With the high rate of mortgage failures and foreclosures, theFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has been on overdriveprotecting bank depositors by selling off distressed assets. Theseassets need to be properly insured, yet in the crush of dealmaking, insurance often is the last thing on anyone's mind.

In one recent case, the bank client of a Midwest insurance agenthad negotiated with the FDIC and was about to complete the purchaseof a book of properties worth more than $400 million when the bankrealized it needed insurance at once--yesterday if possible.

To further complicate matters, all the property was in otherstates. Placing this book of properties quickly seemed like aHerculean task, but the agent had worked with Burns & Wilcox inthe past and knew just what to do.

A quick call to his Burns & Wilcox contact started the ballrolling. Within 24 hours the insurance was settled and the bankdeal could go through without a hitch.

"We are a flat organization that empowers its people," saysBurns & Wilcox Chief Underwriting Officer David Price. "Therewas no waiting for a committee to meet or a bureaucratic sign-offto proceed. We saw what we needed to do and we quickly unleashedthe power of our London relationships to get it done."

While this may be unusual service in the insurance industry, "itis not really unusual for us," says Marla Donovan, Vice Presidentof Product Development at Burns & Wilcox. "This is what wedo."