EXPLORE
Mark B. Robinson
Co-Founding Partner/Regulatory Practice Group Leader
TELEPHONE NUMBER
310-299-5500
EMAIL ADDRESS
[email protected]
Overview
The regulatory aspects of the insurance business are both complex and esoteric. The good news for M&R’s insurance-related client base—insurers, reinsurers, wholesale and retail producers and surplus line brokers, among them—is that our Insurance Regulatory & Administrative Practice Group specializes in these very matters.
The firm’s insurance expertise dates back to our founding in 1999, and since then we’ve represented clients in virtually every segment of the industry—property & casualty, life, health & disability, managed care, reinsurance and excess & surplus lines—in regulatory and administrative cases, including those involving state departments of insurance nationwide.
From rate and form filings, market conduct examinations and compliance disputes, to DOI investigations, accusations, complaints and agent/broker licensing, M&R’s regulatory and administrative attorneys have done it all. And we’ve helped to make and change the law along the way. The firm has been instrumental in passing and opposing legislation of importance in the insurance space and has created meaningful case precedent by way of numerous published opinions (some of which has served to overturn unconstitutional laws). And despite frequently arguing against state insurance departments, we’ve earned their trust and respect due to our unrivaled credibility and recognized integrity.
As reflected on our other practice and industry pages, M&R’s regulatory and administrative know-how goes beyond insurance, and we’re frequently retained to represent non-insurance clients against claims brought by the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Department of Real Estate (DRE) and the Department of Consumer Affairs, to name a few. Still, it’s the firm’s stellar insurance work that has come to define the Regulatory & Administrative Practice Group.
Areas of Expertise
Agency & Brokerage Licensing, Compliance & Defense
Insurance Compliance & Defense
Insurance Liquidations
Insurance Product Design
Insurance Revocations
Legislative Counseling
Lender-Placed Insurance Issues
Property & Casualty, Life, Annuity & Health Rate Filings
Proposition 103 Issues
Reinsurance Transactions & Disputes
Surplus Line Insurance Compliance & Defense
Representative Matters
Successfully defended several insurance agents and brokers in license revocation administrative actions based on the producers’ prior criminal convictions and their improper “transaction” of insurance without licenses.
Successfully defended a national brokerage against all 47 claims brought by the State of California to revoke its license. In deciding in favor of our client, an administrative law judge found that there was no evidence to substantiate the state’s claims as alleged, and that the state filed its complaint knowing that to be the case.
Represented a major life insurer in a significant dispute with a California nonprofit that had been retained as third-party administrator to process premiums for certain city employees. Filed an action on behalf of the life insurer against the third-party administrator for fraudulently converting premium payments to its own use. Prosecuting this action involved complex and prolonged negotiations with the Los Angeles Controller’s Office in order to put pressure on the third-party administrator and the city to allow another third-party administrator to assume responsibility for the business. Successfully settled the matter on terms favorable to our client.