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 Waived
Tags: diversity-jurisdiction erie-doctrine federal-common-law insurance-law reinsurance state-law
Key Terms:
Jurisdiction
Latest Conference: 2026-02-20
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

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?

Docket Entries

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.
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)
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.

Attorneys

Unified Life Insurance Company
Cortney Christopher ThomasBrown Fox PLLC, Petitioner
Cortney Christopher ThomasBrown Fox PLLC, Petitioner
United States Fire Insurance Company
Michael J. RitterFennemore Craig, P.C., Respondent
Michael J. RitterFennemore Craig, P.C., Respondent