[3] Guardian founder Hugo Wesendonck, a German civil rights lawyer, participated in the 1848-49 revolution and helped draft a constitution for a united Germany.

As of February 2015[update], the newly formed Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America subsidiary administers all disability products for Guardian.

[14] Guardian acquired Reed Group in 2012 and through it, provides human resources to companies dealing with employees on absence due to disability.

[17] RS provides its services to pensions, investment companies, high net worth individuals, corporations, and banks.

[23] In 2009, Guardian was the subject of controversy when, in December 2008, it cancelled the insurance plan that covered Ian Pearl, who suffers from muscular dystrophy and requires 24-hour nursing care, which costs approximately million dollars a year.

Guardian publicly and personally apologized to the Pearls and agreed to continue coverage for Ian and two other patients in similar situations.

[24][25] Ian Pearl lives in New York State, and as a result of the controversy, New York passed "Ian's Law" that among other things, requires that insurance companies that cancel insurance plans must offer similar replacement coverage to policy holders under the cancelled plan.