The California Department of Insurance (“DOI”) has issued a bulletin clarifying Assembly Bill 1639, which takes effect January 1, 2008.  The new law affects resident and non-resident producers transacting surplus lines business. 


Read More California Department of Insurance Clarifies New Surplus Broker License Requirements

NERA Economic Consulting recently issued a report entitled “Recent Trends in Shareholder Class Action Litigation: Filings Stay Low -Average Settlements Stay High-But Are These Trends Reversing?” (the “NERA Report”). 


Read More NERA: Securities Class Action Filings Remain Low, Average Settlements Remain High, But These Trends May Not Last

The Wall Street Journal reports that the SEC will hold a roundtable in the spring of 2008 on issues relating to shareholder litigation reform, including the role played by insurers in indemnifying companies and individuals and the cost of paying for attorneys fees in securities class action lawsuits. 


Read More SEC to Explore Shareholder Litigation Reform

Over two years ago, the European Commission (“EC”) initiated an inquiry into the state of competition in the European Union (“EU”) business insurance industry.  In explaining the purpose of the inquiry, the EC notes in its Final Report that “[t]aking into account indications that competition in this sector within the common market may be restricted or distorted, the sector inquiry aimed at further investigating the sector and the practices concerned with a view to ultimately identifying any concrete restrictive practices or distortions of competition that may fall within the scope of Articles 81 or 82 of the Treaty.” 


Read More European Commission Issues Final Report on Business Insurance Industry

On Monday, September 24, 2007, the SEC and Federal Reserve issued a press release  announcing final joint rules (originally proposed in December 2006) to implement certain provisions of the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act. 


Read More The SEC and Federal Reserve Announce Final Joint Rules on Exemptions for Banks from the Definition of a Broker

The House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (the “Subcommittee”) will hold a meeting, entitled “Credit-Based Insurance Scores:  Are They Fair?,” on October 2, 2007 to discuss the growing use of credit-based insurance scores. 


Read More House Subcommittee to Address Fairness of Credit-Based Insurance Scores

Pursuant to Florida Administrative Code, chapter 62-761, effective December 31, 2009, all underground storage tank systems in the state of Florida must adhere to the requirements for “secondary containment” with “interstitial monitoring,” which were established in July 1998. 


Read More Environmental Claims – Florida Underground Storage Tank Upgrades Required by December 31, 2009

A widely used over-the-counter laxative product is one of the latest targets in nationwide medical product liability litigation.  According to complaints filed in over 50 lawsuits in at least 20 jurisdictions, C.B. Fleet Company’s Phospho-soda product, used commonly to prepare patients for colonoscopies and surgical procedures, has allegedly caused kidney failure and even death in some cases. 


Read More More Than 50 Lawsuits Filed Alleging That Popular Laxative Causes Kidney Failure

A study recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine reports that serious adverse drug events reported to the FDA more than doubled  between 1998 and 2005.  As defined by the FDA, serious adverse drug events involve drug reactions that “result in death, birth defect, disability, or hospitalization, or are otherwise life threatening or require intervention to prevent harm.” 


Read More Consumer Drug Related Injuries and Deaths More Than Doubled Between 1998 and 2005