ITT Hartford Group, Inc. v. Virginia Financial Associates, Inc.

Traditionally, insurance products are marketed through independent agents selling directly to individuals or other single entities. Such products also are sold using the technique involved in this case, Commercial Mass Marketing (CMM). CMM, known as “affinity marketing,” involves selling insurance products to groups the members of which have similar interests, or to a group association, instead of to individuals.

This litigation arose from a joint venture between two insurers, appellant ITT Hartford Group, Inc. (Hartford), with headquarters in Connecticut, and The Medical Protective Company…