Linking Expert Insight with Insurance Industry Decision-Makers |
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Best's Special Report |
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Global merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the property/casualty (P/C) and reinsurance industries continued at a steady pace in the first half of 2014. Based on A.M. Best research,35 P/C and reinsurance deals were announced globally during the first six months of 2014.The available disclosed amount for all deals was approximately USD 5.6 billion, compared to slightly half of about USD 10 billion announced for all of 2013.
If you would like to view other reports, visit our Member Center to register. |
World Catastrophes Map |
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This map, available as a print and online supplement to the June issue of Best's Review, features the 20 largest insured loss events of 2013. |
Member Spotlight |
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We are pleased to feature Ronald L. Richman in this Edition's Member Spotlight. Mr. Richman is a partner in the San Francisco office of Bullivant Houser Bailey PC. Recently, the American Bar Association Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section honored Mr. Richman with its Andrew C. Hecker Memorial Award. This award, which recognizes the late Andrew C. Hecker of Philadelphia, is presented to those lawyers who have consistently demonstrated, and continue to demonstrate, the qualities of leadership, outreach, enthusiasm, professionalism and pride in TIPS and its accomplishments. The award was presented at the ABA Annual Meeting in Boston on Saturday, August 9th during the James K. Carroll Leadership & Awards Dinner at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. A.M. Best congratulates Ronald Richman on this achievement. Read more.
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If you know of a firm or individual who has made notable or significant achievements in the insurance industry and would like to make a nomination, visit our "Member Spotlight" FAQ page for additional information or fill out our "Member Spotlight" Nomination Form. Nominations are accepted year-round.
In the Press |
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Community Showcase |
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Zarwin Baum Sponsors Events that Support Ronald McDonald House and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Zarwin, Baum, DeVito, Kaplan, Schaer, & Toddy, P.C. is dedicated to serving the community through charitable and philanthropic activities. For over 50 years, the firm and its members have contributed their time, energy and economic resources to improve the quality of life of our community and its residents. Civic responsibility is a significant part of the culture at Zarwin Baum. This past July the firm participated in the 2nd annual PHILAlympics benefitting Philadelphia's Ronald McDonald House. Recently, Zarwin Baum joined Boyds Philadelphia in presenting 'Fashion Touchdown,' benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern Pennsylvania. For these reasons, we are pleased to feature Zarwin Baum in our Community Showcase. Read more. |
Do you know of a firm or individual who has made a difference in their community? Visit our "Community Showcase" FAQ page to learn more about this feature or complete our "Community Showcase" Nomination Form. Nominations are accepted year-round.
For the Record |
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Title of Article | Author/Firm |
Two separate courts of appeals rendered contrary decisions on whether the subsidy provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) applies in states that have opted not to run their own insurance exchanges. Currently, only 14 states have established their own exchanges, while 36 states have opted to allow the federal government to run the exchange. |
Mark L. Mattioli, Esq.
Philadelphia, PA |
House Bill 373 Enacted to Control Level of Workers' Comp Insurance Premiums; Employer Bears Burden of Proving Claimant's Loss of Earning Power Is Due to Lack of U.S. Citizenship; Supreme Court of New Jersey Holds That Cardiovascular Death Is Not Compensable; Claimant Who Fails to Establish a Valid Common Law Marriage to Decedent Is Not Entitled To Widow's Benefits. |
Paul V. Tatlow, Esq.; Francis X. Wickersham, Esq.; Angela Y. DeMary, Esq.
Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin Philadelphia, PA |
In this age of "instant" communication and expectations, many claim practitioners feel the added pressure of finding solutions that often are out of their immediate control. Accelerated Settlement Solution practices allow clients to gain a wealth of technology, data and experience to alleviate headaches and help to manage the claim in a methodical and cost effective manner. |
Blackburn Group, Inc. Pittsford, NY |
Update on Insurance, Construction Defect, and Commercial Auto Law in Arizona, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Colorado, Utah & Wyoming |
Evans & Co. New Orleans, LA |
Texas Jury Awards $2.925M In Damages In Hydraulic Fracturing Verdict In Suit For Nuisance: Parr, Et Al. v. Aruba Petroleum, Inc., Et Al. Dallas County Court At Law No. 5 Case No. Cc-11-01650-E |
Justin Zucker
Redwood City, CA
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Legal Update - July-September 2014 Articles include: "Enforcing the Corporate Shield: Protecting Corporate Officers from Individual Liability in Tort Actions" by Kelly M. Klein; "Can an Individual Who Facilitates an Attack on Third-Party Owe Duty of Care to Third-Party?" by Zeb I. Goldstein; "Endorsement CG 22 94 10 01 and the Penny Wise GC" by Christopher H. Burrows; "It's Midnight...Do You Know Where the Cars Titled in Your Name Are?" by Zeb I. Goldstein |
Edited by Maria Donnelly, CR & Daniel J. Santaniello, Esq. Luks & Santaniello LLC Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Legally Speaking |
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Posted: Thu, 04 Sep 2014
Attorney Jeffrey Rapattoni, shareholder in the Cherry Hill, New Jersey office of Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, discusses the burden of Medical Provider Fraud on the Insurance Industry. |
In Brief |
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Insured Losses of �2 Billion Estimated From Typhoon Neoguri in Japan -- Typhoon Neoguri is estimated to have caused insured losses of �2.07 billion (US$20 million) on the southern island of Okinawa prefecture, according to the General Insurance Association of Japan. |
August 26, 2014 |
Chesapeake's Phelan: Opioids Causing Workers' Comp Epidemic -- Prescription medications are driving up costs and making it less likely for injured workers to return to work, according to Thomas Phelan of Chesapeake Employers' Insurance Co. |
August 26, 2014 |
Damage Picture From Napa Quake Being Painted as Claims Arrive; Risk Modeler Notes Possibility of 'Hidden Damage' -- Although claims from a magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck the Napa Valley region of California are already flowing into insurance companies, it will be some time before a complete picture of damages can be painted. |
August 25, 2014 |
Risk Modeler: Wine Industry Losses From Napa Quake Could Increase Insured Losses That May Reach $1B -- Insured losses from a 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck California's Napa Valley Aug. 24 could be between $500 million to $1 billion, according to a preliminary estimate range from catastrophe risk modeling firm Eqecat. |
August 25, 2014 |
It's the Law |
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Legal Precedents Impacting the Insurance Industry within the Past Year:
Digest | Revisor |
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In Shada v. Farmers Ins., 286 Neb, 444, 840 N.W.2d 856 (2013) the five year statute of limitations for underinsured motorists begins to run at the date the UIM claim is denied by the carrier. This case establishes a long statute of limitations for uninsured motorists. |
Omaha, NE |
The Court of Appeals held that a post-modification that rendered a safe product unsafe created an issue of fact on a motion for summary judgment in a design defect claim case. Hoover v. New Holland North America, Inc., 23 N.Y.3d 41, 11 N.E.3d 693 (2014). This case appears to modify a long standing precedent which afforded a manufacturer a defense when a subsequent modification substantially alters a product and the modification is the proximate cause of plaintiffs injuries and relieves manufacturer of liability. |
London Fischer LLP
New York, NY |
The following Digests have also been recently updated:
Notable Listings |
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New Listings
Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys
Huntington, WV Sioux Falls, SD
Missoula, MT
Chicago, IL Texarkana, TX
Rochester, NY |
Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Adjusters
Hauppauge, NY
Monroe, LA
Brampton, ON San Antonio, TX
Colts Neck, NJ |
Best's Directory of Recommended Expert Service Providers
Convergent Commercial - Insurance Recovery Specialists
GC3, LLC - Construction Consultants & Disaster Restoration
Group Delta Consultants, Inc. - Forensic Engineering Experts
Paragon Asset Recovery Services Inc. - Collections, Subrogation
& Insurance Recovery Specialists PEO Brokers Group - Consultants |
White Plains, NY
West Des Moines, IA
Torrance, CA
Coraopolis, PA
Oklahoma City, OK |
Notable Listing Anniversaries
Congratulations to the following listees with Major Anniversaries with Best's Directories this quarter:
Years | Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys | Location |
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50 | Clifford & Brown | Bakersfield, CA |
25 | Elizabethtown, KY New Orleans, LA Bloomington, IN Elko, NV Montgomery, AL Portland, ME Indianapolis, IN Prairie Village, KS Omaha, NE Nashville, TN San Francisco, CA | |
10 |
Las Vegas, NV Manchester, NH Wichita Falls, TX Huntington Beach, CA Bay Shore, NY Dallas, TX New York, NY Towson, MD Norfolk, VA Albuquerque, NM San Diego, CA | |
Years |
Best's Directory of Recommended Expert Service Providers |
Location |
10 |
Saint Augustine, FL | |
Webinars |
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Click on a title to open the video of your choice. At the end of the webinar, simply close the video player to return to the BestConnect newsletter. Insurers face a hyper-competitive market with unprecedented customer choice. They strive to make customer communications valuable and productive. With customized policies and coverages becoming more common, flexibility and personalization are critical. Insurers are pursuing strategies for digital customer engagement, striving to manage and coordinate customer interactions across channels. Many are challenged by outdated technology, regulatory and competitive pressures, and a complex processing environment. A panel of experts examine how insurers are blending the physical and digital, batch and interactive, across channels and customer touch points to provide a seamless, consistent customer experience. They also examine how insurers are leveraging customer analytics to capture information and coordinate interactions across channels to anticipate customer needs and responses, and to optimize communications to improve customer service, satisfaction and retention.
Workers' compensation funds run by individual U.S. states manage a significant portion of the workers' compensation business. This webinar examines financial and underwriting results for the funds and how those compare to the overall U.S. workers compensation insurance market. The webinar also includes a review of highlights on A.M. Best's annual special report on the state of the market for U.S. state funds. |
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Don't miss any of the upcoming webinars! View our full webinar schedule, or register to attend a session.
Trade Shows/Events |
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Meeting Name / Association |
Event Date |
Location |
Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB) |
Sep. 16 - 17, 2014 | Minneapolis, MN |
NAMIC Annual Convention The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) |
Sep. 21 - 24, 2014 | National Harbor, MD |
DRI Annual Meeting Defense Research Institute(DRI) |
Oct. 22 - 26, 2014 | San Francisco, CA |
2014 PLUS International Conference Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) |
Nov. 5 - 7, 2014 | Las Vegas, NV |
2014 Eastern Regional Adjusters Conference Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB) |
Nov. 8 - 9, 2014 | Providence, RI |