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The FDIC issued a Financial Institution Letter (FIL) this month advising banks of the recently noted increase in exclusionary provisions in director and officer (D&O) liability insurance policies being purchased by banks. (See FIL-47-2013.) The FIL further notes that these exclusionary provisions may adversely affect the ability of banks to attract and retain knowledgeable and well-qualified individuals as directors and officers.
Without stating those exclusions that have come to the FDIC's attention, the exclusion that is of obvious and paramount importance to the FDIC is the so-called regulatory exclusion. One of the most common exclusions in a bank D&O policy is an exclusion from coverage for any regulatory action taken against directors and officers. As the FDIC and the other bank regulators have increased their actions against directors and officers in recent years, insurers have taken notice and increasingly are inserting a regulatory exclusion in renewal policies.
The FDIC advises that the choice of D&O coverage should be based on a well-informed analysis of the costs and benefits, with particular emphasis on any policy exclusions. Now, and certainly at renewal, would be a good time to review your D&O coverage and policy exclusions.
In its guidance, the FDIC "urges" each board member and executive officer to fully understand the following issues related to their D&O coverage:
For those banks and bank holding companies that are publicly traded, D&O coverage takes on added importance. The greatest potential exposure that directors and executive officers face is from shareholders, and more particularly, plaintiffs' law firms purporting to represent shareholders in shareholder derivative claims and class actions. For example, for banks engaging in merger and acquisition transactions, it is typical in recent years for a shareholder claim to be asserted alleging breach of fiduciary duties by directors. D&O policies should be reviewed to ensure that such claims, including associated defense costs, are fully covered and in amounts sufficient to fully protect directors and officers.
As a final note, the FDIC also points out in its guidance that banks and bank holding companies are prohibited from purchasing coverage that would pay or reimburse an officer or director for the cost of any civil money penalty assessed in an action brought against such an individual by any federal banking agencies.
Day Pitney Attorneys Alfred Marks and Michael Lane co-authored an article, "Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins: An Underutilized Defense Against Claims Brought Under Federal Consumer Finance Statutes," for The Banking Law Journal.
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Day Pitney Alert
On February 20, Michael Rave and Michael Dunne spoke at FinXTech R.O.D.E., a conference presented by Autobooks, Bank Director and Microsoft and held at the Advanced Technology Development Center in Atlanta, GA.
On February 20, Michael Rave and Michael Dunne spoke at FinXTech R.O.D.E., a conference presented by Autobooks, Bank Director and Microsoft and held at the Advanced Technology Development Center in Atlanta, GA.
Mike Rave was quoted in an analysis article, "Reg Rollbacks Seen As Bit Player In $28B BB&T-SunTrust Deal," published by Law360.
On December 7, Day Pitney, ICSGroup and CohnReznick co-sponsored "Launching a Private Fund: What You Need to Know."
Jed Davis was quoted in a breaking news article, "New York eases proposed cyber regulations after industry complaints," published by Reuters.
Day Pitney Press Release
Eliza Fromberg was quoted in an article, "FINRA's Capital Acquisition Broker Rules Face Tough Sell," in Law360.
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This website may use cookies, pixel tags and other passive tracking technologies, including Google Analytics, to improve functionality and performance. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. By using our website, you are consenting to our use of these tracking technologies. You can alter the configuration of your browser to refuse to accept cookies, but if you do so, it is possible that some areas of web sites that use cookies will not function properly when you view them. To learn more about how to delete and manage cookies, refer to the support instructions for each browser (e.g., see AllAboutCookies.org). You may locate Google Analytics' currently available opt-outs for the web here.