More Insurance Coverage
-
September 25, 2024
Wash. Judge Says Co., Firm Seem To Share Sanctions Blame
A Washington appeals court judge said Wednesday that a climbing equipment manufacturer and its former trial counsel, Sinars Slowikowski Tomaska LLC, appear to share blame for discovery violations in a product liability lawsuit and that a trial court appeared to have the authority to issue sanctions.
-
September 24, 2024
Tractor Supply Co. Tobacco Fee Violates ERISA, Suit Says
Tractor Supply Co. illegally charged workers who used tobacco an extra fee through their health insurance plan without explaining they could dodge the charge if they participated in a smoking cessation program, according to a proposed class action filed in Pennsylvania federal court.
-
September 20, 2024
Fla. Judge Trims Health Co. Data Breach MDL
The Florida federal judge overseeing the multidistrict litigation of a health benefits administration company impacted by a data breach dismissed several state consumer law claims but said those who brought lawsuits can sue, saying they've plausibly alleged injuries after their personal information was allegedly stolen by a cybercriminal group.
-
September 20, 2024
3 Atty Takeaways On Mental Health Parity Final Rules
Federal agencies' recently finalized rules for how employer health plans must analyze their coverage of mental health and substance use disorder treatments imposes significant new reporting and disclosure requirements, although regulators backed off more sweeping proposed network design changes. Here are attorneys' three key takeaways from the final mental health parity rules — what made it in, what's out and what to watch for next.
-
September 20, 2024
Doctor Can't Secure Disability Coverage, 3rd Circ. Affirms
An ophthalmologist cannot secure total-disability benefits from his occupational disability insurer after he was diagnosed with a nerve condition preventing him from performing surgeries, the Third Circuit ruled, noting he still maintained his practice even after he stopped performing the surgeries.
-
September 20, 2024
BNP Paribas Plugging $5B Into Apollo-Backed Atlas
Private equity giant Apollo and its Atlas SP Partners platform, both advised by Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP, on Friday unveiled a strategic partnership with European Union bank BNP Paribas, led by Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP, that will see the global bank plugging an initial $5 billion investment into the collaboration.
-
September 20, 2024
Mandarin Oriental Can Proceed With COVID Coverage Suit
A New York federal judge declined to toss a COVID-19 business interruption lawsuit by luxury international hotel chain Mandarin Oriental, holding that the chain sufficiently alleged that its loss was caused by an infectious disease under the terms outlined in its "all risks" policy.
-
September 20, 2024
Former Wilson Elser Attorney Drops 9th Circ. Benefits Appeal
The Ninth Circuit has agreed to dismiss a federal benefits lawsuit from a former Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP partner who claimed he was owed long-term disability benefits tied to chronic fatigue, after the parties held a lengthy mediation of the dispute.
-
September 18, 2024
Pillsbury Brings Back Ex-Covington Insurance Pro In LA
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP has welcomed back in Los Angeles a former Covington & Burling LLP of counsel who has guided commercial policyholders on insurance coverage matters for over two decades and has recovered $1 billion from insurers for his clients.
-
September 18, 2024
GrayRobinson Gains Ex-Brown & Brown Leader In Orlando
GrayRobinson PA has added an of counsel in Orlando, Florida, who spent much of his career in executive leadership roles at insurance brokerage Brown & Brown Inc.
-
September 17, 2024
70% Of Insurance Underwriters Fear Replacement By AI
Seven out of 10 insurance underwriting professionals in the U.S. and U.K. fear losing their jobs within the next five years to artificial intelligence, a survey released Tuesday suggested, as the sector increasingly invests in new forms of automation.
-
September 16, 2024
DLA Guides Software Biz Netcall On €8.7M Acquisition
Automation software business Netcall PLC said Monday it has bought Belgian document processing company Parble for €8.7 million ($9.7 million), advised by DLA Piper Belgium, a move it expects will bolster its presence outside the U.K.
-
September 16, 2024
Finnish Insurer Boosts Buyback To €475M, Extends End Date
Sampo PLC said Monday that it will raise its €400 million ($445 million) share buyback program by €75 million, as the Finnish insurer moves to acquire all the stock it does not already hold in Danish rival Topdanmark AS.
-
September 13, 2024
The 2024 Regional Powerhouses
The law firms on Law360's list of 2024 Regional Powerhouses reflected the local peculiarities of their states while often representing clients in deals and cases that captured national attention.
-
September 09, 2024
Brighthouse Hits Rival With TM Suit Over 'Shield' Mark
Annuity and life insurance provider Brighthouse Financial on Friday accused competitor American Equity Investment Life Insurance Co. of trademark infringement, claiming in a North Carolina federal court that American Equity is using Brighthouse's decade-old "shield" mark to sell similar, overlapping or nearly identical annuity products and services.
-
September 06, 2024
Pa. Borough Says Insurer, Atty Wrongfully Settled Feud
A Pennsylvania borough accused its insurer-retained counsel of committing legal malpractice by consummating a settlement acting against its wishes in an underlying "baseless" lawsuit brought by a borough council member, telling a state court that the attorney acted in the insurer's best interest.
-
September 06, 2024
Legal Insurance Co., Ex-Worker Settle Suit Over Preshift Tasks
A legal insurance provider reached a deal with a former customer service representative to resolve her proposed class action accusing the company of failing to compensate her for the time it took to boot up her computer before the workday began, a filing in Ohio federal court said.
-
September 05, 2024
Liberty Mutual Settles Call Center Workers' Pay Complaint
A Massachusetts federal judge on Wednesday signed off on a settlement between Liberty Mutual and a group of workers at a call center in Pennsylvania over allegations the insurer forced the employees to perform various tasks before and after their shifts without pay.
-
September 04, 2024
Ga. Justices Take On Barnes & Thornburg Malpractice Case
The Georgia Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to consider reviving a legal malpractice lawsuit against Barnes & Thornburg LLP over its handling of an underlying case against a life insurance company, with the justices focused on whether the doctrine of judgmental immunity should have barred the claims.
-
September 03, 2024
5th Circ. Won't Revive BP Spill Malpractice Settlement
The Fifth Circuit will not take another look at a proposed global settlement over accusations that attorneys botched Louisiana residents' claims following the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, issuing an order on Tuesday denying residents' bids for an en banc hearing to revive the settlement that a Fifth Circuit panel overturned in August.
-
August 30, 2024
Convicted NC Insurance Mogul Puts Off 2nd Criminal Trial
A North Carolina federal judge has pushed back convicted insurance mogul Greg Lindberg's latest criminal trial on charges he lied to state insurance regulators and defrauded policyholders, setting a new trial date for the November term.
-
August 30, 2024
Ex-Lloyd's GC Takes New Compliance, Legal Role At Aspen
The former general counsel for insurance marketplace Lloyd's of London has joined Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd., a specialty insurance and reinsurance company, as a legal and compliance leader.
-
August 28, 2024
SEC To Embattled NC Insurance Exec: Show Us The Money
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking to force a convicted insurance mogul at the center of an alleged $57 million fraud to tell it what happened to the money he's accused of stealing from the insurance companies he ran, arguing in a North Carolina federal court that his answers thus far don't add up and that he shouldn't be allowed to rely on them at his upcoming trial.
-
August 28, 2024
Lloyd's Says $5M NJ Settlement Fight Must Be Arbitrated
Lloyd's of London underwriters have told a New Jersey federal court that a man who was falsely imprisoned must arbitrate his dispute over the payment of a $5 million settlement from the city of Trenton, saying a provision in the city's policy requires arbitration.
-
August 27, 2024
New Cigna CLO Vows To Help Co. Navigate 'Dynamic' Industry
Cigna has promoted one of its in-house lawyers, who has spent her in-house and private practice career in the healthcare space, to chief legal officer, according to a LinkedIn post.
Expert Analysis
-
What NFL Draft Picks Have In Common With Lateral Law Hires
Nearly half of law firm lateral hires leave within a few years — a failure rate that is strikingly similar to the performance of NFL quarterbacks drafted in the first round — in part because evaluators focus too heavily on quantifiable metrics and not enough on a prospect's character traits, says Howard Rosenberg at Baretz+Brunelle.
-
Replacing The Stigma Of Menopause With Law Firm Support
A large proportion of the workforce is forced to pull the brakes on their career aspirations because of the taboo surrounding menopause and a lack of consistent support, but law firms can initiate the cultural shift needed by formulating thoughtful workplace policies, says Barbara Hamilton-Bruce at Simmons & Simmons.
-
Planning Law Firm Content Calendars: What, When, Where
During the slower month of August, law firms should begin working on their 2025 content calendars, planning out a content creation and distribution framework that aligns with the firm’s objectives and maintains audience engagement throughout the year, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
-
Law Firms Should Move From Reactive To Proactive Marketing
Most law firm marketing and business development teams operate in silos, leading to an ad hoc, reactive approach, but shifting to a culture of proactive planning — beginning with comprehensive campaigns — can help firms effectively execute their broader business strategy, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.