No. 25-724

Unified Life Insurance Company v. United States Fire Insurance Company

Lower Court: Fifth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-12-19
Status: Pending
Type: Paid
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2)
Tags: diversity-jurisdiction erie-doctrine federal-common-law insurance-law reinsurance state-law
Latest Conference: 2026-04-24 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (from Petition)

Whether a federal court exercising diversity jurisdiction exceeds its authority under Erie R. Co. v. Tompkins, 304 U.S. 64 (1938) by creating a new state law duty for insurers to provide "objectively reasonable" notice of potential claims to reinsurers when the State's courts and legislature have not previously recognized such a duty?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether a federal court exercising diversity jurisdiction exceeds its authority under Erie R. Co. v. Tompkins by creating a new state law duty for insurers to provide 'objectively reasonable' notice of potential claims to reinsurers

Docket Entries

2026-04-08
Reply of Unified Life Insurance Company submitted.
Main DocumentProof of Service
2026-04-08
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/24/2026.
2026-04-02
Reply of Unified Life Insurance Company submitted.
Main DocumentProof of Service
2026-04-02
Reply of petitioner Unified Life Insurance Company filed. (Corrected) (Distributed)
Main DocumentProof of Service
2026-03-19
Brief of United States Fire Insurance Company in opposition submitted.
Main DocumentCertificate of Word CountProof of Service
2026-03-19
Brief of respondent United States Fire Insurance Company in opposition filed.
Main DocumentCertificate of Word CountProof of Service
2026-02-17
Response Requested. (Due March 19, 2026)
2026-02-04
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/20/2026.
2026-01-16
Waiver of right of respondent United States Fire Insurance Company to respond filed.
Main Document
2025-12-08
Application (25A665) granted by Justice Alito extending the time to file until January 7, 2026.
2025-12-08
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due January 20, 2026)
PetitionAppendixCertificate of Word CountProof of Service
2025-12-05
Application (25A665) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from December 8, 2025 to February 6, 2026, submitted to Justice Alito.
Main Document

Attorneys

Unified Life Insurance Company
Cortney Christopher Thomas — Brown Fox PLLC, Petitioner
United States Fire Insurance Company
Jonathan S. Massey — Massey & Gail LLP, Respondent
Michael J. Ritter — Fennemore Craig, P.C., Respondent