More Insurance Coverage
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August 02, 2024
Data Breach Victims Seek $1.5M Settlement Approval
Three individuals suing a construction industry insurer over a data breach asked a North Carolina federal court to approve a nearly $1.5 million settlement to end their proposed class action accusing the insurer of failing to protect the information of policyholders, employees and stakeholders.
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July 31, 2024
Mich. Justices Ask, Again, If Auto Reforms Cover Old Policies
The Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday asked parties in a crash insurance dispute to address a question on which it had already heard arguments earlier this year: whether no-fault reforms enacted in 2019 apply to preexisting policies or just to those issued after the reforms took effect.
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July 31, 2024
CVS Appeal Blocked In Whistleblower Suit Over Drug Prices
A Pennsylvania federal judge has barred CVS Health Co. from making an interlocutory appeal over his interpretation of regulations in a whistleblower's lawsuit claiming the company's prescription entities falsely reported drug prices to the government. The judge recommended that a trial date be set in the decade-long litigation instead.
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July 31, 2024
Rising Star: Cohen Ziffer's Orrie Levy
Orrie A. Levy of Cohen Ziffer Frenchman & McKenna beat insurers' attempts to avoid defending Walmart in opioid lawsuits and secured a rare ruling setting aside a Delaware jury's verdict favoring an AIG unit in an insurance coverage trial, earning him a spot among insurance law attorneys under age 40 honored by Law360 as Rising Stars.
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July 30, 2024
Ex-Allied World Insurance Exec. Admits To $1.5M Fraud
A former Allied World Insurance Co. executive pleaded guilty Tuesday to running a scheme that tricked the company into paying nearly $1.5 million for phony construction work and collecting undisclosed kickbacks from its vendors.
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July 30, 2024
Insurer Says No Coverage For Florida Sex Assault Claims
A trust facing a negligence claim after a minor said she was sexually assaulted while staying at the trust's vacation rental isn't owed any coverage for the lawsuit, its insurer told a Florida federal court Tuesday, citing a sexual molestation exclusion.
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July 29, 2024
Insurer Must Cover Driver's PIP Claim, Split Mich. Panel Says
An auto insurer must provide personal injury protection benefits to a policyholder's son who was injured in an out-of-state tractor-trailer crash, a split Michigan state appeals court ruled, finding that the man was not an owner or registrant of the tractor for purposes of the state's no-fault law.
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July 26, 2024
'Worthless' Insurance Scam Gets Telemarketing CEO 25 Years
An Illinois federal judge has sentenced the owner of a telemarketing company to 25 years in federal prison for scheming with another former executive to sell consumers health insurance plans with low coverage caps.
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July 26, 2024
Feds Want Mogul To Forfeit $1.5M In NC Bribery Case
Convicted insurance mogul Greg Lindberg should forfeit nearly $1.5 million he allegedly used to bribe North Carolina's insurance regulation chief in exchange for more friendly oversight of his companies, the U.S. government told a North Carolina federal court Friday.
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July 26, 2024
Tyco Inks Deal With Insurer Over Foam MDL Coverage
Firefighting foam maker Tyco Fire Products LP told a South Carolina federal judge Friday that it reached a tentative settlement with one of several of its insurers to resolve its fight to score coverage in sprawling multidistrict litigation over pollution from so-called forever chemicals.
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July 26, 2024
Fla. Law Firm Settles Ex-Paralegal's Sex Harassment Suit
Florida-based insurance law firm Property Litigation Group PLLC has reached a settlement with a former paralegal who alleged she was fired after reporting unwanted sexual advances and case mismanagement by a senior attorney.
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July 26, 2024
Insurance Trade Group Challenges FTC's Noncompete Ban
The American Property Casualty Insurance Association backed a tax preparation company and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's challenge to the Federal Trade Commission's ban on noncompete agreements, telling a Texas federal court that the rule would "significantly disrupt the insurance producer landscape."
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July 26, 2024
Delta Dental Unit GC To Be Regional CEO After Leader Retires
The top attorney for Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut is set to begin 2025 as the dental benefits company's leader following the retirement of its longtime chief executive officer.
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July 25, 2024
11th Circ. Revives FCA Dispute Over Small Biz Contracts
The Eleventh Circuit on Thursday revived a whistleblower False Claims Act case alleging new owners of a construction firm fraudulently secured orders under a program for disadvantaged small businesses, saying those owners should have told the Small Business Administration about the ownership switch.
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July 25, 2024
Embattled Texas Law Firm Wants More Time For Ch. 11 Plan
Troubled Houston law firm MMA Law asked a Texas bankruptcy court to extend the exclusivity period to file a Chapter 11 plan for 120 more days, with a current filing exclusivity period set to end in early August.
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July 24, 2024
Enterprise Rentals Secures Win In $750K Accident Dispute
A freight carrier was not owed $750,000 in business travel insurance from a vehicle rental company, the Sixth Circuit affirmed Wednesday, holding that a lower court didn't err in excluding an excess policy from trial.
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July 23, 2024
Ex-Allied World Exec To Change Plea In $1.5M Fraud Case
Allied World National Insurance's former executive, who pled not guilty to wire fraud charges earlier this year stemming from a $1 million embezzlement scheme, will change his plea next week in Connecticut federal court, according to a minute entry order entered Tuesday.
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July 22, 2024
Insurer Says Bank Must Pay Its $1.1M Drawdown Request
A surety for an oil and gas operator that has recently sought Chapter 11 protection told a Washington federal court that a bank has repeatedly failed to hold up its end of an "irrevocable letter of credit," alleging the bank owes it over $1.1 million.
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July 22, 2024
Insurance Legislative Organization's GC To Take Over As CEO
The National Council of Insurance Legislators' general counsel will take over as the legislative organization's CEO when its outgoing leader retires in December, a recent announcement said.
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July 19, 2024
Mich. Driver's Providers Can't Obtain PIP Benefits, Panel Says
Medical providers who treated a man injured in a car crash and were assigned his insurance rights cannot recover personal injury protection benefits from a Nationwide unit, a Michigan state appeals court ruled, citing the man's failure to secure statutorily required no-fault insurance.
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July 19, 2024
NY Life Workers' $19M ERISA Deal Gets Final Approval
Current and former New York Life workers received final approval for a $19 million deal ending their lawsuit claiming the insurance giant kept inferior proprietary investment options in its employee 401(k) plans.
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July 19, 2024
Mich. Panel OKs Nonresidents To Seek No-Fault Tort Damages
Nonresidents of Michigan or individuals whose vehicles aren't registered in Michigan can still recover tort damages for their in-state auto injuries under Michigan's no-fault insurance law, a state appeals court ruled, even if they violate a statute requiring proper no-fault insurance if they stay in Michigan for over 30 days.
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July 19, 2024
Agent's Claim Over Robocall Coverage Partly Advances
A wholesale insurance agent may proceed with its claim that a retail insurance broker's misrepresentations about an alarm service company duped the agent into issuing a policy with coverage for robocall litigation, a New Jersey federal court ruled, while cutting the agent's claims for negligent misrepresentation and indemnification.
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July 18, 2024
Atty Says Golf Malpractice Row Already Ran Its Course
An attorney seeking summary judgment in a legal malpractice suit told a New York federal judge that, five years and three courts later, the owners of the Foothills Club West Golf Court have still failed to produce evidence to support their allegations.
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July 17, 2024
Burr & Forman Accused Of Aiding Health Insurance Fraud
Burr & Forman LLP has been hit with a malpractice suit in Georgia federal court by the liquidating trustees of two purported health insurance companies after the firm allegedly aided in a scheme to defraud customers by charging exorbitant fees and denying promised coverage, saying the attorneys helped create a web of LLCs to which it siphoned off millions.
Expert Analysis
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The Big Issues A BigLaw Associates' Union Could Address
A BigLaw associates’ union could address a number of issues that have the potential to meaningfully improve working conditions, diversity and attorney well-being — from restructured billable hour requirements to origination credit allocation, return-to-office mandates and more, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.
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It's Time For A BigLaw Associates' Union
As BigLaw faces a steady stream of criticism about its employment policies and practices, an associates union could effect real change — and it could start with law students organizing around opposition to recent recruiting trends, says Tara Rhoades at The Sanity Plea.
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How Justices Upended The Administrative Procedure Act
In its recent Loper Bright, Corner Post and Jarkesy decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally changed the Administrative Procedure Act in ways that undermine Congress and the executive branch, shift power to the judiciary, curtail public and business input, and create great uncertainty, say Alene Taber and Beth Hummer at Hanson Bridgett.
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Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Is My Counterclaim Bound To Fall?
A Pennsylvania federal court’s recent dismissal of the defendants’ counterclaims in Morgan v. Noss should remind attorneys to avoid the temptation to repackage a claim’s facts and law into a mirror-image counterclaim, as this approach will often result in a waste of time and resources, says Matthew Selmasska at Kaufman Dolowich.
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Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act
As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.
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How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market
Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.
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Unpacking HHS' Opinion On Cell Therapy Refund Programs
A recent advisory opinion from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, determining that a biopharma company's refund program for its cell therapy will not be penalized, indicates an encouraging willingness to engage, but the regulator's assumptions about the program's limited term warrant a closer look, says Mary Kohler at Kohler Health.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step
From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer
When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.
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Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism
As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.
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Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.
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A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates
Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.
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States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions
Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.