In many cases, companies’ D&O insurance programs are structured in several layers, with one or more policies of excess of insurance written over top of a primary layer. The excess insurance is often said to be written on a “follow form” basis, meaning that the primary policy’s terms govern the operation of the excess policies.
U.S. Trade Sanctions and D&O Insurance
As part of its conduct of foreign affairs and of its national security program, the U.S. government has instituted a series of economic and trade sanctions against a number of countries and a long list of designated individuals. The various sanctions programs are administered by the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) within the
D&O Insurance: The Basic Value Proposition
I make it my business on this blog to try to write about the latest developments and current trends in the world of D&O, but I think that every now and then it is a good idea to step back and take a look at the bigger picture. For example, let’s consider the standard D&O
Indiana Supreme Court: E&O Insurers Must Pay Settlement of Suits Alleging Health Insurer Dodged Medical Claims
On April 22, 2015, in a sweeping win for health insurer Anthem Inc., the Indiana Supreme Court held that excess reinsurers on the company’s self-insured E&O insurance program must pay the company’s costs of defending and settling allegations that it had improperly failed to pay, underpaid, or delayed paying medical reimbursement claims. The Court rejected
D&O Insurance: Insured That Settled Underlying Claim Without Insurer’s Consent Cannot Sue the Insurer for Breach of Contract or Bad Faith
The Georgia Supreme Court has held that where a policyholder settled an underlying claim without its D&O insurer’s consent, the policyholder cannot sue the carrier for breach of contract or for bad-faith failure to settle. The Court, applying Georgia law, entered its opinion in the case based on questions certified from the United States Court
Management Liability Insurance: If a Qui Tam Action is a Claim, When is it “First Made”?
The federal False Claims Act imposes liability on those who defraud the government. The law also allows third-parties to bring so-called qui tam actions in the form liability claims under the Act; if the qui tam actions are successful, the third-party can receive a portion of the recovery. When a third-party files a qui tam
Court Rules No D&O Insurance Coverage for Civil Theft Jury Verdict
In a summary judgment ruling in a coverage lawsuit arising after a civil jury trial, a Southern District of Florida judge applying Florida law has ruled that there is no coverage under a D&O insurance policy for a jury verdict that included the award of treble damages based on the jury’s determination that the insured
Legal Malpractice Insurance: Policy Rescission for Application Misrepresentation Applies Even to Innocent Insured
Under the applicable Illinois statute, an insurer may seek to rescind a policy if it was procured by an application misrepresentation if the misrepresentation was “made with the actual intent to deceive or materially affects either the acceptance of the risk or the hazard assumed by the company.” But even if rescission is otherwise
Management Liability Insurance: Who is a “Non-Executive” Director?
Many contemporary management liability insurance policies draw distinctions between types of directors. For example, many private company D&O insurance policies provide additional excess defense expense coverage for the benefit of “non-executive directors.” However, these kinds of provisions beg the question of who exactly is a “non-executive director”? A recent decision by an appellate court in
Guest Post: Give Notice on Your D&O Claim…Yesterday
A frequently recurring management liability insurance coverage issue involves the question of whether or not the policyholder has given timely notice as required under the policy, as I have discussed in prior posts on this blog (most recently here). Among the many kinds of notice issues that can arise are questions involving multiple or