As COVID-19 continues to change our everyday way of life, its impact on the insurance/reinsurance industry also continues to develop. The reinsurance renewal process that many insurance companies recently went through exposes yet another impending issue the insurance industry will need to confront – non-concurrency between the coverage afforded by newly issued insurance … [Read more...] about Non-Concurrency Between Ceding Companies and Their Reinsurers for Communicable Disease Exclusions: The Next COVID-19 Shoe to Drop
Legal
Social Unrest: Covered or Not?
Corporate Partner Dentons highlights the legal issues in assessing coverage for vandalism, looting, and related business interruption and civil authority claims. Legal Information To say we are living in unprecedented times in the insurance and reinsurance world, and everywhere else, would be a gross understatement. While we continue to work from home, insurers … [Read more...] about Social Unrest: Covered or Not?
To the Cedent, Summary Judgment
A New York federal court grants summary judgment to a cedent for breach of contract where reinsurer failed to provide the required collateral. Legal News Many reinsurance arrangements require the posting of collateral. The failure to post collateral is often grounds for a breach of contract claim. In a recent decision, a New York federal court granted summary judgment to the … [Read more...] about To the Cedent, Summary Judgment
No Tort Liability in Reinsurance Contract Dispute Under California Law
California federal court addressing an issue of the first impression holds that tort liability for breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing was not a valid cause of action under California law in a reinsurance dispute. A typical reinsurance dispute is essentially a breach of a contract dispute. A reinsurance agreement is a contract between two insurance … [Read more...] about No Tort Liability in Reinsurance Contract Dispute Under California Law
When It Rains Pollution, Grab Your Umbrella
New York federal court holds that Hawaii’s “all sums” rule and “follow-the-settlement” provisions in reinsurance contracts obligated a reinsurer to reimburse a cedent where the underlying reinsured umbrella contract had a three-year term and the underlying insured settled an environmental claim for contamination spanning more than 44 … [Read more...] about When It Rains Pollution, Grab Your Umbrella
Arbitration Prevails in Coverage Dispute
Court compels arbitration finding issue of arbitrability was delegated to the arbitrators as well as sorting out procedural differences between the arbitration provisions. https://www.inredisputesblog.com/2020/06/arbitration-prevails-in-coverage-dispute/ … [Read more...] about Arbitration Prevails in Coverage Dispute
Using a Letter Agreement to Strengthen the Confidentiality of Settlement Negotiations
Letter agreements are usually confidential. As a result, there is a dearth of practical guidance on when, and how, to use them. Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP helps fill that gap. Your settlement negotiation checklist should include this entry: “whether, and how, to use a letter agreement.” A letter agreement—if well-drafted—can … [Read more...] about Using a Letter Agreement to Strengthen the Confidentiality of Settlement Negotiations
Assessing USF&G’s ‘Objective Reasonableness’ Standard
Let’s take a look at the impact of one of the reinsurance industry’s most talked about and scrutinized case dealing with post-settlement allocations. http://airrocupdate.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ARIAS-Q1-Final-1.pdf This article was first published in the ARIAS-U.S. Quarterly, Q1 2020. … [Read more...] about Assessing USF&G’s ‘Objective Reasonableness’ Standard
Second Circuit Says Cedent Cannot Use the “Follow-the-Settlements” Doctrine to Circumvent Plain, Unambiguous Policy Provision
Second Circuit holds that the “follow-the-settlements” doctrine does not bind a reinsurer to settlement decisions that are inconsistent with the plain, unambiguous terms of the reinsured policy. https://www.whiteandwilliams.com/resources-alerts-Second-Circuit-Says-Cedent-Cannot-Use-the-Follow-the-Settlements-Doctrine-to-Circumvent-Plain-Unambiguous-Policy-Provision.html … [Read more...] about Second Circuit Says Cedent Cannot Use the “Follow-the-Settlements” Doctrine to Circumvent Plain, Unambiguous Policy Provision
Arbitrators to Decide If Reinsurance Rebilling After Final Arbitration Award Is Precluded
Federal District Court in Massachusetts holds that the preclusive effect of a prior arbitration award is itself an arbitrable issue. Read full article here - https://www.inredisputesblog.com/2020/03/arbitrators-to-decide-if-reinsurance-rebilling-after-final-arbitration-award-is-precluded/ … [Read more...] about Arbitrators to Decide If Reinsurance Rebilling After Final Arbitration Award Is Precluded
Final Award Confirmed Over Interim Final Award in Reinsurance Dispute
Court rules that the Final Award is the Final Award and rejects reinsurer’s argument that the arbitration panel was functus officio after it issued the Interim Final Award. Read full article here - https://www.inredisputesblog.com/2020/04/final-award-confirmed-over-interim-final-award-in-reinsurance-dispute/ … [Read more...] about Final Award Confirmed Over Interim Final Award in Reinsurance Dispute
Who Demands Arbitration Is Key to Whether Arbitration Will be Compelled
Complex corporate structures and internal reinsurance relationships can complicate legacy reinsurance relationships. Larry Schiffer summarizes a recent SDNY case that dealt with one such complication in compelling arbitration. Read full article here - https://www.inredisputesblog.com/2020/02/who-demands-arbitration-is-key-to-whether-arbitration-will-be-compelled/ … [Read more...] about Who Demands Arbitration Is Key to Whether Arbitration Will be Compelled
States Open The Window For Sex Abuse Claims
New Jersey, California and North Carolina join list of jurisdictions that have enacted "revival windows” for time-barred sex abuse claims. New Jersey “revival window” for time-barred sex abuse claims effective as of December 1, 2019; California and North Carolina to follow in January 2020 This year has been a busy one for state legislatures, many of which … [Read more...] about States Open The Window For Sex Abuse Claims
It’s Not Over … Until The Panel Sings
Locke Lord highlights recent decision on ability of arbitration panel to retain jurisdiction to resolve any dispute arising out of an arbitration award. Continue reading here - https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/it-s-not-over-until-the-panel-sings-41283/ … [Read more...] about It’s Not Over … Until The Panel Sings
Is Reinsurance Information Relevant In an Insurance Coverage Case?
Larry Schiffer of Squire Patton Boggs blogs about noteworthy decision on discovery of reinsurance information in lawsuit against National Football League. There are lots of cases discussing the production of reinsurance contracts and reinsurance communications in insurance coverage disputes. Generally, the answer depends on the specific facts of the case. … [Read more...] about Is Reinsurance Information Relevant In an Insurance Coverage Case?
The Edges of Follow the Fortunes
Ask two reinsurance experts to define the parameters and limitations of Follow the Fortunes (“FTF”) and you will, undoubtedly, receive two different responses. Provide these experts with a fact pattern and ask whether FTF applies, and you are still likely to receive inconsistent answers. It hardly matters whether the experts have more experience on the ceded or … [Read more...] about The Edges of Follow the Fortunes
Allegations of Clergy Misconduct
In the wake of the recent release of another investigating grand jury report regarding abuse of minors by clerics, Pennsylvania state lawmakers have introduced a proposal to revive previously time-barred civil claims arising out of allegations of childhood sexual abuse. If passed, the new law would open a two-year “window” during which victims could file such claims without … [Read more...] about Allegations of Clergy Misconduct
Avoiding the Next Lanzo: Some Thoughts
Some thoughts Most readers are familiar, at least to some extent, with the jury’s verdict earlier this year in Lanzo v. Johnson & Johnson. In that case, a New Jersey state court jury awarded $117 million in compensatory and punitive damages against J&J and Imerys after concluding that asbestos-contaminated talc, supplied by Imerys and used to make Johnson’s Baby … [Read more...] about Avoiding the Next Lanzo: Some Thoughts
Brexit: Whats going on?
A good few eyes are focused on the daily, if not hourly, developing news on the UK’s departure from the European Union. What does it mean for the London Market and in turn for those who deal with its many participants both in the EU and throughout the rest of the world? The run-up to Brexit might have resonances of Y2K and the millennium bug but it is distinctly different. Y2K … [Read more...] about Brexit: Whats going on?
Lanzo v. Johnson & Johnson, et al. Is this the Beginning or the End?
Recently, while on a family vacation, I drove past the Yellowstone Imerys talc-mining operations in Montana near Yellowstone National Park. The operation is set against a beautiful backdrop in one of the most naturally stunning areas of the country. The tranquil setting stands in stark contrast to the company’s current turmoil as a defendant in one of the highest profile mass … [Read more...] about Lanzo v. Johnson & Johnson, et al. Is this the Beginning or the End?
