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Information Sharing Between Insurers and Policyholders When Claim Uncertainty Exists
Once a policyholder tenders a claim, an insurer is likely to request information and documentation from that policyholder about the underlying event, circumstance, occurrence or claim. The insured, however, may have legitimate concerns that sharing such information could result in the inadvertent waiver of evidentiary privileges and protections as to the insurer and third parties, or an adverse coverage determination. We discuss herein how insurers and insureds should approach information sharing under various scenarios.
The tender of an insurance claim often triggers an immediate, long-lasting tug of war between an insurer and an insurance policyholder (“insured”). At issue is access to information. In response to the tender, the insurer will often request extensive amounts of information and documentation. The insured, however, will face conflicting incentives. On the one hand, if the insurer ultimately agrees that coverage exists, then their interests should align, and information sharing will promote strategic decision-making. If, on the other hand, the insurer later denies coverage, then it could use the information it receives from the insured to defeat coverage in a subsequent declaratory relief action. Moreover, an insured may have legitimate concerns about sharing privileged or confidential information with the insurer, lest the insured later be deemed to have waived protections against disclosure of that information to third parties. Courts have addressed information-sharing disputes between insureds and insurers in a variety of postures. This article discusses these disputes at a high level to glean lessons for both insurers and policyholders.
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later
The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.
Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations
This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.
The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs
The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.
CLE Shouldn't Be the Only Mandatory Training for Attorneys
Each stage of an attorney's career offers opportunities for a curriculum that addresses both the individual's and the firm's need to drive success.
Discovery of Claim Construction and Infringement Analysis May be Compelled Prior to a Markman Hearing
A defendant in a patent infringement suit may, during discovery and prior to a <i>Markman</i> hearing, compel the plaintiff to produce claim charts, claim constructions, and element-by-element infringement analyses.