On March 1, 2017 the cybersecurity regulation of the New York Department of Financial ‎Services (the “DFS Regulation”) took effect, requiring subject financial institutions, including ‎insurance companies, (“Covered Entities”) to among other things adopt written information ‎security programs to address the protection of nonpublic information and information systems.
Read More Cybersecurity Update: NYDFS, NAIC, and What’s Going on in SC, OH, MI, and MS?

Earlier this month, Florida passed House Bill 301 to remove the cap on the amount of fees that may be charged by a surplus lines broker in connection with the procurement of surplus lines insurance for a prospective insured. Instead of the old cap of a maximum of $35 per policy, surplus lines brokers will be able to charge any fee that is “reasonable” and disclosed to the insured in advance.
Read More LL Surplus Lines Series (Entry 9): Florida and California Make News on Broker and Agent Fees

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) held its annual International ‎Insurance Forum this week in Washington, D.C., May 13 and 14. Alan Levin and Robert ‎Kasinow attended on behalf of Locke Lord LLP. The conference gathers U.S. and international ‎regulators and industry stakeholders to discuss and share ideas and viewpoints on insurance ‎matters with global implications.‎…
Read More Global Regulatory Cooperation and Innovation Highlight NAIC International Gathering

As an early stage or startup InsurTech, you’re highly focused on all the right things: identifying a ‎challenge for the insurance industry, developing an innovative technical solution, making it ‎practical and scalable, getting it funded, and implementing it. The industry for which InsurTech ‎seeks to develop and deliver solutions is awash, however, in requirements and restrictions related ‎to the collection, use, sharing, and protection of data.‎…
Read More What Every InsurTech Should Know About Privacy and Cybersecurity

In a very favorable ruling for insurance companies, a federal district court on May 6 held that ‎Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company had not misclassified as an independent contractor (IC) ‎a life insurance agent who alleged that he was an “employee” under the New Jersey Wage Payment ‎Law. ‎…
Read More Insurance Agent for Northwestern Mutual Found to be Independent Contractor, Not Employee

Ted Augustinos, a member of the steering committee of Locke Lord’s Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group, authored an article detailing the stifling effect of privacy and cybersecurity regulations on innovative data usage at insurance companies.
Read More Locke Lord Privacy Lawyer Authors Article in Best’s Review on Regulations Impacting InsurTechs