• Columbus Life Ins. Co. v. Wilmington Trust Co.

    Publication Date: 2023-02-28
    Practice Area: Insurance Law
    Industry: Insurance | Investments and Investment Advisory
    Court: Delaware Superior Court
    Judge: Judge Wallace
    Attorneys: For plaintiff: Donald L. Gouge, Donald L. Gouge, Jr., LLC, Wilmington, DE; Michael J. Miller, Joseph M. Kelleher, Charles J. Vinicombe, Phillip J. Farinella, Cozen O’Connor, Philadelphia, PA for plaintiff.
    for defendant: Steven L. Caponi, Matthew B. Goeller, K&L Gates LLP, Wilmington, DE; Steven Sklaver, Krysta Kauble Pachman, Susman Godfrey LLP, Los Angeles, CA; Ari Ruben, Susman Godfrey LLP, New York, NY for defendants.

    Case Number: N19C-11-175-PRW CCLD

    Court declined summary judgment on fraud claims arising from stranger-originated life insurance policies as the parties had genuine factual disputes over whether each acted knowingly or recklessly in maintaining the policies despite having knowledge or inquiry notice as to the void nature of the insurance policies.

  • Columbus Life Ins. Co. v. Wilmington Trust Co.

    Publication Date: 2021-03-03
    Practice Area: Insurance Law
    Industry: Financial Services and Banking | Insurance | Investments and Investment Advisory
    Court: Delaware Superior Court
    Judge: Judge Wallace
    Attorneys: For plaintiff: Donald L. Gouge, Jr., Donald L. Gouge, Jr., LLC, Wilmington, DE; Michael J. Miller, Joseph M. Kelleher Philip J. Farinella, Cozen O’Connor, Philadelphia, PA for plaintiff.
    for defendant: Steven L. Caponi, Matthew B. Goeller, K&L Gates LLP, Wilmington, DE; Ari Ruben, Susman Godfrey LLP, New York, NY; Steven G. Sklaver, Susman Godfrey LLP, Los Angeles, CA for defendant.

    Case Number: D69312

    Although stranger-oriented life insurance policy holder could not maintain void policy under theories of estoppel or waiver, insurance company's acceptance of holder as owner and beneficiary and acceptance of payment of premiums could support fraud claim against insurer.