Burnthorn Speaks on Variable Insurance Product Suitability
July 14, 2008
NEW ORLEANS, LA. – Judy L. Burnthorn, a partner with Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles who practices in both Louisiana and Mississippi, will be speaking at the American Bar Association's Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section Corporate Counsel Committee Annual Meeting, which is being held August 7-12 in New York. The topic of the presentation will be "Annuity Suitability Under the Microscope."
Ms. Burnthorn will be offering her perspective as insurance agent counsel. [Click link to read the associated paper by Ms. Burnthorn, titled "Insurance Agent Perspective on Variable Insurance Product Suitability."]
Insurers and plaintiffs' lawyers have been doing battle all across the country over whether variable annuities have been sold to persons, primarily elderly, for whom the annuity is not a prudent investment. Insurance regulators and attorneys general have also joined the fray, bringing actions against annuity issuers for unsuitable sales practices. This program brings together representatives of annuity issuers, plaintiffs counsel, insurance regulators, and insurance agent counsel to discuss their perspectives on this timely and complex topic.
Ms. Burnthorn has practiced in the area of commercial litigation since 1986. She has also handled securities regulatory matters under the 1933 Act and reporting matters under the 1934 Act. She has tried a wide array of securities and commodities fraud, non-competition, unfair trade practices, uniform trade secrets, letter of credit, banking, and RICO cases at both the trial and appellate levels. She has litigated professional liability actions involving insurance agents and brokers, attorneys, tax attorneys, Certified Public Accountants, and corporate and financial institution officers and directors. She has also litigated employer liability actions and has experience with insurance coverage issues involving errors and omissions and other professional liability policies, fidelity bonds, life and health policies, CGL policies and insurance guaranty association law.
About Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles
Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles, L.L.P. is a premiere regional law firm concentrating in legal counseling and complex, high-stakes litigation defense. The firm consists of over 60 attorneys practicing in the areas of Civil Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Construction, Labor & Employment, Toxic Tort & Environmental, Marine & Energy, and Professional Liability Law from offices in New Orleans, Louisiana; Monroe, Louisiana; and Gulfport, Mississippi.
