John N. Emmanuel

John represents a broad spectrum of clients in the insurance industry, including insurance and reinsurance carriers, surplus lines insurers, captives, risk retention and purchasing groups, insurance agents, brokers, and third-party administrators. His clients value his significant industry experience and ability to deliver pragmatic advice on achieving business objectives and complying with complex regulations.

John’s experience encompasses guiding clients through a full range of issues — from licensing requirements to transformational mergers and acquisitions, as well as advising on administrative matters before state insurance departments and sensitive compliance and enforcement issues.

John is recognized as a leading attorney in the surplus lines area, regularly advising carriers and brokers on the multijurisdictional requirements governing this sector. John also serves as co-editor for the firm’s Excess and Surplus Lines Law Manual, which annually tracks legal challenges on a state-by-state basis.

John’s experience extends to holding company act requirements, restructurings, advertising, producer, TPA, and program administrator agreements, and rate and form filings. He also advises on reinsurance transactions and agreements, market conduct examinations, and the development of compliance programs.

• Represented an international insurance group in the approval of the acquisition of two California domestic insurance companies.
• Advised in the formation and authorization of a domestic surplus lines insurer in Arizona, facilitating its launch and negotiating distribution agreements.
• Advised Ambac Financial Group, Inc., a financial service holding company, on the purchase of a majority stake in Riverton Insurance Agency, Corp., a New Jersey-based insurance services business consisting of an MGA and a retail agency.
• Represented Signers National, a New York City-based holding company for a tech-enabled insurance distribution platform, in a strategic minority investment from CIVC Partners, a Chicago-based business services investment firm.
• Advised Ambac Financial Group Inc. in the purchase of a majority stake in All Trans Risk Solutions, a full-service managing general underwriter specializing in commercial automobile insurance for specific auto classes.
• Represented Convex Insurance UK Limited (CIL) and Convex Re Limited (CRL) in obtaining reciprocal reinsurer status, the first alien insurers to receive such designations in the United States, allowing CIL and CRL to write reinsurance business in the U.S. without the requirement to post reinsurance collateral, via a passporting arrangement and related applications with certain other U.S. states. The two entities were the first in the global insurance and reinsurance market to be granted reciprocal jurisdiction reinsurer status by California and the NAIC.