Lloyd’s Insurers Argue COVID-19 Coverage Suit Should Be Sent to Florida

Underwriters from Lloyd’s of London have asked a New York federal court to send a COVID-19 coverage suit brought by two pizza companies to Florida, claiming the companies have engaged in forum shopping.

The pizza companies say they’ve brought the case because their policies provide that service of a complaint should go to a London-based Lloyd’s service agent. In their motion to transfer venue, the underwriters say the agent, “happens to be in New York.” They go on to say that the two policies delivered to the Gio Pizzeria companies were issued by a Floridian producing agent and a Floridian surplus lines agent. They also claim the pizza companies don’t like their odds of winning in Florida federal court.

Attorneys from DiCello Levitt Gutzler LLC filed the suit April 17 on behalf of the two Gio Pizzeria companies, joining Burns Bowen Bair LLP, The Lanier Law Firm PC, and Daniels & Tredennick in launching class action suits against six insurance companies in federal courts over their denials of coverage for businesses shut down because of the coronavirus outbreak.

You can read the full story on Law360.