The phenomenon of void ab initio life insurance policies has “spawned a host of thorny questions regarding the appropriate remedial response to the identification of a policy as STOLI.” The Supreme Court of Delaware...more
The facts of the case are relatively simple. In 1999 the insured, Kelly Couch, purchased a $500,000 life insurance policy from Jackson National Life Insurance Company. He lied in the application about his health condition –...more
On October 25, 2022, the Supreme Court of Georgia answered a certified question from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals concerning Georgia’s insurable interest statute, OCGA § 33-24-3 (1995)....more
STOLI - We reported in detail on developments in the case law and legislation addressing stranger-originated life insurance (STOLI) policies in past issues of Expect Focus – Life, Annuity, and Retirement Solutions. ...more
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, D.C. Docket No. 1:17-cv-03857-WMR. On February 4, 2022, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit certified two...more
This alert covers the current law on stranger-originated life insurance (“STOLI”) policies in 14 different states and includes updates concerning the following developments: • A 2020 decision applying New York law which...more
Earlier this year, we reported on the New Jersey Assembly’s unanimous (78-0) vote approving Assembly Bill 1263, supplementing New Jersey’s Viatical Settlements Act, N.J.S.A. 17B-30B-1, et seq., and outlawing...more
In the past eight months, Columbus Life Insurance Company (“Columbus Life”) has filed at least eleven lawsuits against investors seeking to void their policies and keep their premiums. This recent wave of lawsuits opens a...more
We previously reported in detail on New Jersey’s recent case law addressing the validity of stranger-originated life insurance (STOLI) policies in the June 2019 and December 2019 issues of Expect Focus – Life, Annuity, and...more
As many of you may know, Cozen O’Connor was victorious last year in obtaining a ruling by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Sun Life Assurance Company v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 238 N.J. 157 (2019) (Bergman) that...more
A familiar dispute between a carrier and a third party involves the third party’s attacking the language of the insurance contract and arguing in favor of an interpretation not reflected by the plain meaning of the text. But...more
We previously reported on the New Jersey Supreme Court’s ruling on the validity of stranger-originated life insurance (STOLI) policies in the June 2019 issue of Expect Focus — Life, Annuity, and Retirement Solutions....more
On June 4, 2019, in a case captioned Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., the Supreme Court of New Jersey answered two questions certified to it by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third...more
In Sun Life Assur. Co. of Canada v. U.S. Bank Nat. Ass’n, the Eleventh Circuit recently clarified that where a life insurance policy lacks an insurable interest at its inception and is thus void ab initio, prejudgment...more
The Florida Supreme Court recently held that life insurance policies procured by investors through a STOLI scheme did not violate Florida’s insurable interest statute and could not be challenged after the two-year...more
The U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals certified 2 questions under Florida law to the Florida Supreme Court relating to 3 STOLI life insurance policies. The Florida Supreme Court rephrased (and conflated) the 2 questions...more
On September 22, 2016, the Florida Supreme Court issued an eagerly-awaited opinion in Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Pruco Life Insurance Co. The Court held that Florida's two-year contestability statute applies to bar an...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Discovery: Good cause not found to enter protective order preventing owner of property, subject to foreclosure, from deposing bank’s only witness on basis that owner of property was not...more
Western Reserve Life Assurance Co. of Ohio v. ADM Associates, LLC, 116 A.3d 794 (R.I. 2015) - Case at a Glance - In a case of first impression, the Rhode Island Supreme Court held that a particular variable annuity...more
In recent years, federal district courts addressing claims and defenses with respect to stranger-originated life insurance (STOLI) schemes have reached a variety of results. Accordingly, federal appellate courts have...more
Makers and Users of Smart Devices Beware: You May Have a Critical and Costly Gap in Your Insurance Coverage - The drumbeat of high-profile data breaches has led to rapid growth in the number of companies purchasing or...more
Followers of stranger-originated life insurance (STOLI) issues have likely read over the last few years about Ohio National Life Assurance Corp. v. Davis and the favorable results the insurer obtained in its action against...more
March 13, 2015 – This morning the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit handed down a game-changing ruling with major implications for the life settlements industry. The Eighth Circuit’s decision in PHL...more
On February 27, 2015, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit certified two important questions of Florida insurable interest law to the Florida Supreme Court. ...more