Our client issued a disability income insurance policy to a self-employed person who moved from California to another state (in the Pacific Northwest).  It was paying benefits under a reservation of rights, but wanted to file an action for declaratory relief.  However, it did not have local counsel and could not identify an attorney (or firm) in the proper jurisdiction who had sufficient understanding of disability income insurance.  The client therefore asked our firm to be admitted pro hac vice and work with a local attorney to file and prosecute the case.

The claim file raised questions about both the insured’s occupational duties and his actual activities.  There also was some medical evidence to support his claim of disability.  Shortly after taking the insured’s deposition (and discovering some revealing posts the insured had made to his blog), though, we were able to resolve the case and secure a policy surrender on favorable terms.