Zach Lerner, chair of Troutman Pepper Locke’s Insurance Transactional + Regulatory Practice Group, was quoted in the September 11, 2025 Insurance Insider US article, “Diverging State Rules Fuel Compliance Challenges in Surplus Lines Insurance.”

“A thorough, per-risk diligent search that can be impractical in high-volume, low-premium program settings,” said Zach Lerner, chair of the insurance transactional and regulatory group at Troutman Pepper Locke LLP.

Diverging regulatory evolutions underscore the importance of staying informed andadaptable, Lerner advises.

“If youʼre not paying attention, youʼll fall behind,” he said. “The most compliant brokers and carriers routinely survey the market or use updates like ours to inform judgment calls on compliance.”

“Our typical start-up client will lean heavily on us, and then, over time, hire acompliance officer to keep track of developments and licensing,” Lerner said.

Lerner also pushes back against the common opinion that regulation enforcement isnot robust. “The law of large numbers adds up,” he advises. “One missed data callor requirement can lead to fines or penalties.”

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