About Us

1888

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​​​​Lee Kee Lo emigrates from Taishan Village - Guangdong Province, China and opens the Tai Lung (Great Prosperity) Company at 31 Pell Street, New York City.

 

1912

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Harold L. Lee, son of Lee Kee Lo, joins the Tai Lung Company, after coming to America in 1905 and studying at The Mount Hermon School in Northfield, MA.

 

1920's​

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Harold Lee begins a foreign exchange business at 31 Pell Street. Tai Lung becomes Chinatown's first agent for American Express. Harold Lee becomes a representative at Manufacturers' Bank, its first Chinese employee, while simultaneously continuing his work at Tai Lung.

 

1930's

Rose Lee and Andrew P. Lee, Harold's eldest daughter and son, join the firm. Rose works in the foreign exchange business and heads up the bonding service for small businesses. Harold and Andrew introduce the concept of insurance to the Chinatown community. Lee Insurance is Chinatown's first full-service insurance agency.

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1940

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Andrew Lee receives his MBA degree from Columbia University and later serves in the US Army during World War II as a lieutenant in the Central Intelligence Corps. Rose and Catherine Lee run Lee Insurance during Andrew's absence.

 

​​​​1950's-1970's

 

 

 

 

Andrew Lee achieves and maintains status as member of the esteemed life insurance organization, The Million Dollar Roundtable.

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1970's

Lee Insurance prospers and achieves prominence as a direct agent for Chubb, Hartford, Continental (CNA), and Maryland Casualty (Zurich).

 

1978
Stephen Boon, Jr., son of Rose Lee Boon, joins Lee Insurance.

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1981

 

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Sandra K. Lee, daughter of Andrew Lee, joins Lee Insurance.

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1990's
Lee Insurance becomes a board member of both the Insurance Federation of New York and the Chinese American Insurance Association. Lee Insurance opens an office in Southern California.

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1995-2003

 

 

 

 

 

Sandra K. Lee is appointed by President Clinton to serve in the U.S. Small Business Administration.

1997

NYU - Downtown Hospital names its new $55 million Intensive Care Unit the Andrew P. Lee Critical Care Unit.

 

2002
Crain's NY names Sandra Lee as one of NYC's 100 Most Influential Business Leaders. Lee Insurance is featured in Rough Notes, a leading industry magazine.

 

​​​​2003

 

 

 

 

 

Sandra Lee named as one of NYC's 100 Most Powerful Minority Business Leaders by Crain's NY. Lee Insurance is profiled in Business Insurance and the National Underwriter magazines.Travelers names Lee Insurance the Agent of the Year—Emerging Markets. Lee Insurance opens an office in Northern California.

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2013

 

 

 

 

Lee Insurance celebrates its 125th anniversary and is honored by an exhibit at the Museum of Chinese in America
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2020
Lee Insurance featured at IIABA (Independent Insurance Agent & Broker Association) National Diversity Summit in New Orleans. The cover story features Sandra K. Lee’s interview with CEO of Harold L. Lee & Sons Inc.

 

2021
Harold L. Lee & Sons Inc shortens it’s name to HL Lee Insurance Services as it joins Acrisure Partners (9th largest brokerage in USA) in October 2020, after a long, successful history as a family business. Becoming a national player with a local touch, Lee Insurance continues 133 years of serving its valued clients.