In early May, the developer Larry Silverstein lost his suit to have the destruction of the World Trade Center's twin towers declared two separate events for insurance purposes.

"Of course, I am disappointed that the jury did not see things our way with respect to most of the insurers in the WTC coverage," Silverstein said. "But let me be clear: a defeat in the courtroom is not a defeat for rebuilding."

Silverstein, whose firm holds the lease on the WTC property, argued that all the insurers were collectively bound to the Travelers form, which defines the attacks as two separate occurrences. He was seeking $7 billion in insurance payments, money that, he said, was vital if the entire 10 million square feet of office space were to be replaced.