A recent Law 360 story by Ben Zigterman, “AIG Unit Denied Fees Following $7.2M Coverage Win”, reports that an AIG subsidiary has lost its New York federal court bid to have its reinsurer pay more than $300,000 in attorney fees, following a ruling last year that the reinsurer must cover $7.2 million of a $20 million payment to Dole Food Co. to settle pollution claims.  The Insurance Co. of the State of Pennsylvania had sought the fees from London-based reinsurer Equitas Insurance Ltd. under English law, but U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain adopted a magistrate judge's recommendation that the fees are not permitted by New York law.

On U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave's recommendation last month, ICSOP said it wouldn't object in an effort to speed up Equitas' appeal of the $7.2 million judgment, which is now up to $8.4 million with prejudgment interest.  After ICSOP covered the $20 million settlement of claims over lingering petrochemical pollution at a Dole subsidiary's housing development in California, it asked Equitas to pay $7.2 million of that under two reinsurance policies it had with Equitas.  Judge Swain upheld that request last year under English law.

Because the case was decided under English law, ICSOP asked the court to also apply it to the insurer's attorney fees of about $348,000, as British courts generally require the losing party to pay them, according to the insurer's motion.  ICSOP also said that its attorney fees were "eminently reasonable" compared to the total judgment and that it paid discounted hourly rates of $566.40 and $380 to the two attorneys working on the case.

But while the reinsurance policies were interpreted under English law, Judge Cave found that the question of attorney fees is a procedural matter that should be interpreted under the procedures of the court where the suit was filed.  Under New York law, losing parties in a lawsuit don't pay attorney fees unless a law or contract states otherwise, which was not the case with these reinsurance policies, she said.

"While it may have been predictable that, because the reinsurance policies were sold in the London market, English law would govern their interpretation, the reinsurance policies do not dictate that litigation be brought in an English court, contain a fee-shifting provision, or provide that the English Rule would apply in a United States court in which the parties chose to litigate," Judge Cave wrote.