Hullverson Law Firm, P.C. v. Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc.

25 F. Supp. 3d 1185, 2014 WL 2611814, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 79315
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedJune 11, 2014
DocketNo. 4:12-CV-1994 CAS
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 25 F. Supp. 3d 1185 (Hullverson Law Firm, P.C. v. Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hullverson Law Firm, P.C. v. Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc., 25 F. Supp. 3d 1185, 2014 WL 2611814, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 79315 (E.D. Mo. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

CHARLES A. SHAW, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on plaintiffs Mark Becker, Thomas Burke, John E. Hullverson, Thomas C. Hullverson, Stephen H. Ringkamp, and The Hullverson Law Firm, P.C.’s (“plaintiffs”) motion for summary judgment as to Count I of the amended complaint. Liberty Insurance Underwriters, Inc. (“Liberty”) has filed a cross motion for summary judgment as to Count I of the amended complaint. The matters are fully briefed and ready for decision. For the following reasons, the Court will grant plaintiffs’ motion and deny Liberty’s motion.

1. Background

This action arises out of a policy of lawyers professional liability insurance issued by Liberty to The Hullverson Law Firm, P.C. (“the Hullverson Law Firm”). Plaintiffs have brought a five-count complaint against Liberty. Count I seeks declaratory relief; Count II asserts a claim for breach of the insurance contract; Count III asserts a claim for vexatious refusal to pay; Count IV asserted a claim for bad faith failure to defend and indemnify; 1 and Count V asserts a claim for disciplinary defense cost reimbursement.

Underlying this professional liability insurance coverage action is an action filed by James E. Hullverson, Jr. (“James Hull-verson”) against plaintiffs in this Court, captioned Hullverson v. Hullverson, 4:12— CV-144 JAR (the “underlying suit”). In the underlying suit, James Hullverson alleged plaintiffs violated the Lanham Act and various Missouri Supreme Court Rules of Professional Conduct by presenting false and misleading advertising in phone directories, on the Internet, and on office signage. Allegedly, the Hullverson Law Firm advertised that John E. Hull-verson and Thomas Hullverson were practicing attorneys at the firm many years after these two attorneys had left the state and were practicing elsewhere.2 In fact, as alleged by James Hullverson, no attorney with the surname Hullverson has practiced law at the Hullverson Law Firm since at least 2000.

Nearby in Clayton, Missouri, however, James Hullverson maintains an active practice of law at his firm Hullverson & Hullverson. He alleges that his potential clients often confused the Hullverson Law [1188]*1188Firm with his law firm, Hullverson & Hull-verson. In fact, in the underlying complaint, James Hullverson alleged that potential clients who clicked on his name as a result of a Google search engine query would be routed to the Hullverson Law Firm’s web page instead of the web page for his firm, Hullverson & Hullverson.

Plaintiffs denied liability in the underlying suit and requested that Liberty provide defense and indemnity pursuant to their policy of professional liability insurance. Liberty denied coverage in the underlying suit, and initially denied defense and indemnity to plaintiffs. Now both sides seek summary judgment on Count I, which seeks declaratory judgment regarding coverage.

II. Summary Judgment Standard

The standards applicable to summary judgment motions are well settled. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(c), a court may grant a motion for summary judgment if all of the information before the court shows “there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” See Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986); Board of Educ., Island Trees v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853, 863, 102 S.Ct. 2799, 73 L.Ed.2d 435 (1982). “Where the unresolved issues are primarily legal rather than factual, summary judgment is particularly appropriate.” Cearley v. General Am. Transp. Corp., 186 F.3d 887, 889 (8th Cir.1999) (citing Crain v. Board of Police Comm’rs, 920 F.2d 1402, 1405-06 (8th Cir.1990)).

Where parties file cross motions for summary judgment, each summary judgment motion must be evaluated independently to determine whether a genuine dispute of material fact exists and whether the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Husinga v. Federal-Mogul Ignition Co., 519 F.Supp.2d 929, 942 (S.D.Iowa 2007). “[T]he filing of cross motions for summary judgment does not necessarily indicate that there is no dispute as to a material fact, or have the effect of submitting the cause to a plenary determination on the merits.” Wermager v. Cormorant Twp. Bd., 716 F.2d 1211, 1214 (8th Cir.1983).

With this standard in mind, the Court accepts the following facts as true for purposes of resolving the cross motions for summary judgment.

III. Facts

Liberty issued a policy of lawyers professional liability insurance, policy number LPA300976-0111, with a policy period from October 26, 2011 through October 26, 2012 (the “policy”). The Hullverson Law Firm was the named insured under the policy. Additional insureds under the terms of the policy include all of the plaintiffs herein.

James Hullverson, plaintiff in the underlying suit, was licensed to practice law in September 1978, and was employed as a . lawyer at the Hullverson Law Firm’s predecessor firms prior to the formation of the Hullverson Law Firm. He was a shareholder and an employee of the Hullverson Law Firm until his departure in 1998. He performed professional legal services on the firm’s behalf during this time period.

On January 27, 2012, James Hullverson filed a complaint alleging, among other things, a claim for damages against the firm and each of its attorneys based upon the advertising of the Hullverson Law Firm in phone books, on the Internet, and on office signage. The complaint was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice by James Hullverson.

[1189]*1189On January 31, 2012, plaintiffs notified Liberty of James Hullverson’s complaint and sought defense and indemnification pursuant to its lawyers professional liability policy. Plaintiffs requested Liberty take immediate steps to protect their interests under the terms of the policy. Liberty denied coverage to plaintiffs under the policy, and denied • plaintiffs defense and indemnity. Liberty continued to deny coverage under the policy, and for many months plaintiffs made additional demands on Liberty. Eventually, Liberty agreed to provide a defense under reservation of rights from October 3, 2012 forward. Liberty refused to indemnify for past incurred attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses related to the defense of the underlying suit.

At all relevant times, the policy was in full force and effect and all premiums had been paid. The claim against plaintiffs in the underlying suit was made during the policy period and reported to Liberty in writing. Plaintiffs are in compliance with all conditions precedent of the policy.

The Policy Language

The policy contains a coverage clause which provides in relevant part:

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25 F. Supp. 3d 1185, 2014 WL 2611814, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 79315, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hullverson-law-firm-pc-v-liberty-insurance-underwriters-inc-moed-2014.