To Coverage Exception

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    The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s recent decision in Dostal v. Strand finding that an insurer had to defend a civil action following the defendant's criminal conviction on the same facts nonetheless may suggest an exception to the complaint test for determining an insurance company's defense obligation, say David Hollander and Clementine Uwabera at Stafford Rosenbaum.

  • Crypto Coverage After FTX Fall: Accountant And Atty Liability

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    The recent fall of cryptocurrency firm FTX highlights complexities regarding accounting and tax reporting for digital assets, and reveals lawyers’ potential liability exposure when providing services to crypto firms — as a result, insurers may face unintended vulnerabilities related to this nebulous landscape, say Anjali Das and Farzana Ahmed at Wilson Elser.

  • Anticipating Tech Market Volatility With R&W Policies

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    Technology executives, investors and their advisers should understand how representations and warranties insurance works ahead of a potential rise in claims activity and as deal makers focus on maximizing existing deals' value amid economic uncertainty, says Eric Larson at Morris Manning.

  • Crypto Coverage After FTX Fall: D&O Liability

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    The fallout surrounding the recent implosion of cryptocurrency firm FTX highlights potential crypto coverage exposure — including in the area of directors and officers liability — for insurance carriers in the evolving and largely misunderstood world of digital assets, says Anjali Das at Wilson Elser.

  • Litigation, Compliance And Enforcement In The 'Crypto Winter'

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    In 2022, cryptocurrency valuations plummeted, litigation proliferated and the "crypto winter" led to several high-profile bankruptcies, resulting in novel factual and legal questions being raised in areas like general commercial litigation, intellectual property, securities, bankruptcy, cybersecurity and compliance, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • The 7th Circ.'s Top 10 Civil Opinions Of 2022

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    Attorneys at Jenner & Block examine the most significant decisions issued by the Seventh Circuit in 2022, and explain how they may affect issues related to antitrust, the False Claims Act,​ ​federal jurisdiction and more.

  • Cultivating Good Relationships With Insurance Regulators

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Insurers can develop mutually beneficial working relationships with insurance regulators by following some simple tips for streamlining communication, knowing how and when to ask for help, and treating regulatory staff with professional courtesy, says Layna Rush at Baker Donelson.

  • How Ohio Software Ruling Implicates Crypto Insurance Claims

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    The Ohio Supreme Court's recent decision in EMOI Services v. Owners Insurance, holding that software can never be physically damaged, has limited precedential value for property claims, but serious implications for cases involving loss or damage to intangible assets like cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens, say Jane Warring and Shannon O’Malley at Zelle.

  • 6 Ways To Avoid Compounding Errors When Practicing Law

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    For lawyers and law firms, inevitable human error can lead to claims of malpractice or ethical violations, but the key is to avoid exacerbating mistakes by adding communication failures, conflicts of interest or insurance coverage losses, says Mark Hinderks at Stinson.

  • More Stringent Calif. Claim Law Could Benefit Policyholders

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    Although a new California statute that imposes additional requirements for policyholder presuit demands — effective Jan. 1 — was ostensibly passed as a bad faith liability shield for insurers, used correctly it may provide a more specific road map for plaintiff recovery, says Shanti Eagle at Farella Braun.

  • Sandbagging Issues To Watch In Deal Documents

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    Attorneys at Kramer Levin explore how transactional practitioners address sandbagging in acquisition agreements, the default rules that courts may apply when deal parties are silent on the issue, and how sandbagging comes up in the context of representation and warranty insurance policies and any related special indemnities in acquisition agreements.

  • Ky. Ruling Shows Need For Consistent Insurer Claim Replies

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    The Kentucky Supreme Court's recent ruling in Ashland Hospital v. Darwin Select Insurance, allowing a hospital to continue seeking coverage for a medical malpractice claim, warns insurers against invoking a prior-notice exclusion to bar coverage after previously rejecting a notice of potential claim as insufficient, say Chet Kronenberg and Lindsay DiMaggio at Simpson Thacher.

  • Check This List Twice: 4 Steps To Abate Coverage Concerns

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    This holiday season give your company the gift of following easy administrative steps to avoid the far-too-common clerical errors that could lead to forfeited insurance coverage, say Vivek Chopra and Mattison Kim at Perkins Coie.