Hunton Insurance Recovery Blog

The Ninth Circuit has affirmed victory for New York Marine and General Insurance Co. in its legal battle with Amber Heard over the cost of defending defamation claims brought against the actress by ex-husband, Johnny Depp. New York Marine and Gen. Ins. Co. v. Heard, No. 23-3399 (9th Cir. Nov. 25, 2024). The decision, premised on Virginia law, rather than the policyholder’s favored California law, underscores the potential for choice of law to have case-dispositive implications.