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Image: Brad Drake

Brad Drake

Partner, Corporate Department

Overview

Brad Drake is a partner in the Insurance Private Equity and M&A practice at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Chicago office. He frequently represents insurers, reinsurers, investment managers and other market participants in a broad range of insurance-related transactions, from company formations to innovative risk transfer solutions.

Brad has advised insurers in connection with company and block acquisitions, and issuers and underwriters in connection with equity, debt, and hybrid securities offerings. He has also been involved in several alternative risk transfer transactions, including embedded value and closed block securitizations, regulatory reserve financings, pension risk transfers, and sidecars. Brad also advises participants in connection with premium finance and life settlement transactions.

Education

  • Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, J.D. 2002
  • Olin School of Business, M.B.A. 2002
  • Amherst College, B.A. 1998

Representations

  • Resolution Life in a strategic transaction with Farmers New World Life Insurance Company (FNWL) involving the cession of FNWL’s in-force individual life business to Resolution Life subsidiary Security Life of Denver, a flow reinsurance treaty covering the current range of individual life products, and retrocession to Swiss Re of all of the reinsured term life liabilities.
  • RGA in an embedded value-linked offering by its subsidiary Chesterfield Re of US$500 million in surplus notes.
  • Kuvare Holdings in the acquisition of a block of in-force annuities issued by a large, highly rated multinational carrier from its Hong Kong platform, and two forward-flow reinsurance arrangements, each with a separate highly rated Japanese life insurer.
  • Kuvare Holdings in the launch of Kindley Re, a US$400 million life and annuity reinsurance sidecar formed in partnership with Davidson Kempner Capital Management, and Kuvare and its affiliates.
  • Prudential Financial, Inc. in the sale of a US$31 billion portion of its in-force legacy variable annuity block for US$2.2 billion to Fortitude Re.
  • Global Atlantic in the reinsurance from Unum Group of a closed block of individual disability income businesses backed by US$8.5 billion in assets.
  • Athene Holding and Apollo Global Management in the formation and capitalization of Athene Co-Invest Reinsurance Affiliate 1A, Ltd. (ACRA), a long-duration, on-demand capital vehicle funded by Athene and certain investment funds managed by Apollo.
  • Western & Southern Financial Group in multiple offerings of surplus notes totaling US$1 billion.
  • Venerable in its acquisition of Corporate Solutions Life Re from Equitable Holdings, and the reinsurance of approximately US$26 billion of reserves from Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company.
  • The Hartford in the sale of its life insurance and annuity businesses for US$2.05 billion to an investor group that included Global Atlantic, Cornell Capital, TRB Advisors, Pine Brook, and J. Safra Group.
  • Kuvare Holdings, Inc. in the offering of US$225 million in preferred shares.
  • Kuvare Holdings in the acquisition through its subsidiary, Guaranty Income Life Insurance Company, of Lincoln Benefit Life Company, making Kuvare an insurance conglomerate with assets exceeding US$13 billion.
  • Argo Group in the offering of US$150 million in preferred shares.
  • Merced Capital in connection with various claims and interests in the Scottish Re proceedings.
  • The controlling noteholder on the restructuring of Ballantyne Re plc, implemented by a noteholder Scheme of Arrangement in Ireland.
  • RGA in its acquisition of a block of individual payout annuities from John Hancock representing reserves of approximately US$3 billion.
  • Aquiline Capital in the acquisition of Armour Group and the related US$500 million equity financing.
  • Hartford Financial Services in the sale of its retirement plans business to MassMutual.
  • Athene in its US$1.55 billion acquisition of Aviva plc’s U.S. life insurance business.
  • Multiple Risk Takers, including JPMorgan, Credit Suisse, Nomura, BNP Paribas, Assured Guaranty, RGA, and Swiss Re, in over US$15 billion of reserve financing transactions for insurers.
  • RGA and Chesterfield Financial Holdings LLC in the offering of US$300 million in embedded value-linked notes.
  • MassMutual in multiple offerings of surplus notes of over US$1.5 billion.
  • Athene in its formation and arrangements for US$400 million committed private equity investment.
  • Stable value funds, collective trust funds, investment managers, and wrap providers in connection with the negotiation and administration of stable value wrap contracts.

Matters may have been handled prior to joining Paul Hastings.


Languages

Anglais


Admissions

Illinois Bar


Education

Washington University in St. Louis, Olin Business School, M.B.A. 2002

Washington University School of Law, J.D. 2002

Amherst College, B.A. 1998