Practice Areas & Industries: Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP

Practice/Industry Group Overview

The Insurance and Regulated Industries Group represents a wide variety of insurance-related businesses, including life, property and casualty insurers, workers' compensation insurers, non-profit hospital service corporations, health maintenance organizations, and insurance agencies. The Group offers legal counsel in all aspects of the energy, telecommunications and utility business.

The members of the Group serve as counsel to domestic insurance companies in Rhode Island, and insurance companies, agents and brokers engaged in business in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. We represent Massachusetts agencies with respect to Rhode Island licensing issues. In addition to dealing with varied issues such as obtaining insurance charters, holding companies and agency licenses, these attorneys have extensive experience in rate hearings, form filings, compliance matters and all aspects of regulatory counseling. We counsel clients with respect to consumer complaints, company and agency licensing issues and all other aspects of insurance business operations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The Firm also provides coverage and defense services in errors and omissions, directors and officers, employment and lead paint issues.

The Group has substantial experience in mergers and acquisitions. We represented a large insurance agency in its acquisition by a regional bank and advised an agency on a joint marketing agreement with a Rhode Island bank. Other matters include the representation of investors in the acquisition of an insurance company, the acquisition of insurance agencies and acting as special counsel to the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation in the Receivership of three insurers. We also have expertise in the administrative and appellate processes associated with insurance rate-setting and regulations and represent clients in policy interpretation issues, loss coverage, anti-trust issues and bonding claims and other aspects of insurance in state and federal courts. Additionally, members of the Group represent numerous insurance agencies and companies before the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Divisions of Insurance.

The Group practices before regulatory commissions and public utility commissions of the New England states including the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission, the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications & Energy, the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control and the Maine Public Utilities Commission. We also practice before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and we have acted as counsel to state regulatory agencies. We represent a variety of entities including developers of independent power producers, electric, water and gas utility companies, petroleum fuel suppliers and distributors, and telecommunications firms. Our attorneys have developed creative strategies and established nationally noted regulatory precedents, which will be significant to future energy projects in the region.

Insurance & Regulated Industries Chair
Melissa E. Darigan, Partner
E-mail: med@psh.com