Scott Seaman to Speak on Duty to Defend and Defense Cost Issues

June 14, 2017

We are pleased to announce that Scott M. Seaman, a Chicago-based partner and co-chair of the firm's national Insurance Services Practice Group will be speaking in an upcoming Strafford live webinar, "Insurer's Duty to Defend: Pre-Tender Costs, Target Tender Issues, Non-Covered Claims and Parties, Uninsured Periods" scheduled for Wednesday, June 14, 12:00pm-1:30pm CDT.

The insurer’s duty to defend or reimburse defense costs is a subject that raises a host of important issues that are frequently subject to disputes and litigation.  Some of the most commonly disputed issues include:  the scope and limitations on the duty to defend; what constitutes defense costs; when and whether independent counsel is required; whether fees are reasonable; whether an insurer is entitled to recoup defense costs for non-covered claims; and whether a policyholder is entitled to recover pre-tender defense costs.  Of course, the long-running coverage battle persists regarding allocation of defense costs.

Scott will provide the perspective of counsel representing insurance companies and his co-panelists Sherilyn Pastor of McCarter and English and Linda Kornfeld of Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman will provide perspectives of counsel representing policyholders.