<b>Online Exclusive:</b> RFID Starts to Draw Additional Congressional Attention
July 06, 2006
On July 13, the Senate RFID Caucus will hold its first meeting, with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) as co-chairs. The creation of the new caucus indicates the importance that the Senate is placing on understanding the privacy implications, technological hurdles, and security benefits of emerging Radio Frequency Identification ('RFID') technology.
Case Briefs
June 29, 2006
Highlights of the latest insurance cases from around the country.
Managing the Co-Insurer Relationship: Preserving Contribution Claims
June 29, 2006
Typically, when an insurer accepts an insured's tender of defense, the response letter to the insured includes a request for information regarding the insured's co-insurers, and in the context of a progressive bodily injury or property damage claim, successive insurers. The insured is obligated to provide this information pursuant to the policy's cooperation clause. The purpose for requesting this information is to determine what other insurers may potentially be responsible for sharing in the defense and indemnity of the claim.
Tools for Challenging Settlements
June 29, 2006
A policyholder, claiming that its insurer is engaging in improper foot dragging while the policyholder faces huge liability exposure, enters into a settlement. It does so without the insurer's consent. Then the policyholder de-mands that the insurer fund the settlement. The insurer objects. In the litigation that is sure to follow, the insurer need not be on the defensive ' even if it breached its contractual obligations. Instead, several legal tools are available to an insurer to effectively challenge coverage for the settlement.
Dealing with Insurers in Liquidation
June 29, 2006
Insurer insolvency has become an increasingly significant concern. Since 1969, more than 400 property and casualty insurers have been placed in liquidation. The past 5 years have seen several larger commercial insurers go into liquidation, among them The Home Insurance Company and Reliance Insurance Company. Indeed, from just 2001 to 2003, Guaranty Associations paid approximately $5 billion in covered claims — more than half the $10 billion they had paid in the previous 31 years from their inception. This article addresses what creditors need to know when dealing with a financially troubled insurer.
The Power of One
June 29, 2006
Landmark research reveals that having a single individual accountable for firm-wide client service boosts profits per attorney by up to 41.2%. This article discusses the critical success factors that drive this exceptional ROI ' and learn how to define this role at your firm to deliver measurable results with lasting impact.
Alliance Marketing Can Extend Your Firm's Reach
June 29, 2006
Alliance marketing offers law firms a great way to increase their exposure to potential clients while showing off their expertise in the law to other professionals who can be a wellspring of referrals. An alliance-marketing relationship brings together lawyers with accountants, bankers, investment planners, publishers or other professionals who may want to market their services to the same potential clients. These alliances could be formed to run seminars for current and potential clients, to work together to publish articles or for creation of advertising materials.
<b>The Place to Network:</b> Making the Business Case For Gratitude
June 29, 2006
Benjamin Franklin had an odd habit: He would routinely ask for favors of his political adversaries. They were small favors ' borrowing a book, for instance ' but they were favors indeed. Why on earth would he indebt himself in this way to his enemies? Because he knew that getting people to do things for you is one of the fastest ways to get them to like you.
<b>Technology In Marketing: </b> CRM: How Lawyers Can Benefit
June 29, 2006
Lawyers work hard, graduate from law school, and survive the grueling years of being an associate. Over time, they network, build a healthy book of business and a steady flow of referrals. Lawyers who hail from the GenX or GenY tribe are intimately comfortable with technology and probably own a Blackberry or Treo so they can be in touch and stay organized. But unless they plan to practice solo for the rest of their lives, they're likely to run into Client Relationship Management (CRM) technology.
