Opinion ID: 4198316
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Emanuel Complaint

Text: Emanuel asserted two claims for relief: negligent violation of the TCPA and knowing/willful violation of the TCPA. Because, as explained above, a plaintiff asserts an invasion of privacy claim when he or she asserts a TCPA claim, Emanuel asserted two invasion of privacy claims and nothing else in his complaint.6 When Federal received a request from the Lakers to defend them against the Emanuel complaint, Federal correctly identified the two TCPA claims as claims for invasion of privacy. It is evident from the plain language of the insurance contract that the parties intended to exclude all invasion of privacy claims. We recognize that exclusionary clauses are to be construed against the insurer; but here we must 6 Emanuel also plainly stated multiple times that the Lakers’ alleged violation of the TCPA invaded his privacy. See, e.g., First Amended Complaint for Damages and Injunctive Relief Pursuant to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227, et seq., Emanuel v. L.A. Lakers, Inc., No. 2:12-cv-9936 GW (SHx) (C.D. Cal. Feb. 8, 2013), ECF No. 15, at ¶ 1 (“[T]he illegal actions of THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS, INC. . . . , in negligently contacting [Emanuel] on [his] cellular telephone, in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, . . . thereby invad[ed Emanuel’s] privacy.”); id., at ¶ 2 (“The TCPA was designed to prevent calls and messages like the ones described within this complaint, and to protect the privacy of citizens like [Emanuel].”); id., at ¶ 31 (“[The Lakers], either directly or through its agents, illegally contacted [Emanuel] and the Class members via their cellular telephones by using marketing and text messages, thereby . . . invading the privacy of [Emanuel] and the Class members.”). L.A. LAKERS V. FEDERAL INS. CO. 17 reconcile this rule with our canon of giving effect to the intent of the parties in light of a clause that broadly excludes coverage for any claim originating from, incident to, or having any connection with, invasion of privacy. A TCPA claim falls within the category of intrusion on the “right to be let alone” recognized under California law as an invasion of privacy. Emanuel’s claim is unquestionably, at the very least, connected to an alleged invasion of privacy. Therefore, Federal properly concluded that the claims asserted in the Emanuel complaint were excluded from coverage under the Policy. The dissent’s narrow construction of the exclusionary clause conflicts with the clear intent of the contracting parties.