We lawyers can sometimes adopt a herd mentality. A senior lawyer or judge says something. You go back and read the case. You may be reluctant to voice your difference. That’s how we, as a profession, can just get things wrong. The example here comes from insurance law, but you can apply it to your area of expertise.
law & ethics blog by lee akazaki
Tagged progressive homes v lombard
CGL Policies – the Russian Doll of Business Insurance
Few subjects beguile new lawyers more than the interpretation of commercial general liability insurance policies (CGL). This includes many corporate-commercial lawyers contributing to complex agreements running into hundreds of pages. Show them a CGL form, and their eyes glaze over. But most CGL policies are only a few pages long, and the longest run a few dozen pages. Once you “get” the basic structure of the agreement, as described by Justice Rothstein at paragraphs 26-28 of the 2010 Supreme Court of Canada decision in Progressive Homes v. Lombard, you’ll wonder why you ever thought the subject so daunting:
