On November 9, 2010, California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner issued a Press Release announcing that he is filing a lawsuit challenging the California Office of Administrative Law's (OAL) October 11, 2010, determination that the Commissioner's efforts to stop insurers from investing in Iran constituted "underground regulations."

In a Petition for Writ of Mandate, to be filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, the Commissioner contests the OAL's analysis of the issues and seeks to clarify his authority to address insurance company investments in contracts in Iran.

Attorney General Jerry Brown is representing the Commissioner in the lawsuit.

In his Petition for Writ of Mandate , the Commissioner alleges three causes of action based on specific conduct engaged in by the Commissioner that the OAL determined amounted to "underground regulations." These include the Commissioner's...