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Anatomy of a long-term care rate increase
This paper provides guidance for insurers on how to prepare clean, efficient rate increase filings and to help carriers work with regulators to incorporate the information they seek.
Recent adverse trends in securities class action lawsuits and the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic present challenges for corporate management and their boards. Inadequate or misleading disclosures in financial statements have attracted the attention of plaintiff attorneys experienced in bringing claims against the management and directors of public entities in the form of securities class action (SCA). These types of claims are generally covered by Directors and Officers (D&O) liability insurance for both the expenses defending such claims and the cost of settlements or verdicts.
The filing of SCAs has been at an all-time high in the 2017-2019 period. More than 400 SCAs have been filed annually compared to fewer than 300 annually in the prior 15 years. The adverse trend can be attributed to several emerging perils, many of them with recently developing legal allegations:
The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to add to the number of SCAs brought against public companies.
We are already aware of two such actions initiated in March 2020. On March 12, 2020, a plaintiff shareholder filed a SCA lawsuit against Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Ltd., alleging that the company was employing misleading sales tactics related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Specifically, the complaint alleges that the defendants made false and misleading statements or failed to disclose that: “(1) the Company was employing sales tactics of providing customers with unproven and/or blatantly false statements about COVID-19 to entice customers to purchase cruises, thus endangering the lives of both their customers and crew members; and (2) as a result, Defendants’ statements regarding the Company’s business and operations were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.”1
Also on March 12, 2020, an Inovio Pharmaceuticals shareholder filed a SCA lawsuit against the company and its CEO based upon the CEO’s statements about the company’s development of a COVID-19 vaccine. The investor as plaintiff alleges that Inovio and its CEO made false and misleading statements in violation of sections of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
It is likely that additional SCAs will be brought as fallout from COVID-19 on business results continues to manifest. The following are among the potential allegations.
With results from the first quarter of 2020 coming out in late April and May, and the unprecedented challenges presented by the current and future effects of COVID-19, management and directors will need to be cautious with their decisions and consider consequences not presented in prior difficult times.
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This paper provides guidance for insurers on how to prepare clean, efficient rate increase filings and to help carriers work with regulators to incorporate the information they seek.
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The impact of COVID-19 on Directors and Officers insurance
With the unprecedented challenges presented by the current and future effects of COVID-19, management and directors will need to be cautious with their decisions and consider consequences not presented in prior difficult times.