Just in case you wonder what mediators did for a living before they began to help attorneys settle lawsuits, or just why someone might name her mediation business Settle It Now, I bring you the following must-attend coverage seminar on the Stringfellow Litigation - the Superfund site that sent thousands of attorneys children through college, grad  school and beyond.  As one of my colleagues once said, this case was not tried until it was old enough to drive.

One of the panelists, the brilliant Bill Baron, a former partner of mine at Hancock Rothert (now Duane Morris) understands catastrophic insurance coverage disputes better than anyone else I know (well, other than Mr. Thrifty of course!)

California's Landmark Insurance Ruling in the Stringfellow Litigation

Indemnification Strategies in Continuing Property Damage and Personal Injury Claims

A live 90-minute telephone conference with interactive Q&A

To register, click here. 

These guys invented environmental coverage and the Stringfellow decision affects all catastrophic insurance claims.  If you represent the Fortune 500 and have any CLE funds to spend this year, this is the seminar to spend them on.

WHEN

Wednesday, March 4, 2009
1:00pm-2:30pm EST, 10:00am-11:30am PST

FACULTY

Roger W. Simpson, Shareholder,  Cotkins & Collins, Los Angeles

His principal area of practice is insurance coverage for environmental liability and he represented the state of California in the State of California v. Continental Ins. Co. (2009).  He also provides insurance coverage counseling concerning Environmental Impairment Liability Insurance.

Robert M. Horkovich, Shareholder, Anderson, Kill & Olick, New York

He has substantial experience in trying complex insurance coverage actions for corporate policyholders. The Chambers Guide calls him the 'go-to person' in the area of insurance recovery. He served as counsel in the State of California v. Continental Ins. Co. (2009) matter. He has also been engaged on several significant projects by the United Nations as its general insurance counsel.

William J. Baron, Partner Duane Morris, San Francisco

He concentrates on appellate work and complex civil litigation, including insurance coverage actions. He prepared an amicus brief in the companion Stringfellow case.

DESCRIPTION

In January 2009, the California Court of Appeal (4th Dist.) ruled a policyholder facing long-term property damage or personal injury claims may stack liability policy limits across policy periods to maximize recovery. The decision is hailed as a landmark that could influence other courts nationwide.

The court of appeal overturned the trial court's holding that the policyholder could not stack the limits of multiple policies over an entire period of damage. The court of appeal also expressly rejected a 1998 California Court of Appeal (6th Dist.) decision that limited coverage.

The decision is particularly significant for policyholders in manufacturing, pharmaceutical, construction and chemicals, that face claims for continuous injury with roots in years past.

Listen as [this] authoritative panel of insurance attorneys examines the California court of appeal decision and its implications for insurance practice. The panel will offer their perspectives on best practices for addressing indemnity issues in long-term injury claims litigation.