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Best's Special Report
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A complimentary special report for our valued subscribers. In this edition: M&A Activity for P/C & Reinsurance Focuses on Global Diversification.
 
 
 
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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We are pleased to provide our BestConnect subscribers with A.M. Best's latest topical World Catastrophes Map, a valuable, informative record of the prior year's insured losses worldwide.
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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"Member Spotlight" puts the focus on Directory listees who have participated in groundbreaking cases or developed innovative strategies and important thought leadership that affect the insurance industry.
 
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 In the Press
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Each quarter, "In the Press" brings you the most important press releases, announcements and achievements from Directories listees.
Title Firm Location/Date/Firm Name
Veteran Insurance Regulatory Lawyer Nate "Wes" Strickland to Lead Colodny, Fass Talenfeld, Karlinsky, Abate & Webb's Nationally Known Practice
(Fort Lauderdale, FL) August 2014
Marshall Dennehey Attorneys Receive Recognition - Lehigh Valley Office Relocates
(Philadelphia, PA) August 2014
Bullivant Houser Bailey Attorneys Selected to Super Lawyers
(Portland, OR) June - August 2014
Attorney Named Fellow of Litigation Counsel of America - 59 Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers (Charleston, SC) July & August 2014
Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A.
Enservio Extends Functionality of ReStore Payments Platform (Needham, MA) July 2014
Enservio
Stutman Law Extends Inverse Condemnation Liability In California
(Fort Washington, PA) August 2014
Four Attorneys Graduate from Smith Freed & Eberhard's Black Belt Trial Advocacy Training Program - 16 Attorneys Honored as Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
(Portland, OR) Jun & August 2014
Mazanec, Raskin & Ryder Attorneys Named to 2015 "Best Lawyers in America"
(Cleveland, OH) August 2014
Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt Receives Recognition
(Fort Myers, FL) June - August 2014
Recent News from Ropers Majeski
(Redwood City, CA) August 2014
Ropers, Majeski, Kohn & Bentley
James W. Constable Selected as Chair of the Maryland Environmental Trust, Board of Trustees
(Baltimore, MD) June 2014
Secrest Wardle Attorneys Receive Recognition; Firm Joining IASIU Event "Avoiding the Fraud Vortex," as Presenters
(Troy, MI) August 2014
McKay Partner, Kelli Sullivan, Named Chairwoman of the South Carolina Bar Ethics Advisory Committee
(Columbia, SC) June 2014
40 Lavery Lawyers Included in the 2015 Edition of The Best Lawyers In Canada - Nicolas Gagnon and Odette Jobin-Laberge Named 2015 Lawyers of the Year
(Montreal, QC) August 2014
Brown Moskowitz & Kallen Announce New Partners
(Summit, NJ) August 2014
Barnwell Whaley Law Firm News - Attorneys Named 2015 Best Laywers
(Charleston, SC) September 2014
Clausen Miller Names Two Attorneys to Partner
(Chicago, IL) September 2014
Recent KRCL News
(Dallas, TX) August 2014
Dickie McCamey Attorneys Recognized in 2015 Best Lawyers
(Pittsburgh, PA) September 2014


Community Showcase
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"Community Showcase" is a forum for highlighting significant contributions that current Best's Directories listees have made in their communities. Contributions may include pro bono cases, community outreach projects, volunteer work or charity efforts.
 

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 For the Record
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"For the Record" showcases the latest articles from current Directories listees.
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.
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
 
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 Legally Speaking
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Each quarter, "Legally Speaking" highlights the newest Insurance Law Podcasts from A.M. Best.
To listen to a podcast, please click on the podcast title. A new window containing an audio player will open. At the end of the podcast, please close the audio player window to return to your BestConnect newsletter. If you enjoy the podcasts below, be sure to visit our archive for other podcasts you may have missed.
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.
 
Sign up now to have new Insurance Law Podcasts sent directly to you.
 

In Brief
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"In Brief" highlights important insurance industry news from A.M. Best's award-winning news publications. Access to full stories may require a subscription to the publication.

Title of Article

Article Date

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 It's the Law
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The Insurance Law Digest is a summary of the insurance laws for each U.S. state and Canadian province. Our aim is to provide a reference source that covers some of the general insurance principles in leading case decisions.

Legal Precedents Impacting the Insurance Industry within the Past Year:

Digest Revisor
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:

Alaska Hughes Gorski Seedorf Odsen & Tervooren, LLC of Anchorage
Arkansas Anderson, Murphy & Hopkins, L.L.P. of Little Rock
Washington Lee Smart, P.S., Inc. of Seattle
Prince Edward Island Murphy Collette Murphy of Moncton, NB
Quebec Lavery, de Billy L.L.P. of Quebec

To see the full list of updates, click below.


Notable Listings Notable Listings
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We are pleased to welcome the following new listees this quarter and to recognize those listees who have reached a milestone with Best's Directories.

New Listings

Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys

Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Adjusters

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
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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A.M. Best produces innovative online presentations that connect you with industry leaders and provide the opportunity to learn firsthand about trends and developments facing insurance today.

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.

Don't miss any of the upcoming webinars! View our full webinar schedule, or register to attend a session.


Trade Shows/Events Upcoming Insurance Industry Trade Shows, Conventions, and Events
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View the latest schedule for up-to-date information on insurance industry events from the Meetings & Conventions database.

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