On August 31, 2018, the California Legislature passed a number of bills addressing various issues related to wildfires that have ravaged the state in recent years.  The following bills relate to insurance in connection with past and future wildfires:

SB-901 addresses a range of wildfire-related issues.  The bill will ease
Read More California Electric Utilities’ Problems are Above Smokey the Bear’s Pay Grade!

Update: the Governor of California, signed Senate Bill 1121 on September 23, 2018, ratifying the amendments described below.

On August 31, 2018, the California State Legislature passed Senate Bill 1121, amending the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”).  The CCPA, which contains the broadest consumer data privacy protections
Read More California Amends Consumer Data Privacy Act, but Leaves Material Provisions Unchanged and Questions Unanswered

In This Issue:


Read More Privacy & Cybersecurity Newsletter – August 2018

On June 4, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced that he approved the first Cannabis Business Owners Policy (“CannaBOP”) in California. In announcing the approval, Commissioner Jones stated, “This first-of-its-kind Cannabis Business Owners Policy or CannaBOP program will make it easier for more insurers to enter the market and fill
Read More California Insurance Commissioner Approves First Cannabis Business Owners Policy

On Wednesday, the NAIC’s Center for Insurance Policy and Research hosted a webinar entitled “Weeding Through the Unique Insurance Needs of the Cannabis Industry.” The webinar kicked off with comments from Dave Jones, Commissioner of the California Department of Insurance. Commissioner Jones reiterated the California Department’s commitment to supporting the
Read More NAIC’s Center for Insurance Policy and Research Hosts Webinar About the Insurance Needs of the Cannabis Industry

Prior to the 1990’s Bellefonte Reinsurance Co. v. Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co., 903 F.2d910 (2d Cir. 1990) (“Bellefonte”) decision, the insurance/reinsurance industry operated under the assumption that expenses in addition to loss, unless explicitly excluded, were included coverages under facultative reinsurance certificates. The Bellefonte decision,
Read More Back to the Future

In a letter sent to California insurers on 4/20, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones reiterated his call for insurers to file rates and forms for insurance products for the California cannabis industry. In an effort to allay fears about potential pushback or legal consequence based on the fact that cannabis
Read More California Department Encourages Development of Insurance Products for Legal Cannabis; Industry Begins Moving In

California’s wildfire season has been a long and grueling one this year, scorching both the northern and southern halves of the state.  Although some of the fires are still burning, eventually the state’s winter rains will come and douse the remaining embers.  In the coming months we will see people
Read More California Wildfires: Carriers See A State Ablaze

The wine country wildfires of October 2017 are expected to have caused greater losses than any other in U.S. history.  AON Benfield predicts that on an aggregated basis, “this is costliest insured wildfire event ever recorded.”  Back on October 31, 2017, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones revealed that the then
Read More Heard It Through The Grapevine: Wine Country Wildfires

Although there are still 9 active wildfires in California’s wine country, Cal-Fire anticipates that nearly all of these will be fully contained by the end of this week.  Even as the fires continue, the region’s vineyards, wineries, and related businesses are starting to file their insurance claims.  To date, no
Read More We’ll Drink to That… Not So Fast?