Connection lost
Server error
Shoshone First Bank v. Pacific Employers Insurance Co. Case Brief
Why Top Law Students (And Those Aspiring to Be) Use LSD+ Briefs
Let's be real, law school is a marathon. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full case system is designed by Harvard Law School and MIT grads to match your pace: Quick summaries when you're slammed, detailed analysis when you need to go deep. Only LSD+ offers this kind of flexibility to genuinely fit your study flow.
Adaptive Case Views
Toggle between Flash, Standard, and Expanded. Get what you need, when you need it.
Exam-Ready IRAC Format
We deliver the precise structure professors look for in exam answers.
Complex Cases, Clarified
We break down dense legal reasoning into something digestible, helping you grasp core concepts.
Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: An insurer sued its insured for reimbursement of defense costs for non-covered claims and a counterclaim. The court held the insurer must pay for the entire defense of a “mixed” suit but is not responsible for the insured’s counterclaim costs.
Legal Significance: Establishes Wyoming’s “entire suit” rule: if any claim is potentially covered, the insurer must defend the entire action without allocating costs for non-covered claims, unless the policy explicitly allows it. This represents a minority position on cost allocation.
Shoshone First Bank v. Pacific Employers Insurance Co. Law School Study Guide
Use this case brief structure for your own legal analysis. Focus on the IRAC methodology to excel in law school exams and cold calls.
Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Pacific Employers Insurance Co. (Pacific) issued a commercial general liability policy to Shoshone First Bank (Shoshone). A former director sued Shoshone, alleging multiple claims, including breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy. Pacific acknowledged that the invasion of privacy claim was potentially covered under the policy’s “personal injury” provision. Pacific agreed to defend Shoshone under a reservation of rights, asserting it was entitled to allocate and later recover from Shoshone the defense costs attributable to the non-covered claims. Shoshone’s attorneys had already filed an answer and a counterclaim on Shoshone’s behalf. After the underlying suit settled, Pacific sued Shoshone for a declaratory judgment, seeking reimbursement for the costs of defending the non-covered claims and prosecuting Shoshone’s counterclaim. The case came to the Wyoming Supreme Court on a certified question from the U.S. District Court. The parties agreed that Wyoming law applied and that the policy did not explicitly address cost allocation for mixed claims or counterclaims.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does Wyoming law permit an insurer that has a duty to defend at least one claim in a lawsuit to allocate and recover from its insured the defense costs attributable to other, non-covered claims or to the insured’s own counterclaim?
No, an insurer cannot allocate and recover costs for defending non-covered claims Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lore
IRAC Legal Analysis
Complete IRAC Analysis for Higher Grades
IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.
Legal Issue
Does Wyoming law permit an insurer that has a duty to defend at least one claim in a lawsuit to allocate and recover from its insured the defense costs attributable to other, non-covered claims or to the insured’s own counterclaim?
Conclusion
This case solidifies Wyoming's adoption of the minority "entire suit" rule, placing Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat
Legal Rule
Under Wyoming law, an insurer's duty to defend is broader than its Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna a
Legal Analysis
The court analyzed the issue by applying standard principles of insurance contract Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut al
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- If any claim in a lawsuit is potentially covered, the insurer
