Benjamin Lee
Counsel
New York
benjamin.lee@lw.com
+1.212.303.2844
PRACTICES
- Mergers & Acquisitions
INDUSTRIES
EDUCATION
- JD, Georgetown University Law Center, 2014
- BA in English Literature, Hamilton College, 2007
with Honors
LANGUAGES SPOKEN
PROFILE
Benjamin Lee advises insurers, financial institutions, and insuretech start-ups on sophisticated insurance regulatory issues, particularly relating to credit insurance policies used by banks for capital risk-weighted substitution.
A former Army officer, Benjamin delivers straight-forward solutions to clients’ complex, cross-border insurance matters relating to:
- Risk-weighted asset (RWA) substitution under the applicable Basel Accord rules
- Trade credit insurance
- Financial guaranty insurance law issues
- Regulatory compliance analysis communication with regulators
- General insurance regulatory matters, including licensing matters, formation of insurance producers, regulatory filings, risk-based capital analysis, and insurance transactional matters
- Insurer investments
He strategically advises clients on developing their insurance-related businesses and coordinates seamlessly across the firm’s global network to execute on those plans. Benjamin has negotiated hundreds of credit insurance policies on clients’ behalf.
A recognized thought leader in the credit insurance market, he co-authored a standardized industry template for trade credit transactions published by the International Trading & Forfaiting Association (ITFA) and speaks regularly at industry conferences, such as for the International Association of Credit Portfolio Managers.
Benjamin maintains an active pro bono practice, including leading a 50-state survey for Start Small Think Big on benefits and resources available to veteran-owned businesses.
EXPERIENCE
Benjamin's experience includes advising:
Credit Insurance
- Energetic Insurance on developing its market-leading credit insurance policy template for solar energy projects
- Marketlend on multiple matters involving its trade credit insurance program
- Nomura Securities International on developing its credit insurance program, including negotiating more than 100 policies that have provided billions of dollars in coverage
- SMBC as long-time counsel to its credit insurance program, reviewing billions of dollars in coverage
General Regulatory
- Mastercard on regulatory and transactional issues for its global insurance program*
- East Asset Management, a special-purpose acquisition company, on its business combination with Abacus, a life insurance settlement provider
- A global insurance company on resolving a regulatory concern before the New York Department of Financial Services*
Insurer
- William Penn Life Insurance Company of New York on general advice relating to its asset management and trading operations, joint ventures, insurance M&A, longevity de-risking, and insurance licensing and regulatory considerations
*Matter handled prior to joining Latham