Exhibit 2.1 / LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
Fourth Floor
1 South Pinckney Street
P.O. Box 927
Madison, WI 53701-0927
Phone o (608) 257-9521
Fax o (608) 283-1709
Jon C. Nordenberg
Direct Dial Number o (608) 283-1739
jnordenberg@boardmanlawfirm.com
December 21, 2005
MESSENGER DELIVERY
------------------
Commissioner Jorge Gomez
Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
State of Wisconsin
125 S. Webster Street
Madison, WI 53702
Re: Form A Filing
Regarding the Acquisition of Control of
Physicians Insurance Company of Wisconsin, Inc.
by ProAssurance Corporation
Dear Commissioner Gomez:
ProAssurance Corporation ("ProAssurance")
seeks the prior approval of the
Commissioner of Insurance for the State of
Wisconsin for the acquisition of
control of Physicians Insurance Company of
Wisconsin, Inc. ("PIC-Wisconsin")
according to the terms of an Agreement and
Plan of Merger between ProAssurance
and PIC-Wisconsin.
Pursuant to Section 611.72 of the Wisconsin
Statutes and Chapter INS 40 of the
Wisconsin Administrative Code, I am
enclosing the original and a copy of
ProAssurance's Form A Statement Regarding
the Acquisition of Control of or
Merger with a Domestic Insurer.
Very truly yours,
Boardman, Suhr, Curry & Field LLP
By /s/ Jon C. Nordenberg
Jon C. Nordenberg
JCN/jmc
Enclosures
cc: Victor T. Adamo, Esq.,
CPCU
Jeffrey B. Bartell, Esq.
William J. Toman, Esq.
1
<PAGE>
FORM A
STATEMENT REGARDING THE ACQUISITION OF CONTROL OF
OR MERGER WITH A DOMESTIC INSURER
Filed with the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
State of Wisconsin
PHYSICIANS INSURANCE COMPANY OF WISCONSIN, INC.
BY
PROASSURANCE
CORPORATION
Filed with the insurance department of
Wisconsin
Dated: December 21, 2005
Name, Title, Address and Telephone Number
of Individual to Whom Notices and
Correspondence Concerning This Statement
Should Be Addressed:
Victor T. Adamo, Esq, CPCU
William T. Montei
President
President
ProAssurance Corporation
Physicians Insurance
100 Brookwood Place, Suite 300
Company of Wisconsin, Inc.
Birmingham, Alabama 35209
1002 Deming Way
(205)877-4470
Madison, Wisconsin
53717
(608) 831-8331
with copies to:
Jon C. Nordenberg
Jeffrey B.
Bartell
Boardman Suhr Curry & Field LLP
William J. Toman
One South Pinkney Street, 4th Floor
Quarles & Brady LLP
P.O. Box 927
One South Pinckney St., Suite 600
Madison, Wisconsin 53701
Madison, Wisconsin
53703
(608) 257-9521
(608) 251-5000
and
Jack P. Stephenson
Burr & Forman LLP
3100 Southtrust Tower
420 North 20th Street
Birmingham, Alabama 35203
(205) 458-5201
1
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
ITEM 1.
INSURER AND METHOD OF ACQUISITION
Name and Address
State of Domicile
----------------
-----------------
Physicians Insurance Company of Wisconsin,
Inc.
Wisconsin
1002 Deming Way
Madison, Wisconsin 53717
The following stock insurer is a
wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Physicians
Insurance Company of Wisconsin, Inc.
("PIC-Wisconsin") and its state of domicile
is set forth opposite the name below:
Name and Address
State of Domicile
----------------
-----------------
Century American Insurance Company ("CAIC")
Tennessee
CAIC is currently subject to a Form A
proceeding in Tennessee and is expected to
be sold prior to the consummation of the
transaction contemplated by the Merger
Agreement (as defined below).
ProAssurance Corporation ("ProAssurance")
proposes to acquire control of
PIC-Wisconsin through the acquisition of
all the outstanding shares of the Class
A common stock of PIC-Wisconsin pursuant to
the Agreement and Plan of Merger
dated December 8, 2005, ("Merger
Agreement"), a copy of which is attached as
Exhibit A.
The terms of this transaction are set forth
in the Merger Agreement between
ProAssurance and PIC-Wisconsin. The
obligation of ProAssurance and PIC-Wisconsin
to consummate the transactions contemplated
by the Merger Agreement is
conditioned upon prior approval of this
Form A filing or other required
approvals by the Wisconsin Insurance
Commissioner. See Section 8.1(d)(iv) of the
Merger Agreement, Exhibit A. Subject to all
regulatory and shareholder approvals
required, the transaction may close as
early as mid-2006.
ITEM 2.
IDENTITY AND BACKGROUND OF THE APPLICANT
(a) Name and Address of Applicant:
State of Incorporation
-----------------------------
----------------------
ProAssurance
Corporation
Delaware
100 Brookwood Place,
Suite 300
Birmingham, Alabama
35209
(205)877-4400
2
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
(b) Nature of ProAssurance's
Business:
---------------------------------
ProAssurance was
incorporated in Delaware to serve as the holding company
for Medical
Assurance, Inc. in connection with its acquisition of
Professionals
Group, Inc. in 2001. It is a publicly traded company that is
listed on the
New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "PRA." As a publicly
traded company,
ProAssurance has complied with all of the Sarbanes Oxley
and New York
Stock Exchange corporate governance requirements.
ProAssurance is
a holding company for specialty property and casualty
insurance
companies focused on the professional liability and the
personal
lines insurance
markets. Its operating subsidiaries are The Medical
Assurance
Company, Inc. ("TMAC"), ProNational Insurance Company, NCRIC,
Inc., Red
Mountain Casualty Insurance Company, Inc., Woodbrook Casualty
Insurance, Inc.
and MEEMIC Insurance Company. In addition, ProAssurance
owns the
attorney-in-fact for American Medical Insurance Exchange
("AMIE");
an Indiana
domiciled insurance reciprocal which is currently dormant. On
November 7, 2005
ProAssurance announced that it had entered into an
agreement to
sell its personal lines operations, including MEEMIC Insurance
Company.
ProAssurance is
the successor to 12 insurance organizations through its
three
predecessor insurance holding company subsidiaries, Medical
Assurance, Inc.,
Professionals Group, Inc. and NCRIC Group, Inc. Its
predecessor
company, Medical Assurance was founded by physicians as a
mutual company
in Alabama and began operations in 1977. Medical Assurance
demutualized and
became a public company in 1991. Medical Assurance
expanded through
internal growth and the acquisition of professional
liability
insurance companies with strong regional identities in West
Virginia,
Indiana and Missouri, along with books of business in Ohio and
Missouri.
Professionals
Group traces its roots to the Brown-McNeely Fund, which was
founded by the
State of Michigan in 1975 to provide medical professional
liability
insurance to physicians. Physicians Insurance Company of
Michigan, which
ultimately became ProNational, was founded in 1980 to
assume the
business of the Fund. That company also expanded through
internal growth
and the acquisition of books of business in Illinois and
Indiana and the
acquisition of a professionals liability insurer in
Florida.
Most recently,
earlier this year, ProAssurance acquired NCRIC Group, Inc.
the holding
company for NCRIC, Inc., a stock insurance company domiciled in
the District of
Columbia, which has a regional presence in the District of
Columbia,
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.
In each
acquisition, ProAssurance has retained key personnel, allowing
it
to maintain a
local presence and preserve the important institutional
knowledge in
claims management and underwriting. ProAssurance believes that
this ability to
utilize local knowledge in claims and underwriting is a
critical factor
in the operation of its companies. The successful
integration of
each organization demonstrates ProAssurance's success and
commitment to
the marketplace where it does business.
3
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
ProAssurance has
a regional orientation, applying a focused underwriting
strategy to
local markets where it has built a strong reputation among our
customers and
producers. Our professional liability business is
concentrated in
the Midwest, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic and serves
physicians,
dentists, other healthcare providers and healthcare facilities.
ProAssurance is
the fourth largest active writer of medical professional
liability
insurance in the United States based on 2004 data.
By concentrating
on the health care professional liability market where
customers have
specialized needs, ProAssurance seeks to provide value added
solutions
through its underwriting expertise and its emphasis on strong
customer service
and claims defense. ProAssurance's regional presence
allows it to
maintain active relationships with its customers and be more
responsive to
their needs. ProAssurance seeks to maintain a strong
financial
position to protect its customers.
The following
sections deal primarily with the professional liability
segment of
ProAssurance Group of which PIC-Wisconsin will be a part.
Underwriting
------------
ProAssurance's
underwriting process is driven by risk selection and its
pricing
decisions are focused on achieving rate adequacy. ProAssurance
assesses the
quality and pricing of the risk, primarily emphasizing loss
history,
practice specialty and location of practice in making
underwriting
decisions.
ProAssurance's underwriters work closely with its local claims
departments.
This includes consulting with staff about claims histories and
patterns of
practice in a particular locale as well as monitoring claims
activity.
ProAssurance has
six regional underwriting offices located in Alabama, the
District of
Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Michigan and Missouri.
Its underwriting
department is assisted by ProAssurance's local medical
advisory
committees that have been established in each of these and
other
key states.
These committees are comprised of local physicians, dentists
and
representatives of hospitals and healthcare entities and help
ProAssurance
maintain close ties to the medical communities, provide
information on
the practice of medicine in each state and provide guidance
on critical
underwriting and claims issues.
Claims
------
ProAssurance has
claims offices throughout the states in which it writes
business in
order to provide localized and timely attention to claims. Its
claims
department investigates the circumstances surrounding a medical
incident from
which a covered claim arises against an insured. Upon
investigation
and in consultation with the insured and appropriate experts,
ProAssurance
evaluates the merits of the claim and either seeks reasonable
settlement or
aggressively defends the claim. If the claim is defended, the
claims
department manages the case, including selecting defense
attorneys
who specialize
in medical liability cases, planning the defense and
obtaining
medical and/or other professional experts to assist in the
analysis and
defense of the claim.
4
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
ProAssurance's
claims department establishes the appropriate case reserves
for each claim
and monitors the level of case reserves as circumstances
require.
The department
also decides when and if to settle all but the most
significant
claims, which are reviewed by an internal committee made up of
ProAssurance's
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Claims
Officer and its
outside legal counsel. In each of the states where
ProAssurance
operates, ProAssurance meets regularly with its local medical
advisory
committee to examine claims, identify potentially problematic
practice
patterns and make recommendations to our staff.
ProAssurance
aggressively defends claims that are believed to have no merit
or those which
ProAssurance cannot reasonably settle. As a result, many
claims are
litigated to a jury verdict, and ProAssurance engages
experienced
trial attorneys in each venue to defend its insured in the
litigation.
Marketing
---------
ProAssurance
companies primarily write insurance in the Midwest, Southeast
and
Mid-Atlantic, and one or more subsidiaries are licensed to do
business
in every state
except Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New York and
Vermont.
ProAssurance
utilizes direct marketing and independent agents to write
business. In Alabama,
it relies solely on direct marketing and in the
District of
Columbia, Florida and Missouri, direct marketing accounts for a
majority of its
business. ProAssurance utilizes independent agents to
market its
professional liability insurance products in other states.
ProAssurance
focuses its marketing efforts on physicians. However,
ProAssurance
also insures large groups, hospitals, and other healthcare
facilities.
ProAssurance's marketing efforts differentiate its professional
liability
insurance products by emphasizing:
o
excellent claims service,
o the
sponsorship of risk management education seminars as an
accredited provider of continuing medical education,
o risk
management consultation, loss prevention seminars and other
educational programs, o legislative oversight and active
support
of proposed legislation we believe will have a positive effect
on
liability
issues affecting the healthcare industry,
o the
preparation and dissemination of newsletters and other
printed material with information of interest to the healthcare
industry, and
o
endorsements by, and attendance at meetings of, the state and
local medical societies and related organizations.
These
communications and services have helped us gain exposure among
potential
insureds and demonstrate ProAssurance's understanding of the
insurance needs
of the healthcare industry and promote a commonality of
interest among
ProAssurance and its insureds.
5
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
Products and
Services
---------------------
ProAssurance
generates the majority of its premiums from professional
liability
insurance for providers of medical and other healthcare
services.
ProAssurance
also offers professional liability insurance for providers of
legal services, and
professional office package and workers' compensation
insurance
products in connection with its professional liability
products.
ProAssurance
writes primarily claims-made coverage.
In October 2002,
ProAssurance started offering professional liability
insurance on an
excess and surplus lines basis to medical and other
healthcare
professionals who generally do not qualify for standard
coverage
because of their
claim history or other factors. Red Mountain Casualty
Insurance
Company, Inc. ("Red Mountain") is the main subsidiary in which
this business is
written and provides ProAssurance with opportunities to
expand its
business while offering alternatives to physicians and other
risks who are
unable to secure coverage in the admitted market.
Reinsurance
-----------
In accordance
with industry practice, ProAssurance reinsures professional
liability risks
under treaties pursuant to which the reinsurer agrees to
assume all or a
portion of all risks that it insures above ProAssurance's
individual risk
retention of $1 million per claim, up to the maximum
individual limit
offered (currently $16 million). Historically, per claim
retention levels
have varied between the first $200,000 and the first $2
million
depending on the coverage year and the state in which business
was
written.
Periodically, ProAssurance will provide insurance to
policyholders
above the
maximum limits of its reinsurance treaties. In those
situations,
ProAssurance
reinsures the excess risk above the limits of our reinsurance
treaties on a
facultative basis, whereby the reinsurer agrees to insure a
particular risk
up to a designated limit.
(c) Organizational Chart:
--------------------
Please see the
attached organizational chart. Exhibit B.
ITEM 3.
IDENTITY AND BACKGROUND OF INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED WITH
APPLICANT
Board of
Directors of ProAssurance
Set forth below are the names and addresses
of the current directors and
executive officers of ProAssurance and a
brief description of their principal
occupations and employment during the last
five (5) years. None of the directors
or executive officers of ProAssurance has
ever been convicted in a criminal
proceeding (excluding traffic violations
not involving death or injury) during
the last 10 years.
ProAssurance is a publicly traded company.
According to the latest reports filed
with the SEC, there are no owners of 10% or
more of the voting securities of
ProAssurance.
6
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
The current directors and executive
officers can be contacted at 100 Brookwood
Place, Birmingham, Alabama 35209.
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS A. DERRILL CROWE, M.D. - Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of
ProAssurance. Member of ProAssurance board since June, 2001.
See
Dr. Crowe's
biographical statement under the heading "Executive Officers"
in this Item
4.
VICTOR T. ADAMO,
ESQ., CPCU - Vice Chairman and President of ProAssurance.
Member of
ProAssurance board since June, 2001. See Mr. Adamo's
biographical
statement under
the heading "Executive Officers" in this Item 4.
LUCIAN F.
BLOODWORTH - Member of ProAssurance board since August, 2002.
Mr.
Bloodworth is
currently the Chairman of Cain Manufacturing, a Birmingham,
Alabama based
firm. He has held several positions at Cain Manufacturing,
including
President, Director and Chairman since 1988. Mr. Bloodworth is
a
director of
National Bank of Commerce of Birmingham, Alabama and served as
its Executive
Vice President from 1983 to 1987. Mr. Bloodworth has been a
fellow of the
Society of Actuaries and a member of the American Academy of
Actuaries.
PAUL R. BUTRUS -
Vice Chairman. Member of ProAssurance board since June,
2001. See Mr.
Butrus's biographical statement under the heading "Executive
Officers" in
this Item 4.
ROBERT E.
FLOWERS, M.D. - Member of ProAssurance board since June, 2001.
Dr. Flowers has
served on the board of directors of Medical Assurance since
its formation on
February 8, 1995 and as a director of TMAC from 1985 to
2000. He
practiced as a physician with Gynecology Associates of Dothan,
P.C., Dothan,
Alabama, prior to his retirement in 2001.
JOHN J. MCMAHON,
JR. - Member of ProAssurance board since February, 2002.
Mr. McMahon has
served as the Chairman of Ligon Industries, LLC and
Chairman of the
Executive Committee of McWane, Inc. in Birmingham, Alabama
since 1999.
Prior to that time, Mr. McMahon served as Chairman of the Board
of McWane, Inc.
He also serves as a director of John H. Harland Co.,
Protective Life
Corporation, and Alabama National BanCorporation.
JOHN P. NORTH,
JR. - Member of ProAssurance board since June, 2001. Mr.
North has served
on the board of directors of Medical Assurance since June
of 1996. He is a
certified public accountant who was a partner of the
accounting firm
of Coopers & Lybrand LLP until his retirement in September
1995.
ANN F. PUTALLAZ,
Ph.D., - Member of ProAssurance board since June, 2001.
Ms. Putallaz
served as a director of Professionals Group, Inc. since 1996
and its Vice
Chairman since 1999. For the past five years, Ms. Putallaz has
been the Vice
President and Director of Marketing Information Services of
Munder Capital
Management, an investment advisor to The Munder Funds, an
open-end
investment company registered under the Investment Company Act
of
1940, as
amended.
7
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
WILLIAM H.
WOODHAMS, M.D., Westside Family Medical Center, P.C. Member of
the ProAssurance
Board since 2001. Dr. Woodhams had served as a director of
Professionals
Group (since 1996) and its Chairman (since 1999) and a
director of
ProNational Insurance Company since 1980. Dr. Woodhams is a
board certified
family practice physician and has been in private practice
in Kalamazoo,
Michigan since 1964.
WILFRED W.
YEARGAN, JR.,M.D., Member of the ProAssurance Board since 2003.
Dr. Yeargan has
practiced medicine in private practice in Tuscaloosa,
Alabama,
specializing in ophthalmology for over thirty years. Dr.
Yeargan
has participated
as a member of the underwriting and claims advisory
committees of
The Medical Assurance Company, Inc. since it began operations
in 1977.
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
VICTOR T. ADAMO
- Mr. Adamo has served as a director and as Vice Chairman
of the Board and President of ProAssurance
since it began operations in June
2001. Mr. Adamo served as a director and
President and Chief Executive Officer
of Professionals Group (since 1996), Mr.
Adamo has served as a director of
ProNational Insurance Company since 1990
and its Chief Executive Officer from
1987 to October 1, 2005. He has been a
director of MEEMIC Holdings, Inc. since
October 1998 and is also chairman and a
director of MEEMIC Insurance Company.
Mr. Adamo also serves as a director of
TMAC, NCRIC, Inc., ("NCRIC"), Woodbrook
Casualty Insurance, Inc. and Red Mountain
Casualty Insurance Company, Inc. ("Red
Mountain"). Prior to joining ProNational,
Mr. Adamo was in private legal
practice from 1975 to 1985. Mr. Adamo also
holds positions as an officer and
director of various direct and indirect
subsidiaries of ProAssurance.
A. DERRILL
CROWE, M.D. - Dr. Crowe has served as a director and as
Chairman
of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of
ProAssurance since it began
operations in June 2001. Dr. Crowe has
served as a director and Chairman,
President and Chief Executive Officer of
Medical Assurance, Inc. since its
organization in 1995 and as President and
Chief Executive Officer and a director
of The Medical Assurance Company, Inc.
(formerly Mutual Assurance, Inc.) since
its first operations in 1977 until October
1, 2005. Dr. Crowe has also been
Chairman and a director of MEEMIC Holdings,
Inc. and a director of MEEMIC
Insurance Company since 2001. Dr. Crowe is
the President and a director of
Woodbrook Casualty Insurance, Inc., (f/k/a
Medical Assurance of West Virginia,
Inc. ("Woodbrook") and is a director of
ProNational, NCRIC, and Red Mountain.
Dr. Crowe also holds positions as an
officer and director of various direct and
indirect subsidiaries of ProAssurance.
PAUL R. BUTRUS -
Mr. Butrus has served as a director of ProAssurance since
it began operations in June 2001 and was
appointed its Vice Chairman in
September 2001. Prior to that time, Mr.
Butrus was a director and Executive Vice
President and Chief Operating Officer of
Medical Assurance, Inc. (since 1995).
Mr. Butrus has held various positions with
TMAC since 1977. Mr. Butrus is Vice
President and a director of Woodbrook and
serves as a director of ProNational,
NCRIC and Red Mountain. Mr. Butrus also
holds positions as an officer and
director of various direct and indirect
subsidiaries of ProAssurance.
8
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EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
HOWARD H.
FRIEDMAN - Mr. Friedman has served as Secretary of ProAssurance
since it began operations in 2001. From
2001 until April 1, 2005, Mr. Friedman
also served as Chief Financial Officer of
ProAssurance and beginning on April 1,
2005, Mr. Friedman has served as Chief
Underwriting Officer of ProAssurance. Mr.
Friedman has served in a number of
positions for TMAC since 1996, and as of
October 1, 2005, has served as President of
TMAC. Effective October 1, 2005, Mr.
Friedman was also elected President of
NCRIC, Inc. and Red Mountain. He also
serves as a director of TMAC, ProNational
and Woodbrook and holds positions as
an officer and director of various direct
and indirect subsidiaries of
ProAssurance. Mr. Friedman is an Associate
of the Casualty Actuarial Society.
JAMES J. MORELLO - Mr. Morello has
served as Senior Vice President, Chief
Accounting Officer and Treasurer of
ProAssurance since June 2001. Mr. Morello
has been Senior Vice President and
Treasurer of Medical Assurance, Inc. since is
formation in February of 1995. Mr. Morello
has been employed as Treasurer and
Chief Financial Officer of TMAC since 1984.
He also serves as Treasurer of
ProNational and Red Mountain and serves as
Treasurer and a director of
Woodbrook. Mr. Morello also holds positions
as an officer and director of
various direct and indirect subsidiaries of
ProAssurance. Mr. Morello is a
certified public accountant.
FRANK B. O'NEIL
- Mr. O'Neil has served as Senior Vice President and
Investor Relations since September 2001.
Mr. O'Neil has been Senior Vice
President of Corporate Communications for
Medical Assurance, Inc. since 1997 and
employed by TMAC and its subsidiaries since
1987.
EDWARD L. RAND,
JR. - Mr. Rand was appointed Senior Vice President of
Finance in November, 2004 and was named
Chief Financial Officer of ProAssurance
on April 1, 2005. Prior to joining
ProAssurance, Mr. Rand was Head of Corporate
Finance at PartnerRe, Ltd. from 2001 until
September, 2004. Prior to that
position, Mr. Rand was Treasurer and Chief
Financial Officer of Atlantic
American Corporation from August 1997
through 2000, a company he joined after
serving as Controller of United Capitol
Insurance Company. Prior to his
employment in the insurance industry, Mr.
Rand spent four years with Coopers &
Lybrand, which is now part of
PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Mr. Rand also serves as a
director of TMAC, ProNational, Red
Mountain, NCRIC and holds positions as an
officer or director of various direct and
indirect subsidiaries of ProAssurance.
Please see
complete biographical affidavits of all officers and directors
which are attached as Exhibit C.
ITEM 4.
NATURE, SOURCE AND AMOUNT OF CONSIDERATION
(a) Nature, source and amount of
funds:
----------------------------------
The proposed
purchase price is approximately $99 million. The exact amount
will not be
determined until closing of the transaction.
The transaction
is stock-for-stock merger. Shares of Common Stock of
ProAssurance
Corporation will be used to complete the transaction. The
number of shares
will be determined as described in section (b) below and
9
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
the shares will
be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 under a Form
S-4 registration
statement to be filed with the SEC (the "S-4 Proxy
Statement/Prospectus"). The transaction will require the approval
of the
PIC-Wisconsin
shareholders. The shareholders will vote after the SEC
declares the S-4
Proxy Statement/Prospectus effective. The S-4 Proxy
Statement/Prospectus contains required disclosures and will be
submitted as
an Exhibit to
this Form A as soon as it is filed with the SEC.
(b) Criteria Used to Determine Nature
and Amount of Consideration:
-------------------------------------------------------------
The nature and
amount of consideration under the Merger Agreement was
determined by
arm's-length negotiations between the parties. The criteria
utilized as a
basis for those negotiations encompassed a number of factors.
The value of
PIC-Wisconsin was determined using common valuation techniques
including public
company valuation comparisons, a multiple of tangible book
value of
PIC-Wisconsin and discounted cash flow models. In performing
its
evaluation,
ProAssurance used a variety of normal business operating
assumptions
including, but not limited to the potential savings from the
integration of
the companies' operations. ProAssurance is using the common
stock of
ProAssurance for consideration in the transaction due to its
liquidity in the
capital markets and the fact that the transaction can be
structured as a
tax free exchange for the current holders of PIC-Wisconsin
stock.
Under the terms
of the Merger Agreement, each share of PIC-Wisconsin common
stock issued and
outstanding immediately prior to the Merger (the "PIC
Wisconsin Common
Stock") is to be converted into the right to receive such
number of shares
of ProAssurance Common Stock (as defined in Section 5.3 of
the Merger
Agreement) determined based on an exchange ratio (the "Exchange
Ratio"). The
Exchange Ratio is based on the average closing price of a
share of
ProAssurance stock on the ten trading days preceding the
effective
date of the
Merger (the "ProAssurance Closing Stock Price"). This ratio is
subject to a 20%
range around $49.76, which is the average closing price in
the ten days
preceding the date of the Merger Agreement (the" ProAssurance
Agreement Stock
Price"). The Exchange Ratio is to be determined as follows:
(i) If the
ProAssurance Closing Stock Price is greater than $59.71,
which is 120% of the ProAssurance Agreement Stock Price then
the
Exchange Ratio will equal 83.738 which is the number obtained
by
dividing (A) $5,000 by (B) $59.71;
(ii) If the ProAssurance Closing Stock Price is less than or
equal
to$59.71, but more than $39.80 which is 80% of the ProAssurance
Agreement Stock Price, then the Exchange Ratio will equal the
number obtained by dividing (A) $5,000 by (B) the ProAssurance
Closing Stock Price; or
10
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
(iii) If the ProAssurance Closing Stock Price is less than or equal
to
$39.80, then the Exchange Ratio will equal 125.628, which is
the
number obtained by dividing (A) $5,000 by (B) $39.80.
Each share of
PIC-Wisconsin Common Stock that is owned by PIC-Wisconsin or
any
PIC-Wisconsin subsidiary shall automatically be cancelled and
retired
and shall cease
to exist, and no Merger Consideration shall be delivered in
exchange
thereof.
ITEM 5.
APPLICANT'S FUTURE PLANS FOR THE INSURER
It is currently anticipated that the
insurance operations of PIC-Wisconsin will
be conducted through the current management
in Madison, Wisconsin. ProAssurance
may alter or change the proposed operating
structure and the responsibilities of
PIC-Wisconsin should circumstances indicate
that a change would be appropriate
and not detrimental to the best interest of
the policyholders of PIC-Wisconsin.
It is currently anticipated that the
post-merger PIC-Wisconsin Board of
Directors will consist of A. Derrill Crowe,
M.D., Victor T. Adamo, Edward L.
Rand, Jr., William T. Montei and David L.
Maurer. The biographical affidavits
for Dr. Crowe and Messrs. Adamo and Rand
are attached as Exhibit C. Mr. Montei
is a current director and executive officer
and Mr. Maurer is a current
executive officer of PIC-Wisconsin, and
thus they have biographical affidavits
on file.
ProAssurance intends to use its current
outside accountants, Ernst & Young LLP,
for PIC-Wisconsin after the merger.
ProAssurance has utilized E & Y LLP since
its inception in 2001. The outside actuary
will remain the same for both
ProAssurance and PIC-Wisconsin as both
parties currently utilize the same
actuarial firm which is Tillinghast of
Towers Perrin. It is anticipated that
PIC-Wisconsin will adopt the ProAssurance
Investment Guidelines after the
merger, a copy of which is attached as
Appendix A to Exhibit D.
ProAssurance does not currently intend to
make any material changes in
PIC-Wisconsin's corporate structure or have
PIC-Wisconsin declare an
extraordinary dividend.
For a more detailed discussion of the
future plans for the PIC-Wisconsin books
of business, see the Plan of Operation
which is attached as Exhibit D.
It is anticipated that PIC-Wisconsin will
continue to write and renew policies
in Wisconsin and other states and to pay
claims on such policies.
In 2007, it is anticipated that
ProAssurance will enter into a management
agreement with PIC-Wisconsin to provide
accounting and administrative services
for PIC-Wisconsin and its subsidiaries. A
Notice on Form D will be filed with
the appropriate insurance regulatory
authorities with respect to the management
agreement and the effective date of such
agreement will be subject to and
conditioned upon such approval. A copy of
ProAssurance's current Management
Services Agreement and Expense Allocation
Agreement are attached as exhibits to
the Plan of Operation, Exhibit D.
11
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
It is also anticipated that ProAssurance
will file a consolidated federal income
tax return with PIC-Wisconsin and its
respective subsidiaries after the merger.
Such companies propose to enter into a Tax
Sharing Agreement to allocate the tax
liability and benefits among the companies
included in the consolidated group.
The terms of the Tax Sharing Agreement have
yet to be determined. A Notice on
Form D will be filed with the insurance
regulatory authorities in each state
where ProAssurance's insurance subsidiaries
are domiciled with respect to the
Tax Sharing Agreement and the effective
date of such agreements will be subject
to and conditioned upon such approval. A
copy of ProAssurance's current Tax
Allocation Agreement is attached and an
exhibit to the Plan of Operation,
Exhibit D.
Reinsurance for medical professional
liability claims is maintained on an
excess-of-loss basis with a retention of $1
million per claim. The reinsurance
program is placed on a syndicated basis,
utilizing reinsurers in the United
States, Bermuda and Europe. Reinsurance
contracts provide capacity to write
policy limits of up to $16 million and
facultative reinsurance is utilized in
the event additional capacity is required
for specific risks. For further
details, please see Plan of Operation,
Exhibit D.
At the anniversary of PIC-Wisconsin's
reinsurance program, January 1, 2007, it
is anticipated that PIC-Wisconsin will
become reinsured under the ProAssurance
reinsurance program. The ProAssurance
program is similar to the existing
PIC-Wisconsin program, placed on an
excess-of-loss basis, but with a retention
of $1 million per claim.
Notwithstanding the pending sale of Century
American Insurance Company which is
currently the subject of a Form A
proceeding, ProAssurance has no plans to
liquidate, or sell substantially all of the
assets of PIC-Wisconsin or any of
the subsidiaries of PIC-Wisconsin.
ProAssurance has no plans to sell the stock
of PIC-Wisconsin nor does it have any
present plans to merge or consolidate any
such companies with any other person other
than under the Merger Agreement.
ITEM 6.
VOTING SECURITIES TO BE ACQUIRED
ProAssurance plans to acquire 100% of the
common stock of PIC-Wisconsin of the
issued and outstanding at the date of the
merger, which currently represents
19,741.2 shares. The persons listed in Item
3 do not plan to acquire any shares
of PIC-Wisconsin outside of this proposed
transaction.
The terms of the agreement will be a stock
transaction and the basis for such is
outlined in the attached Merger Agreement,
Exhibit A. The method by which the
fairness of the proposal was determined is
described in Item 4(b).
ITEM 7.
OWNERSHIP OF VOTING SECURITIES
Apart from the potential ownership rights
of ProAssurance to stock of
PIC-Wisconsin that is subject to this Form
A, ProAssurance does not have any
beneficial ownership or a right to acquire
beneficial ownership of any class of
voting security of PIC-Wisconsin nor does
Applicant, its Affiliates, or any
person listed in Item 3.
12
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
ITEM 8.
CONTRACTS, ARRANGEMENTS, OR UNDERSTANDINGS WITH RESPECT TO
VOTING SECURITIES OF THE INSURER
Other than the Merger Agreement which is
the subject of this Form A, neither
ProAssurance nor any of its affiliates nor
any person listed in Item 3 has any
contracts, arrangements or understandings
with respect to any voting security of
PIC-Wisconsin, 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.
ITEM 9.
RECENT PURCHASES OF VOTING SECURITIES
Neither ProAssurance nor any of its
affiliates nor any person listed in Item 3
has acquired any PIC-Wisconsin shares
during the 12 calendar months preceding
the filing of this Form A.
ITEM 10.
RECENT RECOMMENDATIONS TO PURCHASE
Neither ProAssurance nor any of its
affiliates nor any person listed in Item 3
nor anyone based upon interviews or at the
suggestion of ProAssurance has made
any recommendations to purchase any voting
security of PIC-Wisconsin during the
12 calendar months preceding this Form A
filing.
ITEM 11.
ARRANGEMENTS WITH BROKER-DEALERS
Neither ProAssurance nor any of its
affiliates has any agreement, contract or
understanding with any broker-dealer as to
solicitation of voting securities of
PIC-Wisconsin for tender, or for the
payment of any fees, commissions or other
compensation to any broker-dealers with
regard to this transaction.
13
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
ITEM 12.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
(a) Exhibit A Agreement and Plan of Merger
dated December 8, 2005
Exhibit B
Organizational Chart
Exhibit C
Biographical Affidavits for the following ProAssurance
Corporation Officers and Directors:
A. Derrill
Crowe, M.D.
Victor T. Adamo
Lucien F. Bloodworth
Paul R. Butrus
Robert E. Flowers
John J. McMahon, Jr.
John P. North, Jr.
Ann F. Putallaz
William H. Woodhams, M.D.
Wilfred W. Yeargan, Jr., M.D.
Howard H. Friedman
James J. Morello
Frank B. O'Neil
Edward L. Rand, Jr.
Exhibit D
Proposed Plan of Operation
Appendix A
ProAssurance Investment Guidelines
Appendix B
Consulting, Confidentiality and
Non-Competition Agreement
Appendix C
ProAssurance Expense Allocation Agreement
effective 1/1/06
Appendix D
ProAssurance Management Services Agreement
Appendix E
ProAssurance Tax Allocation Agreement
effective 9/1/05
Exhibit E
ProAssurance Corporation 10K for year ended 12/31/04 &
Annual Report to Shareholders
Exhibit F
ProAssurance Corporation 10K for year ended 12/31/03 &
Annual Report to Shareholders
Exhibit G
ProAssurance Corporation 10K for year ended 12/31/02 &
Annual Report to Shareholders
14
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
Exhibit H
ProAssurance Corporation 10K for year ended 12/31/01 &
Annual Report to Shareholders
Exhibit I
ProAssurance Corporation 10Q for quarter ended 9/30/05
Exhibit J
ProAssurance Corporation Proxy Statement dated 4/18/05
Exhibit K
Combined Annual Statement of ProAssurance for the year
ended 12/31/04
Exhibit L
ProAssurance S-4 Registration Statement filed with the
SEC will be forwarded as soon as it is available and will
be marked as Exhibit L.
Exhibit M
ProAssurance Form E, Consent to Jurisdiction Statement
(c) The Agreement and Plan of Merger
dated December 8, 2005 is attached as
Exhibit A. This Merger Agreement describes the transaction in
detail.
An Organizational Chart depicting the subsidiaries of Applicant
is
attached as Exhibit B.
ProAssurance Annual Report to Shareholders for the years ended
12/31/04, 12/31/03, 12/31/02, 12/31/01 and its 10Q for the
quarter
ended 9/30/05 are contained in Exhibits E, F, G, H and I,
respectively. Annual Reports to Shareholders for the insurer are
not
included as the insurer is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
ProAssurance
which is the publicly traded company.
Combined Annual Statement for the year ended 12/31/04 for
ProAssurance
is included in Exhibit K.
S-4 Registration Statement filed with the SEC will be forwarded
as
soon as it is available and will be marked as Exhibit L.
Applicant hereby states that the
acquisition of PIC-Wisconsin by Applicant would
not violate the law or be contrary to the
interests of the insureds of
PIC-Wisconsin and that:
(i) After the change of control,
PIC-Wisconsin will 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 acquisition of control would not be to create a
monopoly or substantially to lessen competition in insurance in
Wisconsin;
15
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
(iii) The financial
condition of ProAssurance and its affiliates is not
likely to jeopardize the financial stability of PIC-Wisconsin,
or
prejudice the interests of its Wisconsin policyholders;
(iv)
ProAssurance has no plans or proposals to liquidate
PIC-Wisconsin,
sell its assets, consolidate it with any person, or make any
other
material change in its corporate structure. ProAssurance's plans
to
merge PIC-Wisconsin under the Merger Agreement and make any
other
material change in its business or management will be fair and
reasonable to policyholders of PIC-Wisconsin and in the public
interest; and
(v) The competence and integrity of
those persons who will control the
operation of PIC-Wisconsin are such that it would be in the
interest
of the policyholders of PIC-Wisconsin and of the public to permit
the
acquisition of control.
16
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / FORM A
ITEM 13.
SIGNATURE AND CERTIFICATION
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of ch. Ins.
40, Wis. Adm. Code, ProAssurance
Corporation has caused this application to
be duly signed on its behalf in the
city of Birmingham, and the state of
Alabama on the 21st day of December, 2005
----
(SEAL)
ProAssurance Corporation
BY: /s/ Victor T. Adamo
-------------------
ITS:
President
Attest:
/s/ Edward L. Rand, Jr.
--------------------------
BY: Senior Vice President
CERTIFICATION
The undersigned deposes and says that he
has duly executed the attached
application dated December 21, 2005 for and
on behalf of ProAssurance
Corporation; that he is the President of
such company and that he is authorized
to execute and file such instrument.
Deponent further says that he is familiar
with the instrument and the contents
thereof, and that the facts therein set
forth are true to the best of his
knowledge, information and belief.
/s/ Victor T. Adamo
-------------------
Victor T. Adamo, President
Subscribed and sworn to this
21st day of December, 2005
----
/s/ Kathryn A. Neville
----------------------
Notary Public: Kathryn A. Neville
My Commission Expires on: 3/13/2006
---------
17
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT 2.1 / EXHIBIT A, FORM A
EXHIBIT A TO FORM A: AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF
MERGER IS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
TO FORM 8-K FILED ON DECEMBER 9, 2005
EXHBIT 2.1 / EXHIBIT B, FORM A
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
[SEE SUPPLEMENTAL PDF]
18
<PAGE>
Exhibit 2.1 / EXHIBIT D, FORM A
PLAN OF OPERATION
History
Physicians Insurance Company of Wisconsin,
Inc. ("PIC-Wisconsin") was organized
under the laws of Wisconsin in 1986.
PIC-Wisconsin is a property and casualty
insurance company that currently holds
licenses in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio,
South Dakota and Wisconsin.
ProAssurance Corporation is a specialty
insurer with more than $3.8 billion in
assets and $789 million in gross written
premiums. It was formed through the
2001 merger of Medical Assurance, Inc. and
Professionals Group, Inc. and now
represents the consolidation of twelve
prior companies or books of business. As
the nation's fourth largest writer of
medical professional liability insurance,
ProAssurance is a recognized leader in
providing medical malpractice coverages
for physicians and other health care
providers, primarily in the Southeast and
Midwest United States.
ProAssurance is also the tenth largest
writer of personal auto coverage in
Michigan through its subsidiary MEEMIC
Insurance Company. On November 7, 2005
ProAssurance announced that it had entered
into an agreement to sell MEEMIC
Insurance Company. The sale is expected to
close in January of 2006 and no
further reference will be made to MEEMIC
Insurance Company.
States of Domicile
The following ProAssurance companies are
domiciled in Alabama: The Medical
Assurance Company, Inc., Red Mountain
Casualty Insurance Company, Inc. and
Woodbrook Casualty Insurance, Inc.
ProNational Insurance Company is domiciled in
Michigan. NCRIC, Inc. is domiciled in the
District of Columbia. American Medical
Insurance Exchange is domiciled in Indiana
and is a dormant insurance
reciprocal.
PIC-WISCONSIN is domiciled in
Wisconsin.
Market Focus
ProAssurance, through its admitted
insurance company subsidiaries -- The Medical
Assurance Company, Inc., ProNational
Insurance Company, NCRIC, Inc. and
Woodbrook Casualty Insurance, Inc., provide
medical malpractice insurance to
physicians, physician groups, hospitals and
other health care facilities and
dentists in 23 states primarily in the
Midwest, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic
states.
In addition, ProAssurance provides medical
malpractice business on an excess and
surplus lines basis through Red Mountain in
17 states and through ProNational in
2 states.
19
<PAGE>
Exhibit 2.1 / EXHIBIT D, FORM A
PLAN OF OPERATION
PIC-Wisconsin specializes in medical
malpractice insurance for physicians,
physician groups, hospitals and other
health care facilities and dentists. It is
the largest medical malpractice insurance
provider in Wisconsin and also writes
medical malpractice business on an admitted
basis in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas,
Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, and South
Dakota.
The following chart is based on 2004 data
as reported by the National
Association of Insurance Commissioners. It
shows the medical malpractice premium
and market share for ProAssurance and
PIC-Wisconsin in each of their states of
operation. There is very little market
share overlap between the companies and
the proposed merger will not result in an
undue market concentration in any
state.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>
<C>
<C>
<C>
<C>
<C>
<C>
<C> <C>
Medical Liability Direct Written Premium at December 31, 2004
Total PIC Wis
ProAssurance
Combined
Premium
Premium
Market
Premium Market
Premium Market
State
(000's) (000's)
Share
Rank
(000's)
Share Rank
(000's)
Share
Rank
---------------- ------------ ----------
------- ----- -------------- ------ ---- ------------ ----------
------
Wisconsin
$ 111,321 $ 36,998 33.2%
1 $
48
-
33 $ 37,046
33.3%
1
---------------- ------------ ----------
------- ----- -------------- ------ ---- ------------ ----------
------
Iowa
99,507
19,470 19.6%
2
468 .5% 21 19,938
20.0%
2
---------------- ------------ ----------
------- ----- -------------- ------ ---- ------------ ----------
------
Nevada
92,897 7,780
8.4%
4
- -
-
7,780
8.4% 4
---------------- ------------ ----------
------- ----- -------------- ------ ---- ------------ ----------
------
Illinois
758,729 7,464
1.0% 15
26,902 3.6%
5 34,366
4.9% 4
---------------- ------------ ----------
------- ----- -------------- ------ ---- ------------ ----------
------
Nebraska
34,071 2,265
6.7%
5
- -
-
2,265
6.7% 5
---------------- ------------ ----------
------- ----- -------------- ------ ---- ------------ ----------
------
Minnesota
86,949 991
1.1% 12
- -
-
991
1.1% 12
---------------- ------------ ----------
------- ----- -------------- ------ ---- ------------ ----------
------
South Dakota
21,151 190
0.9%
8
- -
-
190
0.9% 8
---------------- ------------ ----------
------------- -------------- ----------- ------------ ----------
------
Total
$ 1,511,266
$ 75,158
$ 27,418
$102,576
============ ==========
==============
============
</TABLE>
Ratings
A.M. Best assigns a rating of "A-"
(Excellent) to ProAssurance and our principal
subsidiaries, The Medical Assurance
Company, Inc., ProNational Insurance
Company, and Red Mountain Cas