Events

Winning and Losing Strategies Litigating the Duty to Defend

May 12, 2022
American College of Coverage Counsel 10th Annual Meeting

Raymond Sheen spoke at the American College of Coverage Counsel's 10th Annual Meeting panel "Winning and Losing Strategies Litigating the Duty to Defend."

This panel of counsel for policyholders, insurers, and a federal district court judge addresses argumentative and substantive strategies and their outcomes in litigating the duty to defend under general liability and other specialty policies providing a defense obligation in a variety of types of underlying claims. The panel focuses on recent decisions and personal experience regarding litigating the duty to defend and reception of these duty-to-defend arguments by federal and state court judges. The panel addresses useful and unhelpful rhetorical devices in addressing whether the duty exists and its scope, differences between jurisdiction, and resulting issues arising from various procedural postures in which the duty to defend arises, including assessment of reasonable and necessary defense fees and costs when a duty is found.

Firm Highlights

Publication

When Can an Insurer Pursue a Malpractice Claim Against Defense Counsel Retained for an Insured? (Part Two)

By Jalen M. Brown, Kristin Davis, Shanti Eagle, Peter J. Georgiton, and J. Mark Hart Part 1 of our two-part article addressed the circumstances in which an insurer can directly pursue malpractice claims against...

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Publication

When Can an Insurer Pursue a Malpractice Claim Against Defense Counsel Retained for an Insured? (Part One)

By Jalen M. Brown, Kristin Davis, Shanti Eagle, PeterJ. Georgiton, and John Mark Hart When an insurer accepts an insured’s tender and agrees to provide a defense, it is often an afterthought as to whether...

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Publication

Regulatory Changes Underway To Address Dwindling California Property Insurance Market

We keep hearing about how difficult it is for our clients to get property insurance these days, both for homes and businesses in Northern California’s wildfire-prone areas. Which, of course, is most of Northern...

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Publication

BIPA Liability: Existing CGL Coverage May Provide a Lifeline for Policyholders

Developments in the law have increased the potential liability that companies could face under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), but fortunately for policyholders, Illinois case law has also solidified coverage for BIPA...

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News

Farella Braun + Martel Earns 2024 Best Law FirmsĀ® Rankings

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Publication

Insurance Market Crushes Wineries and Wine Country Homeowners

We keep hearing about how difficult it is for winery and vineyard owners to get property insurance these days, both for their homes and their wine businesses in California’s wildfire-prone areas. Those who have...

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Publication

Disputes Between Shareholders May Not Be Governed by Fiduciary Duties but Could Be Covered by Insurance

(As published in Private Company Director ) Disputes regarding ownership interests often arise in the context of closely held corporations, particularly when directors, officers, or majority shareholders sell or acquire ownership interests in the...

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Publication

Reporting Dispute Claims Within Closely Held Wineries

Many wineries operate as closely held companies, meaning they’re owned by an individual or small group of shareholders, who are often members of the same family. Disputes regarding ownership interests can arise, particularly when directors...

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