Insurance Journal A bill to create a statewide framework for handling wildfire smoke damage insurance claims is now making its way through California Legislature. The Smoke Damage Recovery Act, which primary backer Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said stems from the recovery process after the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires and smoke damage claims, is authored… Continue reading ‘Nation’s First’ Smoke Damage Standards Bill Wending Through California Legislature
Nine Claims Trends to Watch Through The Rest of 2026
Don Jergler | Claims Journal Catastrophe, resilience, automation, digital transformation, personalization of the claims experience, talent strategies, operational flexibility—there are a mouthful of trends to talk about in the still-young year. A new report from Crawford & Company forecasts trends that will be reshaping the insurance claims industry the rest of 2026. The Crawford report… Continue reading Nine Claims Trends to Watch Through The Rest of 2026
AI in Arbitration, Part I: Principles Guiding the Use of AI in Arbitral Proceedings
Natalia Zibibbo, Olivier André, and Boyan Arshinkov | Freshfields The year 2025 marked a watershed moment for artificial intelligence (AI), with the release of more powerful generative models and a rapid expansion of proprietary and specialised AI systems. This technological leap was mirrored by a dynamic shift in the legal and regulatory landscape, as both… Continue reading AI in Arbitration, Part I: Principles Guiding the Use of AI in Arbitral Proceedings
He Chose…Poorly: How Bad DSC Clauses Lead to Project Doom in the Last Crusade of Construction Risk
Curtis W. Martin and Cornelius Banta, Jr. | ConsensusDocs “We do not follow maps to buried treasure, and X never, ever marks the spot.” That’s the advice that Indiana Jones offered in the Last Crusade film. But what’s beneath the surface isn’t just important to adventure archaeologists. It has real-world application to our industry, where success depends on… Continue reading He Chose…Poorly: How Bad DSC Clauses Lead to Project Doom in the Last Crusade of Construction Risk
Appellate Court Finds Oral Assurances Sufficient to Keep Contractor’s Claims Alive
Jose A. Aquino | Duane Morris In Best Work Holdings (New York), LLC v. Ma, a recent decision from the New York Appellate Division, First Department, the court examines how promissory‑estoppel and unjust‑enrichment claims are evaluated when construction work is performed without a written contract. Plaintiff building owner accused defendants of participating in a fraudulent contracting… Continue reading Appellate Court Finds Oral Assurances Sufficient to Keep Contractor’s Claims Alive