June 13, 2012
Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP
750 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York  10022

Edwards Wildman Speakers:  Thomas F. Bush, Mark Everiss, E. Paul Kanefsky, Vincent J. Vitkowsky, Laurie A. Kamaiko, Brian J. Green, Neil R. (“Nick”) Pearson, Brent R. Austin, Patrick J. Gennardo

The Firm’s New York office will be hosting an annual half-day CLE program on June 13, 2012. The program is worth 3.5 CLE credits and will run from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm, which includes lunch from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm.

Topics that will be covered:

Current Proposals for Improving Reinsurance Arbitrations
Thomas F. Bush, Mark Everiss, E. Paul Kanefsky and Vincent J. Vitkowsky

The U.S. insurance and reinsurance industry is actively exploring whether the reinsurance arbitration process can be improved. This panel will address subjects such as arbitrator selection and neutrality, potential mechanisms for internal arbitral appeals, and preferred approaches to consolidation. It will also address the approach to these issues in England.

Everyone’s Nightmare: Privacy and Data Breach Risks
Laurie A. Kamaiko and Brian J. Green

Privacy and data breach risks affect companies in the insurance industry both as entities potentially subject to those risks themselves, and as entities exposed to claims against and by insureds arising from data breaches. This panel will discuss privacy and data breach risks and the exposures they present, with a focus on breaches of personal information; the impact of recent litigation arising from data breaches; emerging privacy issues and cyber risks; and lines of insurance potentially impacted.

The Federal Insurance Office and the Federal Stability Oversight Council: Recent Developments Affecting Insurers
Nick Pearson

Dodd-Frank created the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) and the Federal Stability Oversight Council (FSOC). FIO, although without direct regulatory authority, will play an important role in the future regulation of the insurance industry. FSOC, with the authority to declare non-bank financial holding companies (which includes insurers) as systemically important, may impose new and significant regulatory and reporting requirements on insurers. Hear a discussion of these important federal initiatives.

Recent Developments in Class Action Litigation Against Insurers Including: Consumer Fraud Challenges to Sales and Marketing Practices and Antitrust/McCarran Ferguson Act
Brent R. Austin and Patrick J. Gennardo

The panel will discuss the status of antitrust litigation against the insurance industry, and the status of the McCarran Act exemption, following the In re Insurance Brokerage Antitrust Litigation. The panel will also discuss the class action landscape a year after the U.S. Supreme Court Dukes decision, whose application is far broader than the context of employment discrimination. The issue of whether the Daubert standard applies at all at the class certification stage remains an open question, and issues of standing, reliance, causation and injury continue to be actively litigated in consumer fraud class cases.

To RSVP, e-mail: [email protected].

There is no charge for attendance at this seminar. Space is limited.