With longstanding experience in the insurance and reinsurance industry, New York-based Michael Halsband leads the insurance team at McDermott Will & Schulte. The team has experience advising clients on the sale of insurtech businesses and assisting with the negotiation of reinsurance agreements. The practice is known for acting for clients in the health, property, casualty, and life insurance sectors and often represents underwriters in acquisitions. Halsband is joined by Michael Byrne and Thomas Dawson, who are also based in the firm’s New York office. Byrne has extensive experience representing asset management firms in insurance transactions and regulatory matters, while Dawson handles cross-border reinsurance matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Client satisfaction: NPS ®
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘The team has a very commercial approach to issues and has deep experience in the industry (both firm and in-house), which makes them uniquely able to advise on legal, operational and strategic matters.’
- ‘Michael Byrne is great. He is very professional and deeply knowledgeable about the insurance ecosystem.’
- ‘The partners that I have experience with are highly respected in their specialty fields. We always receive high-quality work products and stellar advice. They have significant relationships that we rely upon in regulatory matters, which provide us with better outcomes than going at it alone.’
- ‘Michael Halsband is always available to me—day and night, including weekends—and will respond almost immediately to any request to connect on something. He has in-house and law firm experience, which makes him uniquely positioned to advise on both legal and practical issues.'
- 'Katie Yonover also takes a very commercial approach while ensuring that our interests are protected. She is a high-quality drafter and is very responsive to our needs.’
- ‘Michael Byrne and Thomas Dawson are highly intelligent, efficient in their work, and able to provide us with legal responses and guidance quickly and effectively.’
Key clients
- Allianz X, the digital investment arm of Allianz Group (Coterie)
- Arthur J. Gallagher (Bremer Insurance Agencies; iBenefit Communication Holdings, LLC)
- Sayata U.S. Insurance Services, Inc. (Penn-America Underwriters (PAU)
- Vouch Inc. (Hiscox)
- MGG Investment Group LP (Conning & Company)
- GRAM Asset Management (Univista)
- Bishop Street Underwriters (Aerospace Insurance Managers)
- Arden Insurance Services, LLC (FTV Capital)
- Waypoint Underwriting Management, LLC (One80)
- California Earthquake Authority (Ursa Re 2025-1)
- Avesi Partners, LLC (OPOC.us)
- TriplePoint Capital LLC (Taro Health)
Work highlights
Advised Allianz X, the strategic investment arm of the Allianz Group, on a strategic minority equity investment in Coterie Insurance – a deal which sees Allianz invest in AI-driven underwriting and servicing and establishing a long-term, expanded reinsurance relationship between Coterie and Allianz’s reinsurance arm.
Represented Vouch Inc. in the sale of its specialist insurtech business to Hiscox Group (LSE:HSX).
Acting as insurance transaction and regulatory counsel to GRAM Asset Management on its $709.5 million majority investment in the UniVista Insurance platform.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Michael Halsband
Other key lawyers
Michael Byrne; Thomas Dawson; Katie Yonover; Andrea Best