Judge Rules for 9th Circuit Staff Lawyer Seeking Federal Health Benefits for Same-Sex Spouse

Updated: A federal judge in San Francisco has ruled the Defense of Marriage Act violates the equal protection rights of a California lawyer. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White ruled on behalf of Karen Golinski, a staff lawyer for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals based in San Francisco, report…

Feb 23, 2012 2:58 PM CST

Law Firm Insurance Costs Rise as Malpractice Suits Increase

One of the biggest expenses for law firms is professional liability insurance, after paying employees and office rent. And it’s getting bigger, as malpractice suits, driven by the difficult economy, increase both in number and the scope, requiring insurers to mount a more expensive defense even in cases in which…

Feb 6, 2012 12:00 PM CST

Dissecting the Health Care Case: Election-Year Term Mirrors New Deal Era

Feb 1, 2012 9:20 AM CST

Protecting the Innocent: Wrongdoing by One Lawyer Can Affect Insurance Coverage for Others

Feb 1, 2012 9:00 AM CST

Public Company to Buy UK Law Firm for $30M to Enhance Insurance Claims-Management Business

In what may be the first purchase of a law firm by a publicly traded United Kingdom company, Quindell Portfolio plans to acquire Silverbeck Rymer to expand the array of claims-management services it offers to insurers. It will pay 19.3 million pounds (about $30 million in U.S dollars) for the…

Jan 24, 2012 8:20 PM CST

Mass. Top Court Rules Legal Immigrants Improperly Barred from Subsidized Insurance Program

The highest court in Massachusetts has ruled that a law barring legal immigrants from a subsidized insurance program violated their rights to equal protection under the state constitution. The opinion by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court could cost the state up to $150 million, report the Boston Globe, the Associated…

Jan 6, 2012 4:43 PM CST

Pennsylvania Justice Issues Another Rhyming Opinion

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has issued a rhyming opinion reversing the insurance fraud conviction of a man who opened a bank account with a forged check from State Farm. Justice J. Michael Eakin, who wrote the entire opinion (PDF) in poetic form, has written in rhyme before, report the Wall…

Dec 22, 2011 4:55 PM CST

Lawsuits Blame Fires on Stainless Steel Flexible Gas Lines

Several lawsuits blame flexible stainless steel gas lines for fires sparked by lightning strikes. The flexible corrugated tubing, developed in Japan to avoid breaks in earthquakes, is being used more frequently in new homes in the United States, the Associated Press reports. But some fire officials are raising concerns that…

Dec 22, 2011 12:32 PM CST

Lawyer for Hedge Fund Manager Objects to ‘Obnoxious, Deliberate Use’ of Nickname in Depo

The lawyer for hedge fund manger Steven Cohen wasn’t about to let opposing counsel use a nickname when addressing his client in a deposition earlier this year. The deposition, obtained by Reuters, was part of a civil suit filed by a Canadian insurer that claims Cohen’s fund, SAC Capital, engaged…

Dec 15, 2011 3:22 PM CST

DC Circuit Upholds Insurance Mandate in Obama Health Care Law

Another federal appeals court has weighed in on the health care overhaul, giving the administration a third victory in the constitutional dispute. In a 2-1 decision issued today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled it had jurisdiction to decide the issues, and the law’s…

Nov 8, 2011 5:51 PM CST

Safe in the Cloud? Online Service Risks Need Care and Coverage

Nov 1, 2011 7:50 AM CDT

Will Insurer of Uninhabitable Fla. Condo Building Have to Pay to Repair Defects?

In the midst of a terrible real estate market, the owners of the 117 units at the Dophin Tower condominium in Sarasota, Fla., have a bigger problem to worry about than most. In addition to owning homes that are probably worth only a fraction of what they paid, their units…

Oct 28, 2011 7:07 PM CDT

Top Mich. Court to Decide If Mom Who Saw Biker Son’s Fatal Crash Can Collect on Her Own Auto Policy

Insurance companies write the policies under which they contract to cover customers for automobile accidents and related injuries. So it is a general rule of interpretation that any ambiguity in the policy should be resolved in the customer’s favor. But a Michigan appellate court went too far when it decided…

Oct 21, 2011 6:30 PM CDT

Insult to Injury: Texas Workers’ Comp System Denies, Delays Medical Help

Oct 1, 2011 10:10 AM CDT

Lawyers Who Practice Stress-Reduction Techniques Want Discounts from Malpractice Insurers

Oct 1, 2011 8:10 AM CDT