Calif. Commissioner Names New General Counsel

Following a nationwide search, California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced his choice for general counsel at the Department of Insurance.

Adam M. Cole comes to the DOI from the San Francisco-based office of the law firm Heller Ehrman LLP, where he directed litigation matters with a focus on insurance recoveries for California policyholders. He also participated in the management of the 600-attorney law firm, which was also involved in representing a party in insurance litigation stemming from the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Previously, Cole served at the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., where he represented clients in litigation against insurance companies.

Poizner said Cole brings to the Department a blend of experience in both complex insurance issues and commercial litigation on the federal and state levels. In addition to insurance coverage matters, his areas of practice include constitutional law, professional ethics of lawyers, and legal issues related to climate change.

He has taught insurance law at the University of California at Berkeley and the University of California Hastings College of the Law.

Source: DOI