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Report Highlights Problematic Katrina Contracting Practices

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 02.28.06

The final report of The House Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina (http://katrina.house.gov/) criticizes all levels of government for using problematic contracting practices, such as orally changing the scope of work in the middle of an engagement and awarding most contracts on a sole-source basis or pursuant to limited competition. Among other proposed reforms, the Committee recommends that the Government enter into contracts in advance of each hurricane season to avoid the chaos and potential for fraud and abuse associated with contracting under intense pressure.

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Client Alert | 5 min read | 06.01.26

California Court Upholds Insurer’s Duty to Defend After Covered Claim Is Dismissed

On April 30, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a significant ruling in an insurance coverage dispute between a commercial general liability insurer and its policyholder. The decision addresses several critical issues in insurance law, including the scope and continuity of the duty to defend and the standard for insurer reimbursement of defense costs in mixed-claim actions. The court ruled largely in favor of the insured, SVO Building One, LLC ("SVO"), and the matter now heads toward settlement or trial on SVO's remaining counterclaims....