Insurance Products

Sutherland has the nation's leading insurance products practice and is routinely involved in cutting edge developments. We represent large , mid-sized and small U.S. insurance companies, mutual funds, banks and other financial institutions as well as foreign-owned financial holding companies and their subsidiaries. Our insurance products practice focuses on regulatory matters before the Securities and Exchange Commission, the FINRA and state financial services regulators. We also have one of the nation's premier insurance product tax practices as well as other nationally recognized practices that allow us to provide manufacturers and distributors of insurance products with a full range of legal services.

Our role ranges from that of a full service project manager to that of a "special counsel"-type advisory arrangement. In all representations, we work closely with our clients to develop strategies and solutions to meet each client's particular business needs and objectives.

Sutherland's insurance products expertise covers all types of insurance products:

Variable Life Insurance and Annuity Contracts
Traditional Life Insurance and Annuity Products
Universal Life Insurance
Property Casualty Insurance
Captive Insurance Arrangements
Annuity Contracts with Equity Index and Market Value Adjustment Features
Financial Guaranty Insurance, GICs and Funding Agreements
Privately Placed Corporate and High Net Worth Insurance Products, including Offshore Insurance Products
Other types of interest sensitive and insurance/derivative-based products

All Types of Manufacturers, Distributors and Joint Venture Partners:

Insurance Companies and their affiliates
Banks and Mutual Funds
Retail and Wholesale Broker-Dealers
Hedge Funds
Investment Advisers
Retirement Plans and their Service Providers

And All Types of Matters:

Product Design and Development
Federal Securities Law Regulation and Exemptions
Tax and ERISA Matters
State Regulation
Organization and Operation of Registered and Private Investment Companies
FINRA and Other Insurance Product Distribution Matters
Sarbanes-Oxley Regulation
Compliance Programs, including Development of Compliance Policies and Procedures
Regulatory Exams and Performance of Mock SEC and FINRA Compliance Audits
Electronic Commerce, Privacy and Anti-Money Laundering Regulation
Mergers, Acquisitions and Joint Ventures
Litigation

Many of our attorneys have worked at some of the highest levels of the SEC and FINRA and serve on FINRA and trade association committees. We have extensive experience in the design, development and regulation of all types of insurance products, and are actively involved in advising clients with respect to the creation and marketing of innovative products to assure that our clients' goals regarding desired state regulatory, tax and securities treatment are met. Our expertise and capabilities in this area are truly unique.