Robert J. Cort v. St. Paul Fire And Marine Insurance Companies, Inc.

311 F.3d 979 Robert J. CORT, individually and as Trustee of the Robert J. Cort Trust, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. ST. PAUL FIRE AND MARINE INSURANCE COMPANIES, INC. and United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Inc., Defendants-Appellees. No. 00-17468. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Argued and Submitted February 12, 2002. Filed November 25, 2002. COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED Lawrence G. Townsend, Owen, Wickersham & Erickson, P.C., San Francisco, CA, for the appellants. Clark J. Burnham and Susan E. Firtch, Burnham & Brown, Oakland, CA, for the appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of California; Martin J. Jenkins, District Judge, Presiding. D.C. No. CV-99-00386-WBS. Before THOMPSON, W. FLETCHER and BERZON, Circuit Judges. OPINION WILLIAM A. FLETCHER, Circuit Judge: 1 This case lies at the intersection of visual art and commercial property insurance. Appellants Robert J. Cort and the Robert J. Cort Trust ("the Corts") argue that their property insurance policy gave rise to a duty to defend by their insurer, appellee St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance/Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Underwriters, Inc. ("St.Paul"),…