Washington News

Johnson & Strachan Names Venus as Principal

Virginia-based agency Johnson & Strachan Inc., has named Charlie Venus as a principal and partner. He joined the firm in 2008 from Travelers, where he had been managing underwriting director for select accounts in the company’s Washington, D.C. office. He …

Democratic Congress Productive But Unpopular

Perhaps never before has a U.S. Congress done more and been liked less than the one controlled by President Barack Obama’s Democrats that ended Wednesday. It wrapped up its two-year legislative cycle with a crush of action in its final …

2010’s Top Insurance Stories in the West

In 2009, independent insurance agents and brokers faced a “perfect storm” with the economic downturn, premiums at a fraction of what they used to be, and unemployment and home foreclosure rates up, said Kevin Baker of San Jose, Calif.-based Suhr …

SPECIAL REUTERS REPORT: Inside AIG’s Tortuous Turnaround

During a rainstorm in Washington in early 2009, amid the furor over Wall Street’s post-bailout bonuses, an American International Group employee pulled out an umbrella that had the insurer’s name on it. “Somebody came by, grabbed the umbrella and broke …

Top Brokers, Munich Re Pool Efforts to Expand Insurance for Oil Drilling

The world’s top three insurance brokers have joined reinsurer Munich Re to promote a major expansion in risk coverage for deepwater drilling in the wake of BP’s disastrous Gulf of Mexico spill last April. Their goal is to expand liability …

New York May Sue Accountant Over Lehman Collapse

A possible civil fraud case against Ernst & Young LLC over its role in the collapse of Lehman Brothers could be the biggest government attack on an accounting firm since the collapse of Arthur Andersen over the Enron scandal. New …

Insurance Vital to Alabama Coast Long-Term Plan, Says Commission

Coastal Alabama should seize the BP Gulf oil disaster as an opportunity for “resiliency planning” that will not only help the region recover from the oil damage but also put it in a position to better recover from any future …

U.S. Treasury’s AIG Fix-It Man Ready for Next Assignment

Jim Millstein is no stranger to troubled companies. With a long career as a bankruptcy lawyer and former head of Lazard Ltd’s restructuring practice, he’s done his share of turnarounds. But nothing prepared him for the firestorm that was American …

Texas November Enforcements Result in Nearly $215K in Fines, Restitution

Enforcement actions taken by the Texas Department of Insurance that became final during November 2010 include 10 license revocations, and fines and restitution totaling $214,632. Copies of Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin’s orders may be obtained by contacting TDI’s Public Information …

U.S. Treasury Plans 2 Large AIG Stock Sales in 2011

The U.S. Treasury Department plans to sell a large piece of its stake in American International Group in two stock offerings next year, officials briefed on the situation told Reuters. It would sell any remaining stock in AIG in 2012, …