Monthly Archives: April 2014

Cohen Feeley Marks 20 Years With Scholarships for Best of the Best

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BETHLEHEM, Pa., April 21, 2014 – On May 17 Cohen, Feeley, Altemose & Rambo will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its Annual Best of the Best Scholarships Program. The law firm will award scholarship assistance to 37 Lehigh Valley, Hunterdon and Warren County high school students at the Event Center at Blue in Bethlehem.

The Best of the Best Scholarship Program was established by Martye Cohen and Dennis Feeley in 1994 to recognize one outstanding high school student from each high school in the Lehigh Valley. The program added 10 high schools in Hunterdon and Warren counties in 2013.

“The kids receiving these scholarships are selected through a committee that considers their academic achievements, extracurricular activities and the challenges they have overcome to excel at school and in life,” explained Martin D. Cohen, founding partner of the personal injury and commercial litigation law firm. “They are, without question, the best of the best.”

In addition, one male and one female from the Lehigh Valley and Warren and Hunterdon Counties is selected from the 37 honorees to be named overall Best of the Best. Two other students from all the applicants are granted the Team Capital Bank Community Service Award.

“Martye and I started Best of the Best 20 years ago to help make a difference in people’s lives,” said Dennis Feeley, a partner at Cohen, Feeley, Altemose & Rambo. “In the past 20 years we’ve provided assistance to nearly 700 area high school students and helped improve their lives and their communities at the same time.”

In the spirit of the program’s efforts to give back, the law firm also makes charitable donations in the name of each award recipient to a charity of the student’s choice.

The scheduled keynote speaker for the May 17 breakfast ceremony will be Temple Law School Dean JoAnne A. Epps.

ABOUT COHEN FEELEY
Cohen Feeley, Altemose & Rambo is a personal injury and commercial litigation law firm serving the needs of those in the Lehigh Valley and beyond for more than 30 years. Cohen, Feeley Altemose & Rambo has offices in Bethlehem and Allentown, Pa. For more information, please visit www.cohenfeeley.com

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NAPCO Report: Low Property Catastrophe Losses and New Capital Drive Down Pricing and Increase Competition Among Insurers

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State of the Market Insights Report asks whether the continued increase in industry capital from non-traditional sources will force insurers to rethink products and pricing

Iselin, N.J. — April 8, 2014 — With low global insured catastrophe losses and added capacity from non-traditional market sources, insurers have become increasingly competitive and are reducing rates for most accounts. This is a key takeaway from State of the Market: NAPCO Property Catastrophe Insights report from NAPCO, a wholesale insurance broker with expertise in the property catastrophe market.

Drawing on broker and insurer insights, as well as industry wide statistics, this report analyzes property-catastrophe insurance industry performance in 2013, catastrophe losses and trends for 2014.

“While catastrophe model guidance and rating agency pressure continue to play an important role in pricing and evaluating risks, the continued increase in the industry’s capital – including new capital from non-traditional sources – is changing how pricing is done,” says David Pagoumian, CEO of NAPCO. “These developments may begin to disrupt old business models and force insurers to rethink products and pricing.”

According to Pagoumian, brokers who understand the marketplace have an opportunity to help clients figure out when to remarket programs and how to structure programs to provide better coverage and pricing.

Key report findings include:

  • At about $31 billion, 2013 global catastrophe losses were well below the 10-year average, with no one event proving capable of affecting pricing.
  • Insurers’ net income rose 55 percent to $43 billion, thanks to strong growth in premiums and low catastrophe losses.
  • New capital from non-traditional sources now totals $50 billion, and catastrophe bonds are being used to protect against a wider array of risks.
  • Low catastrophe losses plus competition from alternative markets are driving down the price of reinsurance, 10 to 25 percent on loss-free accounts.
  • The frame habitational and commercial flood insurance markets remain difficult.
  • After raising rates in 2012 following a CAT model release, insurers kept rates relatively stable throughout most of 2013; in 2014 expect a soft market where insurers offer lower prices and plenty of capacity.

Download the full Fall 2013 State of the Market report at http://bit.ly/SOTMSpring14 for a deeper analysis of these trends detailed placement considerations for brokers.

About NAPCO
NAPCO (www.napcollc.com) is a leading wholesale broker of commercial property insurance coverage, providing retail agents and brokers with an efficient, single-source independent marketing arm for difficult placements that have significant exposure. The company utilizes in-depth research and sophisticated risk modeling to implement coverage and cost-effective programs. Headquartered in Iselin, N.J., NAPCO provides access to the global insurance market, including major and specialty domestic carriers, excess and surplus lines markets, reinsurers and international providers.

Venture Expands Cyber Liability Coverage for Club and Hotel/Resort Programs

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PREFERRED CLUB and Suitelife programs respond to increased demand for broad, affordable privacy and data breach protection; complimentary risk management and data breach response services included.

West Chester, Pa. — April 1, 2014 — Venture Insurance Programs (www.ventureprograms.com) today announced it has expanded and enhanced privacy and data breach protection for its PREFERRED CLUB program for golf and country clubs, and its Suitelife programs for hotels and resorts.

The policy offers flexible, more affordable coverage for the costs to respond to a data breach, along with the costs to defend and resolve claims for statutory violations, negligence, regulatory investigations and breach of contract. Risk management and data breach prevention and response services are also offered. Coverage is written through Hiscox, a cyber insurance specialist with an A.M. Best rating of A (Excellent).

“The alarming increase in cyber attacks has highlighted the need for privacy and data breach protection in the hospitality industry, and we’re pleased to offer coverage that is not only broad in scope, but also more affordable for clubs and hotels of all sizes,” said Philip J. Harvey, founder and president of Venture Programs. “Club members and hotel and resort guests expect their information to be secure, and whether an attack is a targeted hack or simply a lost employee laptop, the result can be a costly claim and damaged reputation.”

Venture offers clubs, hotel and resorts a fast, easy process to obtain privacy and data breach protection, with limits up to $2 million and coverage available for risks up to $100 million in revenue. Coverage highlights include:

  • Retentions available from $5,000 to $25,000 and scaled based on revenues
  • Full limit for breach notification costs, with an option for Breach Costs Outside the Limit
  • Full limit for computer forensics
  • Duty to Defend policy
  • Coverage for breach of contract claims, including those under a payment card processing or service provider agreement
  • Coverage for regulatory actions, including investigations by the FTC or state attorney general, as well as coverage for civil penalties (where allowed), and compensatory awards such as consumer redress funds
  • $25,000 of PCI Fines coverage and PCI Remediation coverage included at no additional premium
  • Ability to add additional coverage modules including: Multimedia Liability, Hacker Damage, Cyber Business Interruption and Cyber Extortion

 

Coverage also includes complimentary risk management assistance and prevention services, as well as complimentary breach response services, including one hour with a data breach coach and access to breach response providers.

About Venture Insurance Programs
Venture Insurance Programs (www.ventureprograms.com) is a leading program administrator that designs, underwrites and distributes industry-specific insurance packages. Based in West Chester, Pa., Venture has underwriting alliances with the world’s leading carrier groups, including Chubb, Allied World, RSUI, USLI, Zurich North America, ACE, Monitor and Lloyd’s of London. Founded in 1993, Venture provides specialty insurance packages for select vertical industries—including golf and country clubs, golf destination resorts, hotels, resorts, hunting and fishing lodges and city and social clubs.

The Secret to National Media Coverage

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There is a very simple formula you can use to secure free, national coverage by media outlets throughout the United States.

Few PR professionals are aware of it, but those who use it are wildly successful.

It’s called … seriously? You know there is no silver bullet to successfully enhancing your business’ reputation. It takes hard work, planning and no shortage of skill and dedication.

In any event, everyone at Kimball Communications wishes you a very happy April Fool’s Day.

april-fools-day-meme

Image courtesy of quickmemes.com