On June 5, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court expanded the scope of ERISA’s church-plan exemption in the case of Advocate Health Care Network v. Stapleton, — S. Ct. –, 2017 WL 2407476 (2017). The unanimous decision adopted a broad reading of the exemption to apply not only to plans originally established by churches, but also to plans maintained by certain church-affiliated organizations
Continue Reading ERISA: New Questions for Church-Affiliated Organizations After The Supreme Court Expands ERISA Church-Plan Exemption

In a significant victory for insurers, the Washington Supreme Court interpreted the Insurance Fair Conduct Act (IFCA), RCW 48.30.015, for the first time and held that IFCA does not authorize an independent cause of action for policyholders to sue their insurers for mere procedural violations of insurance claims-handling regulations. The decision in Perez-Crisantos v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co., – P.3d –, 2017 WL 448991 (Feb. 2, 2017), finally resolves a longstanding debate in Washington insurance law and narrows the types of claims available under IFCA.
Continue Reading Washington Supreme Court Restricts Claims Under the Insurance Fair Conduct Act