St. Louis-based risk funding productsprovider Safety National said it hasacquired an undisclosed excess and surplus company that will beginoperations in March as Safety Specialty InsuranceCo. The new unit will offer law enforcementliability, public officials liability and educators legal liabilitycoverage.

The Paris-based nonprofit financial servicesassociation Efma and Dublin-based professionalservices giant Accenture said they have createdthe “Innovation in Insurance” awards program to identify and awardinnovative insurance initiatives and projects around the world.Efma is inviting insurers to apply from now throughApril 18. Winners will be recognized at an award ceremony inMilan on June 9 during Efma's Insurance Summit gala dinner.

London-based Pioneer Underwriters announcedthat its Pioneer Special Risk (PSR) unit has started underwritingEnvironmental Liability through its newly established division inExton, Pa. The program is led by Jessica Huhn-Kenzik, a vicepresident at PSR. The company said PSR has been approved as acoverholder at Lloyd's for Environmental Liability with licenses totransact business in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Valhalla, N.Y.-based insurance brokerage and consultingcompany USI Insurance Services said it hasacquired Tamarac, Fla.-based property and casualty insurerBestInsurance. Terms of the transaction were notdisclosed.

The Minneapolis-based Insurance Marketing &Communications Association (IMCA) saidit will host the next edition of its Leadership Webcast Serieson Tuesday, March 15. The program, “EmployeeCommunications: Effective Best Practices, Strategies andTactics,” is to be presented by Bill Fellows, senior vicepresident and head of communications for Centre Americas for SwissRe, and Mark Friedlander, assistant secretary and head of corporatecommunications at the Main Street America Group and president ofIMCA. The one-hour live broadcast, which begins at 2 p.m.Eastern, is free for IMCA members and $49.95 for everyoneelse. Register for the program at IMCA Webcasts.

Newtown, Pa.-based managing general underwriting agency V3 InsurancePartners LLC said its Vantage Point management and professionalliability insurance for small and mid-size businesses has beenapproved for sale in every state so far except for Delaware,New York, Montana, Missouri and Montana. The company said it doesnot plan to offer the insurance in Alaska or Louisiana.

Bothell, Wash.-based insurance softwarecompany Vertafore said it hasdeveloped Vertafore Agency SalesTrack, a customerrelationship management system builton Microsoft's Dynamics customer relationship managementsystem.

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