On December 31, a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (the Court or the Fifth Circuit) held that the controversial $200 million Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB) uptier financing...more
So starts the opinion of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in United States v. MacKenzie: “As Benjamin Franklin said, ‘nothing is certain except death and taxes.’ But how certain are taxes in a Chapter...more
On October 30, 2023, FERC accepted the California Independent System Operator Corporation’s (“CAISO”) revisions to its wheeling tariff provisions. The revised provisions allow external load serving entities to obtain, in...more
Uncertain Future- The Congressional Budget Office (“CBO”) recently released some data for the federal government’s 2023 fiscal year. According to the CBO, the federal budget deficit for the year was $1.7 trillion, or...more
We touch upon several topics in our September Insurance Update. We begin with two federal circuit court rulings on late notice – one involving a claims-made policy and the other an occurrence policy. In these cases, the...more
It was a busy end to the year, as courts handed down several key insurance decisions before ringing in 2023. The Ohio Supreme Court considered the contours of “direct physical loss or damage” in two separate decisions –...more
Burlington Insurance Company issued primary policies to a contractor in 2013-14 and 2014-15, and Century was the excess insurer for 2013-14. The contractor was sued for property damage resulting from its construction work...more
On December 16, 2022, the North Carolina Supreme Court decided Radiator Specialty Co. v. Arrowood Indem. Co., 2022 N.C. LEXIS 1122 (Dec. 16, 2022), in which it addressed coverage issues arising out of claims by individuals...more
Long-tail claims involve continuous or progressive injuries that occur over the course of multiple years. Often these claims occur in the context of long-latency diseases, such as those arising from asbestos exposure, or...more
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, applying Michigan law, has held that irreconcilable “other insurance” provisions in two polices, each with a concurrent duty to defend, cannot be given...more
On March 22, 2022, the Supreme Court of New York Appellate Division, First Department reversed a trial court order which had held an insurer—ordered to accept service on behalf of a defunct policyholder—was liable for the...more
In Liberty Mut. Ins. Co. v. Jenkins Bros., 2022 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 1846 (App.Div. 1st Dept. March 22, 2022), the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, issued a ruling reversing the trial court and...more
On November 23, 2021, the Montana Supreme Court issued an almost unanimous decision in National Indemnity Company v. State of Montana, a ten-year-old coverage dispute arising from claims against the State of Montana alleging...more
Although many companies that historically used asbestos in their products have gone bankrupt, there are still many that have managed to survive. How? In some — perhaps many — cases, the answer may be due in no small part to...more
The Bankruptcy Code provides that subordination agreements are enforceable in bankruptcy to the same extent that such agreements are enforceable under non-bankruptcy law. 11 U.S.C. § 510(a). However, Section 1129(b)(1) of...more
Welcome to CICR’s annual review of insurance cases. Here, we spotlight decisions from the last year that you should know about — and a few pending cases to watch. As our picks for “Cases to Know” (below) indicate,...more
Many California trust and estate disputes involve the allocation of real estate amongst several beneficiaries. Mom and Dad, may they rest in peace, owned an upscale home in the Fab 40s neighborhood of East Sacramento, a sweet...more
One consequence of the current COVID-19 crisis for group health plans has been the significant reduction in employee preventive care and elective medical procedures as people shelter in place and socially distance. When group...more
All Sums Allocation Does Not Apply to Garden-Variety Product Defect Claim - On April 23, 2020, the Ohio Supreme Court issued an opinion in Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc. v. Natl. Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, PA.,...more
The high court of Maryland has endorsed pro rata allocation under CGL policies in an asbestos bodily injury case, affirming the lower court and stating that “[t]he pro rata allocation approach—a longstanding precedent adopted...more
Business Divorce 101: To be entitled to an accounting of a closely-held business, the plaintiff or petitioner must demonstrate the existence of a fiduciary relationship giving rise to a duty to account....more
On August 9, 2019, in a unanimous decision (written by a former bankruptcy judge), the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the confirmation of the Peabody Energy Chapter 11 plan (“Plan”) with a prominent backstopped...more
On August 18, 2018, the New York Supreme Court, New York County, confirmed a referee’s finding that “all sums” allocation was required under excess policies issued by Midland Insurance Company because they included a...more
The conflict between policyholders and insurers over “long-tail” insurance coverage took an unfortunate turn with a recent decision by the New York Court of Appeals on the issue of allocation for long-tail claims. On March...more
I received a call recently from an employer that wanted to know if it could exclude a newly created job category from an annual bonus program. The employer told me that payments under the program were based on the company’s...more