Specialty Lines

  • January 22, 2026

    Top LA Fire Issues Implicated In Trio Of New Insurance Bills

    Three recent insurance bills in California could significantly change coverage outcomes for policyholders in the wake of disasters and help address some of the issues that have most vexed homeowners following last year's fires in Los Angeles, while adding to a raft of newly enacted insurance laws, pros say.

  • January 22, 2026

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    Under Armour's coverage for claims over its public financial forecasts and accounting practices is capped at $100 million, an insurer lost its appeals in two cases stemming from a $40 million drunk driving verdict and an AIG unit doesn't have to pay FedEx $200 million in post-judgment interest. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.

  • January 21, 2026

    FedEx Loses $200M Interest Claim Against AIG Unit

    A Pennsylvania state judge Wednesday said an AIG unit won't have to pay FedEx $200 million in post-judgment interest following a fatal crash involving one of its drivers, but allowed bad faith and promissory estoppel claims to move forward against the insurer because those claims require a trial. 

  • January 21, 2026

    Nationwide Unit Seeks Exit From Stock Dilution Scheme Suit

    A Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. unit told a federal court that it doesn't owe coverage to a company and its officers for a shareholder derivative lawsuit alleging the officers schemed to dilute the stockholders' shares, saying the underlying suit doesn't allege a covered loss for disgorgement or restitution. 

  • January 21, 2026

    Insurer Loses Appeals Over $40M NC Drunken Driving Verdict

    A North Carolina appeals court on Wednesday rejected efforts by insurer Integon Indemnity Corp. to appeal decisions in a pair of cases stemming from a $40 million drunken driving verdict, saying the receivers suing for breach of contract were in the correct venue.

  • January 20, 2026

    Law360 Names Firms Of The Year

    Eight law firms have earned spots as Law360's Firms of the Year, with 48 Practice Group of the Year awards among them, achieving milestones such as high-profile litigation wins at the U.S. Supreme Court and 11-figure merger deals.

  • January 20, 2026

    Cos. Seek Coverage For Military Housing Mold, Defects Suits

    A property management company and an affiliated investment company have alleged in Pennsylvania federal court that subsidiaries of insurance giants Starr and Allianz wrongfully denied them coverage for suits filed over allegedly poor military housing conditions.

  • January 16, 2026

    Law360 Names Practice Groups Of The Year

    Law360 would like to congratulate the winners of its Practice Groups of the Year awards for 2025, which honor the attorney teams behind litigation wins and significant transaction work that resonated throughout the legal industry this past year.

  • January 16, 2026

    Mich. Justices Let Nationwide's Combined Filing Win Stand

    The Michigan Supreme Court declined Friday to review a lower court's ruling that allowed Nationwide entities to file combined returns and share tax credits among their members, with one justice suggesting the state Legislature should revise the combined filing rules for insurance companies.

  • January 15, 2026

    Litigation Costs, Mental Health Risks Strain Coverage For Jails

    Liability policies for certain county jails aren't being renewed due to their failure to ensure statewide standards and excessive claims, prompting a review of county policies and available funding, experts say.

  • January 15, 2026

    Maduro Removal Raises Insurance Questions Around Oil, War

    The U.S. military operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power could have significant insurance implications connected to the risk of increased oil trade and questions over whether the operation is viewed as an act of war.

  • January 15, 2026

    Insurer Owes $24.5M For Burn Case, Medical Spa Trustee Says

    A trustee for the bankruptcy estate of a former medical spa owner alleged that Aspen Specialty Insurance Co. breached its duty to defend the woman in litigation over a client's burn injury, forcing her to face a $24.5 million default judgment.

  • January 15, 2026

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    The U.S. Supreme Court refused to take up an appeal of the Sixth Circuit’s jurisdictional standard for mixed actions, the Sixth Circuit found no additional coverage for a religious organization’s code compliance costs and a Delaware state court said a biopharmaceutical company has coverage for a shareholder suit. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week’s top insurance news.

  • January 14, 2026

    Underwriters Fight Early Win Bid For RealPage MDL Coverage

    Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London is fighting a landlord's bid for an early win in its suit seeking coverage for multidistrict antitrust litigation against property management software company RealPage Inc. and multiple landlords, arguing that Certain Underwriters' cyber insurance policy for the landlord applies only to data breach claims.

  • January 13, 2026

    Insurer, IT Co. Settle Coverage Claims Suit In Colo.

    An insurance company, an IT company and an investment firm have reached a settlement in the insurer's federal lawsuit in Colorado that alleged it owed no coverage to the IT company, which a jury found liable for making misrepresentations and breaching its cybersecurity agreement with the investment company.

  • January 13, 2026

    Insurer Didn't Owe Defense To Telecom Co. In Merger Row

    An insurer had no duty to defend a telecommunications company sued by a former board member in connection with a 2014 merger, a Wyoming federal court ruled, saying the suit is a single claim under its directors and officers policy and therefore falls under an "insured versus insured" exclusion.

  • January 09, 2026

    Biopharma Co. Secures D&O Coverage For Shareholder Suit

    A biopharmaceutical company is entitled to coverage for a suit alleging its board breached fiduciary duties under a pair of primary and excess directors and officers policies, a Delaware state court ruled, saying the suit is "meaningfully linked" to a previously noticed demand for books and records.

  • January 08, 2026

    Wash. Climate Change Premium Suit A Sign Of More To Come

    A Washington federal court suit accusing oil companies of contributing to increasing homeowners insurance premiums opened up a new consumer-oriented front in a wave of climate change litigation that experts say they only expect to see more of in the coming years.

  • January 08, 2026

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    The Eleventh Circuit affirmed that Nationwide needn't cover a $10 million abuse verdict, a Florida state appeals court reversed a $1 million jury award against an insurance broker and remanded for a new trial, and a New Jersey state court said Margolis Edelstein must face an insurer's malpractice suit.

  • January 08, 2026

    Tariff-Driven Cost Increases Shift Focus To Property Limits

    Construction costs remain high, partly because of tariffs, and questions remain as to the breadth of coverage available under property policies. Law360 spoke to Reed Smith LLP partners Richard P. Lewis and Nicholas M. Insua about their belief that first-party property policies' tariff-related construction cost increases are covered by replacement cost provisions.

  • January 07, 2026

    Firm In 'Maya' Verdict Seeks Coverage For Spinoff Fee Row

    The firm that secured a $213 million award in favor of Maya Kowalski, the person at the center of the Netflix documentary "Take Care of Maya," told a Florida federal court that its professional liability insurer owed coverage for a spinoff suit involving trial consultant fees. 

  • January 05, 2026

    Starr, Collection Co. Reach Deal Over $4.4M Bad Faith Dispute

    Starr Indemnity & Liability Co. struck a deal resolving a collections company's bid for $4.4 million in bad faith damages over underlying litigation concerning a real estate development in Washington state.

  • January 05, 2026

    Payment Co., Insurer End $6.8M Fraud Coverage Dispute

    An electronic payments company and its insurer have ended their dispute over whether the company's roughly $6.8 million loss from two fraud schemes fell within its policy's coverage for computer fraud, with an Iowa federal court agreeing Monday to dismiss the case.

  • January 02, 2026

    Top Property Insurance Trends To Watch In 2026

    Homeowners insurance investigations, a novel climate suit accusing oil majors of contributing to high premiums, and a California action accusing carriers of collusion are some of the top property insurance matters attorneys will be watching this year.

  • January 02, 2026

    Celebrity Rows, D&O Woes Top '26 Specialty Insurance Cases

    From high-profile celebrity coverage battles to high-stakes state supreme court rulings, the new year brings with it the promise of litigation developments that will reshape specialty line insurance policy disputes. Here, Law360 looks at a few of the top specialty line insurance cases to watch in 2026.

Expert Analysis

  • Reel Justice: 'Die My Love' And The Power Of Visuals At Trial

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    The powerful use of imagery to capture the protagonist’s experience of postpartum depression in “Die My Love” reminds attorneys that visuals at trial can persuade jurors more than words alone, so they should strategically wield a new federal evidence rule allowing for illustrative aids, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University.

  • ISO's 'Litigation Funding Mutual Disclosure' Is Unenforceable

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    The Insurance Services Office has recently rolled out a "litigation funding mutual disclosure" form for optional use in policies, but the form is not only unnecessary but also unenforceable for four reasons, says Fiona Chaney at Omni Bridgeway.

  • 7 Predictions For Cyber Risk And Insurance In 2026

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    In 2026, cyber risk and insurance will be shaped by developments such as the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, ongoing privacy litigation and evolving regulatory requirements, as organizations that integrate AI into their operations contend with new vulnerabilities and a legal landscape that demands greater vigilance and adaptability, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Insights From 2025's Flood Of Data Breach Litigation

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    Several coherent patterns emerged from 2025's data breach litigation activity, suggesting that judges have grown skilled at distinguishing between companies that were genuinely victimized by sophisticated criminal actors despite reasonable precautions, and those whose security practices invited exploitation, says Frederick Livingston at McDonald Baas.

  • 2026 State AI Bills That Could Expand Liability, Insurance Risk

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    State bills legislating artificial intelligence that are expected to pass in 2026 will reshape the liability landscape for all companies incorporating AI solutions into their business operations, as any novel private rights of action authorized under AI-related statutes signal expanding exposures, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Athlete's Countersuit Highlights Broader NIL Coverage Issues

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    Former University of Georgia football player Damon Wilson's countersuit against the university's athletic association over a name, image and likeness contract offers an early view into how NIL disputes — and the attendant coverage implications — may metastasize once institutions step fully into the role of contracting and enforcement parties, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.

  • Key Trends In PFAS Regulation And Litigation For 2026

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    As 2026 begins, the legal and regulatory outlook for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances is defined less by sweeping federal initiatives and more by incremental adjustments, judicial guardrails and state-driven regulations — an environment in which proactive risk management and close monitoring of policy developments will be essential, say attorneys at MG+M.

  • Maximizing Cyberinsurance Coverage In 2026

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    One of the most significant risks policyholders face in 2026 is the risk of loss caused by infiltration of their computer systems or manipulation of their employees through the use of computers, highlighting the need for a comprehensive cyberinsurance policy review, say attorneys at Cohen Ziffer.

  • Judges Carry Onus To Screen Expert Opinions Before Juries

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    Recent Second Circuit arguments in Acetaminophen Products Liability Litigation implied a low bar for judicial gatekeeping of expert testimony, but under amended Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence, judges must rigorously scrutinize expert opinions before allowing them to reach juries, says Lee Mickus at Evans Fears.

  • 4 California Insurance Law Decisions To Know From 2025

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    California continued to shape the national insurance landscape in 2025, issuing a series of decisions that may recalibrate claims handling, underwriting strategy and policy drafting in areas from property damage claims after a wildfire to automobile coverage for delivery drivers in the gig economy, say attorneys at Nicolaides Fink.

  • 5 Coverage Considerations For Couture And Cosmetics Cos.

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    Fashion, beauty and cosmetic companies getting ready for 2026 shouldn't neglect important insurance considerations, including stand-alone policies for specialized risk and check-ins with supply chain partners on policy requirements, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Changes In Crypto, Cybersecurity Defined NY Banking In 2025

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    The major takeaways from 2025 in New York banking policy involve updated guidance, regulations and requirements primarily affecting innovation and digital banking, in areas such as cybersecurity, virtual currencies, and buy now, pay later programs, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Ruling Upholds $11M Arbitration Award, Offers D&O Lessons

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    A New York federal court's recent decision in Flextronics v. Allianz, sustaining an $11 million arbitration award against the insurer, represents a significant affirmation of core policyholder protections in directors and officers insurance, specifically those dealing with allocation, insurability and best-efforts obligations, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.