DAS Legal Protection: Everything you need to know
Founded (original D.A.S. company): 1926
Policyholders (for DAS Legal Protection; as of 2018): 555,000
DAS Legal Protection (DAS) is a Canadian managing general agent that specializes in legal expense insurance (LEI). As a subsidiary of Munich Re, DAS’s LEI policies are underwritten by Temple Insurance Company, and both companies are members of the Munich Re Group.
DAS is part of the international network of DAS companies, which is headquartered in Europe and has a global reach. DAS’s solutions in Canada include commercial legal expense insurance (DAS Business and DAS Transport), and DAS for affinity groups and associations (where both personal and commercial packages are available).
DAS Canada in the news
January 2013: Legal expense insurance report raises tempest in a teacup
August 2017: BICO, DAS battle it out with newcomers in the legal protection market
May 2018: Case closed: Plaintiff is the priority in DAS Canada’s legal solution
December 2018: Legal expense insurance the next hot product for Canada’s small business owners
Key people as of 2020
Rissa Revin – CEO of DAS Legal Protection
Revin was appointed CEO of DAS Legal Protection in August 2018 after the amalgamation of DAS Canada and Temple Insurance Company by their parent company Munich Re Canada. She came onboard at Munich Re and Temple in 2015 as SVP of claims, general counsel, and corporate secretary for both firms. In addition to that long list of titles, Revin was also the chief compliance officer and worked closely with the boards of directors, again for both firms.
In her current role, Revin is focused on driving the growth of the legal expense insurance market in Canada. She has almost three decades of legal insurance and banking experience under her belt, and has previously held senior positions at Aon Risk Solutions, Bank of Montreal, Liberty Mutual, and Chubb. As CEO of DAS in Canada, Revin succeeded Barbara Haynes, who retired from the company after serving for over eight years as the founding president and CEO.
Culture
DAS works with brokers and corporate partners to craft access to justice solutions for Canadians – whether they’re individuals, families, or business owners – and help them exercise their rights, protect their bottom lines, and gain confidence when facing unexpected legal issues.
In fact, DAS was the first dedicated legal expense insurer to arrive in the Canadian marketplace in 2010, after which the legal expense insurance market really started to develop in the country. Prior to that, primary insurers carried some legal expense elements, but mainly as extensions to their core commercial liability coverages. Oftentimes, there were protection gaps for small business owners.
“Legal expense insurance is still quite new in the Canadian market. It’s currently going through an educational phase with insurance distributors and end-consumers,” said Grace Klemke, assistant vice president of sales for the broker channel at DAS. “As more Canadians learn about the product, they’re starting to realize the value and the need for it within their commercial portfolios. This coverage fills protection gaps and responds to incidents that wouldn’t necessarily trigger underlying commercial coverages.”
Between 2010 and 2018, the market’s annual written premiums have grown from about $5 million in 2010 to approximately $67 million in 2017, and a number of new carriers and program administrators have started offering the coverage.
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