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Before
Lynch, Chief Judge,
Stahl and Kayatta, Circuit Judges.
James D. Poliquin, with whom Norman, Hanson & DeTroy, LLC was
on brief, for appellant/cross-appellee Northern Assurance Company
of America.
Robert C. Hatch, with whom Leonard W. Langer, Hillary J.
Bouchard, and Thompson & Bowie, LLP were on brief, for
appellees/cross-appellants Lyman Morse Boatbuilding, Inc. and Cabot
Lyman.
December 2, 2014
with
the
completed
yacht,
in
2011
Irwin
brought
an
LMB
federal
suit
in
2012
seeking
to
the
costs
and
Each side was unhappy and we are faced with appeals and
cross-appeals.
defective
construction
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of
52-foot
custom
sailing
vessel.1
build the vessel "with the 'best practices for quality yacht
construction' using the 'highest quality materials'" for a price of
$2,155,000.
However,
there
were
cost
overruns,
and
Irwin
complaint,
the
quality
of
the
vessel
was
still
unsatisfactory to Irwin.
That
complaint
alleged
eight
causes
of
action:
'highest quality' version of the Vessel that [LMB and Cabot Lyman]
represented that [Irwin] would receive and the actual version
[Irwin] received."
fees and costs, interest, and "such other and further relief as the
Court deems just and proper."
The arbitration complaint contained two paragraphs naming
Cabot
Lyman.
First,
Irwin
alleged
that
Cabot
Lyman,
the
controlling owner of LMB, was the alter ego of the corporation, and
alleged that "[a] unity of interest exists between [Cabot] Lyman
and [LMB] and injustice and fraud can only be avoided by piercing
the corporate veil" and holding Cabot Lyman jointly and severally
liable for the wrongs alleged.
Second, in the course of alleging violations of Maine's
unfair trade practices laws, the complaint stated that LMB and
Cabot Lyman
made further repeated representations and
promises to [Irwin] about "best practices" and
"highest quality" construction that they
guaranteed
for
the
completion
of
the
Vessel . . .; for example, [Cabot] Lyman
expressly represented to [Irwin] that he had
extensive
experience
sailing
worldwide
including in the Caribbean and he was aware of
the most common problems [Irwin] would
encounter during his travels in tropical and
other varying conditions . . .; as such he
assured the Vessel would be completed to
withstand these issues.
After the insurer refused their request for defense, LMB
hired a law firm, Thompson & Bowie, LLP, to represent both it and
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the
arbitration.2
costs
and
attorneys'
fees
incurred
in
the
The named
"ATIMA"
package
Commercial
policy
provides
the
insureds
with
General
b.
of
injured."
use
of
tangible
property
that
is
not
physically
the
policy
excludes
from
coverage
Means:
(1) Any goods or products, other than
real property, manufactured, sold,
handled, distributed or disposed
of by:
(a) You;
(b) Others trading under your
name; or
-6-
(c)
A person or organization
whose business or assets you
have acquired; and
(2) Containers (other than vehicles),
materials, parts or equipment
furnished in connection with such
goods or products.
Includes
(1) Warranties or representations made
at any time with respect to the
fitness,
quality,
durability,
performance or use of "your
product"; and
(2) The providing of or failure to
provide warnings or instructions.
b.
C.
held that Northern Assurance had no duty to defend LMB, but that it
did have an obligation to defend Cabot Lyman in the arbitration
proceeding.
Id. at *4.
"that
property."
Id.
somehow
the
yacht's
defects
damaged
other
-7-
the
"your
product"
exclusion,
because
"[t]he
yacht
was
the
Id. at *5.3
[and
that]
the
nature
of
their
defenses
overlapped
Id. at *3-4.
This Appeal
Northern Assurance has appealed, arguing that it did not
the district court's ruling on the duty to defend and the damages
issue was error.
The court also held that Irwin's claims for economic loss
were not covered by the policy, see Lyman I, 2013 WL 5435204, at
*2, *4 & n.10, and that Northern Assurance was entitled to summary
judgment on the insureds' claim of unfair claims settlement
Those rulings are not at issue on
practices, see id. at *5-6.
appeal.
-8-
II.
"The district court's conclusion on the duty to defend is
reviewed de novo."
F.3d 47, 49 (1st Cir. 2014) (citing Bucci v. Essex Ins. Co., 393
F.3d 285, 290 (1st Cir. 2005)); see also Mitchell v. Allstate Ins.
Co., 36 A.3d 876, 879 (Me. 2011) (analysis of insurer's duty to
defend under Maine law is a pure question of law reviewed de novo).
The parties agree that Maine law applies to this dispute.
To determine whether an insurer owes its insured a duty to defend,
Maine
courts
apply
the
"comparison
test,"
which
involves
Mitchell, 36 A.3d
Tennis Club v. Tudor Ins. Co., 845 A.2d 1173, 1175 (Me. 2004).
-9-
product'
exclusion
serves
to
exclude
coverage
for
any
observed,
[Irwin's] Arbitration Demand is strident, but
simple.
It complains about the failure to
build the yacht as promised, as well as
overbilling. . . . [T]he claims for economic
damage . . . . all have to do with what the
buyer paid, the difference in value between
the yacht as promised and actually delivered,
and the value of the buyer's time, expense and
burdens in dealing with the boatyard while
trying to obtain satisfaction.
There is no
suggestion that somehow the yacht's defects
property.
There is no
damaged other
suggestion, for example, that the buyer put
cushions and equipment on the yacht that were
damaged on account of defects.
Lyman I, 2013 WL 5435204, at *4.
any facts that even suggest the potential for a covered claim.
Plaintiffs resist this conclusion, pointing out that, in
the course of alleging constructive fraud, Irwin alleged that LMB
-10-
and Cabot Lyman "breached the trust and confidence which [Irwin]
entrusted with them in the failed construction and completion of
the Vessel and in putting [Irwin]'s life, limb and property and
those of his family and loved ones at risk on the oceans and at
sea."
to
Id. at 1031.
property
damage,"
the
Law
Court
explained,
it
Id.
Id.
-11-
Id.
That is not
In Auto
The court
held that Auto Europe was entitled to a defense from its insurance
company notwithstanding a policy exclusion for "willfully dishonest
the
absence
of
an
intent
to
deceive,"
so
"it
[was]
that
he
converted
lobster
fishing
equipment,
complainant,
Ames,
could
have
established
that
Mitchell
36 A.3d at 880-81.
Mitchell, and Howe, the court found a duty to defend because there
Here, in contrast,
The
district
court
correctly
found
that
Northern
and thus hold that Northern Assurance had no duty to defend him in
the arbitration proceeding.
In interpreting this insurance contract, our task is to
"'effect the parties' intentions . . . construed with regard for
the subject matter, motive, and purpose of the agreement, as well
as the object to be accomplished.'" State v. Murphy, 861 A.2d 657,
661 (Me. 2004) (alteration in original) (quoting Handy Boat Serv.,
Inc. v. Prof'l Servs., Inc., 711 A.2d 1306, 1308 (Me. 1998)).
We
must examine the entire agreement, giving the language its plain
meaning.
Id. (citing Am. Prot. Ins. Co. v. Acadia Ins. Co., 814
-14-
314 P.3d 1055, 1059 (Utah Ct. App. 2013) (holding that "your
product" exclusion in CGL policy on which Broberg was the named
insured was properly read to "exclude[] coverage for '[p]roperty
damage to [Broberg's] product arising out of it or any part of it'"
(second and third alterations in original) (internal quotation
marks omitted)).
(because
it
is
product)
and
the
allegedly
fraudulent
is
Assurance
"not
argues
insured-specific"
that
--
the
the
"your
operation
product"
of
the
where
the
other
as
corporate
officer,
has
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That rule is
excludes
the
allegations
of
the
complaint.
risks" but not "business risks." Peerless Ins. Co. v. Brennon, 564
A.2d 383, 386 (Me. 1989).
There is no
principled reason why that result would change because Irwin named
Cabot
Lyman
as
defendant
on
an
alter
ego
theory
and
for
Inc. v. N. Pac. Ins. Co., 981 P.2d 872 (Wash. Ct. App. 1999), "an
insured
director
and
officer
is
subject
note
that
contrary
holding
would
to
the
same
Id. at 877.
also
create
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We
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