In the following guest post, Burkhard Fassbach, a D&O lawyer in private practice in Germany, reviews and analzyes a recent decision by the German Federal Court of Justice interpreting and applying the D&O insurance exclusion precluding coverage for “knowing breach of duty.” I would like to thank Burkhard for allowing me to publish his article as a guest post on this site. Here is Burkhard’s article.Continue Reading Guest Post: German Court Redefines Knowing Breach Exclusions in D&O Insurance
As readers know, one aspect of President Trump’s exercise of his presidential powers has been his willingness to grant pardons to certain persons, including even, as it has turned out, corporations. In the following guest post, Sarah Abrams, Head of Claims Baleen Specialty, a division of Bowhead Specialty, takes a look at the possible D&O insurance implications for a policyholder that has been convicted of a crime but granted a pardon. I would like to thank Sarah for her willingness to allow me to publish her article as a guest post on this site. I welcome guest post submissions from responsible authors on topics of interest to this site’s readers. Please contact me directly if you would like to submit a guest post. Here is Sarah’s article. Continue Reading Guest Post: Pardon Me
For those of you who may not be following the unfolding news in the U.K. involving P&O Ferries and its firing of 800 of its sailors, it is quite a story. (Background here.) In the following guest post, Francis Kean considers the D&O insurance issues that the P&O Ferries situation could present. Francis is a Partner in the Financial Lines team at McGill and Partners. This article was previously published as a post on the Airmic website. I would like to thank Francis for allowing me to publish his article as a guest post on this site. I welcome guest post submissions from responsible authors on topics of interest to this blog’s readers. Please contact me directly if you would like to submit a guest post. Here is Francis’s article.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Would the Board of P&O Ferries be Covered under a D&O Policy?
In the following guest post, Francis Kean takes a look at the potential impact on COVID 19-related claims of standard D&O insurance policy exclusions. Francis is a Partner, Financial Lines, at McGill and Partners. A version of this article previously was published as a McGill client alert. I would like to thank Francis for allowing me to publish his article on this site. I welcome guest post submissions from responsible authors on topics of interest to this blog’s readers. Please contact me directly if you would like to submit a guest post. Here is Francis’s article.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Beware the Unexpected Consequences of “Standard” D&O Exclusions
Most D&O insurance policies have conduct exclusions precluding coverage for fraudulent, criminal, or willful misconduct. However, mere allegations are insufficient to trigger this exclusion. If allegations alone were enough, then many claims that would otherwise be covered under the policy would be precluded from coverage, because many D&O claims involve allegations of fraudulent, criminal, or willful misconduct. These days, the conduct exclusions in most D&O policies require a judicial determination in order for the exclusion’s preclusive effect to be triggered. Exactly what is constitutes a sufficient judicial determination is a matter of policy wording. A recent California intermediate appellate court considered a policy that required a “final adjudication” in order for the exclusion to be triggered and determined that the exclusion did not apply to preclude coverage while the insured person’s appeal remained pending, despite the insured person’s criminal securities fraud conviction. The opinion provides an interesting insight into operation of the conduct exclusion with wording of a type found these days in many D&O insurance policies.
Continue Reading D&O Insurance: Convictions, Appeals, and the Conduct Exclusion
In an August 27, 2015 post-trial opinion (discussed here), Delaware Vice-Chancellor Travis Laster found that Dole Foods CEO David Murdock, and the company’s General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer, C. Michael Carter, had committed “fraud” in connection with a November 2013 “going private” transaction. However, according to a December 21, 2016 Delaware Superior Court decision in the subsequent insurance coverage litigation, because Laster’s findings of fraud were not part of the subsequent post-settlement final judgment in the case, the fraud exclusion in Dole’s D&O insurance program did not preclude coverage for the settlement. Anyone interested in understanding how the fraud exclusion in a D&O policy operates will want to read this opinion. A copy of the Delaware Superior Court opinion can be found here.
Continue Reading D&O Insurance: Despite Trial Court “Fraud” Determination, Fraud Exclusion Not Triggered
In the latest round in the long-running battle over whether there is D&O insurance coverage for the amounts Bear Stearns paid in settlement of an SEC enforcement action for alleged market timing, the D&O insurers may have finally found an issue on which they may be allowed to try to dispute coverage. Even though, in
In a May 1, 2014 opinion (here), District of Kansas Judge Sam A. Crow, applying Illinois law, held that neither the EPL insurance coverage part nor the D&O insurance coverage part of a restaurant company’s management liability insurance policy covered the defense fees incurred or the forfeiture amount ordered in an immigration
An insured’s guilty plea to criminal charges relieved his professional liability insurer of its duty under the policy to defend him against related civil claims, according to a June 18, 2013 Order by Southern District of Florida Judge Daniel Hurley. Judge Hurley’s decision is interesting because it addresses the question whether the court can consider