The long-running insurance coverage litigation arising from the settlements of the shareholder claims filed in connection with the Dole Food Company’s November 2013 “going private” transaction continues to work its way through the Delaware court. In the latest development in the coverage dispute, a Delaware Superior Court judge has entered two separate interesting orders, the … Continue Reading
In the following guest post, Peter Selvin and Ben Clements take a look at the legal principles involved in the allocation of defense expense under a D&O insurance policy. Peter Selvin is a member of TroyGould PC, and Ben Clements is an associate at the firm. I would like to thank Peter and Ben for … Continue Reading
A federal district court has held that because of an insured company’s application misrepresentation about possible M&A activity, a D&O insurance policy’s Warranty Exclusion precludes coverage for the policyholder’s costs incurred in defending claims arising out of the insured company’s acquisition. The court’s opinion raises interesting questions about how the meaning of application questions is … Continue Reading
In a number of recent posts (most recently here), I have emphasized the importance of the wording of the securities exclusion in private company D&O insurance policies. A recent case out of Florida underscores the importance of the securities exclusion wording and illustrates how an unusual wording can lead to the preclusion of coverage for … Continue Reading
When most people think of liability insurance, they think about the insurer’s payment obligations. But policyholders have obligations under liability insurance policies, too. Among the most important policyholder obligation is the requirement to provide timely notice of claim. The failure to provide timely notice can entirely preclude coverage, as is illustrated in a ruling in … Continue Reading
Everyone involved in any way in D&O insurance transactions has seen an insurance buyer choose to buy a policy that while less expensive provides narrower coverage. Sometimes the price difference might be slight, sometimes the difference could be significant. But the fact is, the most expensive policy is the one that doesn’t provide coverage when … Continue Reading
In the following guest post, Giulio Zanolla, a principal at Zanolla Mediation, and John F. McCarrick, partner and chair of the Financial Lines Practice Group at White and Williams LLP, take a look at the ways that parties to a D&O insurance coverage dispute can make the most of the policy-mandated mediation process. I would … Continue Reading
As I have noted in a prior post, 2018 was a very eventful year in the world of directors and officers liability. In the following guest post, written by Kelly S. Johnson, Esq., Claims Counsel, Hiscox USA; Elan Kandel, Esq., Bailey Cavalieri; and Jennifer Lewis, Esq., Bailey Cavalieri, the authors make it clear that 2018 … Continue Reading
It is not uncommon for companies to add third parties as additional named insureds to their D&O insurance policies. Most of the time that doesn’t cause any problems. However, serious problems can arise in a subsequent claim if a company’s interests and the interests of the additional named insured conflict. At a minimum, in the … Continue Reading
The Second Circuit recently took up the insurance coverage dispute arising out of the high profile enforcement action the SEC pursued against hedge fund Patriarch Partners and its CEO, Lynn Tilton. The district court had ruled that coverage under the firm’s third level excess D&O insurance policy for the expenses the firm incurred in defending … Continue Reading
One of the basic requirements in order for coverage to be triggered under a directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy is that the misconduct alleged must have been undertaken by insured individuals in an “insured capacity” – that is, in their capacities as directors or officers of the insured entity. In a recent insurance coverage … Continue Reading
As has been well-documented (on this site and in various other sources), securities class action frequency has soared to historically high levels in recent years. Given this development, it might reasonably be assumed that D&O insurance pricing has increased to account for the increased litigation risk. However, for a number of reasons – including the … Continue Reading
I have frequently written on this blog about relatedness issues and how they affect the availability of D&O insurance coverage for a series of lawsuits that have been filed over time against a company. D&O insurers frequently argue, in order to try to avoid coverage, that a later lawsuit is related to an earlier proceeding … Continue Reading
In the latest development in nearly decade-long legal battle, a New York intermediate appellate court has held in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2017 decision in Kokesh v. SEC that amounts Bear Stearns paid under an SEC disgorgement order represent a “penalty” for which coverage is precluded under the bank’s insurance policy. This ruling, … Continue Reading
As I have noted in earlier posts, questions of whether or not two sets of circumstances are interrelated for purposes of determining insurance coverage can be vexing; at a minimum, they are always fact-intense. In a recent decision, the Tenth Circuit examined the question of whether or not a later civil lawsuit was interrelated with … Continue Reading
Perhaps because of my many years in the D&O insurance business, I am frequently approached by younger insurance agency and insurance brokerage professionals who are thinking about trying to concentrate on D&O insurance as product specialty. I generally encourage this idea, as I think that D&O insurance is an interesting industry space that still provides … Continue Reading
In a recent case in the Fifth Circuit, a retail merchant sought to establish that its D&O insurer was required to provide a defense to a data breach-related claim that had been brought against the merchant. The appellate court held that the trial court erred in granting the insurer’s motion for judgment on the pleadings … Continue Reading
Claims made insurance policies provide coverage for claims first made during the policy period. So if the claim is made during the policy period, there’s coverage, right? Not so fast; there’s a catch. Under most claims made policies, the claim also has to be reported during the policy period or within a short period after … Continue Reading
An issue that frequently comes up when companies are in bankruptcy or in other forms of receivership is whether the companies’ D&O insurer can advance payment of individuals’ defense costs over the receiver’s objections. In a recent case, a Northern District of Texas judge has ruled that the individual defendants in an SEC enforcement action … Continue Reading
A recurring issue under private company D&O insurance policies is the scope of the preclusive effect of the professional services exclusion. This question is particularly important for companies in professional services industries, as just about everything these kinds of companies do arises in some way out of their delivery professional services. In a June 4, … Continue Reading
One of the key elements to establish coverage under a directors and officers insurance policy is the existence of claim is for actions undertaken by an insured individual in an insured capacity – that is, in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the company. Things in life are never simple, and … Continue Reading
A frequently recurring claim that many companies face is a lawsuit brought by a competitor after the company hires the competitor’s former employee. Depending on how the competitor’s lawsuit is framed, these kinds of claims can be an awkward fit with the defendant company’s D&O insurance policy. A recent insurance coverage dispute in Delaware state … Continue Reading
D&O insurance issues can be particularly difficult in the bankruptcy context. A number of issues can arise in the bankruptcy context that are not usually involved in ordinary claims circumstances. In the following guest post, Trinitee Green of the Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner law firm reviews and analyzes a particularly complicated set of circumstances that … Continue Reading
As I have frequently noted, a recurring and vexing D&O insurance issue is the question of relatedness between different claims. Another frequent D&O insurance coverage issue is the question of the applicability of a special event or prior litigation exclusion. A recent Southern District of Indiana decision, applying Indiana law, addressed both of these issues … Continue Reading
