SEC FORM 4

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

STARNES WILLIAM STANCIL

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

C/O PROASSURANCE CORPORATION

100 BROOKWOOD PLACE

(Street)

BIRMINGHAM

35209-6811

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
PROASSURANCE CORP [ PRA ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director		10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)	X	Other (specify below)
	Chairman		Chief Executive Officer

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
12/09/2011

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price		6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Common Stock	12/09/2011		F		3,186⁽¹⁾	D	$79.87	47,246	D
Common Stock	12/09/2011		M		4,000⁽²⁾	A	$79.87	50,432	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)		10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Restricted Stock Units	⁽³⁾							⁽³⁾	⁽³⁾	Common Stock	39		39	D
Restricted Stock Units	⁽⁴⁾							⁽⁴⁾	⁽⁴⁾	Common Stock	4,000		4,000	D
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$54.28	12/09/2011		M			4,000	09/01/2008⁽⁵⁾	09/01/2018	Common Stock	4,000	$54.28	16,000	D
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$56.16							01/03/2008	07/01/2017	Common Stock	100,000		100,000	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. The 3,186 shares disposed of reflect 2,719 shares withheld by the issuer to fund the cashless exercise of 4,000 options after the market close on 12/9/2011, and 467 shares withheld by the issuer to cover the associated tax liability.

2. Cashless exercise of 4,000 options after the close of the market on December 9, 2011

3. RSU's are equal in value to one share of Common Stock, are issued under the 2008 Equity Plan and acquired under terms of the ProAssurance Corporation 2011 Employee Stock Ownership Plan. The RSUs will vest upon the sooner of three years of continuous employment, termination of employment by reason of death or disability or for ''good reason," or a change of control of the Company. If a participant terminates employment more than twelve months but less than three years from the date of grant, the RSUs will partially vest based on the number of days that the participant was employed in the vesting period. Any RSUs that are unvested on termination of employment will be forfeited. In addition, if a participant withdraws shares purchased for his or her account, matching unvested RSUs will be forfeited. Upon vesting, we will pay the RSUs in shares of our Common Stock from those shares reserved for issuance under the 2008 Equity Plan. Value to be established upon vesting.

4. Each Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) represents a contingent right to receive one share of ProAssurance Corporation common stock, issueable from the ProAssurance 2008 Equity Incentive Plan. The RSUs will vest if the reporting person remains continuously employed by ProAssurance or one of its subsidiaries until February 26, 2012 (three years from date of grant). Vesting will accelerate upon termination of employment as the result of (i) death; (ii) disability; or (iii) Good Reason, as defined in the reporting person's employment agreement with ProAssurance Corporation, or by action of the Compensation Committee of the ProAssurance Corporation Board of Directors. The RSUs will be settled in shares of ProAssurance Common Stock and in cash, with the cash portion being approximately equal to the federal, state, and local taxes.

5. The options vest in five equal, yearly installments commencing on September 1, 2008

Remarks:

$79.87 was the closing price of ProAssurance Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on December 9, 2011.

	Frank B. O'Neil, POA for the Reporting Person, W. Stancil Starnes	12/12/2011
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
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