Practical and insightful commentary on a variety of topics — new legal theories or areas of litigation — that plaintiff attorneys, defense counsel, corporations, risk professionals, and others will want to be aware of. A typical article comprises several analytical pieces by practicing attorneys and subject matter experts. Articles often form the basis of podcast episodes and webinars.
The Authors Scott P. DeVries (sdevries@huntonak.com) is a special counsel in the Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP’s Insurance Coverage group in the firm’s San Francisco office where he exclusively represents policyholder clients. An experienced trial and appellate lawyer who has served as lead counsel in landmark appeals in the field of insurance coverage in the California Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit, and the California Court of Appeal, as well as high-value jury trials, Scott routinely represents clients throughout the country seeking recovery from their insurers on a wide range of insurance issues arising under first-party property policies, comprehensive general liability policies, directors and officers policies, EPLI policies, crime policies, crypto and digital asset policies, and cyber policies. Yosef Itkin is an associate in Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP’s Insurance Coverage group in the firm’s Los Angeles office. His practice focuses on representing and advising corporate policyholders in complex insurance coverage matters. Interviews with leading attorneys and other subject matter experts on new twists in the law and how the law is responding to new twists in the world. Wildfire Claims and Coverage "The wildfires are causing enormous losses for innumerable businesses on the West Coast. Often, you should be able to work with your adjuster to reach a satisfactory resolution. But where needed, you [...]
The Authors * Cort T. Malone (cmalone@andersonkill.com) is a shareholder in the New York and Stamford offices of Anderson Kill and practices in the Insurance Recovery and the Corporate and Commercial Litigation Departments. He represents policyholders in insurance coverage litigation and dispute resolution, with an emphasis on commercia general liability insurance, directors and officers insurance, employment practices liability insurance, advertising injury insurance, and property insurance issues. Jade W. Sobh (jsobh@andersonkill.com) is an attorney in Anderson Kill’s New York office. Jade focuses his practice on insurance recovery, exclusively on behalf of policyholders, as well as regulatory and complex commercial litigation matters. Interviews with leading attorneys and other subject matter experts on new twists in the law and how the law is responding to new twists in the world. Biometric Privacy Laws: Companies Will Need Insurance as Protection From New and Expanding Liability "Businesses may look to various types of insurance policies for protection from the sudden and ever-increasing liability under present and soon to pass biometric data privacy laws, including commercial general liability insurance, employment practices liability insurance, cyber insurance, and directors & officers (D&O) insurance." Abstract: As more states follow Illinois in enacting biometric privacy laws, the risk that companies will be hit with lawsuits and extensive damages awards [...]
The Author William G. Passannante is co-chair of Anderson Kill’s Insurance Recovery Group and is a nationally recognized authority on policyholder insurance recovery in D&O, E&O, asbestos, environmental, property, food-borne illness, and other insurance disputes, with an emphasis on insurance recovery for corporate policyholders and educational and governmental institutions. Interviews with leading attorneys and other subject matter experts on new twists in the law and how the law is responding to new twists in the world. Asymmetrical Combat: Bad Faith Liability in Insurance Recovery Cases "Insurance policies are a unique product that requires the policyholder perform first—by paying insurance premiums—while the insurance company’s performance—the payment of the claim amount—is delayed until the insurance company determines to do so." Abstract: Policyholder counsel see claims that an insurer violated its duty of good faith and fair dealing is an essential tool in leveling the playing field in policyholder–insurer disputes, especially in high-stakes litigation. Insurance companies write the policies, employ lobbyists, exchange information with each other, and, of course, have more experience handling claims. So, the author writes, bad faith allegations bring more balance to the relationship and provide a disincentive to “the profitable breach of the insurance promise.” He discusses above-policy limits risks for insurers, as well as attorneys’ fees, interest on unpaid [...]
The Authors John B. McDonald is an experienced litigator practicing in the Seattle and New York offices of Harris Bricken, where he represents clients in complex commercial, insurance, and partnership matters. Jihee Ahn is an experienced complex commercial litigator with Harris Bricken. She also chairs the firm’s Dispute Resolution/Litigation practice. Interviews with leading attorneys and other subject matter experts on new twists in the law and how the law is responding to new twists in the world. Taking the High Ground: Where Cannabis Insurance Litigation Is Trending (and Why) "Absent a choice of law provision, the location where most of the insured activity took place will likely dictate which law applies. But how have federal courts reacted to applying cannabis-friendly state law in a forum where federal law arguably addresses underlying state concerns? The answer is: inconsistently." Abstract: The use and possession of cannabis remains illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act. But a patchwork of state laws is bringing the country closer to some form of legalization. Some states allow its use for medical purposes, others have made it legal for recreational purposes, and others have decriminalized it. But when cannabis is involved in disputes that lead to litigation, and that litigation leads to policyholder–insurer disputes, that state law [...]
The Author Stefani C Schwartz is Senior Managing Partner at the Hatfield Schwartz Law Group LLC. She has devoted her career to representing and advising employers in the complete spectrum of employment law, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination. Stefani is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Emerging Issues in Litigation. Interviews with leading attorneys and other subject matter experts on new twists in the law and how the law is responding to new twists in the world. Workplace Investigations: Proactive Assessments Mitigate the Risk of Costly Litigation in a Newly Remote Environment "Investigations are a straightforward, efficient, and effective way to combat the risk of litigation because they reflect the best aspects of the employer–employee relationship: understanding, respect, communication, and shared goals." Abstract: “Bullying, discrimination, sexual harassment and other forms of workplace misconduct can create a crisis for any company—and trying to ignore or cover it up will make a bad situation worse.” That’s the warning from a December 2021 article for Forbes, which goes on to say that in addition the damage to an employer’s reputation, a study by workplace misconduct reporting service Vault Platform found that workplace misconduct cost U.S. businesses more than $20 billion in 2021. In this article, the [...]
A Significant Deviation: Target v. Ace Finds Loss-of-Use Damages Included Post-Breach Card Replacement Analysis On March 22, 2022, the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota ruled that two ACE insurers were obligated to indemnify Target Corporation (“Target”) for the amounts it paid to settle claims related to replacement of payment cards impacted in a data breach, vacating an earlier decision in which the court found that Target was not entitled to coverage. Target Corp. v. ACE Am. Ins. Co., No. 19-CV-2916 (WMW/DTS), 2022 WL 848095 (D. Minn. Mar. 22, 2022), vacating 517 F. Supp. 3d 798 (D. Minn. 2021). The new decision deviates from how other courts have evaluated general liability coverage for damages because of “loss of use of tangible property that is not physically injured.” Insurers would do well to take notice. Background In 2013, Target was the victim of a massive data breach that occurred after hackers installed malicious software on its computer network, which enabled them to steal the payment card data and personal contact information of an estimated 110 million individuals with Target payment cards (the “Data Breach”). Multiple lawsuits were brought against Target, including suits by financial institutions (the “Issuing Banks”) that had issued debit and credit cards (the “Payment Cards”) affected by the Data Breach. The Issuing Banks filed class action [...]
Authors With deep experience in the law and regulation of unmanned aerial vehicles, Kathryn practices in the Providence, R.I., offices of Robinson+Cole. She is a member of the firm’s groups that focus on business litigation, data privacy and security, and drone compliance. Kathryn is also a member of the Editorial Board of Advisors for the Journal on Emerging Issues in Litigation and the Emerging Litigation Podcast. Blair Robinson is a cybersecurity intern at Robinson+Cole. She will graduate in 2023 with a J.D. from the Roger Williams University School of Law to complement her Masters of Science degree in Cybersecurity also from Roger Williams University. Get CLE Flying Cameras: Gaps in Drone Regulation and How Courts Can Fill Them … at Least for Now Drones have rapidly transformed dozens of industries since hitting the commercial market. International aid groups use medical drones to deliver life-saving medications and vaccines to remote areas. Agricultural drones have revolutionized how farmers tend their fields. Film and television producers embrace drones for their ability to capture once prohibitively expensive or outright impossible camera shots. Hobbyists love the technology for a variety of recreational purposes. However, as drones have become increasingly commonplace, lawmakers and policymakers have struggled with effectively regulating this emerging domain. In addition, no federal law, state law, [...]
The Authors Co-founding partner at MoginRubin LLP, Jonathan Rubin focuses his legal practice exclusively on antitrust and competition law and policy. Based in Washington, DC, he has litigated and led trial teams in major antitrust cases throughout the country. He has published in influential academic journals and has spoken to numerous professional groups, including the Directorate General for Competition of the European Commission, the Antitrust Section of the American Bar Association, and the American Antitrust Institute. Dan Mogin, founding and managing partner of MoginRubin LLP, concentrates his practice on antitrust, unfair competition and complex business litigation. He has served as lead counsel in numerous large antitrust cases, chaired the Antitrust Section of the California Bar, taught antitrust law and was editor-in-chief of a leading competition law treatise. Explore more from MoginRubin LLP! Blog: Emboldened by New Resources and Expanded Authority, Feds Continue 10-Year Look Back at Chinese Investment. By Dan Mogin, Jonathan Rubin, Jennifer Oliver, and Timothy LaComb. List OnDemand CLE Webinar: The Antitrust Case Against Google. Dan Mogin, Jonathan Rubin, Jennifer Oliver, Timothy LaComb, John Newman, Dr. Alan Grant Blog: FTC’s Case Against Facebook Will Test the Flexibility of U.S. Antitrust Law.Authors: Jonathan Rubin and Jennifer Oliver, MoginRubin LLP Blog: Full Ninth Circuit Removes Unwarranted Hurdles to Class Certification. Jonathan Rubin, Dan Mogin. Journal: Policy Derailed: Can U.S. Antitrust Policy Toward Standard [...]
The Author Jeff Trueman (jt@jefftrueman.com) is an experienced, full-time mediator and arbitrator. He helps parties resolve a wide variety of litigated and pre-suit disputes and interpersonal problems concerning catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, professional malpractice, employment, business dissolution, real property, and domestic relations. Jeff is a past Director of Dispute Resolution for the Circuit Court for Baltimore City where he oversaw over 70 retired judges and senior attorneys conducting over 1,500 mediations, settlement conferences, and neutral evaluations per year. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators, an invitation-only membership organization consisting of some of the most successful commercial mediators in the world. Interviews with leading attorneys and other subject matter experts on new twists in the law and how the law is responding to new twists in the world. Overconfidence: A Risky but Pervasive Phenomenon in Litigated Disputes “Lady Justice symbolizes fairness and impartiality as she oversees the adjudication process. Although she may hold the scales of justice in one hand, she also carries a large sword in her other hand. And she’s blindfolded. Knowing that, how confident should you be?” Abstract: “Overconfidence” may have negative connotations, but it can be beneficial in competitive situations like litigation where parties compete for resources. Nonetheless, posturing and overconfidence of [...]
Editor Tom is HB’s Founder and Managing Director. His career in litigation content spans four decades during which he was editor, managing editor, and finally publisher at Mealey’s Litigation Reports. After Mealey’s was acquired by LexisNexis Tom became a vice president involved in creating new content and services at the legal research and services giant. He has always overseen or directly created articles, blogs, conferences, webinars, data collections, and now podcasts — all on litigation. Tom founded HB in 2008, and four years later he founded Custom Legal Content, a boutique content creation shop serving boutique and specialized legal practices and litigation services. In addition to his work at HB and CLC, Tom is Editor in Chief of the Journal on Emerging Issues in Litigation, and host of the Emerging Litigation Podcast. For years he was a leader in an international specialized publishing association, frequently speaking and writing about publishing, and is now active in an open community of content and event producers called Renewd. Sometime during the last millennium Tom proudly graduated with a B.A. in Communications from Bethany College in West Virginia. Interviews with leading attorneys and other subject matter experts on new twists in the law and how the law is responding to new twists in the world. Despite Relative Inactivity on the [...]
The Guest A highly regarded attorney and much-sought-after speaker for his expertise on the laws and operations of the technology-driven global financial system. Also a member of the Editorial Board of Advisors for the Journal on Emerging Issues in Litigation. Interviews with leading attorneys and other subject matter experts on new twists in the law and how the law is responding to new twists in the world. Tanks and Banks: What Fintechs Must Know About Sanctions on Russia Tom Hagy Interviews Brad Rustin of Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough Click below to get the complete article.
The Authors The authors are all attorneys with the Kennedys law firm (kennedyslaw.com). Joshua Mooney (joshua.mooney@kennedyslaw) and Judy Selby (judy.selby@kennedyslaw.com) are partners. Tracey Kline (tracey.kline@kennedyslaw.com) and Alexis Childs (alexis.childs@kennedyslaw.com) are associates. Bridget Mead, associate, and Javier Vijil, senior associate, also contributed to this article. Judy Selby is also a member of the Editorial Board of Advisors for the Journal on Emerging Issues in Litigation. Cybersecurity and Data Privacy 2021 in Review By Joshua Mooney, Judy Selby, Tracey Kline, and Alexis Childs Abstract: As the world emerged from lockdown, it should come as no surprise that cybersecurity and data privacy remained dominant topics in the media and legal industry. Some of 2021 was much like 2020—ransomware attacks continued to fill the headlines, and in the aggregate, constituted significant loss paid under cyber insurance policies. OFAC reminded victim companies and incident response firms (and cyber carriers) that it remains unlawful to pay ransom payments to designated organizations. Comprehensive federal legislation addressing cyber defenses and notification requirements never materialized. Yet in 2021, we saw new and significant developments. U.S. law continued its drift toward comprehensive privacy regulation with two new significant pieces of privacy legislation and California’s enforcement of the California Consumer Privacy Act. In the absence of federal legislation, federal agencies either [...]
