DEVELOPMENTS IN BROKERAGE ANTITRUST ACTIONS
This past week saw significant developments in the antitrust brokerage MDL proceeding pending in the USDC for the District of New Jersey. The court entered a 73 page order on September 28 dismissing, with prejudice, the federal RICO claims asserted against the insurer and broker defendants. This was the third strike, the court having previously dismissed the RICO claims twice with leave to amend. See Reinsurance Focus posts dated October 16, 2006 and April 27, 2007. In re Insurance Brokerage Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 04-5184 (MDL Docket No. 1663) (USDC D. N.J.). As in the prior opinions, the court’s analysis concentrated on the enterprise element of a RICO claim. RICO claims generally have not fared well recently against reinsurers and brokers. In two opinions involving Gen Re, a court dismissed federal RICO claims relating to alleged “accommodation reinsurance” and undisclosed side agreements based upon inadequate allegations of causation and reliance. See Reinsurance Focus posts dated July 5, 2006 and November 13, 2006.
The MDL court entered a separate order on October 5 approving an award of attorneys’ fees, expenses and incentive award payments relating to a settlement entered into by three companies related to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. The court awarded $8.85 million for fees and costs, which is 24% of the $28 million compensation fund created by the settlement. The award consisted on $6,221,480 in fees and $2,413,520 in expenses.
