Specialty Lines
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July 10, 2025
6th Circ. Denies Ohio Dentist's Life Insurance Tax Deductions
An Ohio dentist cannot deduct his life insurance premiums that he intended to potentially donate to a zoo, the Sixth Circuit ruled, saying the arrangement was taxable under 2003 regulations governing policies that involve two parties sharing the cost and benefit of insurance.
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July 10, 2025
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
Michigan's top court found that claims over personal injury protection coverage can be revived after they are transferred to third parties, the Eighth Circuit relieved a Chubb insurer from having to split an underlying $2 million settlement and the Fourth Circuit revived a South Carolina builder's condo repair coverage dispute. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.
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July 08, 2025
Exclusion's Use Of 'The' Supports Alt. Reading, 5th Circ. Says
The Fifth Circuit said an exclusion barring coverage for intellectual property infringement claims didn't necessarily relieve an insurer from covering defense expenses an oil and gas company incurred in an IP theft lawsuit, finding the exclusion's use of "the" led to a pro-coverage, reasonable meaning.
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July 07, 2025
Hartford Says No Coverage For General Store's GIPA Row
A Hartford unit told an Illinois federal court that it does not owe a general store coverage for claims that the company violated the state's genetic information privacy law by conditioning employment on disclosing genetic information.
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July 03, 2025
Plumbing Co. Seeks $25M In Coverage For ERISA Claims
A plumbing subcontractor told a California federal court that its primary insurer was improperly limiting its coverage in an employee stock ownership plan dispute, hindering its ability to tap into its full $25 million tower of management liability coverage.
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July 03, 2025
The Firms That Won Big At The Supreme Court
The number of law firms juggling three or more arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court this past term nearly doubled from the number of firms that could make that claim last term.
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July 03, 2025
Breaking Down The Vote: The High Court Term In Review
The U.S. Supreme Court once again waited until the term's closing weeks — and even hours — to issue some of its most anticipated and divided decisions.
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July 02, 2025
State Farm Investigation In Calif. Spotlights Adjuster Issues
A California regulatory investigation into State Farm's California subsidiary is spotlighting common issues in the insurance recovery process following major disasters, but experts also say that the insurer's high level of exposure opened it up to more consumer scrutiny.
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July 02, 2025
Life Insurer Agrees To Settle Inflated Charges Suits For $45M
A Missouri-based life insurer agreed to pay $45 million to settle a group of proposed and certified class actions accusing it of using certain nonmortality factors, contrary to policy language, to impose higher costs on policyholders, bringing the insurer's total losses for such claims to over $94.5 million.
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July 02, 2025
Q&A: Policyholder Atty On Career Win Against Calif. FAIR Plan
A major ruling last week that fire insurance offered by California's insurer of last resort doesn't meet minimum standards under state law should redefine the conversation around what constitutes insurable fire risk, according to one of the plaintiff's lawyers. Here, Law360 talks to policyholder attorney Dylan Schaffer of Kerley Schaffer LLP about the decision and case he regards as the most meaningful in his career.
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July 02, 2025
Auto Dividend Policies Can Be A Win For Drivers And Insurers
Dividend policies from auto insurers can offer carriers more premiums up front, strengthening their bottom line, while encouraging drivers to be more risk-averse once they have a vested interest in receiving significant dividends, carrier-side attorney Michael Savett of Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP told Law360. Here, Savett discusses the particulars of such policies.
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July 02, 2025
Marsh Says Brokerage Poached Employees, Client
Insurance brokerage Marsh told a New York federal court that a competing brokerage orchestrated a scheme with former Marsh employees to steal clients in its surety business, noting that the competitor has faced over 70 other similar lawsuits.
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July 02, 2025
Bankruptcy Motion Marks Rising Salience Of Cyber Coverage
Unprecedented arguments in a data company's bankruptcy petition that cite a failure to maintain adequate cyberinsurance coverage underscores the growing view that this specialty coverage can represent an important, if not essential, form of risk mitigation for certain organizations. Here, Russell Squire of Reed Smith LLP's insurance recovery group spoke to Law360 about how arguments in one case represented growing recognition of the importance of cyberinsurance and the liability risks posed by data breaches.
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July 02, 2025
Kenyan Firm's Boeing Crash Fee-Sharing Suit Is Tossed
An Illinois federal judge has thrown out a suit by a Kenyan firm alleging that an Illinois firm wrongly pushed it out of a fee-sharing agreement stemming from a settlement with Boeing over the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crash, finding some of the claims fall under Illinois' litigation privilege, while the rest are unsupported by the complaint.
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July 01, 2025
Hartford Units Avoid Asbestos Settlement Coverage
Three Hartford units have no duty to cover a brake and clutch manufacturer for an asbestos injury settlement, a New Jersey federal court ruled, finding the company's late notice of the claim doomed its chances at coverage.
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July 01, 2025
Anthem Inks $13M Deal To End Mental Health Class Action
Anthem has agreed to pay about $12.9 million to end a proposed class action alleging the insurer's coverage denials for inpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatments violated federal benefits and mental health parity laws, according to New York federal court filings.
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July 01, 2025
Nationwide Launches Coverage Bid For Fatal Crash Suit
Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co. wants an Ohio federal court to order that a Connecticut-based insurer and a transportation company must cover wrongful death claims stemming from a tractor-trailer crash that ultimately killed a pregnant mother's unborn baby.
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June 30, 2025
Justices Decline Appeal Over State Law Question Certification
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined accepting a petition for certiorari attacking the Ninth Circuit's "uniquely standardless approach" for asking state supreme courts to answer questions of state law, in an appeal over putative class action claims that two life insurers violated California statutes concerning benefit denials.
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June 26, 2025
Calif. FAIR Plan Fire Policy Is Unlawful, Court Rules
Fire insurance offered by California's insurer of last resort does not meet the minimum coverage standards laid out in the state insurance code, a California state court ruled, finding the policy's definition of "direct physical loss" and its smoke damage provision to be unlawfully restrictive.
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June 26, 2025
Iran Volatility Implicates Range Of Trade Coverages, Pros Say
A growing market for insurance meant to protect companies from trade disruptions could help a wide array of industries cover risks associated with military hostilities in Iran and Israel, but experts caution that there are important limits to such coverages.
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June 26, 2025
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
State Farm will likely face class certification in a California federal homeowners insurance case, the Ninth Circuit sought input from New York's top court over automakers' duties, and a New York federal court sided with a policyholder in coverage litigation over corporate sale and merger transactions. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.
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June 26, 2025
Rep & Warranties Payouts Set Records In 2024, Aon Says
Last year represented a banner year for payouts of representation and warranties claims, a key risk management tool in mergers and acquisitions, even as dealmaking activity remained subdued compared to its pandemic peak, according to a recent report by Aon.
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June 26, 2025
Insurance May Not Solve Swalwell's DOJ Concerns
U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell’s decision to obtain liability insurance amid concerns of arrest and legal action from the Trump administration could encourage other public officials to follow suit, but questions remain over whether potential claims will fall within the scope of coverage, experts say. Here, policyholder attorneys share their thoughts on public officials shielding themselves with individual liability policies.
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June 26, 2025
NJ Water Treatment Co. Can't Avoid AIG's Rescission Bid
A water treatment product manufacturer must face an AIG unit's counterclaim seeking to rescind extensions of two policies, a New Jersey federal court ruled Thursday, saying the insurer plausibly alleged that the company made material misrepresentations in its policy application that could void coverage under the extensions.
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June 24, 2025
D&O Insurer Must Cover Investor In Merger Dispute
A directors and officers liability insurer had a duty to defend and indemnify a venture capital investor in a now-resolved lawsuit over the sale of a company immediately after a merger, a California federal court ruled, finding a dilution-of-shares exception in an exclusion applicable.
Expert Analysis
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Nevada Justices Could Expand Scope Of Subrogation Claims
The Nevada Supreme Court's recent decision to hear North River Insurance v. James River Insurance could expand the scope of equitable subrogation claims in the state by aligning with the California standard, which doesn't require excess insurers to demonstrate damages, says Daniel Heidtke at Duane Morris.
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How D&O Coverage Can Aid Against Increased AI Scrutiny
The recent increase in regulatory enforcement and securities class actions stemming from corporate use of artificial intelligence should prompt companies to ensure that their directors and officers liability insurance coverage is appropriately tailored to AI-related risks, say attorneys at Reed Smith.
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8 Tech Tips For Stress-Free Remote Depositions
Court reporter Kelly D’Amico shares practical strategies for attorneys to conduct remote depositions with ease and troubleshoot any issues that arise, as it seems deposition-by-Zoom is here to stay after the pandemic.
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4 Ways Attorneys Can Emotionally Prepare For Trial
In the course of litigation, trial lawyers face a number of scenarios that can incite an emotional response, but formulating a mental game plan in advance of trial can help attorneys stay cool, calm and collected in the moment, says Rachel Lary at Lightfoot Franklin.
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Presidential Campaign Errors Provide Lessons For Trial Attys
Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign employed numerous strategies that evidently didn’t land, and trial attorneys should take note, because voters and jurors are both decision-makers who are listening for how one’s case presentation would affect them personally, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Putting NYDFS AI Cybersecurity Guidance Into Practice
New guidance from the New York Department of Financial Services explains how financial institutions should assess and mitigate cybersecurity risks associated with artificial intelligence, focusing on four main threats and highlighting how varying environments require specific mitigation measures, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.
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Recent Developments In Insurance Coverage For FCA Claims
As the U.S. Department of Justice continues its vigorous False Claims Act enforcement, companies looking to their insurers to help defray the costs of an investigation or settlement should note recent decisions on which types of policies cover FCA claims, which policy periods apply and which portions of FCA-related losses are covered, say attorneys at Covington.
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Consider The Impact Of Election Stress On Potential Jurors
For at least the next few months, potential jurors may be working through anger and distrust stemming from the presidential election, and trial attorneys will need to assess whether those jurors are able to leave their political concerns at the door, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.
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NC Ruling Takes Practical Approach To Duty-To-Defend Costs
In Murphy-Brown v. Ace American Insurance, a case of first impression, the North Carolina Business Court adopted the commonsense rationale of many state courts in holding that policyholders' defense costs should be deemed presumtively reasonable when a insurer breaches its duty to defend, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.
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A Look At Insurance Coverage For Government Investigations
Attorneys at Jenner & Block discuss the quirks and potential pitfalls of insurance coverage for government claims and investigations, including those likely to arise from the U.S. Department of Justice's recently announced whistleblower program.
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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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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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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.