Calif. Federal Judge Refuses to Remand Law Firm’s COVID-19 Coverage Action

LOS ANGELES — A California federal judge has refused to remand a COVID-19 business interruption coverage action filed by the law firm of Geragos & Geragos, ruling that it has federal subject matter jurisdiction over the case and there is no risk of duplicative litigation.

In an Aug. 12 order, Judge Philip Gutierrez of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California also found the parties are diverse, ruling that the law firm’s joinder of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti should be disregarded because there is no valid cause of action against that nondiverse defendant.

In the …