Expert Analysis

• Navigating Insurance And Contract Risks Amid Hormuz Crisis

  

  The Strait of Hormuz has become a legal choke point where contractual obligations, insurance coverage and international law intersect, underscoring for maritime lawyers the importance of proactive contract drafting, rigorous policy review and close engagement with clients, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• Safeguarding RWI Coverage As Materiality Focus Persists

  

  As first-quarter broker claims reports reveal that materiality disputes remain a key driver of representations and warranties insurance claims, the scarce case law in this area indicates that including a materiality scrape provision in an RWI policy may aid policyholders with recovery, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

• How Geopolitical Risk Affects Data Center Coverage

  

  Escalating tensions with Iran risk disrupting the energy and infrastructure inputs that support data center operations, raising insurance coverage concerns for operators affected by events far outside their physical footprints, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

• State Of Insurance: Q1 Notes From Illinois

  

  Matthew Fortin at BatesCarey discusses notable insurance developments in Illinois, including the state Supreme Court's highly anticipated Griffith Foods v. National Union Fire Insurance ruling, two bulletins from the Department of Insurance directed at public adjusters and a Seventh Circuit decision precluding a "super excess" tier of coverage.

• Mapping Bank Exec Clawback Risk Ahead Of Revived Bill

  

  The reintroduction of the Failed Bank Executives Clawback Act would allow recovery of executive compensation after bank failures, making it important for executives and counsel to take steps such as mapping compensation, reviewing employment agreements, documenting decisions, and confirming D&O insurance, says Drew Jones at Diamond McCarthy.

• Reel Justice: 'No Other Choice' And Moral Rationalization

  

  In the satirical thriller "No Other Choice," the main character rationalizes his decision to kill business competitors by creating a narrative of necessity, illustrating for attorneys the dangers of treating strategic litigation decisions as inevitabilities rather than choices, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University.

• 5 Trial Lessons You Learn By Losing

  

  Exploring insights that are usually gained only after trial loss can expose the gaps between what we intend to communicate and what lands with the fact-finder, including why being right isn't always a win and how winning a cross‑examination can help you lose your case, says Allison Rocker at Baker & McKenzie.

• How Cos. Can Prep For Conn. Data Privacy Amendments

  

  Effective July 1, 2026, amendments to the Connecticut Data Privacy Act narrow the safe harbor for data used by banks, insurance companies and other financial services businesses, highlighting how state regulators plan to focus on how companies handle sensitive data and honor the data rights of the state's residents, say attorneys at Day Pitney.

• How Banks Can React To Risks In FinCEN Whistleblower Rule

  

  Financial institutions should reassess and, if necessary, strengthen existing policies, procedures and other frameworks related to whistleblowers and internal reporting in light of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's recent proposal to formalize a whistleblower award program, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

• What GCs Should Consider Before Tendering TM Litigation

  

  When a trademark lawsuit lands on a general counsel's desk, the instinct is to tender it to the insurer, but that model often breaks down in intellectual property litigation, where the stakes extend far beyond defense costs to injunctions, forced rebranding and permanent market constraints, says Bill Wagner at Taft.

• How Securities Litigation Risks Materialized In The 1st Quarter

  

  The securities litigation landscape in 2026's first quarter was defined by higher filing frequency and increased litigation exposure with rising average settlement values, meaning issuers should maximize data-driven legal defenses early to disqualify alleged fraud-revealing stock drops, say Nessim Mezrahi and Stephen Sigrist at SAR.

• Lockdown To Ledger: COVID Rulings Inform Crypto Coverage

  

  As cryptocurrencies move deeper into mainstream financial markets, courts tasked with determining whether traditional insurance policies respond to digital asset losses have been evaluating coverage through the analytical framework of COVID-19 business interruption litigation, with one key recurring theme, say attorneys at Kennedys.

• Steps To Maintain War Insurance Amid Middle East Conflict

  

  To ensure they are adequately protected from war-related risk, companies affected by the escalating conflict in the Persian Gulf should consider how their war insurance coverage interacts with financing structures, lease obligations and commercial risk allocation, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.