We have familiarity with many types of financial institutions, and we believe that this is important in providing practical and effective guidance. We have found that the regulators of various financial institutions (e.g. state insurance and banking departments, federal banking authorities, etc.) all take very similar approaches to both regulation and enforcement. We have also found that innovations or interpretations made by one regulator typically make their way quickly to other jurisdictions and other regulated industries.
Our lawyers and government relations professionals maintain close relationships with regulators and are at the forefront of legislative issues that impact banks, insurance companies and other providers of financial services in New Hampshire. We address problems pragmatically and with an understanding of what our clients seek to achieve. In each matter, we seek to understand our client’s business so we can present legal, regulatory, political and tax solutions that are as effective as possible.
We represent a wide range of property/casualty, life and health insurance companies, as well as agents and third-party administrators on matters involving the application of insurance law and regulation. Our professionals bring a deep and broad experience, both in the public and private sector, to our work on insurance law matters.
Steve Lauwers, who heads the Financial Institutions Law Practice Group, has practiced insurance and corporate law for the past 25 years in Connecticut and New Hampshire. Steve is former New Hampshire Assistant Insurance Commissioner, and he is the only New Hampshire member of the Federation of Regulatory Counsel, the leading insurance regulatory legal group in the United States. He is also a member of the International Association of Insurance Receivers.
We understand how the insurance and reinsurance business works and how it is regulated.
We regularly represent clients on corporate, regulatory and enforcement matters under the jurisdiction of the New Hampshire Banking Department. We represent a range of banking institutions, including credit unions, trust companies, and commercial and retail lenders.
Our professionals bring a combination of experience, attention to detail, and good working relationships with regulators to our work on behalf of banking clients.
We led the lobbying effort on behalf of client Trust New Hampshire First, LLC to enact the most significant reform of New Hampshire’s banking laws in a decade. We then represented the first Family Fiduciary Services Company (a private trust company chartered to provide fiduciary and management services to a single family) to obtain a New Hampshire charter. Since that time, we have been actively involved in forming several non-depository private trust companies in New Hampshire.
Bill Ardinger, the head of our Tax Practice, has taken a leading role on these developments. Bill is well-respected regionally for his tax and financial acumen, and he is a regular advisor to, government regarding tax and financial policy.
We represent a number of other financial institutions before the Banking Department, the Securities Bureau, the Department of Revenue Administration, the Internal Revenue Service and the New Hampshire legislature. Our clients include investment managers, investment advisors, third-party administrators, broker-dealers, and other regulated entities and individuals.
A substantial portion of our practice in the last several years has involved impaired financial institutions. During that period, we have:
We have extensive experience securing financial institutions law objectives for clients before state legislature. Rath, Young and Pignatelli offers one of New Hampshire’s leading government relations practices, and our Financial Institutions practice group can bring this advocacy to bear on complex banking and insurance law matters.
We are active members of the International Association of Insurance Receivers.
Our client: Trust New Hampshire First, LLC
On June 20, 2006, Governor Lynch signed into law the “Trust Modernization and Competitiveness Act of 2006.
