Norton Rose Fulbright adds insurance regulatory and transactions team in New York and Los Angeles

New York, Aug. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright today announced the arrival of a four-person insurance corporate regulatory team, comprised of partner Robert Romano, counsel Jonathan Bank and insurance specialists Al Bottalico and Stewart Keir. Joining from Locke Lord, Romano and Keir will practice in Norton Rose Fulbright’s New York office, and Bank and Bottalico will be based in the firm’s Los Angeles office.

The team joins Norton Rose Fulbright’s renowned global insurance practice, with leading practices in the UK, Australia, Singapore and South Africa as well as continental Europe. The team expands the firm’s longstanding work in the US on contentious matters to include all types of noncontentious mandates and the full range of regulatory advice.

Romano has extensive experience with insurance regulatory and corporate matters. He has assisted clients in numerous M&A, corporate finance and restructuring transactions, with special attention to methods of entry into new and specialty markets for domestic and international insurers. Romano spent two years in the London office of a prior law firm assisting the Corporation of Lloyd’s and clients in the Lloyd’s and company markets. He frequently attends meetings of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and has recently contributed to rule-making deliberations on reinsurance reform, Insurance Business Transfers and Corporate Divisions. Romano is the third US lateral partner to join the corporate, M&A and securities practice in the past month, following Rajiv Khanna and Eric Rauch.

Bank’s practice focuses on reinsurance/insurance matters, insurance company restructuring and regulatory related matters (credit for reinsurance/collateral) for both the domestic and foreign/alien as well as captive insurance markets. He spent three years employed by UK market participants, including one of the major accountancy firms, working on a number of major UK insurer liquidations. He is actively involved in the run-off industry, involving  both Corporate Division and Insurance Business Transfer statutes.

Keir and Bottalico are non-lawyer insurance financial and regulatory specialists. They both served in senior positions in insurance regulatory agencies in the US. Keir, who is also a chartered property and casualty underwriter (CPCU), served for 32 years in the New York Insurance Department (now the Insurance Division of the New York Department of Financial Services), his last position being that of Assistant Deputy Superintendent and Chief Insurance Examiner. Bottalico served for 38 years in the California Insurance Department ending his service as Deputy Insurance Commissioner of the Financial Surveillance Branch. They assist clients with all aspects of insurance regulation and analysis, including statutory accounting, auditing, compliance and liaising with state insurance regulators.

Jeff Cody, Norton Rose Fulbright’s US Managing Partner, said:

“Robert, Jonathan, Al and Stewart are all seasoned professionals in insurance law who are also highly regarded in the regulatory community. Their practices blend well with our existing insurance capabilities and also supplement our overall strength in the financial institutions sector in the US and globally.”

Scarlet McNellie, Norton Rose Fulbright’s US Head of Corporate, M&A and Securities, said:

“The regulatory landscape is everchanging, and insurers rely on our global team to advise them on complex issues. Robert, Jonathan, Al and Stewart have impressive experience which expands Norton Rose Fulbright’s service offerings for our insurance industry clients, especially in the highly-regulated US insurance market.”

Romano, who has extensive experience in the Brazilian market, said:

“Norton Rose Fulbright has an unmatched global reach that will greatly benefit my international practice, especially in Brazil. I’m excited to join the US insurance regulatory team and get a chance to expand our practice with colleagues across the globe.”

Bank, who worked for Chadbourne & Parke before its 2017 combination with Norton Rose Fulbright, said:

“I have practiced together with many lawyers at Norton Rose Fulbright for a long time, and moving our practice to this world-class firm is a great opportunity for our team and our clients.”

Both Romano and Bank are licensed in New York, and Bank is also licensed in California. Romano earned his law degree from New York University School of Law and his bachelor’s degree cum laude from Harvard College. Bank earned his law degree from Creighton University School of Law and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma. Bottalico received his bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fullerton and Kier earned his bachelor’s degree from Hunter College of the City University of New York.

For further information, please contact:

Dan McKenna, US Director and Global Head of PR and Communications

Tel: +1 713 651 3576

[email protected]

Notes for editors:

Norton Rose Fulbright

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright provides the world’s preeminent corporations and financial institutions with a full business law service. With more than 4,000 lawyers and other legal staff based in Europe, the United States, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East, Norton Rose Fulbright has offices in more than 50 cities worldwide, including London, Houston, New York, Toronto, Mexico City, Hong Kong, Sydney and Johannesburg.

Norton Rose Fulbright is recognized for its industry focus across all of the key sectors: financial institutions; energy, infrastructure and resources; transport; technology; life sciences and healthcare; and consumer markets. Through its global risk advisory group, the firm leverages its industry experience with its knowledge of legal, regulatory, compliance and governance issues to provide clients with practical solutions to the legal and regulatory risks facing their businesses.

Operating in accordance with its global business principles of quality, unity and integrity, Norton Rose Fulbright aims to provide the highest possible standard of legal service in each of its offices and to maintain that level of quality at every point of contact.

Norton Rose Fulbright Verein, a Swiss verein, helps coordinate the activities of Norton Rose Fulbright members but does not itself provide legal services to clients. For more information, see nortonrosefulbright.com/legal-notices.

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Attachments

• Robert Romano
• Jonathan Bank

Dan McKenna
Norton Rose Fulbright
7136513576
[email protected]

Source: Norton Rose Fulbright