787 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10019-6099
Tel: 212 728 8000
Fax: 212 728 8111
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Attn:
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Jim B. Rosenberg, Senior Assistant Chief Accountant
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Division of Corporation Finance
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Re:
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W. R. Berkley Corporation
Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2012
Filed February 28, 2013
File No. 001-15202
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1.
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You have fixed maturity securities of $4.8 billion invested in obligations of state and municipal subdivisions that comprised 33% of your total investment portfolio at December 31, 2012. Please provide us the following information:
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·
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For special revenue bonds, the nature of the revenue source; and
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·
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For any state, municipality or political subdivision that comprised 10 percent or more of the total of your investments in obligations of states and political subdivisions, the amortized cost and fair value, and credit rating with and without a financial guarantee by third parties.
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2.
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Please provide proposed disclosure to be provided in future periodic reports that discusses and quantifies the effect that your ceded reinsurance activities had on financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the periods presented. Also discuss changes you have made to your past reinsurance strategies in developing your current strategies and the expected effect that those changes may have on your financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Describe any limitations on your ability to cede future losses on a basis consistent with historical results and their expected effect on financial position, operating results and cash flows. Such limitations could relate to changes in reinsurance market conditions, a restructuring of your reinsurance treaties or the absence of remaining limits for specific accident years under existing treaties.
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3.
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Please provide proposed disclosure to be provided in future periodic reports that describes the nature and type of acquisition costs capitalized. Refer to ASC 944-30-50-1.
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4.
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Please provide proposed disclosure to be provided in future periodic reports that describes the general nature of reinsurance transactions, including a description of the significant types of reinsurance agreements executed. If applicable, include in your proposed disclosure the nature and effect of material nonrecurring reinsurance transactions. Refer to Rule 7-03(a)(13)(c) of Regulation S-X.
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5.
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Please provide proposed disclosure to be provided in future periodic reports that includes the following:
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Regarding your disclosures of policyholders’ surplus, revise to explain whether this is the same as statutory capital and surplus as required by ASC 944-505-50-1a;
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A definition of the terms RBC Total Adjusted Capital, RBC Authorized Control Level, RBC Company Action Level;
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Although you disclose that each of your U.S. insurance subsidiaries currently exceeds the minimum required RBC levels, disclose the amount of statutory capital and surplus necessary to satisfy regulatory requirements if significant in relation to actual statutory capital and surplus, as required under ASC 944-505-50-1b. If not significant, please clarify in the disclosure;
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·
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Disclose the amounts of restricted net assets for your subsidiaries as of December 31, 2012 or otherwise disclose how your current disclosure complies with the objective in Rule 4-08(e)(3)(ii) of Regulation S-X;
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Disclose the amount of retained earnings or net income of W. R. Berkley Corporation that is restricted or free of restrictions for payment of dividends to its stockholders as required by Rule 4-08(e)(1) of Regulation S-X; and
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Provide the disclosures required under ASC 944-505-50-2 through 50-6, as applicable.
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cc:
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Don Abbott (SEC)
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Sasha Parikh (SEC)
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William R. Berkley (Berkley)
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Eugene G. Ballard (Berkley)
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Ira S. Lederman (Berkley)
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(in thousands)
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2012
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2011
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2010
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Ceded to reinsurers:
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||||
Earned premiums
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$821,347
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$673,003
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$561,053
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Losses and loss expenses
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528,018
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458,249
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379,153
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(In thousands)
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2012
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2011
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2010
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Net income
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$490,119
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$417,441
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$574,181
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Statutory capital and Policyholders’ surplus
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4,671,922
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4,107,745
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4,154,654
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