A class action lawsuit against insurance giant, State Farm, alleging the company recruited a judge to run for an opening on the Illinois Supreme Court and funded, without disclosing it, his 2004 election campaign is set to go to trial …
An attorney plans to sue actor Brad Pitt’s foundation over the degradation of homes built in an area of New Orleans that was among the hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. The forthcoming lawsuit against Pitt’s Make It Right foundation will …
This week’s Lowdown features the 3rd annual State of the Industry Report: Examining the Cannabis Cultivation Market. This report is timely as our sponsor, Vertafore, has launched a great webinar outlining the benefits of developing niches, and in many areas …
The U.S. Coast Guard has found probable cause that the sinking of a tourist boat on a Missouri lake last month that killed 17 people “resulted from the misconduct, negligence, or inattention to the duties” by the captain of the …
As small business owners in Hawaii and California clean up following Hurricane Lane and wildfires, they’ll find there’s no one formula for recovery. The same disaster can devastate businesses in divergent ways – a hurricane might tear the roof off …
The California Assembly on Thursday voted unanimously on a plan to address workplace sexual harassment and expand a requirement for harassment training to small businesses. Current law requires all employers with 50 or more employees to provide two hours of …
Specialty insurer Markel Corp. has agreed to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Nephila Holdings, a standalone insurance-linked securities manager. Nephila, has more than $12 billion of assets under management for over 300 investors. Its revenue is primarily from …
San Francisco, Calif.-based Woodruff Sawyer has named Jen Scales vice president and account executive in its employee benefits practice. Scales has more than 15 years of experience in the insurance industry, having spent time in business development and risk consulting …
GCL New Energy Holdings Ltd. is managing the risk related to the unpredictable nature of the sun, with an insurance-like policy that will guarantee the production from solar projects it’s building in Oregon. KWh Analytics, a San Francisco-based risk-management software …
A.M. Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings to “a” from “a-” for both members of the PURE Group of Insurance Companies (PURE). The members, both domiciled …
