News & Insights

Practice Area: Coverage

CLAIMS-MADE POLICY NOTICE REQUIREMENTS CLARIFIED IN THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT – THE PRESUMPTION OF PREJUDICE

The Eleventh Circuit recently solidified how the notice requirement works in claims-made policies by relying on the majority view of courts on this issue. In L. Squared Indus., Inc. v. Nautilus Ins. Co., the Eleventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Nautilus Insurance Company (“Nautilus”), holding that the failure to provide timely notice by the insured…
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MISAPPROPRIATION EXCLUSION DOES NOT FORECLOSE COVERAGE IN MALPRACTICE CASE

The Eleventh Circuit recently determined that a “misappropriation exclusion” did not wholly foreclose coverage in a malpractice lawsuit stemming from a law firm’s representation of defendants facing civil foreclosure in a RICO action. Medmarc Cas. Ins. Co. v. Fellows Labriola LLP, No. 25-10837, 2025 WL 2886733 (11th Cir. Oct. 10, 2025). In doing so, the…
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COURTS REMAIN UNDECIDED ON HOW TO HANDLE CYBER SECURITY EVENTS

Although the number of cyber security attacks continues to rise, courts are not unified on how insurance policies apply. This is evident by how two cases were decided differently despite the insureds suffering similar cyber security events. In Kane v. Syndicate 2623-623 Lloyd’s of London, 2025 WL 1733046 (N.M. Ct. App. June 16, 2025), a…
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BROAD READING OF “ARISING OUT OF” LANGUAGE IN PROFESSIONAL-SERVICES EXCLUSION UPHELD

Last month, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida dismissed with prejudice a declaratory judgment action filed by a purported third-party beneficiary against an errors-and-omissions insurer based on application of a professional-services exclusion. See Speckin Forensics, LLC, v. Twin City Fire Ins. Co., No. 9:25-cv-80383-AMC (S.D. Fla. Aug. 8, 2025). Speckin,…
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PREPARING FOR “SILENT AI”: LESSONS LEARNED FROM “SILENT CYBER”

Artificial Intelligence is an emerging technology that rapidly has infiltrated all aspects of everyday life, including business and commerce. AI allows users to quickly perform and complete tasks that ordinarily would take substantial time, energy, and human effort to achieve a finished result. AI products are readily available to users, both in free, open source…
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AI CLAIMS HANDLING AND BAD FAITH LITIGATION

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is constantly revolutionizing industries, and claims handling is no exception. These advancements come with growing pains: the use of AI in claims determinations has become the subject of bad-faith litigation. Although AI is relatively new, the bad faith arguments are not. Bad faith lawsuits concerning the use of technology in claims handling…
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INDEPENDENT COUNSEL CHOICE OF LAW – WHOSE STANDARD IS IT, ANYWAY?

As claim adjusters know, a thorny issue in many liability claims is whether the insured is entitled to independent counsel. Jurisdictions take three general approaches to independent counsel. In some jurisdictions, such as Mississippi, whenever a carrier is defending under a reservation of rights, the insured is entitled to independent counsel. Moeller v. American Guar….
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SELF INSUREDS MUST PERFORM THEIR CONTRACTUAL DUTIES BEFORE THE INSURER STEPS IN: A LESSON FROM THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT

Insurers who issue liability policies that include self-insured retentions (SIRs) have limited obligations to their insureds unless and until the damages and claim expenses exceed the SIR amount. So, what happens if the insured does nothing to defend themselves, resulting in the entry of a default judgment in an amount exceeding the SIR? Under Georgia…
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