Applying Nevada law, the Ninth Circuit has held that a professional liability insurer did not have a duty to defend or indemnify a doctor for a wrongful death action because the doctor’s guilty plea triggered an exclusion for willful violations of law.  National Fire & Marine Ins. Co. v. Hampton, 2020 WL 6158314 (9th Cir. Oct. 21, 2020).…

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, applying Pennsylvania law, has held that an insurer is estopped from denying coverage for a legal malpractice action after defending the action for over a year without a reservation of rights, despite knowledge of the facts upon which it ultimately relied to deny coverage.  However, the court also held that the insurer was not estopped from denying coverage for a subsequent action seeking disgorgement of…

The United States District Court for the Northern District of California has held that, in an action to rescind a professional liability policy, a triable issue of fact existed regarding whether an insured misrepresented or concealed information in connection with obtaining insurance where the insured did not have express notice of the clients’ dissatisfaction with his services and it was not otherwise obvious that a claim might be filed against him when he applied for…

The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, applying Texas law, has held that a legal malpractice insurer was not liable for a statutory bad faith claim by the insured law firm because the evidence presented a bona fide coverage dispute, not a bad faith denial of the request for a defense.  Ryan Law Firm v. New York Marine & Gen. Ins. Co., 2020 WL 5820531 (W.D. Tex. Sept. 30, 2020).…

Applying California law, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has held that a letter proposing an informal settlement received before the policy period constituted a claim, such that no coverage was available for subsequent related lawsuits.  Pac. Coast Surgical Ctr., L.P. v. Scottsdale Ins. Co., 2020 WL 5870257 (9th Cir. Oct. 2, 2020).…

Applying Illinois law, a federal district court has held that an insurer did not have a duty to defend or indemnify for a lawsuit that was filed and dismissed prior to the policy period and later refiled during the policy period.  Navigators Specialty Ins. Co. v. B.D. McClure & Assocs., Ltd., 2020 WL 5909067 (N.D. Ill. Oct. 6, 2020).…

Reversing the trial court, the Delaware Supreme Court has held that an appraisal proceeding does not constitute a “Securities Claim” under a D&O policy.  In re Solera Insurance Coverage Appeals, Nos. 413,2019 and 418,2019 (Del. Oct. 23, 2020).…