J. Christopher Collins Email & Phone Number

Boston, Ma, Us

Worcester, Ma

I will focus my practice on life and health insurance matters with a concentration on disability income insurance and will assist the Firm in client development both locally and nationally. I will also continue to serve the community in a broad array of philanthropic activities. I am very active in the Worcester community, having served on numerous boards for non-profit entities, including the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, Greater Worcester Community Foundation and Worcester Regional Research Bureau; I also currently serves as Chair of the Nativity School of Worcester and is a Council member of the American Antiquarian Society. As lead executive on the Unum Worcester campus, I was the company liaison for many issues concerning the company and the City of Worcester, including the development of the new Unum building at City Square. Throughout my career, I have been a frequent speaker and panelist at numerous industry conferences. In 2013, I was the keynote speaker at the Definitive Disability Conference (“DDC”). In addition, I have participated at forums and events sponsored by the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Worcester.

Responsible for management of all legal services to Unum’s largest business, Unum US, the largest provider of group and individual disability insurance in the US with over $6B in annual revenue. Responsibilities include oversight of legal issues, covering sales, marketing, product development, broker compensation, policy filing, and approval and management of all claims litigation throughout the US. • Oversee all ERISA issues involving welfare benefit plans. • Responsible for employment law team that provides traditional legal support to the entire Unum Group enterprise and business support for Unum’s FMLA and ADA product offerings. • Managed Complex Litigation team that handled all policyholder class actions, False Claim Act, regulatory investigations, and other complex matters that were outside the company’s traditional claim litigation portfolio. The Unum US legal team currently numbers over 100 people, including 40 lawyers.

After the merger between Unum Corporation and Provident Companies was completed in 1999, appointed to lead the combined litigation function and claims advisory function of the newly formed company. During this period, managed a litigation budget of approximately $60M and a team of over 100 people, including 50 lawyers and a large group of paralegals and administrative support. Portfolio of active cases under management grew to exceed 2,000 matters pending in state and federal courts throughout the US. • Responsible for litigation reserves totaling more than $200M and settlement dollars of an equal amount. • Extensive trial strategy experience coordinated with a large group of experienced outside counsel. • Directly responsible for managing large multi-district class action litigation and numerous individual class actions involving securities law, breach of fiduciary duties under the company’s 401(k), and insurance claim disputes involving ERISA. • A major leader in the company’s effort to resolve a major crisis during its most difficult period in its 100+ year history, including resolution of a multi-state regulatory investigation and handling of the consequences of a 60 Minutes and Dateline investigation. Coordinated the national defense of the following litigation onslaught, spearheaded by major plaintiffs’ trial counsel throughout the US.

After Provident Companies Inc. acquired The Paul Revere Life Insurance Company in 1997, was asked to lead the combined litigation function and claims advisory function of Provident. The combined companies had a dominant market share of individual disability insurance in the United States. • Managed a rapidly growing team of lawyers, paralegals, and administrative support personnel. The company had active litigation in almost every state in the country. • Responsible for carefully shaping common law throughout the US that was favorable to the company and the industry.

Vice President and Assistant General CounselVarious legal titles starting from entry-level attorney, Assistant CounselServed as an associate to senior lawyers in all areas of the law department. Gained experience in all areas of the life and health insurance business, handling legal issues concerning marketing, sales, underwriting, product development, insurance policy filings, and claims litigation. • Worked on all lines of insurance coverage Paul Revere marketed, including life, annuities, group, and individual disability insurance. Became skilled on issues impacted by the company’s career and brokerage distribution channels.• Quickly promoted and eventually gravitated to the litigation side of the department as the volume of litigation on the individual disability insurance line began to grow. • Expertise on trial strategies with an emphasis on first-party bad faith litigation; co-counseled with many premiere trial lawyers across the country. Second chair lawyer on numerous trials; enviable track record of success.

A.B., 1980

J.D., 1983