Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 175, sec. 206B — MA Code / Part I / Title XXII / Chapter 175 / Section 206B
Merger or acquisition of control; statement filed with commissioner; hearing; approval; violations
Status: in_force

Section 206B. (a) No person other than the issuer shall make a tender offer for or a request or invitation for tenders of, or enter into any agreement to exchange securities or, seek to acquire, or acquire, in the open market or otherwise, any voting security of a domestic insurer if, after the consummation thereof, such person would, directly or indirectly, or by conversion or by exercise of any right to acquire, be in control of such insurer, and no person shall enter into an agreement to merge with or otherwise to acquire control of a domestic insurer or any person controlling a domestic insurer unless, at the time any such offer, request, or invitation is made or any such agreement is entered into, or prior to the acquisition of such securities if no offer or agreement is involved, such person has filed with the commissioner and has sent to such insurer, a statement containing the information required by this section and such offer, request, invitation, agreement or acquisition has been approved by the commissioner in the manner hereinafter prescribed. (1) For purposes of this section a domestic insurer shall include any person controlling a domestic insurer. For the purposes of this section, person shall not include any securities broker holding, in the usual and customary brokers function, less than twenty percent of the voting securities of an insurance company or of any person which controls an insurance company. [There is no paragraph (2).]

Section 206B. (a) No person other than the issuer shall make a tender offer for or a request or invitation for tenders of, or enter into any agreement to exchange securities or, seek to acquire, or acquire, in the open market or otherwise, any voting security of a domestic insurer if, after the consummation thereof, such person would, directly or indirectly, or by conversion or by exercise of any right to acquire, be in control of such insurer, and no person shall enter into an agreement to merge with or otherwise to acquire control of a domestic insurer or any person controlling a domestic insurer unless, at the time any such offer, request, or invitation is made or any such agreement is entered into, or prior to the acquisition of such securities if no offer or agreement is involved, such person has filed with the commissioner and has sent to such insurer, a statement containing the information required by this section and such offer, request, invitation, agreement or acquisition has been approved by the commissioner in the manner hereinafter prescribed.

(1) For purposes of this section a domestic insurer shall include any person controlling a domestic insurer. For the purposes of this section, person shall not include any securities broker holding, in the usual and customary brokers function, less than twenty percent of the voting securities of an insurance company or of any person which controls an insurance company.

[There is no paragraph (2).]

(b) The statement to be filed with the commissioner hereunder shall be made under oath or affirmation and shall contain the following information:

(1) The name and address of each person by whom or on whose behalf the merger or other acquisition of control referred to in subsection (a) is to be effected, hereinafter called the acquiring party, and (i) if such person is an individual, his principal occupation and all offices and positions held during the past five years, and any conviction of crimes other than minor traffic violations during the past ten years; (ii) if such person is not an individual, a report of the nature of its business operations during the past five years or for such lesser period as such person and any predecessors thereof shall have been in existence; an informative description of the business intended to be done by such person and such person's subsidiaries; and a list of all individuals who are or who have been selected to become directors or executive officers of such person, or who perform or will perform functions appropriate to such positions. Such list shall include for each such individual the information required by paragraph (1).

(2) The source, nature and amount of the consideration used or to be used in effecting the merger or other acquisition of control, a description of any transaction wherein funds were or are to be obtained for any such purpose, including any pledge of the insurer's stock, or the stock of any of its subsidiaries or controlling affiliates, and the identity of persons furnishing such consideration; provided, however, that where a source of such consideration is a loan made in the lender's ordinary course of business, the identity of the lender shall remain confidential, if the person filing such statement so requests.

(3) Fully audited financial information as to the earnings and financial condition of each acquiring party for the preceding five fiscal years of each such acquiring party or for such lesser period as such acquiring party and any predecessors thereof shall have been in existence, and similar unaudited information as of a date not earlier than ninety days prior to the filing of the statement.

(4) Any plans or proposals which each acquiring party may have to liquidate such insurer, to sell its assets or merge or consolidate it with any person, or to make any other material change in its business or corporate structure or management.

(5) The number of shares of any security referred to in subsection (a) which each acquiring party proposes to acquire, and the terms of the offer, request, invitation, agreement, or acquisition referred to in said subsection (a), and a statement as to the method by which the fairness of the proposal was arrived at.

(6) The amount of each class of any security referred to in said subsection (a) which is beneficially owned or concerning which there is a right to acquire beneficial ownership by each acquiring party.

(7) A full description of any contracts, arrangements or understandings with respect to any security referred to in said subsection (a) in which any acquiring party is involved, including but not limited to transfer of any of the securities, joint ventures, loan or option arrangements, puts or calls, guarantees of loans, guarantees against loss or guarantees of profits, division of losses or profits, or the giving or withholding of proxies. Such description shall identify the persons with whom such contracts, arrangements or understandings have been entered into.

(8) A description of the purchase of any security referred to in said subsection (a) during the twelve calendar months preceding the filing of the statement, by any acquiring party, including the dates of purchase, names of the purchasers, and consideration paid or agreed to be paid therefore.

(9) A description of any recommendations to purchase any security referred to in said subsection (a) made during the twelve calendar months preceding the filing of the statement, by any acquiring party, or by anyone based upon interviews or at the suggestion of such acquiring party.

(10) Copies of all tender offers for, requests, or invitations for tenders of, exchange offers for, and agreements to acquire or exchange any securities referred to in said subsection (a), and, if distributed, of additional soliciting material relating thereto.

(11) The term of any agreement, contract or understanding made with or proposed to be made with any broker-dealer as to solicitation of securities referred to in said subsection (a) for tender, and the amount of any fees, commissions or other compensation to be paid to broker-dealers with regard thereto.

(12) Such additional information as the commissioner may by rule or regulation prescribe as necessary or appropriate for the protection of policyholders and stockholders of the insurer or in the public interest.

If the person required to file the statement referred to in said subsection (a) is a partnership, limited partnership, syndicate or other group, the commissioner may require that the information called for by clauses (1) to (12), inclusive, shall be given with respect to each partner of such partnership or limited partnership, each member of such syndicate or group, and each person who controls such partner or member. If any such partner, member or person is a corporation or the person required to file the statement referred to in said subsection (a) is a corporation, the commissioner may require that the information called for by said clauses (1) to (12), inclusive, shall be given with respect to such corporation, each officer and director of such corporation, and each person who is directly or indirectly the beneficial owner of more than ten percent of the outstanding voting securities of such corporation. If any material change occurs in the facts set forth in the statement filed with the commissioner and sent to such insurer pursuant to this section, an amendment setting forth such change, together with copies of all documents and other material relevant to such change, shall be filed with the commissioner and sent to such insurer within two business days after the person learns of such change.

(c) If any offer, request, invitation, agreement or acquisition referred to in said subsection (a) is proposed to be made by means of a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 USC, section 77, et seq., or in circumstances requiring the disclosure of similar information under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 USC, sections 78a to 78k, inclusive, or under a state law requiring similar registration or disclosure, the person required to file the statement referred to in said subsection (a) may utilize such documents in furnishing the information called for by that statement.

(d)(1) The commissioner shall approve any merger or other acquisition of control referred to in said subsection (a) unless, after a public hearing thereon, he finds that:

(i) after the change of control, the domestic insurer referred to in said subsection (a) would not be able to satisfy the requirements for the issuance of a license to write the line or lines of insurance for which it is presently licensed;

(ii) the effect of the merger or other acquisition of control would be substantially to lessen competition in insurance in this commonwealth or tend to create a monopoly therein;

(iii) the financial condition of any acquiring party is such as might jeopardize the financial stability of the insurer, or prejudice the interest of its policyholders;

(iv) the terms of the offer, request, invitation, agreement of acquisition referred to in said subsection (a) are unfair, and unreasonable to the policyholders of the insurer;

(v) the plans or proposals which the acquiring party has to liquidate the insurer, sell its assets or consolidate or merge it with any person, or to make any other material change in its business or corporate structure or management, are unfair and unreasonable to policyholders of the insurer and not in the public interest;

(vi) the competence, experience and integrity of those persons who would control the operation of the insurer are such that it would not be in the interest of policyholders of the insurer and of the public to permit the merger or other acquisition of control; or

(vii) the acquisition is likely to be hazardous or prejudicial to the insurance buying public.

(2) The public hearing referred to in clause (1) shall be held within thirty days after the statement required by said subsection (a) is filed, and at least twenty days notice thereof shall be given by the commissioner to the person filing the statement. Not less than seven days notice of such public hearing shall be given by the person filing the statement to the insurer and to such other persons as may be designated by the commissioner. The commissioner shall make a determination within thirty days after the conclusion of such hearing. At such hearing, the person filing the statement, the insurer, any person to whom notice of hearing was sent, and any other person whose interest may be affected thereby shall have the right to present evidence, examine and cross-examine witnesses, offer oral and written arguments in connection therewith, and shall be entitled to conduct discovery proceedings in the same manner as is presently allowed in the superior court department of the trial court. All discovery proceedings shall be concluded not later than three days prior to the commencement of the public hearing.

(3) The commissioner may retain at the acquiring person's expense any attorneys, actuaries, accountants and other experts not otherwise a part of the commissioner's staff as may be reasonably necessary to assist the commissioner in reviewing the proposed acquisition of control.

(4) The commissioner may condition the approval of the merger or other acquisition on the removal of the basis of disapproval within a specified period of time.

(e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to:

(1) Any transaction which is subject to the provisions of section nineteen A, nineteen B, one hundred and sixty-one A, one hundred and sixty-one B, one hundred and sixty-one C, one hundred and sixty-one D or one hundred and sixty-one E, dealing with the merger or consolidation of two or more insurers.

(2) Any offer, request, invitation, agreement or acquisition which the commissioner by order shall exempt therefrom as: (i) not having been made or entered into for the purpose and not having the effect of changing or influencing the control of a domestic insurer, or (ii) as otherwise not comprehended within the purposes of this section.

(f) The following shall be violations of this section:

(1) The failure to file any statement, amendment, or other material required to be filed pursuant to subsection (a) or (b); or (2) The effectuation or any attempt to effectuate an acquisition of control of, or merger with, a domestic insurer unless the commissioner has given his approval thereto.

(g) The courts of the commonwealth are hereby vested with jurisdiction over every person not resident, domiciled, or authorized to do business in the commonwealth who files a statement with the commissioner under this section, and over all actions involving such person arising out of violations of this section, and each such person shall be deemed to have performed acts equivalent to and constituting an appointment by such a person of the commissioner to be his true and lawful attorney upon whom may be served all lawful process in any action, suit or proceeding arising out of violations of this section. Copies of all such lawful process shall be served on the commissioner and transmitted by registered or certified mail by the commissioner to such person at his last known address.