Perspectives on Insurance & Reinsurance

In recent weeks, an increasing number of state legislatures have taken drastic measures to force the insurance industry to shoulder much of the burden of the economic downturn brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Like new cases of COVID-19, the number of business interruption suits appears to be increasing exponentially. In the last few weeks, dozens of plaintiffs in at least six lawsuits across four states have sought insurance coverage for business losses associated with the COVID-19 outbreak.

With businesses facing reduced hours or closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic, business interruption coverage is top of mind. In today’s episode, we talked to James Westerlind about the types of coverage and policy exclusions that can impact your ability to make a claim.

A number of state legislators in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Massachusetts have proposed bills which would require insurers on some business interruption policies—those covering businesses with less than a specified number of employees—to retroactively cover and pay claims even though the policy

In some of our previous Legal Alerts concerning insurance coverage for coronavirus related issues, we have highlighted some of the types of coverage that could apply to a COVID-19 related loss, such as business interruption, contingent business interruption, civil authority, and event cancellation.

Arent Fox is pleased to announce the continued expansion of its Insurance & Reinsurance practice with the addition of Counsel Mark S. Fragner. Mark joins the firm’s New York office after 12 years of working in-house at leading global insurance corporations.

As noted in our previous Legal Alerts concerning insurance coverage for coronavirus related issues, as businesses are forced to close, travel is restricted, and supply chains are disrupted, COVID-19 insurance claims will proliferate, likely affecting all lines of coverage, particularly property and

On March 10, 2020, the New York Department of Financial Services issued Insurance Circular Letter No. 5, titled “Guidance to Department of Financial Services Regulated Insurance Entities and Request for Assurance Relating to Operational and Financial Risk Arising from the Outbreak of the Novel Coron

Employers and workers’ compensation insurers face a potentially huge number of claims for coverage by employees sickened with the coronavirus. State workers’ compensation statutes, however, will erect significant evidentiary hurdles which those claimants must overcome.

As the economic fallout of the global COVID-19 pandemic increases by the day, state legislatures and regulators are coming under increasing pressure to shift the resulting economic losses onto the insurance industry.

Further to our previously issued insurance Legal Alerts concerning potential coverage for coronavirus-related claims, we now focus on recent action by insurance regulators—in particular, Maryland.

As noted in our previous Legal Alerts concerning insurance coverage for coronavirus related issues, as businesses are forced to close, travel is restricted, and supply chains are disrupted, COVID-19 insurance claims will proliferate, likely affecting all lines of coverage, particularly property and

As the spread of COVID-19 accelerates across the United States, hospitals, health systems, and other providers face unique challenges. Arent Fox’s Health Care Group analyzes what you need to know about regulatory changes and guidance from the federal government.

As businesses are forced to close, travel is restricted, and supply chains are disrupted, it is a certainty that the COVID-19 virus will engender a plethora of insurance claims affecting all lines of coverage, particularly property and general liability coverages.

Many companies that have suffered business income disruptions and losses as a result of the coronavirus are asking their insurance brokers if there is coverage for such losses under the business interruption or contingent business interruption provisions of their all-risk insurance policies. 

Companies across the country are canceling meetings and events over travel concerns because of the coronavirus.

A federal trial court judge in Delaware has awarded return of all premiums collected by the insurer, plus prejudgment interest on all premiums, to the owner of a life insurance policy after a jury verdict upholding the investor’s claim for promissory estoppel against the insurer.

Risk & Insurance

Schiff Hardin LLP announced today that Thomas M. Zurek has joined the firm as of counsel in its Insurance and Reinsurance and Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Groups in Chicago.

Insurance & Reinsurance Partner Jule Rousseau has been elected as Secretary of The European Life Settlement Association (ELSA) for 2019/2020.

While you were busy chipping away the snow and ice from the latest winter storm, the New York legislature proposed legislation that may chip away at an anti-rebating law that has hindered many insurtechs.

Schiff Hardin announced today that the firm has received 40 top-tier rankings and national recognition for its premier practices in the 2019 edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms.”

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit just issued a 32-page decision affirming the district court’s conflict of laws ruling, in favor of an Arent Fox LLP client, that New York law, rather than New Jersey law, applied to an insurable interest dispute between AEI Life LLC and Lincoln Benefit

South Carolina has become the first state to enact an insurance data security act based on the Insurance Data Security Model Law drafted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which is based on New York’s Cybersecurity Regulations (23 N.Y.C.R.R. Part 500).

Schiff Hardin is pleased to announce that four practice areas and 22 attorneys have been recognized in the 2018 edition of Chambers USA, a leading legal industry ranking.