Last week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a debtor's insurers had standing to object to a confirmed plan of reorganization. In re Thorpe Insulation Co., No. 10-56622 (9th Cir. Jan. 24, 2012). The insured, Thorpe Insulation Company (“Thorpe”), distributed, installed and repaired asbestos insulation products between 1948 and 1972. Over the last thirty years, Thorpe has been the target of significant asbestos-related litigation, facing an estimated 12,000 claims for personal inju ...

Healthcare providers today are turning to technology to improve the efficiency of their practices—from collecting and monitoring patient data in a digital environment to managing the information avalanche confronting modern practitioners seeking to provide state-of-the art care. Known data breaches affecting the healthcare industry suggest that privacy policies may not be keeping pace with the cyber risks of the new technology.  Based on survey response ...

When an insured has liability insurance that is triggered by a lawsuit, the policy often requires the insurer to provide the insured with a defense against the lawsuit, in addition to covering some or all of a settlement or judgment.  If the insurer has a “duty to defend,” it typically has the right to make strategic decisions regarding the defense of the lawsuit, including the right to choose the lawyer who will represent the insured.  Whether an insurer has the right to conduct its i ...

Amy Elizabeth Stewart is honored to have been selected for inclusion in the 2012 edition of Martindale-Hubbell®’s Bar Register of Preeminent Women Attorneys, exclusively for female attorneys who have received the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards from their peers—the AV Preeminent Rating.  Martindale-Hubbell® reports that less than 5% of female attorneys have earned this rating, placing the lawyers in the registry among the elite women in the legal ...

After months of planning and exceptional design work by the talented team at MasonBaronet, Amy Stewart PC launched its e-newsletter.  In the months to come, we will share our expertise on insurance issues, along with firm and industry updates. 

The firm marked other key milestones in 2011 – celebrating its second anniversary, hiring its first associate, and expanding its office space. Amy is most excited about her new book deal, a yet-to-be-named guide to litigating insurance coverage lawsuits in Texas.