Insurance counsel under attack; suits say use of company-owned law firms to defend policyholders is fraud
Article Abstract:
Nocita v. Allstate Insurance Co. is the latest of the suits claiming the insurance industry practice of using company-owned law firms to defend policyholders is fraudulent and the unauthorized practice of law. Nocita alleges that 16 personal liability insurance carriers, including State Farm and Allstate Insurance Co, are violating Illinois' consumer fraud statute by employing these lawyers rather than independent law firms without adequately telling policyholders.
Publication Name: The National Law Journal
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0162-7325
Year: 1998
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Test case for insurers' billing rules; Montana Supreme Court case could start a trend
Article Abstract:
Insurance companies' billing guidelines for outside counsel defending insurance claims tend to require advance approval for hiring expert witnesses and even performing certain legal research, and the attorneys who filed a Montana Supreme Court case say such guidelines illegally restrict their legal practice. Insurance companies insist such guidelines merely eliminate wasteful defense spending, but the Montana case seeks to ban these guidelines.
Publication Name: The National Law Journal
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0162-7325
Year: 1999
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Minority GCs are few, far between; only 10 Fortune 500 firms have minority general counsel
Article Abstract:
The article discusses the US's small number of minority corporate counsel. A survey by the Minority Corporation Counsel Ass'n (MCCA) finds only ten of the Fortune 500's top attorneys to be members of minority groups, and according to the MCCA the study's resuls show the failure of the legal and corporate communities to fight racial inequality. Detailed statistics are given.
Publication Name: The National Law Journal
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0162-7325
Year: 1999
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