We are sad to share that our long-time friend Thomas L. Stapleton, passed away.

Tom was of counsel to Davis & Harman LLP. He provided firm clients with a deep expertise in the taxation of insurance companies, their products and financial transactions. Before joining Davis & Harman in 2000, Tom was Senior Vice President and Tax Director of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. As MetLife's senior tax officer and head of its Tax Department, he was responsible for all tax planning and administration for the company and its subsidiaries, product and benefits tax issues and all legal issues related to tax and ERISA. His responsibilities included all tax aspects of MetLife's corporate acquisitions, divestitures, mergers and reorganizations.

Prior to MetLife, Tom served for nine years in the U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division, as a trial and appellate attorney specializing in insurance tax litigation. He also served as Assistant Chief of the Appellate Section.

Over the course of his long career, Tom served as Chairman of the Committee of Annuity Insurers, chairman of the ACLI Company Tax Subcommittee, and secretary-treasurer of the Mutual Company Tax Committee and chairman of its Technical Committee. For over twenty years, he was also chairman of the Tax Committee of the Life Insurance Council of New York. Tom was also a frequent speaker on insurance taxation at seminars and conferences and testified before Congress on insurance tax matters.

Tom’s full obituary is available online: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/washingtonpost/name/thomas-stapleton-obituary?id=51739441