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Insurance Survival in an M&A World: The Impact of Corporate Transactions on the Availability of Insurance for Environmental and Other Long Tail Claims

By Keven Drummond Eiber and Amanda M. Leffler
May 31, 2007

Several recent cases in Ohio, following in the wake of the 2003 California decision in Henkel Corp. v. Hartford Accident & Indemnity Co., 29 Cal. 4th 934 (Feb. 3, 2003), provide new insights into the problems companies with complex corporate histories face when seeking coverage for long tail liabilities.

The Nature of the Corporate Transaction Matters

The corporate history of many companies includes different types of transactions that may or may not result in a change to the corporate entity itself. Understanding the nature of the different types of transactions i sential to understanding the impact the transactions may have on the continued availability of pre-existing insurance for the new or surviving entity. Although such transactions are governed by the laws of the various states, the following principles generally will apply:

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