EXCESS, SURPLUS LINES AND REINSURANCE
(ESLR)
Summer 2001

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View From the Chair

By: Michael A. Knoerzer, Excess, Surplus Lines & Reinsurance Committee

Your Committee continues to progress along the lines described in my first letter to the Members, building upon its common interests with other industry organizations in order to improve value to its Members. While no industry organization is bound to partner with ESLR, we hope that the expertise and enthusiasm of our Members will be an inducement for deep and lasting relationships with organizations focusing upon the disciplines of excess insurance, surplus lines insurance and reinsurance.

Thanks to the efforts of Bob Ferm, ESLR was permitted to co-sponsor the annual meeting of the Excess Lines Association of New York ("ELANY"). ELANY had never before permitted another organization to co-sponsor a substantive program for its annual meeting. Over one hundred people registered, with about forty being from ESLR. This outstanding program -- titled "Reinsurance in the Excess and Surplus Lines Marketplace", was deftly moderated by our own Dick Bouhan, Executive Director of National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Officers, Ltd. ("NAPSLO"). Speaking on the Panel were Rob Graham of General Re, Vincent Laurenzano, formerly Assistant Deputy Superintendent of the New York Insurance Department and now in private practice, John Cashin, ESLR member and Deputy Superintendent of the New York Insurance Department, and TIPS member Nick Pearson. Thanks to all, but a special thanks to Bob Ferm, who went above and beyond to help ESLR to establish what we hope will be an important annual event for the Committee.

On another front, we are pleased to announce the launch of the REACH/ESLR Internet Forum. As you may recall from my last letter, ESLR proudly co-sponsored a program with the Reinsurance Association of Chicago Hotline ("REACH"), a reinsurance industry group focused in the Chicago area. With the help of REACH participants Al Moy and Debbie Prawiec (also a double agent for ESLR), we have established a web-based e-mail address to which items of interest to both associations can be posted. There's no need to go through a daily log on process or password posting. Just subscribe once and you will receive e-mails REACH or ESLR members as they post them. Want to know if a case is on appeal? Post the question. Need a commutation agreement that's good in California? Post a request. Anybody ever work with a particular arbitrator or law firm? Post an inquiry. Spam, promotional information, and private chats about autopsy photos will be strictly forbidden. However, questions and postings about industry developments will be encouraged. To subscribe, simply contact me at michael.knoerzer@llgm.com or Larry Schiffer (he knows a little about computers too) at larry.schiffer@llgm.com.

This fall we hope to have another meeting with REACH. I welcome volunteers to arrange and participate in that program. Already scheduled is our joint meeting with ARIAS scheduled for New York City on November 8 and 9. Not enough can be said about Larry Schiffer's fine work in building and enhancing this most important ESLR relationship with ARIAS.

Chair-Elect Linda Lasley is poised to assume the position of Chair at the Annual Meeting in Chicago. Linda has planned an intriguing program addressing the ADR of Insurance and Reinsurance Disputes in the Information Age on Sunday, August 5 at 9:00 a.m. and I encourage your attendance at both this program and the Business Meeting immediately prior to the program starting at 7:30 a.m. It has been a pleasure and a privilege having Linda serve as Chair-Elect and I predict she will be a superb Chair. (Another prediction is that a lot of organizations better get used to having joint meetings on the left coast). Assuming the position of Chair-Elect will be Robert M. Mangino, Jr., partner in the firm of Mendes & Mount. Bob not only played a lead role in our annual meeting program last year, but headed up ESLR's annual review in the TIPS Journal. Perhaps most importantly to the Members of the Committee, Bob tirelessly and without complaint (well, sometimes with complaint) accepted the many less desirable tasks that I threw his way to help the Committee move forward. Together, Linda and Bob ensure two more years of progress towards the Committee goals. Special thanks goes to Debbie Prawiec, who performed yeoman work as the Newsletter Editor.

Following up on the path started by other Chairs and continued so ably by Wes Sunu, your Committee leaders have tried to pursue the Committee's long term goal of creating value for its Members by establishing relationships and scheduling program with industry organizations. Take advantage of these relationships where you can, and help build them further where you are able. It's your Committee and they're your dues. After many years with ESLR, I have come to realize that you get back only what you put in.

Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Chair.

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