The critically acclaimed Portland eatery, Beast, owned by a James Beard Foundation Award winner, filed a federal class action lawsuit against its insurance company on May 13, 2020, alleging several counts of breach of contract after the insurance company did not pay the establishment for business interruption caused by the government imposed quarantine. Beast’s suit filed in federal court in Portland claims the restaurant has a no-restrictions business interruption insurance policy and that Continental Western Insurance Company has not paid out its claims as the restaurant lost out on business income and incurred expenses due to the coronavirus.

Since March, Beast was forced to suspend business operations due to the risk of exposing customers and staff to COVID-19 and because of Oregon Gov. Brown’s stay-at-home order that mandated all restaurants be shuttered save for drive-thrus, takeout or deliveries.

Beast is represented by the Lieff Cabraser firm from San Francisco and locally by the Stoll Berne law firm. The Stoll Berne law firm, along with the Chicago law firm, Dicello Levitt, filed a similar lawsuit against Oregon Mutual Insurance Company on April 17, 2020.

To read a news post on this lawsuit, click here.


This blog is intended to provide information to the general public and to practitioners about developments that may impact Oregon class actions.

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