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Exhibit 5.2
[Letterhead of Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A.]
May 15, 2001
Hartford Life Capital III
Hartford Life, Inc.
200 Hopmeadow Street
Simsbury, CT 06089
Re: Hartford Life Capital III
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special Delaware counsel for Hartford Life,
Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Hartford Life Capital III, a
Delaware business trust (the "Trust"), in connection with the matters set forth
herein. At your request, this opinion is being furnished to you.
For purposes of giving the opinions hereinafter set forth, our
examination of documents has been limited to the examination of originals or
copies of the following:
(a) The Certificate of Trust of the Trust (the "Certificate"),
as filed in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the
"Secretary of State") on June 4, 1998;
(b) The Declaration of Trust of the Trust, dated as of June 3,
1998, among the Company and the trustees of the Trust named therein;
(c) The Registration Statement (the "Registration Statement")
on Form S-3, including a preliminary prospectus (the "Prospectus"), relating to
the preferred securities of the Trust, representing undivided beneficial
interests in the assets of the Trust (each, a "Preferred Security" and
collectively, the "Preferred Securities"), as proposed to be filed by the
Company, the Trust and others with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or
about May 15, 2001;
(d) A form of Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the
Trust (including Annex I and Exhibits A-1 and A-2) (the "Declaration of Trust"),
to be entered into
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Hartford Life Capital III
May 15, 2001
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among the Company, the trustees of the Trust named therein, and the holders,
from time to time, of undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Trust,
filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement; and
(e) A Certificate of Good Standing for the Trust, dated May
14, 2001, obtained from the Secretary of State.
Initially capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise
defined are used as defined in the Declaration of Trust.
For purposes of this opinion, we have not reviewed any
documents other than the documents listed in paragraphs (a) through (e) above.
In particular, we have not reviewed any document (other than the documents
listed in paragraphs (a) through (e) above) that is referred to in or
incorporated by reference into the documents reviewed by us. We have assumed
that there exists no provision in any document that we have not reviewed that is
inconsistent with the opinions stated herein. We have conducted no independent
factual investigation of our own but rather have relied solely upon the
foregoing documents, the statements and information set forth therein and the
additional matters recited or assumed herein, all of which we have assumed to be
true, complete and accurate in all material respects.
With respect to all documents examined by us, we have assumed
(i) the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as authentic originals,
(ii) the conformity with the originals of all documents submitted to us as
copies or forms, and (iii) the genuineness of all signatures.
For purposes of this opinion, we have assumed (i) that the
Declaration of Trust constitutes the entire agreement among the parties thereto
with respect to the subject matter thereof, including with respect to the
creation, operation and termination of the Trust, and that the Declaration of
Trust and the Certificate are in full force and effect and have not been
amended, (ii) except to the extent provided in paragraph 1 below, the due
creation or due organization or due formation, as the case may be, and valid
existence in good standing of each party to the documents examined by us under
the laws of the jurisdiction governing its creation, organization or formation,
(iii) the legal capacity of natural persons who are signatories to the documents
examined by us, (iv) that each of the parties to the documents examined by us
has the power and authority to execute and deliver, and to perform its
obligations under, such documents, (v) the due authorization, execution and
delivery by all parties thereto of all documents examined by us, (vi) the
receipt by each Person to whom a Preferred Security is to be issued by the Trust
(collectively, the "Preferred Security Holders") of a Preferred Security
Certificate evidencing ownership of such Preferred Security in the name of such
Person and the payment for the Preferred Security acquired by it, in accordance
with the Declaration of Trust and the Registration Statement, and (vii) that the
Preferred Securities are issued and sold to the Preferred Security Holders in
accordance with the Declaration of Trust and the Registration Statement. We have
not
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Hartford Life Capital III
May 15, 2001
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participated in the preparation of the Registration Statement and assume
no responsibility for its contents.
This opinion is limited to the laws of the State of Delaware
(excluding the securities laws of the State of Delaware), and we have not
considered and express no opinion on the laws of any other jurisdiction,
including federal laws and rules and regulations relating thereto. Our opinions
are rendered only with respect to Delaware laws and rules, regulations and
orders thereunder that are currently in effect.
Based upon the foregoing, and upon our examination of such
questions of law and statutes of the State of Delaware as we have considered
necessary or appropriate, and subject to the assumptions, qualifications,
limitations and exceptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that:
1. The Trust has been duly created and is validly existing in
good standing as a business trust under the Business Trust Act.
2. The Preferred Securities will represent valid and, subject
to the qualifications set forth in paragraph 3 below, fully paid and
nonassessable undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Trust.
3. The Preferred Security Holders, as beneficial owners of the
Trust, will be entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to
stockholders of private corporations for profit organized under the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. We note that the Preferred Security
Holders may be obligated to make payments as set forth in the Declaration of
Trust.
We consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities
and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In
addition, we hereby consent to the use of our name under the heading "Legal
Opinions" in the Prospectus. In giving the foregoing consents, we do not thereby
admit that we come within the category of Persons whose consent is required
under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder. Except as
stated above, without our prior written consent, this opinion may not be
furnished or quoted to, or relied upon by, any other Person for any purpose.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A.
BJK/MSC