Clifford Chance

Insurance compliance and regulatory specialist Alice Kane Joins Clifford Chance's Americas Corporate Team

Clifford Chance today announced that Alice Kane joins the firm's New York insurance practice. Kane advises property and casualty, life and health insurance clients on a wide range of regulatory and transactional matters.

She previously served as the group general counsel at two Fortune 100 insurers, Zurich Insurance Group and New York Life Insurance Company, where she led teams of in-house and outside counsel on complex M&A transactions, settled major government and insurance department investigations and spearheaded the successful resolution of SEC enforcement actions, among other regulatory and governance matters.

More recently, Kane has focused on insurance regulatory matters, representing clients before the New York State Department of Financial Services and other state insurance departments. Over the past several years, she monitored both international and national insurance regulatory reforms at both the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). She also represented clients on US health care reform before the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CMS) – a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Her business experience extends to asset management. She served as executive vice president in charge of asset management for New York Life and as president of the mutual fund business for American General's Variable Life and Annuity Division. She also founded a woman- and minority-owned institutional asset management business, Blaylock Asset Management.

"Alice brings a wide range of credentials that enhance our global insurance practice, including deep expertise in global and US regulatory and compliance matters. Alice's in-house experience as a senior executive with leading insurers provides her with a very strong understanding of the needs of our clients and supports the firm's commitment to delivering world-class service and providing commercially focused legal advice of the highest quality," said corporate partner Gary Boss, whose group offers leading insurance capabilities in a variety of areas, including mergers and acquisitions, alternative capital transactions, complex risk transfer transactions, and regulatory and compliance matters.

Boss added, "With our group's increasing level of engagement with asset managers, investment funds and private equity clients, combined with Alice's broad range of abilities, Alice is an outstanding addition for our Insurance Group."

Americas Regional Managing Partner Evan Cohen said, "We are delighted to welcome Alice onboard. Her unique skill set and regulatory specialization, coupled with an insider's perspective on the legal and business issues, add just the right dimension to the already outstanding capabilities of our team."

"Clifford Chance offers expansive opportunities that few firms can match," said Kane. "I was particularly impressed with the Firm's strategic approach to developing its global insurance practice in perfect stride with today's market and with a keen eye on what clients will need as the industry continues to evolve. I am very pleased to be joining this team."Kane joins Clifford Chance from Duane Morris.

Clifford Chance is a trusted advisor to the world's preeminent insurers and reinsurers and is one of just two firms to be ranked Band 1 for Insurance M&A in Chambers Global. Under the leadership of Boss, the Firm has established a premier reputation in alternative capital insurance ventures following the successful capital raises and launches of five pioneering start-ups, two of which were recognized as capital raises of the year by Reactions magazine.