Geoffrey Etherington

Geoffrey Etherington joined the Firm in 1982 and has merger and acquisition experience across a broad range of industries. In recent years, he has focused on transactions involving insurance companies, hedge funds, life settlements, captive insurance programs, banks and securities firms, including debt and private equity investments in financial services providers, insurance companies, insurance linked securities and alternative risk transfer (ART).

Since one of Jeff’s strengths is his ability to manage complicated multi-party transactions, he often assists clients outside of the financial services industry to complete difficult and time-sensitive deals.

From 1988 to 1992, Jeff was chief executive officer of several manufacturing concerns in Connecticut and dealt on a daily basis with issues that all business people face. Jeff brings a unique perspective to counseling his clients informed by this management experience. He understands what it means to develop budgets, deal with service providers, like lawyers and accountants, and manage cash flow.

Representative Experience :

• Represented Pronto Insurance in its acquisition of four non-standard personal lines automobile insurance general agents in 2017 and 2018.
• Represented Armour Group Holdings Limited in acquisitions of run-off books of business from One Beacon (2014) and Groupama S.A. (2016)
• Represented and continues to represent National General Holdings in acquisitions of renewal rights, insurers and producers and related reinsurance transactions, including recent acquisition of Century National Insurance Company (2016).
• Represented Dolex Dollar Express since 2010 in connection with corporate, regulatory, financing, real estate, employment, governance and M&A matters.
• Represents an auto industry company in its dealer captive insurance program and insurers in agency captive programs and advises insureds about participation in captive programs, both offshore and onshore.
• Represented a subsidiary of Industrial Alliance Financial Services Inc. in its 2010 acquisition of American-Amicable Life Insurance Company of Texas and certain of its affiliates and a subsequent assumption reinsurance transaction with affiliates of Guggenheim Capital in 2011.
• Represented hedge funds and other investors as to life settlements and lenders to a shore special purpose vehicles formed to acquire life settlements.
• Advised banks and bank holding companies in M&A matters for over 20 years. Most recently he represented Santander Bank, N.A. in its sale of Nantucket Bank to Blue Hills Bank in 2014.

Professional Affiliations :

• Member, Connecticut Bar Association
• Member, Massachusetts Bar Association

Education :

• J.D., University of Chicago Law School, 1982
• A.B., Harvard University, 1978

Admissions :

• Connecticut, 1983
• Massachusetts, 1985