NEW YORK -- Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is pleased to announce the formation of an Insurance Capital Markets Practice to assist clients in the structuring and execution of transactions involving the convergence of the insurance business with the domestic and international capital markets.  Rachel B. Coan, a New York-based financial services partner, and Nat Shapo, a Chicago-based litigation partner, will co-chair the practice.  Ms. Coan and Mr. Shapo are also members of Katten’s Insurance and Risk Management Practice. 

 

The cross-disciplinary Insurance Capital Markets Practice represents insurers, reinsurers, investment banks, investment managers, hedge funds, private equity funds, life settlement providers and other parties seeking to transfer and manage risk and raise capital in innovative ways.  In developing these solutions, Katten draws on its combined experience with insurance products, structured products and derivatives, state insurance regulatory requirements, the federal securities laws and corporate finance.  The practice also represents insurers and other financial services industry participants in transactions involving the creation and licensing of new insurance entities, including captives and cell companies, both domestically and offshore; in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures of insurance businesses and insurance assets and demutualizations; and in work with insurance holding company structures. 

 

“Katten has long represented clients in work at the intersection of insurance and capital markets,” said Ms. Coan.  “By launching a formal practice group, we will now be able to more efficiently allocate our considerable resources in this area to ensure that clients receive maximum benefit and value from our counsel.”  

 

Attorneys in Katten’s Insurance Capital Markets Practice have broad experience addressing the multiple forms these transactions can take, including:

  • closed block financings and securitizations, including Regulation XXX reserve fundings;
  • alternative risk financing mechanisms involving various capital market sources, including exchange-traded and over-the-counter insurance derivatives; 
  • the use of insurance and surety products as credit enhancement or synthetic financing tranches of complex securitization and other structured finance transactions;
  • structuring and documenting synthetic guaranteed investment contracts, funding agreements and other forms of financial and benefit-responsive products issued by insurance companies;
  • development and implementation of Euro and Global Medium Term Note programs for life insurers backed by funding agreements;
  • creation and maintenance of life insurance and annuity premium financing programs;
  • public and private offerings of debt, equity and hybrid securities by insurers and reinsurers;
  • structuring and documenting mortality and longevity risk hedging transactions;
  • development of life settlement securitization vehicles and structures and representation of providers in corporate, regulatory, litigation and other matters;
  • establishment of leveraged and/or principal-protected insurance dedicated fund-of-funds; and
  • preparing and negotiating reinsurance treaties and arrangements, including obtaining related regulatory approvals.