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Financial Services Law Insights and Observations

Seventh Circuit Compels Coverage Under D&O Policy Despite "Insured vs. Insured" Exclusion

Directors & Officers

Consumer Finance

On June 29, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit directed a D&O insurance provider to cover certain claims against defendants insured under the same policy as some plaintiffs despite an “insured vs. insured” exclusion from coverage under the insurance arrangement. Miller v. St. Paul Mercury Ins. Co., No. 10-3839 (7th Cir. June 29, 2012). The dispute began when five plaintiffs sued Strategic Capital Bancorp, Inc. (“SCBI”) for fraud and other state law claims flowing from SCBI’s alleged material misstatements relating to the company’s financial condition. Three of the plaintiffs were directors or officers covered under SCBI’s policy; the other two plaintiffs were not insureds under the policy. When SCBI notified its insurance carrier and requested indemnity and defense coverage under the insurance agreement, the carrier refused, citing the policy’s “insured vs. insured” provision. All parties to that initial lawsuit then filed a new action against the carrier in an effort to force it to provide coverage. The Seventh Circuit reversed the district court’s dismissal of those claims brought by the two non-insured plaintiffs. In a lawsuit involving both insured and non-insured plaintiffs, the court ruled, the insurance carrier must “provide indemnity for losses on claims by non-insured plaintiffs but not for losses on claims by insured plaintiffs.” The court reasoned that such a holding conforms to the parties’ expectations, minimizes the risk of arbitrary results, and discourages efforts to manipulate the result through strategic party joinder or case consolidation.