The multidisciplinary practice at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s insurance team offers a comprehensive range of services spanning complex transactions, representation for insurers, reinsurers, and private equity funds in high-value M&A and financing endeavors, as well as assistance with intricate pension risk transfers and cross-border deals. Led by seasoned corporate partners Marilyn Lion and Nicholas Potter, based in New York, the practice boasts a diverse group of lawyers dedicated to M&A, finance, capital markets, regulatory compliance, taxation, and litigation. Further notable figures in New York include Alexander Cochran, specializing in insurance industry transactions and David Grosgold offering expertise in domestic and international corporate transactions. Additionally, Drew Dutton heads the firm’s private funds transactions group, bringing valuable experience in anchor investments, co-investments, joint ventures, and secondaries transactions; while Eric Dinallo, chairs the insurance regulatory practice. Notably, this year saw recent additions to the practice’s partner ranks, including Andrew Jamieson, promoted to partner in 2022, focusing on advising private equity firms and corporate clients on intricate transactions and Kristen Matthews, elevated to partner in May 2023, both based in New York.
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Client satisfaction
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Regarding the regulatory department, the amazing connections it has with various state regulatory departments. The Debevoise & Plimpton attorneys have access to all levels of state regulatory personnel, including the highest levels where change can be implemented.’
‘Eric Dinallo and Marshal Bozzo are an amazing team! They both formerly worked at the DFS and were able to communicate on the client's behalf with all levels of DFS personnel in order to effectuate the implementation of a program in under six weeks. In contrast, a competitor in seven months achieved half the results that Eric and Marshal completed in one tenth of the time.’
Key clients
- American International Group
- Bain Capital
- Brookfield Asset Management
- Constellation Insurance Holdings
- Covéa Mutual Insurance Group
- Everest Re
- Fortitude Group Holdings LLC
- Global Atlantic Financial Group
- Manulife Financial
- MetLife Insurance Company
Work highlights
- Advising Fortitude Re in its $28 billion reinsurance transaction with The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company (Lincoln Financial Group), where Lincoln will reinsure a large piece of its universal life insurance and fixed annuity business to Fortitude subject to customary regulatory approvals.
- Advising The Prudential Insurance Company of America in the sale of a group annuity contract to IBM, a transaction valued at $16 billion and the largest pension risk transfer transaction since 2012.
- Advised Constellation Insurance Holdings, Inc., backed by institutional investors Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (Ontario Teachers’) in a $10 billion block reinsurance transaction by its subsidiary The Ohio National Life Insurance Company with Pruco Life Insurance Company, an affiliate of Prudential Financial.
Lawyers
Hall of fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Alexander Cochran
Marilyn Lion
Practice head
Marilyn Lion; Nicholas Potter
Other key lawyers
Alexander Cochran; David Grosgold; Drew Dutton; Andrew Jamieson; Kristen Matthews; Eric Dinallo