Specialty Lines

Expert Analysis

• 2026 State AI Bills That Could Expand Liability, Insurance Risk

  

  State bills legislating artificial intelligence that are expected to pass in 2026 will reshape the liability landscape for all companies incorporating AI solutions into their business operations, as any novel private rights of action authorized under AI-related statutes signal expanding exposures, say attorneys at Wiley.

• Athlete's Countersuit Highlights Broader NIL Coverage Issues

  

  Former University of Georgia football player Damon Wilson's countersuit against the university's athletic association over a name, image and likeness contract offers an early view into how NIL disputes — and the attendant coverage implications — may metastasize once institutions step fully into the role of contracting and enforcement parties, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.

• Key Trends In PFAS Regulation And Litigation For 2026

  

  As 2026 begins, the legal and regulatory outlook for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances is defined less by sweeping federal initiatives and more by incremental adjustments, judicial guardrails and state-driven regulations — an environment in which proactive risk management and close monitoring of policy developments will be essential, say attorneys at MG+M.

• Maximizing Cyberinsurance Coverage In 2026

  

  One of the most significant risks policyholders face in 2026 is the risk of loss caused by infiltration of their computer systems or manipulation of their employees through the use of computers, highlighting the need for a comprehensive cyberinsurance policy review, say attorneys at Cohen Ziffer.

• Judges Carry Onus To Screen Expert Opinions Before Juries

  

  Recent Second Circuit arguments in Acetaminophen Products Liability Litigation implied a low bar for judicial gatekeeping of expert testimony, but under amended Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence, judges must rigorously scrutinize expert opinions before allowing them to reach juries, says Lee Mickus at Evans Fears.

• 4 California Insurance Law Decisions To Know From 2025

  

  California continued to shape the national insurance landscape in 2025, issuing a series of decisions that may recalibrate claims handling, underwriting strategy and policy drafting in areas from property damage claims after a wildfire to automobile coverage for delivery drivers in the gig economy, say attorneys at Nicolaides Fink.

• 5 Coverage Considerations For Couture And Cosmetics Cos.

  

  Fashion, beauty and cosmetic companies getting ready for 2026 shouldn't neglect important insurance considerations, including stand-alone policies for specialized risk and check-ins with supply chain partners on policy requirements, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

• Changes In Crypto, Cybersecurity Defined NY Banking In 2025

  

  The major takeaways from 2025 in New York banking policy involve updated guidance, regulations and requirements primarily affecting innovation and digital banking, in areas such as cybersecurity, virtual currencies, and buy now, pay later programs, say attorneys at Steptoe.

• Ruling Upholds $11M Arbitration Award, Offers D&O Lessons

  

  A New York federal court's recent decision in Flextronics v. Allianz, sustaining an $11 million arbitration award against the insurer, represents a significant affirmation of core policyholder protections in directors and officers insurance, specifically those dealing with allocation, insurability and best-efforts obligations, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

• 7 Strategies To Optimize Impact Of Direct Examination

  

  Direct examination is a make-or-break opportunity to build a witness’s credibility, so attorneys should adopt a few tactics — from asking so-called trust-fall questions to preemptively addressing weaknesses — to drive impact and retention with the fact-finder, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

• M&A Midmarket Shows Resilience Amid 2025 Challenges

  

  Midmarket mergers and acquisitions showed a slight decline in volume but climbed in value for much of 2025, particularly in the private equity space, indicating that the middle market M&A environment is cautious but steady heading into 2026, say attorneys at Stoel Rives.

• 2025 State AI Laws Expand Liability, Raise Insurance Risks

  

  As 2025 nears its end, claims professionals should be aware of trends in state legislation addressing artificial intelligence use, as insurance claims based on some of these liability-expanding statutes are a certainty, say attorneys at Wiley.

• What Trump Order Limiting State AI Regs Means For Insurers

  

  Last week's executive order seeking to preclude states from regulating artificial intelligence will likely have minimal impact on insurers, but the order and related congressional activities may portend a federal expectation of consistent state oversight of insurers' AI use, says Kathleen Birrane at DLA Piper.