ELAINE E. BUCKLO, District Judge.
This court has already granted summary judgment to SRI Michigan Avenue Venture, LLC, SRI Michigan Avenue Management, Inc., Shorenstein Realty Services, L.P., Shorenstein Management, Inc. and Shorenstein Company, LLC (collectively "Shorenstein") and National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, PA ("National Union") on the grounds that Shorenstein was insured under the policies issue by United States Fidelity & Guaranty Company ("USF & G") and American Motorists Insurance Company ("AMICO"). Shorenstein and National Union have moved for summary judgment on damages, as well as on the issue of which Shorenstein entities are covered under the USF & G and AMICO policies. USF & G filed a cross-motion for summary judgment, which was joined by AMICO. For the reasons that follow, Shorenstein and National Union's motion is granted in part and denied in part, and USF & G and AMICO's cross-motion is denied.
This case centers around a tragic accident which took place on March 9, 2002 at the John Hancock Center in Chicago, Illinois. SRI Michigan Avenue Venture, LLC was the owner of the property and Shorenstein Realty Services, L.P. was the manager of the property. This accident happened in connection with a project for which Shorenstein had retained Eckland Consultants, Inc. ("Eckland"), which held a Business Foundation Policy from USF & G with primary and umbrella coverage parts. The USF & G policy had primary limits of $1 million and excess limits of $5 million. On the same project, Shorenstein retained McGinnis Chen & Associates, LLP ("MCA"), which was insured by AMICO under a Premier Businessowners Policy (the primary policy) and a Commercial Catastrophe Policy (the excess policy). The AMICO primary policy had a limit of $1 million and the excess policy had a limit of $5 million. In its contracts with Eckland and MCA, Shorenstein required that Eckland and MCA procure coverage for certain Shorenstein entities as additional insureds. Shorenstein itself held coverage that included a $1 million primary policy from The Hartford Fire Insurance Company and a $25 million excess policy from National Union.
AMICO originally agreed to defend Shorenstein under a reservation of rights in the underlying state lawsuit but subsequently refused to indemnify Shorenstein. USF & G refused to defend or indemnify Shorenstein. Ultimately, National Union paid $7,678,928.10 toward the settlement of the underlying lawsuit.
Summary judgment is appropriate if "the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). Once the moving party shows that there is no genuine issue of material fact, the burden of proof shifts to the nonmoving party to designate specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317,
Shorenstein and National Union argue that National Union is equitably subrogated
A threshold issue presented by both motions for summary judgment centers on which of the Shorenstein entities listed in the settlement of the underlying state lawsuit are covered by the USF & G and/or AMICO insurance policies.
Shorenstein and National Union argue that there were really only two true defendants in the underlying lawsuit — owner SRI Michigan Avenue Venture, LLC and property manager Shorenstein Realty Services, L.P. — and that only those two parties were truly released in the Settlement Agreement. With respect to the complaint in the underlying lawsuit, Shorenstein and National Union argue that although the fifth and sixth amended complaints name four Shorenstein entities,
Turning then to the eight Shorenstein entities listed in the Settlement Agreement, Shorenstein and National Union argue that because only SRI Michigan Avenue Venture, LLC and Shorenstein Realty Services, L.P. had any possible liability in the underlying lawsuit, only these two parties were truly released by the settlement. Shorenstein and National Union explain that the four additional Shorenstein entities (which were not even defendants in the underlying action) were included in the Settlement Agreement in an attempt to be "as overly inclusive as possible." Shor. /Nat'l Union Mem. (# 296) at 12. They argue that the "the parties first agreed on a settlement figure for the Shorenstein defendants, and then an attorney for the plaintiffs sent a draft release to Mr. Yankwitt and Mary Chang at Bryan Cave, having filled in the names of Shorenstein entities named as defendants, and asking them to fill in any other names they wished." Id.
In response, USF & G argues that all eight Shorenstein entities listed in the Settlement Agreement were potentially liable to the plaintiffs. See USF & G Mem. (# 296) at 9. AMICO makes a different argument and maintains that only the four Shorenstein entities which were defendants in the underlying action could possibly be at risk in that suit, and could possibly trigger coverage.
For guidance, I turn to Harbor Insurance Co. v. Continental Bank Corp., 922 F.2d 357 (7th Cir.1990), which involved two underlying securities lawsuits. One action named Continental Bank and five of its directors as defendants. The other named Continental Bank and 25 directors, officers and employees identified only as John Does. Continental settled the two cases and sought reimbursement of $15 million from insurer Harbor and the remaining $2.5 million from Allstate. The Seventh
Admittedly, the language in Harbor Insurance quoted above is dicta, and the instant case does not involve directors and officers of a company. Despite this, Harbor Insurance is analogous to the instant case in that both cases involve a settlement where some parties are insured and some are not.
In light of this undisputed evidence, I conclude that the four Shorenstein entities which were not listed as defendants in the underlying suit should not be considered in the allocation analysis. Their addition to the Settlement Agreement did not increase the settlement amount. See Harbor Insurance, 922 F.2d at 367.
Turning then to the question of whether all four Shorenstein entities listed as defendants in the underlying lawsuit should be considered at risk for liability (or whether only the owner and the property manager should), I conclude that all four entities listed as defendants in the underlying lawsuit were potentially liable in the underlying lawsuit. The law in Illinois presumes that the underlying plaintiffs would have prevailed on all of their theories of liability because the case settled prior to trial. See Home Ins. Co. v. Cincinnati Ins. Co., 213 Ill.2d 307, 290 Ill.Dec. 218, 821 N.E.2d 269, 281 (2004). Thus, I must assume all four Shorenstein defendants were subject to liability in the underlying lawsuit. I reject Shorenstein and National Union's argument that Shorenstein's
I now must determine which of the four Shorenstein defendants who are also listed in the Settlement Agreement are covered under USF & G and/or AMICO's policies. These four Shorenstein entities are: (1) Shorenstein Realty Services, L.P.; (2) SRI Michigan Avenue Venture, LLP; (3) Shorenstein Management, Inc.; and (4) SRI Michigan Avenue Management, Inc.
The USF & G policy insured the following: (1) Owner; (2) Shorenstein Realty Services, L.P.; (3) Shorenstein Company, L.P.; and (4) any other party specified by the Owner as an additional insured. See USF & G Exs. A, B. The contract between Eckland and Shorenstein lists the Owner as "SRI Michigan Avenue Venture, LLP % Shorenstein Realty Services, L.P.", while a letter from Shorenstein to Eckland states that the USF & G Policy must list "SRI Michigan Avenue Venture, LLC (Owner)" as an additional insured. See id. at Exs. B, C.
The AMICO policy insured the following: (1) Owner; (2) Owner's Agent; (3) Shorenstein Company, LP; and (4) any other party specified by the Owner as an additional insured.
It is undisputed that Shorenstein Realty Services, L.P. is an insured under the USF & G policy. However, I conclude that Shorenstein Realty Services, L.P. is not an insured under AMICO's policy. That entity is not listed as an additional insured in the contract between AMICO and MCA. Further, the contract does not identify which entity is the "Owner's Agent" and there is no indication in the contract itself that Shorenstein Realty Services, L.P. is the "Owner's Agent."
The biggest contention between the parties centers around "LLC" versus "LLP." It is undisputed that the owner of the property at the time of the accident was
I am not persuaded by USF & G and AMICO's argument. Their argument would be much more compelling if, in fact, there was evidence that SRI Michigan Avenue Venture, LLP actually existed. The undisputed testimony from attorney George Yankwitt indicates that the property owner was "sometimes incorrectly" referred to as an LLP, and testified that he did not know if there ever was an entity whose correct name was SRI Michigan Avenue Venture, LLP. USF & G SUF Ex. G., Yankwitt Dep. at 43. As discussed above, attorneys for Shorenstein in the underlying action corrected the owner's name from an LLP to an LLC in all the pleadings they filed. Further, the state court, in finding that the settlement was reached in good faith, entered an order in which it acknowledged that the owner was incorrectly sued as an LLP. Neither USF & G or AMICO argue that they were somehow confused or did not understand that the owner of the property was being sued in the underlying lawsuit.
With this in mind, I turn to the issue of targeted or selective tender. Under the targeted tender rule, when several insurance policies are available to the insured, the insured has the paramount right to choose or knowingly forego an insurer's participation in a claim. See John Burns Constr. Co. v. Indiana Ins. Co., 189 Ill.2d 570, 244 Ill.Dec. 912, 727 N.E.2d 211, 215 (2000). An insured's ability to forego an insurer's assistance should be protected. See Cincinnati Cos. v. West American Ins. Co., 183 Ill.2d 317, 233 Ill.Dec. 649, 701 N.E.2d 499, 503 (1998). When an insured has knowingly chosen to forego an insurer's assistance, the insurer is relieved of its obligation to the insured with regard to that claim. Id., 233 Ill.Dec. 649, 701 N.E.2d at 503-04. The targeted insurer, then, has the sole responsibility to defend and indemnify the insured. Chicago Hosp. Risk Pooling Program v. Ill. State Med. Inter-Insurance Exch., 325 Ill.App.3d 970, 259 Ill.Dec. 230, 758 N.E.2d 353, 357 (2001). That insurer may not seek equitable contribution from the other insurers that were not designated by the insured. See Cincinnati Cos., 233 Ill.Dec. 649, 701 N.E.2d at 503.
Shorenstein and National Union have presented evidence that Shorenstein informed both USF & G and AMICO that it selected USF & G and AMICO (among
First, the issue of Shorenstein's motivation is a non-starter. Illinois courts have recognized that an insured may base its decision to target one insurer over another for any number of reasons, including a desire to avoid increased premiums or to avoid being dropped as an insured in the future. See Cincinnati Cos., 233 Ill.Dec. 649, 701 N.E.2d at 503. USF & G and AMICO provide no authority supporting the position that an insured must make its decision to target tender independent of any influence by the insurer not targeted.
Second, I reject USF & G's argument that Shorenstein never "deactivated its coverage" with National Union. Shorenstein and National Union have presented evidence that Shorenstein informed USF & G and AMICO that Shorenstein was choosing them to defend it and Shorenstein informed USF & G and AMICO that it was foregoing coverage from National Union. Further, there is evidence that Shorenstein informed National Union of the same. A July 17, 2002 letter from Chuck Fendrich (on behalf of Shorenstein Management, Inc., Shorenstein Realty Services, L.P. and SRI Michigan Avenue Venture, LLC) to Eckland and MCA, stated:
USF & G SUF Exs. N, O (emphasis added). In response to these letters, USF & G and AMICO argue that there is no evidence that Shorenstein ever notified National Union of its "deactivation." I reject this argument as both July 17, 2002 letters indicate that copies of both letters were sent to National Union. Id. (showing that National Union was carbon copied on both letters).
I now turn to the actual calculation of damages. As explained above, USF & G insured two entities in the settlement and AMICO insured one. Dividing the total settlement amount paid by National Union ($7,678,928.10) by the four Shorenstein defendants equals $1,919,732.03 per entity. Thus, the $1,919,732.03 allocated to Shorenstein Realty Services, L.P. must be paid by USF & G. The $1,919,732.03 allocated to SRI Michigan Avenue Venture, LLC is shared by USF & G and AMICO, with each party responsible for $959, 866.02. Therefore, AMICO owes National Union $959,866.02 and USF & G owes National Union $2,879,598.05.
Finally, Shorenstein and National Union ask me to award prejudgment interest at a rate of 5% under the Illinois Interest Act, 815 ILCS 205/2. Section 2 provides: "Creditors shall be allowed to receive at the rate of five (5) per centum per annum for all moneys after they become due on any bond, bill, promissory note, or other instrument of writing." Prejudgment interest is available for sums due on insurance policies. See Couch v.
After considering all the relevant facts, I decline to award prejudgment interest. Clearly, the amount of money paid by National Union to settle the underlying lawsuit was "liquidated." However, given the complexities of this case, including the fact that not all of the parties listed in the settlement were defendants and not all of the entities were insureds of USF & G and AMICO, I cannot conclude that the amount USF & G and AMICO owed was "subject to an easy determination by calculation or computation." Couch, 216 Ill.Dec. 856, 666 N.E.2d at 27. This is not a case like New Hampshire Ins. Co. v. Hanover Ins. Co., 296 Ill.App.3d 701, 231 Ill.Dec. 293, 696 N.E.2d 22, 28 (1998), where the plaintiff insurer was seeking reimbursement from another insurer for the amount plaintiff paid to settle a lawsuit, and "there was no dispute that the amount due was $450,000."
Shorenstein and National Union have demonstrated that National Union is subrogated to Shorenstein's rights against USF & G and AMICO as described herein. For all the foregoing reasons, Shorenstein and National Union's motion for summary judgment is granted in part and denied in part. USF & G and AMICO's cross-motion for summary judgment is denied.