Susan T. Stead Partner

Sue practices at the intersection of innovation and compliance in the insurance industry.  A former insurance regulator, she counsels insurance companies, agencies, other intermediaries, and non-insurance entities on mitigating insurance regulatory risks while achieving business objectives.  Her practice is focused on innovative insurance products and distribution, direct-to-consumer sales, marketing and advertising, agency relationships, collection and use of consumer data, privacy, and general regulatory compliance.  Sue understands the “gray” in the state-based regulatory system.  Her advice is risk-based and practical.

Handling enforcement and market conduct matters for 15 years as a regulator gives Sue a unique ability to anticipate regulators’ concerns, to identify regulatory risks, and to formulate effective responses.  Clients that are new to insurance benefit from her deep and broad knowledge of insurance regulation and compliance.

Sue is a frequent speaker on insurance regulatory issues.  She is a CPCU, a member of the board of the Federation of Regulatory Counsel, and a member of the IRES Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating insurance professionals about regulation.

Education

• The Ohio State University, J.D.
• Wittenberg University, B.A.

Admissions

• Ohio
• District of Columbia

Courts

• U.S. Dist. Ct., S. Dist. of Ohio
• U.S. Dist. Ct., N. Dist. of Ohio
• U.S. Ct. of App., Sixth Circuit

Memberships and Affiliations

• Federation of Regulatory Counsel, Board Member
• IRES Foundation, Board Member
• CPCU Society
• Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals
• Columbus Bar Association
• Chair of the Board of CBS Agency, Inc., an affiliate of the Columbus Bar Association

Publications & Speaking Engagements

• Speaker, “Insurtech Marketing”, IRES Foundation National School on Market Regulation, April 25, 2022.
• Speaker, “Illegal Discrimination in Insurance – the Details”, IRES Foundation National School on Market Regulation, April 25, 2022.
• Speaker, “Disparate Impact and Unfair Discrimination – They Are Not the Same Thing,” IRES Foundation National School on Market Regulation (virtual), March 24, 2021.
• Speaker, “Consumer Data & the Nuts and Bolts of Compliance,” Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals (virtual), December 20, 2020.
• Author, “Disparate Impact and Unfair Discrimination in Insurance are Not the Same Thing,” Federation of Regulatory Counsel Journal, Vol. 31, Edition 3, Fall 2020.
• Speaker, “Top Compliance Challenges 2019 and 2020,” Compliance and Ethics Forum for Life Insurers (webinar), December 20, 2019.
• Speaker, “Consumer Complaints,” Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals, Gulf States Chapter E-Day, June 28, 2019.
• Co-author, “Big Data is not Untethered – Consumer Protections Exist,” Federation of Regulatory Counsel Journal, Vol. 30, Edition 2, summer 2019.
• Moderator, “Not Your Parents’ Privacy,” IRES Foundation National School on Market Regulation, March 26, 2019.
• Moderator, “Evolving Consumer: New Ways to Think about Auto Coverage,” IRES Foundation National School on Market Regulation, March 26, 2019.
• Moderator, “Blockchain,” IRES Foundation National School on Market Regulation, March 26, 2019.
• Moderator, “Regulatory Sandbox – Insurance Innovation Initiative,” IRES Foundation National School on Market Regulation, April 10, 2018.
• Speaker, “Do Your P&C Products Look Like A&H?” IRES Foundation National School on Market Regulation, April 9, 2018.
• Speaker, “Cybersecurity Standards: What to Expect from New Regulatory Requirements,” National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, November 27, 2017.
• Speaker, “Social Media: Regulatory Issues, Compliance, and Media Law,” National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies Communications and Marketing Workshop, October 10, 2017.