Mutual Benefit Life Insurance v. Zimmerman

783 F. Supp. 853, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1791, 1992 WL 23254
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedJanuary 8, 1992
DocketCiv. A. 91-1945 (AJL)
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 783 F. Supp. 853 (Mutual Benefit Life Insurance v. Zimmerman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mutual Benefit Life Insurance v. Zimmerman, 783 F. Supp. 853, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1791, 1992 WL 23254 (D.N.J. 1992).

Opinion

OPINION

LECHNER, District Judge.

This is a consolidated action (the “Consolidated Action”) of four actions, the first, (the “All American Action”), brought by plaintiff All American Life Insurance Company (“All American”) against Beneficial Life Insurance Company (“Beneficial”), General American Life Insurance Company (“American Life”), Maine Fidelity Life Insurance Company (“Maine Fidelity”), Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company (“Mutual”), Oxford Life Insurance Company (“Oxford Life”), New York Life Insurance Company (“New York Life”), Provident Mutual Life Insurance Company of Philadelphia (“Provident Mutual”), Integrated Resources Life Insurance Company (“Integrated Resources”), Security Benefit Life Insurance Company (“Security Benefit”), Standard Insurance Company (“Standard Life”), and Transamerica Life Insurance Company (“Transamerica”) (collectively, the “All American Action Defendants”); the second, (the “Security Benefit Action”), is brought by Security Benefit against All American, Bankers Security Life Insurance Society (“Bankers Security”), Business Men’s Assurance Company (“BMA”), Consultants and Administrators (“C & A”), United Olympic Life Insurance Company (“United Olympic”), William J. Flynn (“Flynn”), Wm. J. Flynn & Associates (“Flynn & Associates”), George G. Zimmerman (“Zimmerman”) and George G. Zimmerman & Company, Inc. (“Zimmerman & Co.”) (collectively, the “Security Benefit Action Defendants”); the third, (the “Mutual Action”), brought by plaintiffs Mutual, Beneficial, American Life, Manufacturers Life, Oxford Life, New York Life and Standard Insurance (collectively, the “Mutual Action Plaintiffs”) against defendants Zimmerman, Zimmerman & Co., Flynn, Flynn & Associates, Paul J. Bargnesi (“Bargnesi”), Samuel C. Corey (“Corey”), C & A, All American and BMA (collectively, the “Mutual Action Defendants”); and the fourth, (the “United Olympic Action”), brought by United Olympic and Bankers Security against Transamerica.

Currently before the court are motions brought by Zimmerman & Co., and by Flynn and Flynn & Associates (collectively, the “Movants”) 1 to compel arbitration by the Mutual Plaintiffs and the All American Action Defendants and to stay the discovery and proceedings of the Consolidated Action pending resolution of the arbitration. 2 Jurisdiction is alleged pursuant *857 to 28 U.S.C. § 1331; 18 U.S.C. § 1964 and 28 U.S.C. § 1367, supplemental (pendant) jurisdiction. For the reasons set forth below the motions to compel arbitration and to stay the Consolidated Action are denied. Facts

Reinsurance Industry

Reinsurance is a secondary level of insurance of risks. Pursuant to a reinsurance contract, primary insurers cede some or all of the risks they have insured to reinsur-ers. In exchange, the reinsurers receive a percentage of the premiums collected by the primary insurers. Zimmerman & Co. Brief, 1; Zimmerman Aff., Ex. D, 5; First Amended Complaint in the Security Benefit Action, filed 29 October 1991 (the “Security Benefit Complaint”). Reinsurers may join pools, otherwise known as line slips. Zimmerman & Co. Brief, 1. A reinsurance pool has a manager, whose relationship with the reinsurance pool members is governed by a management agreement. Id.; Security Benefit Complaint, ¶ 23. Under the terms of the management agreement, each member of the reinsurance pool agrees to accept a certain portion of all risks accepted by the reinsurance pool manager. Id., ¶ 24.

Reinsurance relationships are frequently established through “reinsurance brokers” or “reinsurance intermediaries.” Id., ¶ 19. A reinsurance intermediary advises his or her client of the best available reinsurance program and places the client with the rein-surers at competitive prices and terms. Id. The manager of a reinsurance pool contracts with reinsurance intermediaries to bring together primary insurers and rein-surers. Zimmerman & Co. Brief, 1-2. Primary insurers enter a reinsurance contract with the reinsurance pool.

Retrocessionaires represent the third level of insurers. Reinsurers retrocede a portion or all of the risks they incur to retro-cessionaires. Id. Retrocessionaires may join retrocessionaire pools which function the same as a reinsurance pool. Id. It is the custom of the reinsurance and retrocession industry that the parties to reinsurance agreements owe one another a duty of utmost good faith. Security Benefit Complaint, II17.

Insurance packages may be marketed, sold and administered by insurance company employees or third party administrators. Id., ¶ 28. A third party administrator receives commissions on the insurance packages it administers.

1988 Reinsurance Pool

Zimmerman Line Slip, Inc. (“Zimmerman Line Slip”) 3 is a reinsurance pool incorporated under the laws of New Jersey. Second Amended Complaint of the Mutual Action Plaintiffs, MI 8, 23 (the “Mutual Complaint”). Its underwriting year is organized by calendar year. Zimmerman Aff., ¶ 3. For the 1988 underwriting year *858 (the “1988 Pool”), Zimmerman Line Slip had thirteen reinsurance companies as members (the “1988 Pool Members”), seven of which are the Mutual Action Plaintiffs and eleven of which are the All American Action Defendants. Id. Zimmerman Line Slip executed a management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with each of the 1988 Pool Members. Mutual Complaint, If 25. The Management Agreement governs the authority and responsibility of Zimmerman Line Slip with respect to the 1988 Pool Members. Zimmerman Aff., ¶ 4. The 1988 Pool Members agreed to accept the following percentage share in the 1988 Pool:

Mutual 9.09%*, 4 ** 5
Beneficial 6.82% *, **
American Life 15.15% *, **
Manufacturers Life 10.00% *
New York Life 9.09% *
Oxford Life 1.51% *,
Standard 10.00% *, **
Security 12.12% **
Transamerica 4.55%
Integrated Resources 7.57% **
Provident Mutual 4.55%
Maine Fidelity 10.00%

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Bluebook (online)
783 F. Supp. 853, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1791, 1992 WL 23254, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mutual-benefit-life-insurance-v-zimmerman-njd-1992.