Specialty Lines

  • August 06, 2026

    Telecom Co. Denied Coverage For $27M 'Bump-Up' Settlement

    Insurers do not owe coverage to a telecom company for a $27 million settlement with shareholders who said they were shorted in an acquisition, the Delaware Superior Court said, finding the settlement was a "bump-up" in shareholder consideration that was excluded under the company's directors and officers coverage.

  • August 06, 2026

    Meet the Attys Behind 8th Circ. 'Stranger' Life Policy Win

    Teams from Cozen O'Connor and Nebraska-based Baylor Evnen Wolfe helped persuade an Eighth Circuit panel to reject a Wells Fargo Bank collection bid for what the court deemed a $4 million life-wagering scheme.

  • August 06, 2026

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    Wells Fargo cannot collect on a $4 million life insurance policy, coverage for an assisted living home, and construction company insurers trying to get back $50 million Hurricane Sandy settlement. Law360 has the past week's top insurance news.

  • August 05, 2026

    Insurer Owes No More Defense In Day Spa Patron Assault Row

    A New Jersey federal court on Tuesday said an insurer does not owe more coverage to a day spa for a suit accusing an employee of sexually assaulting a patron, finding that the insurer's obligations were capped under an endorsement that limited coverage for claims tied to molestation.

  • August 05, 2026

    Insurers Seek $2M In Fees After Arbitrator Removal Bid Fails

    A group of reinsurers has asked a New York federal court to order Truck Insurance Exchange to pay roughly $2.14 million in attorney fees and costs, arguing the insurer's unsuccessful lawsuit seeking to disqualify an arbitrator was brought in "obvious breach" of a covenant not to sue.

  • August 04, 2026

    Insurer Owes No Coverage For $18M Club Shooting Judgment

    A South Carolina federal judge said Monday that an insurer does not owe coverage to a nightclub facing an $18.1 million default judgment in a suit from a performer injured in a 2019 shooting, finding the underlying claim fell under an exclusion barring coverage for assault and battery.

  • August 04, 2026

    Skadden, Willkie Guide $1.2B American Family, Bowhead Deal

    American Family Mutual Insurance Co. has agreed to buy specialty insurer Bowhead Specialty Holdings in an all-cash deal valuing the company at about $1.2 billion.

  • August 04, 2026

    Life Insurer's Rate Charges Didn't Violate Policies, Court Says

    A life insurer did not breach its agreements with universal life policyholders by failing to adjust insurance rates based on improved mortality expectations, a Virginia federal court ruled, finding that the insurer had the discretion to change rates but was not obligated to do so.

  • July 31, 2026

    Law360 Names 2026's Top Attorneys Under 40

    Law360 is pleased to announce the Rising Stars of 2026, our list of more than 160 attorneys under 40 whose legal accomplishments belie their age.

  • July 30, 2026

    Wells Fargo Can't Collect $4M 'Stranger' Policy, 8th Circ. Says

    The Eighth Circuit on Thursday upheld a ruling that an insurer does not have to pay out a $4 million life insurance policy to Wells Fargo Bank NA, finding the policy taken out on the now-deceased man was void because it was obtained through a scheme meant to benefit investors.

  • July 30, 2026

    United's CrowdStrike Fight Promises Cyber Coverage Insights

    United Airlines and its insurer filed dueling lawsuits over tens of millions of losses stemming from the CrowdStrike outage in 2024. Insurance pros say the dispute may help in future cyber insurance cases.

  • July 30, 2026

    Carriers Report Personal Lines Success In Q2

    Insurance carriers have begun releasing how they fared in the second quarter of 2026, with Chubb, The Hartford and The Hanover Insurance Group reporting meaningful growth for personal lines and a focus on disciplined underwriting in the property and casualty market. Law360 Insurance Authority breaks down the carriers' Q2 results.

  • July 30, 2026

    The Top Property Insurance Rulings Of The First Half Of 2026

    A California ruling boosting policyholders' prospects in water leak suits and a Texas Supreme Court decision compelling appraisal in a commercial property loss are among the biggest property insurance decisions of the year so far. Law360 has a midyear look at the top property insurance decisions.

  • July 30, 2026

    Employment Insurer Can't Ditch Firing Suit Coverage Dispute

    An Illinois federal judge has said an employment liability insurer cannot shake claims alleging it improperly denied coverage for a wrongful termination lawsuit, ruling it wasn't yet clear whether the termination should be linked to a medical leave letter involving the employee in a prior coverage year.

  • July 30, 2026

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can pursue coverage for sex abuse litigation costs, a Minnesota school district may be entitled to coverage for hail damage to the roofs of two school buildings and a grocery chain can't recoup coverage for its parent company's opioid settlement payments. Law360 has the past week's top insurance news.

  • July 29, 2026

    Insurers Owe $10M For Ethanol Kickback Award, Ag Co. Says

    The owner of an agricultural management company said liability insurers owed more than $10 million in damages for what he and the company paid toward an arbitration award in a dispute alleging a pay-to-play kickback scheme, saying the insurers improperly applied exclusions and appointed ill-prepared counsel.

  • July 27, 2026

    Judge Refuses To Pause Coverage Fight Over Boy's Death

    A Michigan federal judge ruled Friday that Nationwide Insurance may proceed with its declaratory judgment lawsuit against the Oxford Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center and the parents of a 5-year-old boy killed at the facility, noting that the insurance coverage dispute addresses issues separate from pending state civil and criminal cases involving the center.

  • July 27, 2026

    Textile Co. Not Covered In PFAS-Tainted Water Suit, Court Told

    A group of CNA units said they owe no coverage to a textile company accused in an underlying suit of contaminating drinking water in South Carolina with so-called forever chemicals, telling an Ohio federal court that an absolute pollution exclusion in their policies bars coverage.

  • July 23, 2026

    UnitedHealth's $5M Demand Challenged By Wash. Dental Co.

    A dental practice is urging a Washington federal court to stop UnitedHealth from withholding future reimbursements, saying the insurer has failed to fully explain its assertion that it overpaid the practice more than $5 million for past claims, in a lawsuit filed Wednesday.

  • July 23, 2026

    World Cup Provides Successful Playbook For Insuring Events

    The 2026 FIFA World Cup was an unprecedented success for the insurance industry, overcoming early concerns regarding patron transportation, event cancellation and political tension.

  • July 23, 2026

    Insurer Denies Duty To Defend Texas Firm In 14 Barratry Suits

    Everest National Insurance Co. told a Texas federal court it has no duty to pay for Bush & Bush Law Group PC's defense in 14 barratry lawsuits, but the firm has taken to litigation to try to strong-arm it into doing so.

  • July 23, 2026

    Colo. Panel Clarifies Reach Of Insurer Responsibility Law

    The Colorado Insurance Code's reference to "unfair business practices" in a statute governing insurers' responsibility for the acts of their producers is not limited to various "unfair methods of competition" and "unfair or deceptive acts or practices," a state appeals court said in a matter of first impression Thursday.

  • July 23, 2026

    State High Courts Issue Top 2026 Specialty Insurance Rulings

    State high courts took the lead on specialty line insurance issues in the first half of 2026, including on cyber recovery disputes and the nuances of directors and officers coverage. Law360 has a midyear look.

  • July 23, 2026

    Ga. Insurer Row Can't Precede $600K Appeal, Client Says

    A sushi chef appealing a nearly $600,000 default judgment in an underlying action urged a Georgia federal court to toss an insurer's suit against him and his former counsel, arguing that his appeal should be handled first.

  • July 23, 2026

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    Pennsylvania public policy doesn’t abrogate an insurer’s duty to defend and indemnify an insured accused of enabling or profiting from sex trafficking, an insurer didn’t act in bad faith in its handling of a fatal liposuction claim, and a district court must decide if a settlement mooted a coverage action. Here, Law360 looks at the past week's top insurance news.

Expert Analysis

  • Data Center Insurance Boom May Obscure Claims' Difficulty

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    The rush of carrier capital into the data center space should not obscure a distinct and evolving set of policyholder risks that existing insurance products were not designed to address, along with the further complexity of layered claims for the extremely valuable properties, says Carlton Wilde at Bracewell.

  • Navigating Insurance And Contract Risks Amid Hormuz Crisis

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    The Strait of Hormuz has become a legal choke point where contractual obligations, insurance coverage and international law intersect, underscoring for maritime lawyers the importance of proactive contract drafting, rigorous policy review and close engagement with clients, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Safeguarding RWI Coverage As Materiality Focus Persists

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    As first-quarter broker claims reports reveal that materiality disputes remain a key driver of representations and warranties insurance claims, the scarce case law in this area indicates that including a materiality scrape provision in an RWI policy may aid policyholders with recovery, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • How Geopolitical Risk Affects Data Center Coverage

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    Escalating tensions with Iran risk disrupting the energy and infrastructure inputs that support data center operations, raising insurance coverage concerns for operators affected by events far outside their physical footprints, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • State Of Insurance: Q1 Notes From Illinois

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    Matthew Fortin at BatesCarey discusses notable insurance developments in Illinois, including the state Supreme Court's highly anticipated Griffith Foods v. National Union Fire Insurance ruling, two bulletins from the Department of Insurance directed at public adjusters and a Seventh Circuit decision precluding a "super excess" tier of coverage.

  • Mapping Bank Exec Clawback Risk Ahead Of Revived Bill

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    The reintroduction of the Failed Bank Executives Clawback Act would allow recovery of executive compensation after bank failures, making it important for executives and counsel to take steps such as mapping compensation, reviewing employment agreements, documenting decisions, and confirming D&O insurance, says Drew Jones at Diamond McCarthy.

  • Reel Justice: 'No Other Choice' And Moral Rationalization

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    In the satirical thriller "No Other Choice," the main character rationalizes his decision to kill business competitors by creating a narrative of necessity, illustrating for attorneys the dangers of treating strategic litigation decisions as inevitabilities rather than choices, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University.

  • 5 Trial Lessons You Learn By Losing

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    Exploring insights that are usually gained only after trial loss can expose the gaps between what we intend to communicate and what lands with the fact-finder, including why being right isn't always a win and how winning a cross‑examination can help you lose your case, says Allison Rocker at Baker & McKenzie.

  • How Cos. Can Prep For Conn. Data Privacy Amendments

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    Effective July 1, 2026, amendments to the Connecticut Data Privacy Act narrow the safe harbor for data used by banks, insurance companies and other financial services businesses, highlighting how state regulators plan to focus on how companies handle sensitive data and honor the data rights of the state's residents, say attorneys at Day Pitney.

  • How Banks Can React To Risks In FinCEN Whistleblower Rule

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    Financial institutions should reassess and, if necessary, strengthen existing policies, procedures and other frameworks related to whistleblowers and internal reporting in light of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's recent proposal to formalize a whistleblower award program, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • What GCs Should Consider Before Tendering TM Litigation

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    When a trademark lawsuit lands on a general counsel's desk, the instinct is to tender it to the insurer, but that model often breaks down in intellectual property litigation, where the stakes extend far beyond defense costs to injunctions, forced rebranding and permanent market constraints, says Bill Wagner at Taft.

  • How Securities Litigation Risks Materialized In The 1st Quarter

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    The securities litigation landscape in 2026's first quarter was defined by higher filing frequency and increased litigation exposure with rising average settlement values, meaning issuers should maximize data-driven legal defenses early to disqualify alleged fraud-revealing stock drops, say Nessim Mezrahi and Stephen Sigrist at SAR.

  • Lockdown To Ledger: COVID Rulings Inform Crypto Coverage

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    As cryptocurrencies move deeper into mainstream financial markets, courts tasked with determining whether traditional insurance policies respond to digital asset losses have been evaluating coverage through the analytical framework of COVID-19 business interruption litigation, with one key recurring theme, say attorneys at Kennedys.