The Eleventh Circuit in Public Risk Management of Florida v. Munich Reinsurance America, Inc., 38 F.4th 1298 (11th Cir. June 29, 2022), held that courts cannot infer application of the “follow-the fortunes” doctrine where a reinsurance agreement’s plain and unambiguous language is inconsistent with the doctrine. Public Risk Management of Florida (“PRM”), a self-insured intergovernmental…
Tag: Judge R. Lanier Anderson III
“Business Development Managers” Fall Under FLSA Administrative Exemption, Not Entitled to Overtime
In Brown v. Nexus Business Solutions, LLC, 2022 U.S. App. LEXIS 8777 (11th Cir. Apr. 1, 2022), the Eleventh Circuit held that “business development managers,” tasked with persuading corporate customers to purchase General Motors vehicles for their fleets, are not entitled to overtime compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The business development managers…
Court Vacates Preliminary Injunction Enforcing Non-Disclosure Covenant Where Former Employer Did Not Allege Any Prior Violation and Did Not Establish a Legitimate Business Interest in Customer Relationships
In an appeal of a preliminary injunction, the Eleventh Circuit dismissed part of the appeal as moot while vacating the remaining provisions of the preliminary injunction. Vital Pharm., Inc. v. Alfieri, 2022 U.S. App. LEXIS 1771 (11th Cir. Jan. 20, 2022). Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc. brought suit against four former employees and a competitor based on…
Equipment Distributor Can’t Defeat Summary Judgment on Claims that Competitor Conspired with Manufacturer to Terminate Business with Distributor
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a defendant facing claims under the Sherman Antitrust Act, concluding that the plaintiff’s evidence was “at least ‘as equally consistent with permissible competition as it is with an illegal conspiracy.’” The court’s decision in American Contractors Supply, LLC v. HD Supply Construction Supply, Ltd., 2021 WL 822194 (11th…
Denial of Coverage for Antitrust Claim Under Executive Liability Insurance Policy Upheld
In Crowley Maritime Corp. v. National Union Fire Insurance Co. of Pittsburgh, 2019 WL 3294003 (11th Cir. July 23, 2019), the Eleventh Circuit affirmed a denial of insurance coverage under an executive and organization liability insurance policy. Crowley Maritime Corporation (“Crowley”) carries freight between the United States and Puerto Rico, and purchased liability insurance from…
Full Eleventh Circuit Dismisses Car Shop Antitrust Claims against Insurers
In Quality Auto Painting Center of Roselle, Inc. v. State Farm Indemnity Co., 2019 WL 1006973, on March 4, 2019, the Eleventh Circuit, sitting en banc, addressed the sufficiency of five complaints brought under the Sherman Act for price-fixing and group boycotting and state law claims for unjust enrichment, quantum meruit, and tortious interference. The…
Divided Court Holds Settlement Agreement Between Cable Provider and Installation Contractor Not the Result of Duress
A party negotiating an agreement may employ leverage or “arm-twisting” to consummate a transaction. At some point, however, tough business tactics may result in a claim of duress, jeopardizing the validity of the agreement. In Cableview Communications of Jacksonville, Inc. v. Time Warner Cable Southeast, LLC, the Eleventh Circuit considered such a claim, ultimately finding…
Court Grants En Banc Rehearing in Body Shops’ Insurance Antitrust Action
The Eleventh Circuit voted to accept en banc rehearing in Quality Auto Painting Center of Roselle, Inc. v. State Farm Indemnity Co., 870 F.3d 1262 (11th Cir. 2017), a decision we covered here last September. The now-vacated panel decision, authored by Judge Wilson, had reversed the dismissal of antitrust and state-law claims asserted by auto-body-shop…
Body Shops Can Proceed with Antitrust Claims Against Auto Insurers
A divided panel of the Eleventh Circuit has reversed the dismissal of antitrust and state law claims asserted by auto body shops against automobile insurers. Quality Auto Painting Ctr. of Roselle, Inc. v. State Farm Indem. Co., 2017 WL 3910750 (11th Cir. Sept. 7, 2017). Senior Judge Lanier Anderson’s lengthy dissent and partial concurrence would…
“Demonstrated Responsibility” under the Medicare Secondary Payer Act: A Contractual Obligation Suffices
In its second major Medicare Secondary Payer (“MSP”) Act decision in a month, the Eleventh Circuit held that an insurer’s contractual obligation, without a judgment or settlement, can provide the “demonstrated responsibility” necessary to allow a claim against the insurer for double damages under the Act. MSP Recovery, LLC v. Allstate Ins. Co., 2016 WL…