News
Ninth Circuit Affirms Use of Genuine Dispute Doctrine in D&O Coverage Cases
The genuine dispute doctrine has received much attention recently by the California courts. Although the doctrine first arose in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, there has not been much…
District Court Applies Abuse of Discretion Standard of Review After Montour
Recently, in Montour v. Harford Life & Accident, 582 F.3d 933 (9th Cir. 2009), the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in one of its most important cases, adopted a new…
California Supreme Court Embraces 1:1 Punitive Damages Ratio
The California Supreme Court has embraced the principle suggested by the U.S. Supreme Court that a ratio of punitive damages to compensatory damages of one-to-one is the federal constitutional maximum…
California’s 2009 Insurance Legislation: It Was an Important Year
2009 was an important year for insurance legislation in California. An excellent review of this legislation was posted on December 4, 2009 by the Barger & Wolen LLP legal blog…
Calling In a Disability Expert
Arthur Fries, an independent disability consultant and an expert I have known for many years, has written an article entitled “Calling In a Disability Expert” which appeared on November 16,…
Guardian to Offer Guaranteed-Issue Small Group Disability Income Insurance
According to National Underwriter, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America is making it easier for employers with 2 to 9 employees to offer disability insurance benefits. It says it now…
California Supreme Court Holds that Only the Class Representative Needs to Meet the Standing Requirements of Proposition 64 to Pursue a Representative Action
Following the passage of Proposition 64 on November 2, 2004, in order to bring a representative claim under the unfair competition law (“UCL”), a plaintiff must meet the following standing…
Dispute Between Securities’ Brokers Not Subject to FINRA Arbitration
Several insurers who act as broker-dealers in connection with the sale of “securities” find themselves litigating in Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) (formerly NASD) arbitrations when disputes arise. Sometimes, they prefer…
California Insurance Commissioner Unveils Proposed Rescission Regulations
California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner unveiled his proposed regulations to, according to an LA Times article dated June 3, 2009, “combat the health insurance industry practice of dropping members with costly illnesses.” According…
California Supreme Court Restricts the Use of Business & Professions Code Section 17200
In a pair of cases, the California Supreme Court restricted the use of California Business & Professions Code Section 17200 et seq. One case affirmed what many expected, that…