litigation – Duane Morris Insurance Law

Duane Morris Takeaway: The rise of class action litigation has fundamentally transformed the modern legal landscape, and we are proud to announce the publication of the Insurance Class Action Review – 2026, a comprehensive new resource examining the evolving risks, trends, and defense strategies shaping class action litigation across the insurance sector.

The class action mechanism is unparalleled among procedural rules in terms of its impact on the American legal system. Its ability to exponentially expand the potential damages associated with a single claim has elevated class litigation into one of the most consequential forces confronting corporate defendants. In many instances, the mere threat of class certification can alter litigation strategy, settlement dynamics, and business operations on a massive scale.

Read the full analysis on the Duane Morris Class Action Defense Blog.

March 22, 2017 by Dominica C. Anderson

Talc Litigation and Insurance Implications

Is talc the elusive “next big thing” long sought by the plaintiffs’ bar? Recent verdicts against cosmetic talc defendants, including Johnson & Johnson (“J & J”), suggest that talc litigation, at a minimum, is a material threat to talc defendants and the insurance industry. In 2016, J & J and other defendants suffered three large verdicts for exposure to its baby powder in St. Louis, Mo.: $72M, $70M and $55M. All three verdicts, in a jurisdiction considered favorable to asbestos plaintiffs, included substantial punitive damages. The plaintiffs in each of these cases alleged that exposure to talc contained in J&J’s baby powder caused them to contract ovarian cancer. Also in 2016, a Los Angeles jury awarded $18M to a plaintiff who sued a cosmetic talc defendant alleging exposure to cosmetic talc cause the plaintiff to contract mesothelioma.

Assuming talc litigation is not going away any time soon, several questions are raised. Are all talc claims the same? What is the relationship between talc and asbestos, if any? What defendants are at risk in the talc litigation? What are the insurance implications of talc claims, and are they alike or different from asbestos and other long-tail coverage claims? Continue reading “Talc Litigation and Insurance Implications”

February 23, 2016 by Duane Morris

Duane Morris Attorneys at the ABA’s Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar

Duane Morris is pleased to announce that several of the firm’s attorneys will be presenting at the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Litigation’s Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar, to be held on March 2–5, 2016, in Tucson, Arizona. Duane Morris is a sponsor of the program and partner Terrance J. Evans is serving as a seminar co-chair. In addition, partners Philip R. Matthews, Ray L. Wong, Lida Rodriguez-Taseff and Jessica E. La Londe and associate Audra L. Thompson will all be presenters at the seminar.

For more information about the seminar, please visit the Duane Morris website.

May 14, 2015May 14, 2015 by Duane Morris

Duane Morris Partner Philip R. Matthews Elected a Fellow of the American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel

Duane Morris congratulates partner Philip R. Matthews on being elected a Fellow of the American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel (ACCEC). The ACCEC is composed of preeminent coverage and extracontractual counsel in the United States and Canada, representing the interests of both insurers and policyholders. As the most selective class of ACCEC membership, Fellows must be licensed to practice in the highest court of their respective state and must have at least 15 years of experience in insurance law. For more information, please visit the ACCEC website.

Matthews, of the firm’s San Francisco office, has nearly four decades of experience and has been involved in representing insurers in some of the largest exposures facing the insurance industry during his career, including representing insurers in some of the largest trials and appeals in California. He practices in the area of general civil litigation and insurance counseling and litigation with an emphasis on complex cases, as well as resolving complex insurance coverage disputes through alternative dispute resolution procedures.