Specialty Lines

  • September 25, 2025

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    A New York federal court issued a no-coverage decision over a $3.3 million fraud scheme, a judge said much of a seafood wholesaler's hurricane coverage claims should go to a jury and Connecticut's justices considered whether an unjust enrichment claim could lead to double recovery of auto insurance benefits. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.

  • September 24, 2025

    UnitedHealth Fights Investor Suit Over DOJ's Merger Probe

    UnitedHealth and its executives have asked a Minnesota federal judge to toss a proposed securities class action accusing it of, among many things, not disclosing that the U.S. Department of Justice had reopened an antitrust investigation into the health insurer, saying the complaint consists of unsupported "scattershot allegations."

  • September 24, 2025

    Ill. Judge Sends $7.6M DOJ Deal Coverage Dispute To Virginia

    A consulting firm must litigate its suit seeking coverage for a $7.6 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in Virginia, where it is based, an Illinois federal court ruled, finding that Virginia is the more convenient forum and the better place to apply state law.

  • September 23, 2025

    Insurer Needn't Cover $3.3M Securities Scam Settlements

    An insurer for a securities broker-dealer does not owe coverage for $3.3 million the company paid to settle claims that an employee defrauded clients, a New York federal court ruled Tuesday, finding that the settlements are not a direct loss covered under the company's policy.

  • September 22, 2025

    Credit Union, Insurers End Embezzlement Coverage Dispute

    A credit union seeking coverage for $5.5 million in embezzled funds agreed to end a suit accusing its fidelity bond insurers of secretly amending policy language to avoid coverage for "virtually any catastrophic loss," according to a notice filed Monday in Georgia federal court.

  • September 22, 2025

    Porsche Crash Suit Isn't Double Recovery, Conn. Justices Told

    A Porsche driver who suffered property damage losses after another man struck him wouldn't score a double recovery if allowed to challenge Nationwide, his own insurer, for separately pursuing the driver allegedly at fault, the Connecticut Supreme Court heard Monday.

  • September 18, 2025

    Fire Risk Modelers See Promise In Advancing Calif. Bill

    A recently approved California bill supporting the development of a public fire risk model could help boost transparency around methods insurers use to make coverage decisions, while advancing a complicated field of study full of uncertainties, experts say.

  • September 18, 2025

    Homeowner Policies At Center Of Ga. Insurance Changes

    As the Georgia House of Representatives continues to study the state's insurance rate-setting practices, profit margins and claims processing, insurance attorneys in the state evaluate the areas in which homeowners should be watching closely, including cosmetic exclusion triggers, third-party adjusters and the changes to come under April's tort reform legislation.

  • September 18, 2025

    Petrol Co. Seeks Early Win In Benzene Injury Coverage Suit

    Three insurers have continued to renege on their duty to defend an underlying lawsuit seeking to hold a New York-based petroleum company liable for a man's multiple myeloma diagnosis, the company told a state court, saying they've already acknowledged that such a duty exists.

  • September 18, 2025

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    A Delaware state court found that Frontier Communications was entitled to a defense against copyright infringement claims, a split Ninth Circuit panel backed certification denial for a proposed class of Progressive policyholders, and the Second Circuit heard arguments in a firearms retailer's bid for coverage of ghost gun suits. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.

  • September 17, 2025

    Frontier Copyright Row Triggered Duty To Defend, Court Says

    Insurers for Frontier Communications had a duty to defend the telecommunications company against copyright infringement claims that were ultimately settled, a Delaware state court ruled in a recently unsealed opinion, analyzing a deliberate acts exclusion and the timeliness of Frontier's claim notice.

  • September 17, 2025

    Chubb Unit Wants Data, Cyber Cos. To Pay Ransomware Cost

    A Chubb insurance unit has claimed a data management company and a cybersecurity firm failed to prevent or mitigate a ransomware attack on one of its policyholders, leading to the insurer being on the hook for more than $500,000 in damages, according to a lawsuit filed in New Jersey federal court.

  • September 18, 2025

    2nd Circ. Wary Of Retailer's Bid For Ghost Gun Suit Coverage

    The Second Circuit seemed skeptical of a Texas-based firearms retailer's argument that it is owed coverage for suits alleging it contributed to gun violence by selling unfinished components used to assemble what are known as ghost guns, grilling the retailer Wednesday for specific allegations of negligence that would trigger coverage.

  • September 17, 2025

    No Response From Insurers To Coverage Requests, Co. Says

    A Seattle-based marine logistics company told a Washington federal court that a trio of marine insurers failed to issue a coverage opinion before it ultimately settled an arbitration earlier this year involving an $18.6 million counterclaim over vessel damage, adding that the insurers conducted no investigation, either.

  • September 16, 2025

    Travelers Must Cover Scholastic's IP Suit Costs, Not Damages

    A Manhattan federal judge has ruled that a Travelers unit must cover Scholastic Inc. for costs incurred in its defense and settlement of a trademark and copyright infringement suit, but not pay consequential damages Scholastic had sought.

  • September 12, 2025

    Conn. Supreme Court Snapshot: Amazon Wages Top Sept.

    A wage and hour dispute between Amazon and its Connecticut warehouse workers is the top corporate dispute on the Connecticut Supreme Court's September docket after the justices agreed to answer a certified question over whether state law requires the retailer to pay employees undergoing security screenings.

  • September 11, 2025

    Environmental Deregulation Fuels Insurance Uncertainties

    President Donald Trump's policy agenda of dismantling environmental regulations has created more uncertainty in the insurance world, where the benefit from decreased government enforcement may be undercut by shifting litigation risks, new legal theories and potential lingering exposures, insurance attorneys said.

  • September 11, 2025

    OpenAI Death Suit Heightens AI Insurance Concerns

    A wrongful death lawsuit filed against OpenAI and its CEO has insurance experts evaluating what potential carrier involvement may look like, bolstering concerns over whether creators of artificial intelligence platforms have proper coverage and whether carriers could be on the hook for potentially large losses.

  • September 11, 2025

    Lloyd's Fossil Fuel Reversal Strikes Experts As Political

    Lloyd's of London's recent move to relax coverage restrictions for certain fossil fuel businesses reflects a more permissive political climate for polluting industries, experts said, while advocates for sustainable investment called it bad business. 

  • September 11, 2025

    Insurers Claim 'Collusion' In Ga. School's $345M Abuse Deal

    Five insurance companies urged the Georgia Court of Appeals Thursday to let them off the hook for a $345 million settlement between a private school and nearly two dozen men who said they were sexually abused as students, alleging the deal was "tainted by collusion" and well outside the bounds of their respective policies.

  • September 11, 2025

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    A New York federal court analyzed policy limits and retentions over abuse claims against the Archdiocese of New York, the First Circuit ordered an insurer to defend a class action over allegedly faulty heating oil, and insurers notified the Fifth Circuit of a potential settlement in their hurricane arbitration appeal.

  • September 11, 2025

    5th Circ. Won't Revisit Doctor's Captive Insurance Case

    The Fifth Circuit rejected a Texas doctor's request for the full court to review a panel's July decision that he was not entitled to $1 million in tax deductions linked to his urgent care network's captive insurance company.

  • September 10, 2025

    Liberty Says Subcontractor's Insurer Must Defend Injury Row

    A subcontractor's insurer must defend and indemnify companies insured by a Liberty Mutual unit on a primary basis in a worker's injury lawsuit, the unit argued to a New York federal court.

  • September 10, 2025

    $5.9M Fidelity National Data Breach Settlement Gets Final OK

    A Florida federal court officially signed off on a $5.9 million settlement of a proposed class action against title insurer Fidelity National Financial over a November 2023 data breach that allegedly impacted roughly 1.3 million individuals, noting the court was notified of a settlement just seven months after the litigation commenced. 

  • September 10, 2025

    McCarter & English Atty Admitted Breaches, Insurers Claim

    Two insurance companies have asked a Connecticut Superior Court judge's permission to file a late request for a quick win on two breach of contract claims against McCarter & English LLP and one of its attorneys, saying the lawyer's deposition left no facts in dispute on those specific counts.

Expert Analysis

  • 7 Tips To Help Your Witness Be A Cross-Exam Heavyweight

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    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.

  • Insurance Considerations For Cos. That May Face Strikes

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    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.

  • Challenges Of Insuring An NIL Collective

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    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.

  • An Update On Legal Issues In The Drone Market

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    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.

  • Key Insurance Implications Of Hawaii's Historic GHG Ruling

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    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.

  • Use The Right Kind Of Feedback To Help Gen Z Attorneys

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    Generation Z associates bring unique perspectives and expectations to the workplace, so it’s imperative that supervising attorneys adapt their feedback approach in order to help young lawyers learn and grow — which is good for law firms, too, says Rachael Bosch at Fringe Professional Development.

  • Congress Can And Must Enact A Supreme Court Ethics Code

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    As public confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court dips to historic lows following reports raising conflict of interest concerns, Congress must exercise its constitutional power to enact a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the high court, says Muhammad Faridi, president of the New York City Bar Association.

  • State Of The States' AI Legal Ethics Landscape

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    Over the past year, several state bar associations, as well as the American Bar Association, have released guidance on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice, all of which share overarching themes and some nuanced differences, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law Group.

  • Insurance Likely Kept Swift Out Of The Woods After Vienna

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    Financial losses Taylor Swift incurred from the cancellation of three concerts in Vienna in August will likely be covered by insurance policies, considering how the facts of the situation differ from those of the Foo Fighters' 2015 insurance dispute over event cancellation and terrorism coverage, say attorneys at Anderson Kill.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: September Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy identifies practice tips from four recent class certification rulings involving denial of Medicare reimbursements, automobile insurance disputes, veterans' rights and automobile defects.

  • 3 Coverage Tips As 2nd Circ. 'Swipes Left' On Tinder Claim

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    The Second Circuit's recent opinion in Match Group v. Beazley Underwriting, overturning Tinder's victory on its insurer's motion to dismiss a coverage action, reinforces three best practices policyholders purchasing claims-made coverage should adhere to in order to avoid late-notice defenses, say Lynda Bennett and Alexander Corson at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • What To Know About Insurance Coverage For Antitrust Risks

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    With all the regulatory activity surrounding antitrust and unfair competition claims, as highlighted by last month's D.C. federal court decision that Google is a monopolist, businesses must not only ensure compliance, but also understand their potential insurance coverage when such claims arise, says Micah Skidmore at Haynes Boone.

  • Finding Coverage For Online Retail Privacy Class Actions

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    Following recent court rulings interpreting state invasion of privacy and electronic surveillance statutes triggering a surge in the filing of privacy class actions against online retailers, companies should examine their various insurance policies, including E&O and D&O, for defense coverage of these claims, says Alison Gaske at Gilbert LLP.