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Cannabis Risk: A Pot-Pourri of Insurance Issues
Produced on April 19, 2019
Course Information
Course Description
As the legal landscape surrounding cannabis continues to develop, new questions concerning insurability arise. New insurance products have come on the market, some of which are subject to the scrutiny of state insurance regulators, and some of which are not. What do these products purport to cover? What might they exclude? What is the state of insurance coverage law as it pertains to cannabis-related risk?
With legalization, players in the space - from growers on down to dispensaries - face myriad new opportunities, but also new risks, including property damage and business interruption due to wildfires and other disasters, theft, claims alleging product liability, director and officer claims, intellectual property issues, and environmental regulation. Some of these risks may be insurable, some may not be, and others live in the grey area that characterizes so many aspects of the current state of cannabis law. Especially as populous and economically vibrant states such as New York and New Jersey head toward legalization, these questions - against the backdrop of continued federal illegality - are of critical importance in the evolution of cannabis from illegal to a legitimate business activity. This course, presented by Benjamin Tievsky of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman’s insurance recovery and advisory practice, explores these issues and others related to risk management in the burgeoning legal cannabis industry.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify types of potentially insurable risk faced by the cannabis industry
- Review types of coverage, typical exclusions, and associated legal issues
- Assess the state of the cannabis insurance market and state insurance regulation pertaining to cannabis
- Provide practical guidance on insurance procurement and claims-related issues
Credit Information
Faculty
Benjamin Tievsky
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Benjamin D. Tievsky is Counsel in the Insurance Recovery and Advisory Group at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, based in the firm’s New York office. He represents policyholders exclusively in insurance coverage matters involving general and excess liability, cyber exposures, environmental liabilities, director and officer claims, and first party losses involving property damage and business interruption.
Mr. Tievsky has represented insureds in an array of industries, including public utilities and companies in the natural resources, pharmaceutical, transportation, entertainment and technology spaces. Among other types of claims, he has helped policyholders obtain coverage for federal- and state-mandated environmental investigation and remediation. Additionally, he has significant data breach counseling experience, assisting victims of cyber-attacks in all aspects of claim-building, negotiation and, when necessary, litigation. He also closely follows insurance-related developments in the legal cannabis industry and has cultivated expertise in this rapidly growing and evolving field.
Prior to law school, Mr. Tievsky pursued doctoral studies in Jewish and Greco-Roman law in late antiquity.
Reviews
Very informative program, great delivery and conversational style
Very informative!
Quite interesting.
Cool dude—thank you brother.
Great presentation!
This was an interesting topic
Thanks for offering this informative course.
Outstanding presentation. Very clear and informative.
Very uplifting!