Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance appoints US Insurance Regulatory Counsel Eugene Benger

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance announced today the appointment of experienced insurance regulatory attorney Eugene "Gene" Benger as counsel in its US Insurance practice. Benger's appointment will strengthen the firm's transactional and regulatory offering in the insurance space.

Benger brings nearly 20 years of legal experience in private practice and with regulatory agencies. His expertise includes advising financial institutions, insurance companies, private equity firms and other market participants on state insurance regulatory matters, M&A and other insurance transactions. He also holds experience drafting Securities and Exchange Commission filings for potential impact of insurance regulatory developments and emerging insurance issues.

Benger's experience includes serving as General Counsel for Insurance at the New York State Department of Financial Services, and as assistant attorney general at the New York State Office of the Attorney General.

Joe Cosentino, head of the firm's US Insurance practice, says, "As one of only two law firms ranked in Band 1 with Chambers for Global Insurance, we are committed to maintaining and strengthening our insurance practice in New York. Gene enhances our offering with deep transactional expertise and insurance regulatory knowledge. His experience will complement our regional insurance transactional teams and other practice areas such as structured products, funds and capital markets."

Benger is the firm's 11th senior hire in 2022. He follows the recent appointment of partners Kevin Colan in the US Tax team, Devika Kornbacher as Co-Head of the Global Tech Team, and Vadim Avdeychik in US Funds & Investment Management. They were preceded by the hiring of financial regulatory counsel Young Kim, life sciences and healthcare antitrust partner Leigh Oliver, renewable energy, project finance and tax partner Alexander Leff, funds and investment management counsel Richard Kruger and partners William Sturman and Kelly Labritz, and counsel Leah Feldman in structured finance.

Benger, who joins from Debevoise & Plimpton, says, "New York and London are the world's two largest insurance markets and this is a great opportunity for me to join a truly global platform."