4 Tribute to Dr Eduardo Steinfeld

by Dr Claudio J. Horst Speyer (President of the Argentine Chapter)

On August 28, 2003 Doctor Eduardo S. Steinfeld, Honorary Chairman of our Association, passed away.

He was a founding member of AIDA Argentina in December 1960, together with Dr Cámara, Fontanarrosa, Halperín (who was appointed Chairman), Lascano, Mackinlay Zapiola, Malagarriga, Marocco, Michelson, Monzón, Morandi (who acted as Secretary), Oneto and Pinnel. In 1962, together with Dr Morandi, he formed part of the Argentine delegation at the World Founding Conference of AIDA, held in Rome and presided over by Professor Antígono Donati. Dr Halperín, who was unable to attend, was appointed Vice President and was then represented by Dr Morandi.

Dr Steinfeld worked closely with Dr Morandi (the Legal Advisor to the National Insurance Board at the time) and Dr Isaac Halperín in drafting the General Insurance Bill. In 1959, the Argentine President set up an Advisory and Review Committee made up of the main Commercial Law jurists in the country, in order to assist with the Bill of Law he would be sending to Congress. To this end, a subcommittee was formed of insurance officials and representatives from the private sector, which worked with Dr. Halperín until 1961. Dr Morandi represented the public area while Dr Steinfeld (Argentine insurance companies) and Dr Oneto (foreign insurers) represented the private area on this committee. The Bill was presented to the National Executive but was later split: The 1968 Act 17418 on Insurance and Reinsurance Contracts and, after a new review led by Dr Morandi among others; The 1973 Act 20091 on regulation of Commercial Insurance.

Dr. Steinfeld's activity in the insurance field was vast and fruitful. Indeed, after entering in the legal profession, he specialized in insurance law, covering aspects relating to corporate law as well as the relationships emerging from contracts, with particular interest in the insured party.

For many years he was the Legal Advisor to the Asociación Argentina de Compañías de Seguros (Argentine Insurance Companies Association). He retired in 1994, but to his last days kept going to his office at the Association where he continued giving valuable advice as a Legal Advisor on issues of his specialty.

From 1956 until 1980, he was active in the Hemisphere Insurance Conference, later known as FIDES. He was a member and legal advisor to the Argentine delegation and, on occasion, he assisted the conference and/or FIDES chairmen. In this capacity, he participated in the review and approval of the Colombia Letter, the Conference by-laws (Bogotá 1965).

In 1970 he joined the body of Post Graduate professors led by Dr Morandi at the University of Buenos Aires School of Law, and in 1978 continued this activity at the Argentine Catholic University (UCA) School of Law.

In 1994 he was part of the team of experts appointed by the Economy Committee of the House of Representatives to analyze and draft bills on insurance and co-insurance. Some of the bills produced by this committee were his work.

In 1995 Argentina's Insurance Law Institutes appointed him Chairman of Dr Morandi's Tribute Committee, which published a book that included national and international papers.

Dr Steinfeld wrote reviews and papers which were published in some renowned legal bulletins including Jurisprudencia Argentina, La Ley, El Derecho and other specialized journals.

He also participated in numerous insurance law conferences at national, Iber American and international level, the last of which was held in Santiago de Chile in 1995. He was a member of diverse Academic Councils, and often the Committee Chairman or Speaker; he presented several papers and gave numerous conferences.

In his last piece of work, 'Insurance Law Review', recently published, the author includes and updates many of his decisions on various issues. He even offers some interesting and thought-provoking comments on financial policy, coming from an acute observation of the country's current situation.

With his passing, insurance law has lost not only a learned colleague but also a warm person whose deep impression will remain in the memory of those he met.

Dr Claudio J. Horst Speyer
Buenos Aires
March 2004