Recent Publications


New York Insurance Coverage Law Update
January 31, 2017 | Insurance Coverage

“Contractual Privity” Not Required For Project Consultant To Be “Additional Insured,” New York Trial Court Rules

Rockefeller Group Development Corp-oration, as an agent for 1221 Avenue Holdings LLC, contracted with A. Best Contracting Co., Inc. (“Abestco”) to have Abestco perform construction work at 1221 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan. The contract allegedly required that

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Trump’s Travel Ban: What It Means for Businesses
January 31, 2017 | Corporate

On January 27, 2017, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order that temporarily restricts visitors from seven countries deemed to harbor terrorists. The order suspends for 90 days the immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States by foreign nationals from Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.  The Department of Homeland Security

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New Nanotechology Rule and Handling Toxic Torts
January 31, 2017 | Complex Torts & Product Liability

After a wait of more than 10 years, on January 12, 2017, the EPA issued its final rule relating to reporting requirements under TSCA for nanoscale chemicals, being the agency’s first time in requiring such reporting.

We will not attempt to set out the particulars of the reporting requirements (e.g., what substances are reportable under the rule

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E-Visas Help Foreign Brands Build U.S. Business
January 24, 2017 | Corporate

The combination of globalization and the trend toward clean living has revolutionized the natural products industry, creating opportunities and presenting challenges. Opportunities include the availability of products and human capital from around the world. Bringing those resources into the United States, however, presents challenges. Companies that meet those challenges will have a competitive advantage.

NatureCare,

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In Bar Fight Coverage Case, Maine’s Top Court Rules That Exclusions Precluded Coverage
January 24, 2017 | Insurance Coverage

The Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, affirming a trial court’s decision, has ruled that assault and battery exclusions in an insurance policy issued to a bar precluded coverage for a negligence lawsuit against the bar stemming from an alleged fight.

The Case

Barnie’s Bar & Grill, Inc., was sued by a plaintiff who alleged that

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In Corporate Officer Coverage Case, Montana District Court Holds That Personal Profits Exclusion Barred Some Claims
January 24, 2017 | Insurance Coverage

A federal district court in Montana has ruled that a personal profits exclusion in a directors, officers, and managers liability and corporate indemnification (“D&O”) policy had been triggered by a special master’s finding that the insured officer had committed conversion – but only with respect to that claim.

The Case

After an officer of Global

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In Construction Defect Coverage Case, Oregon Supreme Court Finds Duty to Defend Where Complaint’s Allegations, “Reasonably Interpreted,” Could Lead to Insured’s Liability
January 24, 2017 | Insurance Coverage

The Oregon Supreme Court, affirming a lower court’s decision, has ruled that an insurer had a duty to defend an additional insured against a complaint that contained allegations that, reasonably interpreted, could result in the insured being held liable for damages covered by the policy.

The Case

West Hills Development Company was the general contractor

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In Construction Defect Coverage Case, California Appeals Court Decides That Flooring Failure Was Not an Occurrence
January 24, 2017 | Insurance Coverage

An appellate court in California, affirming a trial court’s decision, has ruled that an insurer had no duty to indemnify its insured, a licensed general contractor, in a construction defect case where the contractor’s action that led to the defect had been deliberate.

The Case

D.B.O. Development No. 28 entered into a construction contract with

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In Construction Injury Coverage Case, California Appeals Court Affirms Ruling That General Contractor Was Not an Additional Insured on Subcontractor’s Excess Policy
January 24, 2017 | Insurance Coverage

An appellate court in California has affirmed a trial court’s decision that a general contractor was not an additional insured on a subcontractor’s excess insurance policy.

The Case

Advent, Inc., was hired as the general contractor for the Aspen Family Village project in Milpitas, California. Advent subcontracted with Pacific Structures, Inc. In turn, Pacific subcontracted

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In Asbestos Coverage Case, Ohio Appeals Court Applies “Triggering Event” Theory to Determine Number of Occurrences
January 24, 2017 | Insurance Coverage

An appellate court in Ohio, applying the “triggering event” theory, has ruled that each individual claimant’s exposure to asbestos was an “occurrence” for purposes of insurance policies issued to a valve manufacturing company.

The Case

Some of the valves manufactured by the William Powell Company before 1987 contained asbestos. In 2001, Powell began receiving personal

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In Asbestos Coverage Case, Sixth Circuit Adopts Pro Rata Allocation – and Upholds Restitution to Insurer
January 24, 2017 | Insurance Coverage

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, in a case involving asbestos liabilities, has affirmed a Michigan district court’s decision that pro rata allocation was the appropriate method to use to allocate damages and costs under an insured’s policies and has affirmed the district court’s decision requiring the insured to pay approximately $2.4

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New York Passes New Law to Allow Outpatient Clinics and ASCs to Provide Off-Site Services
January 24, 2017 | Health Services

New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, has signed a new legislation that may pave the way for outpatient clinics and diagnostic and treatment centers, which includes ambulatory surgery centers (“ASCs”), to provide primary care services to their patients off-site under limited circumstances. The new law, codified in the Public Health Law § 2803(11), requires that the

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OIG Releases Work Plan for 2017
January 24, 2017 | Health Services

The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) has released its Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2017 (the “Plan”). The Plan, available through the OIG website, summarizes new and ongoing audits, investigations and evaluations that OIG will prioritize in the upcoming year. Some of the new initiatives that OIG intends to

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OIG Adds New Safe Harbor Protections in 2017
January 24, 2017 | Health Services

In December 2016, the Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services amended existing safe harbors and issued a number of new safe harbors to   protect certain business practices and arrangements of doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies from sanctions under the anti-kickback statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)). Additionally, OIG amended

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The Future of the Affordable Care Act
January 23, 2017 | Health Services

Since its enactment six years ago, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the ACA) has faced numerous challenges from Republicans attempting to repeal the law. Though previous efforts, through both legislation and litigation, have been unsuccessful, the election of Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress likely portends at least a partial repeal of the

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