Given increasing reliance on “managing general agents”, managing general underwriters, program administrators or managers, brokers, agents, coverholders, and other entities delegated insurer underwriting authority (collectively “Delegated Underwriting Authority Enterprises” or “DUAEs”), AM Best is seeking to implement a new “Performance Assessment” to evaluate the ability of DUAEs to provide services to their insurance partners.
Read More AM Best Seeks to Implement New Methodologies to Assess Underwriting Performance of Delegated Underwriting Authority Enterprises

On March 12, 2021, the Connecticut Committee on Insurance and Real Estate introduced S.B. No. 1047, An Act Concerning Insurance And Climate Change. The stated purpose of the bill is to require (1) the Insurance Commissioner to (A) develop and implement criteria for each insurer doing business in this state to annually submit a report to the commissioner concerning climate risk, and (B) annually submit a report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to insurance; and (2) each insurer doing business in this state to annually submit a report to the commissioner concerning climate risk.
Read More Connecticut’s Bill Concerning Insurance And Climate Change

On March 16, 2021, the New York Department of Financial Services issued Circular Letter No. 5 “Diversity and Corporate Governance,” which notifies all insurers of the need for increased prioritization of diversity in C-Suite leadership and corporate governance more generally.
Read More The New York Department of Financial Services Seeks to Promote a Culture of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Climate change has shown many investors, regulators, and lawmakers that it is a threat to ‎financial stability. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG‎) has allowed everyone from ‎regulators to consumers to take active steps to solve this problem.‎…
Read More The Importance of Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance

Locke Lord’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Newsletter provides topical snapshots of recent developments in the fast-changing world of privacy, data protection, and cyber risk management. For further information on any of the subjects covered in the newsletter, please contact one of the members of our privacy and cybersecurity team.
Read More Privacy & Cybersecurity Newsletter – Winter 2021

In an effort to help struggling businesses deal with the fall-out from the COVID-19 pandemic, ‎legislatures in Florida, Illinois, Maine and Rhode Island have recently proposed legislation to ‎require insurance carriers to cover COVID-19 related business interruption claims. Traditionally, ‎business interruption policies require that a business suffer some sort of physical loss or damage ‎before the carrier will pay-out on a business interruption claim.‎…
Read More Various States Seek to Mandate Insurers Cover COVID-19 Related Business Interruption Claims

On February 26, 2021, a bill was introduced in the Illinois General Assembly that among other ‎changes would eliminate the diligent effort requirement for commercial business sourced by a ‎surplus lines producer through a retail insurance producer and would also reduce the requirement ‎for master policies and program business.‎…
Read More LL Surplus Lines Series (Entry 29): Illinois Looks to be Latest State to Streamline Diligent Search Requirements, and to Provide Clarity for Group Policies

Partners Brian Casey and Benjamin Sykes will discuss “The Non-InsurTechs – How Technology Focused InsurTechs Are Changing the Face of the Industry Without Selling a Single Policy” at the AIRROC 2021 Virtual Spring Membership Meeting on March 9, 2021.
Read More AIRROC Spring Membership Meeting 2021

On February 8, 2021, the Excess Line Association of New York (“ELANY”) issued Bulletin No. ‎‎2021-05 reminding surplus line insurers and brokers about some often overlooked compliance ‎requirements. Among the topics was the issuance of group policies and use of binding authority ‎agreements.
Read More LL Surplus Lines Series (Entry 28): Surplus Lines Compliance Reminder Issued by ‎ELANY, Regarding Group Policies and Use of Binding Authority Agreements