Anthony J. Ellrod at the 2014 Harmonie Group Annual Seminar

This November, in London, England, The Harmonie Group and Canadian Litigation Counsel, in association with DAC Beachcroft, presented their 2014 Annual Seminar, Current Issues in the Global Insurance Market. Firm founder, Harmonie member, and leader of the firm’s Business Litigation, Commercial Transactions, and Intellectual Property Teams Anthony J. Ellrod, was a featured speaker on the topics of on exculpatory agreements and limitation of liability agreements, and also authored material included in the course handbook for participants. According to Mr. Ellrod, “Exculpatory agreements are agreements under which a party agrees, in advance, to release another for claims or injuries arising out of that party's own negligence. Such agreements are becoming more and more common in commercial transactions. Originally most frequently seen in the sports and recreation field, their use has expanded across the commercial landscape. Similarly, limitation of liability provisions are becoming increasingly common in commercial contracts, particularly those commonly used in the professional services and technology fields. Such agreements can have a significant impact not only on the cost of doing business, but on the cost of insuring a business.”

Other topics explored at the seminar included insuring construction projects, cyber privacy and class action risk, policy language requiring exhaustion of primary limits, and the legal ramifications of the Ebola virus in the United States.