KEMPES, Inc. Acquires Specialty National Insurance Company as Admitted Carrier; Victoria Roberts Named Sr. Vice President and General Counsel

Business Wire, Sept 29, 1999

LONG GROVE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 29, 1999--

KEMPES, Inc., a Kemper Insurance company that provides program managers and specialty agents with one-stop access to professional liability, property-casualty and public entity-related program business, has acquired the Specialty National Insurance Company, formerly the Calvert Insurance Company, as an admitted carrier.

Specialty National Insurance Company is a Pennsylvania domicile company licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. KEMPES is currently in the process of re-domesticating Specialty National to Illinois.

"The addition of the new carrier makes this a very exciting time for KEMPES as we provide brokers and agents direct access to unrivaled program underwriting expertise and premier specialty program talent in the industry," said Vickie F. Kartchner, President of KEMPES, Inc.

In addition to the acquisition, Kartchner announced that Victoria H. Roberts has been named Sr. Vice President and General Counsel of KEMPES. Roberts comes to KEMPES with more than 19 years of legal experience in general liability and insurance. Most recently, she was Vice President of claims litigation for CIGNA.

"We look forward to having Victoria Roberts as a member of our team," said Kartchner. "As one of the foremost legal professionals in the industry, Victoria will provide the expertise needed to bring us closer to our goal of becoming a market leader in the program business."

Prior to her position at CIGNA, Roberts was a partner in the Philadelphia law firms of Weber Goldstein Greenberg & Gallagher and Rawle & Henderson for seven years in the general liability and insurance coverage practices group.

Roberts began her career at CIGNA/INA in 1981 as a legal intern and house counsel. In 1983, Roberts left CIGNA to become house counsel for the General Accident Insurance Company, but returned to CIGNA in 1985 as director of environmental claims. In 1991, Roberts was named litigation management counsel for CIGNA's major claims law department where she remained until moving into private practice.

Roberts has a law degree from Villanova University in Villanova, Pa., and a bachelor's degree from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass.

The Kemper Insurance Companies, with 1998 revenues of $3.3 billion, is a leading provider of property-casualty insurance and risk management services. It operates countrywide and in many foreign markets. For more information about Kemper, visit its website at www.kemperinsurance.com.