In the client alert The “Panama Papers” and the Secret World of Shell Corporations, Insurance attorneys Joseph Jean and Alexander Hardiman along with their colleagues Carolina Fornos, Mark Hellerer, Maria Galeno, William Sullivan, Nancy Fischer, Nora Burke and Danielle Vrabie discuss a leak of 11.5 million documents from a law…
Policyholder Pulse
To Defend Or Not To Defend? There Shouldn’t Be Any Question
Sometimes a phrase is repeated so often that we forget what it meant in the first place. Perhaps that is the case with the phrase “the duty to defend is broader than the duty indemnify.” This statement has been made by courts frequently and repeatedly over at least the past…
Stepping Up to the Plate with a New Claim: Five Key Considerations When Giving Notice to an Insurer
Spring is upon us, which means the return of baseball. It seems only fitting that with a new season of America’s pastime just underway, we discuss another area where the performance in the lead-off position can be vital: leading off the claims process by providing notice to your insurer. Say…
Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late: 10 Tips for Negotiating Your Cyber Insurance Policy (Part 2 of 2)
This post is a continuation of my top ten recommendations for negotiating your cyber insurance policy. The first five tips are in Part 1. Consider the Allocation of Defense Costs Where both covered and non-covered claims are asserted in the same lawsuit against the insured, an issue often arises regarding…
Earthquakes Are Spreading – Is Your Insurance Program Ready?
North Texas never felt an earthquake until 2008. Since then, well over one hundred have been recorded—including a whopping five earthquakes confirmed in a single day in April 2015. Oklahoma had 585 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or greater in 2014, which rose to 907 in 2015. Areas spread across the…
Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late: 10 Tips for Negotiating Your Cyber Insurance Policy (Part 1 of 2)
As more and more companies ranging across a wide spectrum of industries have been exposed to network and data security breaches, the market for insurance products to cover cyber risks has grown just as fast. With policies sold under names like “cyberinsurance,” “privacy breach insurance,” “media liability insurance” and “network…
Insurer Stuck with Unfavorable Interpretation of Ambiguous Policy
In Fabozzi v. Lexington Insurance Company, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has reaffirmed that ambiguities in an insurance policy must be construed against the insurer. The Fabozzis were renovating their home when they learned that its interior walls were so rotted that the entire house…
Subcontractor Default Insurance – A Modest Rebuttal
Subcontractor default insurance (SDI) was created more than twenty years ago. Despite its relatively recent vintage, SDI is now offered by multiple insurers and is quickly replacing traditional subcontractor payment and performance bonds as a go-to option on large-scale construction projects. SDI has many benefits that surety bonds don’t. We’ll be…
When Spring Showers Bring Floods: Insurance Recovery Tips for Businesses
Spring brings warmer weather and a welcome return to green after winter gray. But spring can sometimes go too far, with rain that escalates into destructive floods. As floodwaters recede and cleanup begins, obtaining insurance proceeds and FEMA assistance are critical and immediate steps to recovery. The following practices can…
“Escape” Clause Offers Insurer No Escape from Duty to Defend
Houdini managed an escape from a straight jacket while suspended 40 feet in the air. But that trick turned out to be easier than a primary insurer’s recent attempt to escape its duty to defend in California. In Underwriters of Interest Subscribing to Policy No. A15274001 v. ProBuilders Specialty Ins.…