Working closely with company officers and directors, Scott Burton guides both buyers and sellers through the acquisition and/or disposition of private or publicly held insurance entities. Scott oversees the Insurance Transactions team, an integral part of Eversheds Sutherland (US)’s Insurance Practice. He focuses on domestic and international M&A, finance and securities, and taxation issues as they relate to life, property and casualty insurance companies, blocks of insurance business, investment advisers, broker-dealers, insurance agencies and other insurance-related organizations.
A former corporate general counsel of ING America Insurance Holdings, Inc. where he led an aggressive acquisition effort across the Americas, Scott possesses an intimate understanding of the inner workings of major corporations and their legal departments. That experience helps insurance companies navigate the legal issues that often run parallel to, or follow, major transactions, including restructuring, reinsurance, financing, regulatory, and general corporate and transactional matters. Scott is also the current Chairman of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia and is a frequent speaker and publisher on legal topics related to insurance regulation, corporate transactional matters and legal ethics.
Awards and Rankings
Recognized by The Legal 500 United States in the area of insurance: non-contentious (2015, 2017-2018)
Recognized as a stand-out lawyer by Acritas Stars: Independently Rated Lawyers (2018-2020)
Experience
“It’s efficient for inside counsel to have established relationships with experienced M&A counsel and, more specifically, M&A counsel with substantial experience in their industry.”
Experience
Represented Unum Group in its acquisition of Starmount Life Insurance Company and affiliates.
Represented the shareholders of Maxum Group in its sale of Maxum Insurance Company and its affiliates to The Hartford.
Represented The Hartford in the strategic sale of its life insurance business to Prudential.
Represented Willis Towers Watson in the acquisition of its usage-based insurance (UBI) assets by Octo Telematics, the leading global provider of telematics for the auto insurance industry.
Represented Willis Towers Watson, a global risk management, insurance brokerage and advisory company, in the sale of a portion of its program businesses to AmWINS.
Represents The Hartford in $117.5 million sale of its corporate-owned life insurance business.
Represented The Hartford in its sale of First State Management Group.
Represented Collateral Holdings, Inc. in its sale of Southland National Insurance Company to Global Bankers Insurance Group.
Represented American Family Mutual Insurance Company in the sale of its variable insurance business to Kansas City Life Insurance Company.
Represented QBE Holdings, Inc. in the acquisition of the Balboa Insurance business from Bank of America.
Advised Ameriprise Financial in $315 million acquisition of H&R Block Financial Advisors.
Represented Cetera Financial Group, Inc. in its acquisitions of Genworth Financial Services, Inc., Tower Square Financial/Walnut Street Financial, and Pacific West Securities.
Represented Advisor Group in the purchase of selected assets and customer accounts from Quester Capital Corp. and Quester Asset Management Inc.
Advised Cetera Advisor Network on the purchase of selected assets and customer accounts from North Ridge Securities Corp.
Represented an international property casualty insurer in its strategic equity investment and related documentation in a telematics insurer
Represented an international property casualty insurer in its strategic equity investment in and related documentation for a peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace in the United States and elsewhere.
Presentations
“A successful acquisition requires an extensive time commitment and brings heavy intellectual pressures. Considering the legal department’s demanding day-to-day responsibilities, inside counsel’s relationship with outside counsel, from engagement through collaboration, plays a crucial role in achieving a success-for both the legal department and the company.”
Presentations
Live video Q&A on M&A: Buyers' and Sellers' Perspectives in the Current Market. (March 27, 2020)
Market uncertainty, volatility, and interest rates near zero have made buyers and sellers rethink their ongoing and future M&A deals. You will hear the view of experienced M&A practitioners from ...
Podcast: Q&A on the impact of coronavirus on global M&A in 2020 (March 17, 2020)
Listen to a replay of Eversheds Sutherland’s live video Q&A on the implications of coronavirus on global M&A in 2020. Featuring attorneys from the US, UK, Asia, Italy and The Netherlands, the group ...
What the Future Requires of Advisors: Delivering Legal Services and Sustaining the Law Department for the Long Haul (May 2, 2017)
ALIC
Eversheds Sutherland (US) Partner Scott Burton joins a panel to present What the Future Requires of Advisors: Delivering Legal Services and Sustaining the Law Department for the Long Haul at the ...
Acquisition of the Privately Held Company: Negotiation and Drafting points for Letters of Intent and Stock Purchase Agreements (February 26, 2017)
State Bar of Georgia
Eversheds Sutherland (US) Partners Scott Burton and David Zimmerman present Acquisition of the Privately Held Company: Negotiation and Drafting points for Letters of Intent and Stock Purchase ...
Webcast: Buying and Selling Broker Dealers: Avoiding Traps for the Unwary (August 18, 2016)
Financial Services Institute
Sutherland Partner Scott Burton presents Buying and Selling Broker Dealers: Avoiding Traps for the Unwary a webcast, hosted by FSI on August 18, 2016.
Webcast: Negotiating Transition Services Agreements for Spin-Offs: Buyer and Seller Strategies (July 27, 2016)
Strafford Webinar Series
Sutherland Partner Scott Burton presents Negotiating Transition Services Agreements for Spin-Offs: Buyer and Seller Strategies a webcast, hosted by Strafford Webinar Series on July 27, 2016.
Acquisition of the Privately Held Company: Negotiation and Drafting points for Letters of Intent and Stock Purchase Agreements (February 25, 2016)
State Bar of Georgia
Sutherland Partner Scott Burton presents Acquisition of the Privately Held Company: Negotiation and Drafting points for Letters of Intent and Stock Purchase Agreements at the 2016 Negotiated ...
Webcast: M&A Letters of Intent: Buyer and Seller Strategies for Drafting and Negotiating Key Deal Points (December 1, 2015)
Strafford Webinar Series
Sutherland Partner Scott Burton presents M&A Letters of Intent: Buyer and Seller Strategies for Drafting and Negotiating Key Deal Points a webcast, hosted by Strafford Webinar Series on December 1, ...
Webcast: Insurance Due Diligence in M&A Deals: Evaluating Coverage and Gaps, Mitigating Risks and Potential Liabilities (October 29, 2015)
Strafford Webinar Series
Sutherland Partner Scott Burton presents Insurance Due Diligence in M&A Deals: Evaluating Coverage and Gaps, Mitigating Risks and Potential Liabilities a webcast, hosted by Strafford Webinar Series ...
Acquisition of the Privately Held Company: Negotiation and Drafting points for Letters of Intent and Stock Purchase Agreements (February 27, 2014)
State Bar of Georgia
Sutherland Partner Scott Burton presents Acquisition of the Privately Held Company: Negotiation and Drafting points for Letters of Intent and Stock Purchase Agreements at the 2014 Negotiated ...
Publications
“Collaboration between inside and outside counsel requires establishing familiarity with each other prior to the fire drill of a pending deal. Engaging and integrating outside counsel early in the process builds a much stronger team.”
Legal Alerts
COVID-19-related insurance regulatory developments (May 12, 2020)
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a significant amount of insurance regulatory activity for both life and property & casualty insurers. This alert summarizes the current state of some of the most ...
Legal and Regulatory Developments - Business Interruption Insurance for COVID-19 Related Losses (Updated May 6, 2020)
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have significant economic consequences in the US, a key issue for insurers and businesses throughout the country will be whether all or a portion of losses may ...
COVID-19-related insurance regulatory developments for the week of March 23 (March 31, 2020)
There continues to be significant regulatory activity related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on the insurance industry, including suspension of the National Association of ...
COVID-19-related insurance regulatory developments (March 23, 2020)
There has been significant activity at both the state and federal levels related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on the insurance industry. This alert summarizes some of the most ...
Legal Alert: Insurance Topics We Will Be Watching in 2018 (January 16, 2018)
On its current course, this year could be both the best and the worst of times for insurance. The US economy continues to enjoy steady growth, stock indices continue to reach new highs and tax reform ...
NAIC Report: 2017 Fall National Meeting (December 22, 2017)
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) held its 2017 Fall National Meeting from December 2 through December 4 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Despite the exotic locale, the Fall National ...
NAIC Report: 2017 Summer National Meeting (August 30, 2017)
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the 2017 Summer National Meeting from August 5-9. Commissioners, staff and interested parties alike ...
NAIC Report: 2017 Spring National Meeting (April 21, 2017)
The NAIC’s 2016 Annual Report is titled, “Inspiring Innovation” and the themes of innovation and the new capabilities that technology offers were evident throughout the weekend. In March, the NAIC ...
NAIC Report: 2016 Fall National Meeting (December 29, 2016)
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) held its 2016 Fall National Meeting December 10-13. Despite the glitzy setting at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, there were no ...
Legal Alert: NAIC Report: 2016 Summer National Meeting (September 7, 2016)
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) held its 2016 Summer National Meeting from August 26 through August 29 in San Diego, California. The meeting began with strong words from ...
Articles
Addressing the Attorney-Client Privilege in M&A Transactions (December 2016)
Partnering Perspectives
The ownership and control of attorney-client privilege can be a key issue in M&A transactions. In the absence of conscious planning for appropriate allocation of the attorney-client privilege, any ...
Preserving Insurance Coverage in Acquisition Transactions (Winter 2015)
Partnering Perspectives
In his article for the Winter 2015 edition of Partnering Perspectives, B. Scott Burton recommends that acquirers in mergers and acquisitions protect themselves by carefully assessing casualty and ...
A Checklist for Confidentiality Agreements (Winter 2011)
Partnering Perspectives
Doing a Deal from the Inside Out: Selected Negotiating Points for Transition Services Agreements (Fall 2010)
Partnering Perspectives
Doing a Deal from the Inside Out: Preparing for Transition Services Agreements (Summer 2010)
Partnering Perspectives
Doing a Deal from the Inside Out: Preparing a Deal from the Seller’s Perspective (Winter/Spring 2010)
Partnering Perspectives
Insurance Law 2010: Top Lawyers on Trends and Key Strategies for the Upcoming Year (2010)
Aspatore Books
Doing a Deal from the Inside Out (Fall 2009)
Partnering Perspectives
Inside the Minds: Insurance Company Mergers and Acquisitions (2009)
Asporte Books
Life Insurance Companies: Transaction Structures and Selected Deal Points (May 2008)
Annual Meeting of Life Insurance Counsel
Newsletters
Partnering Perspectives: Insights from Inside and Outside the Corporate Law Department (Winter 2016)
Partnering Perspectives
Sutherland is pleased to present the Winter edition of Partnering Perspectives, which provides insight into a number of developing legal issues that provide thought-provoking analysis of the ...
Partnering Perspectives: Insights from Inside and Outside the Corporate Law Department (Winter 2015)
Partnering Perspectives
Sutherland is pleased to present the latest edition of Partnering Perspectives, which provides insight into a number of legal developments and preventive measures that may benefit legal practices and ...
