Starr Indem. & Liab. Co. v. Brightstar Corp.

388 F. Supp. 3d 304
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Illinois
DecidedJuly 12, 2019
Docket13 Civ. 8580 (GWG)
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 388 F. Supp. 3d 304 (Starr Indem. & Liab. Co. v. Brightstar Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Starr Indem. & Liab. Co. v. Brightstar Corp., 388 F. Supp. 3d 304 (S.D. Ill. 2019).

Opinion

GABRIEL W. GORENSTEIN, UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. BACKGROUND...312

A. The Policy...312

B. Facts Relating to the Coverage of, and the Loss at, the German Warehouse...314

II. GOVERNING LAW...322 *310A. Standard for Summary Judgment Motions...322

B. Burden of Proof...323

III. DISCUSSION...324

A. Choice of Law...324

B. The Limit of Liability Applicable to the German Warehouse...325

1. New York Law Governing the Interpretation of Insurance Contracts...325
2. Coverage Under Endorsement No. 17...326
a. Automatic Coverage Under Endorsement No. 17...326
b. Whether Starr Extended Coverage to the German Warehouse During the Term of Endorsement No. 17...327
3. Coverage Under Endorsement No. 40...333
a. Automatic Coverage Under Endorsement No. 40...334
i. No Evidence in the Record Suggests That the Two Disputed Minimum Standards Were Met...336
ii. The Florida Anti-Technical Statute...338
b. Whether the German Warehouse Was Part of the "Schedule on File"...338
i. The Meaning of the Phrase "Schedule on File With Underwriters"...339
ii. Incorporation by Reference...340
iii. Whether the German Warehouse Was Added to the Policy Under Endorsement No. 40...342
c. The German Warehouse Was an Unnamed Location Under Endorsement No. 40...349
4. Waiver and Estoppel...350
a. Waiver...350
b. Estoppel...351

C. The Scope of the Errors and Omissions Clause...355

D. The Misappropriation Exclusion Clause...356

1. The Agreements Between Brightstar and getgoods...357
2. Whether the German Warehouse was "Controlled by the Assured"...359

IV. CONCLUSION...361

Plaintiff Starr Indemnity & Liability Company ("Starr") brings this action seeking a declaratory judgment that defendants Brightstar Corp. and Brightstar Germany GmbH (collectively the "defendants" or "Brightstar") are not entitled to coverage under an insurance policy (the "Policy") for the claimed loss of wireless communication devices (the "Loss") at a warehouse in Germany ("the German Warehouse") in November 2013. Defendants have counterclaimed, alleging that Starr has breached the insurance policy by refusing coverage, and seek a declaratory judgment that the insurance policy covers the Loss. Both parties move for partial summary judgment.1

*311Starr moves for partial summary judgment on the following issues: (1) that, to the extent there is a conflict between New York and Florida law, New York law applies to this dispute; (2) that a $3 million limit of liability applies to the German Warehouse; (3) that the Policy's Errors and Omissions Clause only applies to insured risks, and cannot be construed to add or extend coverage not already agreed to by Starr; and (4) that Starr's interpretation of terms contained in the Policy's "Misappropriation Exclusion Clause" is correct. In its motion, Brightstar seeks a ruling that the Misappropriation Exclusion Clause is inapplicable to the Loss.

For the following reasons, this Court finds that there is no conflict between New York and Florida law as to any issue in this case and thus it will apply New York law, grants plaintiff summary judgment on the question of whether the German Warehouse was an "unnamed location" with a $3 million limit of liability, and rules that the Policy's Errors and Omissions Clause only applies to already-insured risks. The Court also grants defendants' motion for partial *312summary judgment, ruling that the Misappropriation Exclusion Clause is inapplicable to the Loss at the German Warehouse.

I. BACKGROUND

The following facts are undisputed unless otherwise noted.

A. The Policy

Brightstar Corp. is incorporated in the state of Delaware and maintains its headquarters in Miami, Florida. Complaint, filed Dec. 13, 2013 (Docket # 1) ("Compl."), ¶ 3; Amended Answer, Affirmative Defenses, and Courterclaim, filed May 28, 2014 (Docket # 26) ("Am. Answer and Countercl."), Am. Answer ¶ 3. Brightstar describes itself as "the world's largest specialized wireless distributor," and has "over 200 wireless communications operators, 100 manufacturers and 30,000 retailers as global customers." Compl. ¶¶ 13-14; see Am. Answer and Countercl., Am. Answer ¶¶ 13-14. Brightstar Germany GmbH is a German subsidiary of Brightstar Corp. and operates solely in Germany. See Am. Answer and Countercl., Countercl. ¶¶ 86-87. Starr is an insurance company that is incorporated in Texas and maintains its principal place of business in New York. Compl. ¶ 2.2

Since 2002, Brightstar has been a client of Starr. See Excerpts of Videotaped Deposition of Peter Scrobe, dated Nov. 4, 2016 (annexed as Ex. 5 to Durbin Decl.) ("Scrobe Dep."), 53. In 2011, Starr issued a marine cargo insurance policy to Brightstar. See Brightstar Corporation Marine Cargo Insurance Policy, effective as of Mar. 26, 2011 (annexed as Ex. 3 to O'Malley Decl. and as Ex. 5 to Edwards Decl.) (the "Policy"), at 6, STARR 15574. Marsh USA acted as Brightstar's insurance broker in connection with the 2011 issuance of the Policy. See Declaration of Jeffrey Factor in Support of Plaintiffs' Joint Motion to Compel Defendants (annexed as Ex. 46 to O'Malley Decl.) ("Factor Decl."), ¶ 8.

The Policy provided that it was "continuous and cover[ed] all shipments of goods and/or merchandise and/or property made on/or and after 12:00 A.M. March 26, 2011 and on all goods and/or merchandise and/or property at locations on and after said time and date." Policy at 6, STARR 15574. The Policy did not contain a termination date, but was rather continuous unless cancelled. See id. Also, it contained no choice of law or forum selection clause.

The Policy contained a clause regarding the insurance of goods stored in warehouses in "Endorsement No. 2," which is annexed to the Policy and shares its March 26, 2011, effective date. Policy at 36, STARR 15604. Endorsement No. 2 covered "goods and merchandise which are owned by or held by the Assured in trust ... while temporarily detained in stores or warehouses, at any location worldwide." Id. Clause 9 of Endorsement No.

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Bluebook (online)
388 F. Supp. 3d 304, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/starr-indem-liab-co-v-brightstar-corp-ilsd-2019.