Experienced Insurance Partners Join Foley in Chicago, New York

Foley & Lardner LLP announced today that lawyers Michael Kasdin and JillAllison Opell have joined the firm’s Insurance Practice as partners in the Chicago and New York offices, respectively.

Kasdin and Opell have years of experience working closely together and they bring a wealth of insurance transactional, regulatory and litigation knowledge with them. Prior to joining Foley, they worked together at Michelman & Robinson, LLP and Dentons. While at Michelman & Robinson, Kasdin was the managing partner of the Chicago office and Opell was the chair of the Insurance Industry Group.

“Michael and JillAllison’s regulatory, litigation and transactional experience in the insurance industry, as well as their notable leadership background, make for two strong additions to our growing national insurance practice,” said Ethan Lenz, chair of Foley’s Insurance Practice Group. “Their perspectives, gained from working together and independently, will be instrumental as we help our clients navigate complex, insurance-related issues. We look forward to helping them grow their practices with us.”

Kasdin has nearly a 15-year background in handling matters involving insurance regulation, transactions and litigation for a broad client base in the insurance, reinsurance, technology, health care and legal sectors. His practice focuses on significant mergers and acquisitions and private equity deals, regulatory compliance in the insurance and reinsurance spaces and alternative risk transfers, including all aspects of structured finance. He also has deep experience shepherding transactions, counseling clients regarding complex and esoteric regulatory-compliance issues and managing bet-the-company litigation. In addition to traditional insurance work, Kasdin has worked on reinsurance arbitrations and structuring and documenting loss-portfolio transfers and novations. Notwithstanding his breadth of experience, he spends a majority of his time providing counsel for private equity and third-party capital firms on acquisitions and strategic management of regulated entities including carriers and brokerages.

“Michael’s ability to provide sophisticated counseling for M&A and private equity deals make him an excellent addition to our growing transactional practice in Chicago and nationally,” said Frank Pasquesi, managing partner of Foley’s Chicago office. “His and JillAllison’s complementary practices will be of great benefit to our clients on an array of insurance-related matters.”

Opell, also with nearly 15 years’ insurance regulatory and transactional experience, represents well-known insurance companies, reinsurers, agents, brokers, private equity funds and other relevant entities across all insurance business lines. Her practice focuses on Holding Company Act issues including acquisitions, intercompany agreements and investment laws, as well as compliance, licensing and Affordable Care Act issues. She also counsels businesses during federal and state regulatory investigations, while they obtain transaction approval and while they develop new programs. Opell’s transactional experience is comprised of handling regulatory filings associated with insurance company acquisitions, affiliated transactions and other holding company transactions; handling roll-up deals; working on Forms A, Forms D, redomestications and demutualizations; and advising clients on the regulatory aspects of captive insurance companies and “XXX reserves.”

“With her breadth of regulatory and transactional knowledge in the insurance industry, we’re confident JillAllison will hit the ground running with our growing New York team and nationally,” said Peter Wang, managing partner of Foley’s New York office. “She and Michael will certainly make a difference for our clients and enhance our presence in the insurance market.”