Insurance

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The California Department of Insurance (DOI or CDI) regulates California insurance brokers, insurance adjusters, bail bondsmen, annuity salespeople and others.  The California Department of Insurance License Background Bureau processes applications for insurance brokers, agents, adjusters, and bondsmen.  The Producer Background Licensing Section investigates and evaluates adverse actions, such as convictions, in applicant’s backgrounds.  The Department…

Our firm was successful in achieving a restricted license for an insurance producer who had a number of prior convictions, including a felony burglary conviction.   After the client initially applied for his insurance license, his application was summarily denied due to his record.  The California Department of Insurance has the right to summarily deny (without…

We represented an insurance agent in 2016 who was accused by a former partner of diverting premium payments from his clients.  Over a two-day hearing, the Department of Insurance aggressively brought evidence and witnesses against our client alleging that he was dishonest and lacked integrity.

We successfully proved that the client did not divert any…

Insurance Code section 1669(d) empowers the California Insurance Commissioner to summarily deny (without a hearing) a license application within five years of a license revocation.  For an insurance broker who has lost their license, this five year window can present a trap.  If you re-apply within five years and are denied, under section 1669(c), the…

One of our clients came to us after a former coworker took premiums from their insurance firm, promised to place auto policies, but instead kept the money and blamed it on our client.  The Department filed an Accusation against him alleging mishandled premiums, failure to properly oversee his business, and fraudulent conduct.  The Department refused…

The California Department of Insurance, pursuant to Title 10 California Code of Regulations section 2190.7, requires that an insurance producer maintain certain records that must be open and available for Department inspection at the agent’s place of business.   The principal rule, found under section 2190.3, requires an agent to keep his file for 18 months…

In early 2013 we tried a case involving a criminal conviction suffered by a California insurance producer.  The insurance producer had been convicted of misdemeanor child abuse.  The allegations in the police report, introduced into evidence at hearing, were sensational, alleging multiple acts and a past pattern of wrongdoing.  The Department took the position that…

The California Department of Insurance wields arguably the most powerful licensing law in California, California Insurance Code section 1669.  Section 1669, which applies to applicants but also to existing insurance broker licenses through a related statute, empowers the Commissioner to summarily deny or summarily revoke (without a hearing) an insurance broker license for a felony…

California’s insurance brokers are licensed and disciplined by the Insurance Commissioner through the Department of Insurance (DOI).  It has been my experience that the Department of Insurance takes a firm stance in disciplining its licensees.  In my view there are three reasons that account for this: 1) the Insurance Commissioner is an elected public official…