May an insurer in New York delay asserting (or conceal, according to Estee Lauder) a late notice defense without waiving it? According to the New York Court of Appeals a jury should decide whether the insurer manifested a clear intent to abandon the defense. Estee Lauder, Inc. v. OneBeacon Insurance Group, LLC, 2016 WL 4792170 (N.Y. Ct. App. Sept. 15, 2016).[1] Estee Lauder initiated this coverage action in 2005, claiming that OneBeacon was obligated to defend and indemnify Estee Lauder for environmental claims relating to Estee Lauder’s alleged dumping of hazardous waste.[2] From 1999 to 2002, OneBeacon sent various reservation of rights and declination letters to Estee Lauder. In the 1999 and 2000 letters, OneBeacon generally reserved all rights to…