Julie Mix McPeak, who recently stepped down as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, is joining the Insurance Regulatory and Transactions Practice at Greenberg Traurig, P.A., and will serve as one of the founders of the firm's 41st location worldwide – in Nashville, Tennessee.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee reappointed Ms. McPeak as commissioner in January 2019 following her original appointment as commissioner by Governor Bill Haslam in January 2011. Ms. McPeak is the first woman to serve as chief insurance regulator in more than one state – she previously was the executive director of the Kentucky Office of Insurance (“KOI”).
In 2018, Ms. McPeak served as president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”), the U.S. standard-setting and regulatory support organization created and governed by the chief insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories.
“Nashville is a dynamic market with an infrastructure that attracts this type of quality professional and our new office will serve as an important asset to many of our firm's clients across a wide range of sectors,” Joel A. Katz, founding chairperson of the firm's Global Entertainment and Media Practice, said.
“We have always been impressed with the plethora of opportunities available in Nashville as a vibrant business center for insurance, music, healthcare, real estate, technology, private equity, banking, and transportation, as well as a strong higher education market that is home to many colleges and universities. We felt the time was right for us to establish a presence in Nashville with the addition of Julie to our firm. Her unique background and experience will serve as an asset to our clients across the United States,” said Greenberg Traurig's executive chairperson, Richard A. Rosenbaum. “We are known for waiting patiently to find the right time, place, and people to open new offices, as we did with this opportunity, and we are very pleased with what we have been able to achieve. Our combination of a unified, collaborative, and non-bureaucratic culture, with core values of excellence and sincere respect and trust of individuals on the ground, and where the delivery of efficiency and value remain very important even as we have grown, should be a strong formula for success in this market that is coming into its own.”
“Greenberg Traurig's Insurance Regulatory and Transactions group is proud to welcome an attorney of Julie's caliber and reputation to the firm and our practice,” said Fred E. Karlinsky and Thomas J. Bond, co-chairs of Greenberg Traurig's Insurance Regulatory and Transactions Practice, in a joint statement. “Julie has had a stellar career in both the public sector and private practice. Her track record of success, as well as her leadership roles in the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, will provide a great benefit for the firm and for our clients. We look forward to working closely with her to continue expanding our existing client relationships by further enhancing Greenberg Traurig's commitment to serving the needs of our clients in this critical area of law.”
Before leading the Tennessee Department of Commerce, Ms. McPeak worked in private practice as counsel to the insurance practice group of law firm Burr & Forman LLP.
Ms. McPeak spent nine years as an attorney for KOI, including five years as general counsel, before being named the KOI's executive director. She also served as general counsel to the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet.
Ms. McPeak has served on the NAIC's executive committee since 2013. She was elected in November 2015 as NAIC secretary-treasurer and elected NAIC vice president in February 2016. In December 2016, she was elected NAIC president-elect.
In June 2016, Ms. McPeak was elected to serve as vice chair of the executive committee of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors.
“Greenberg Traurig's reputation as a well-managed global law firm, its existing relationships in Nashville, and the strength of its Insurance Regulatory and Transactions Practice, were all factors in my decision to re-join the private sector and specifically to join this firm,” Ms. McPeak said. “I look forward to working with Fred, Tom, and the other members of this award-winning practice, as well as firm leaders in the Global Entertainment Practice and elsewhere. This is a very exciting and important time in my career and at the firm, and I am beyond excited to be here.”
Ms. McPeak is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association and the Kentucky Bar Association. She has been a member of the American Bar Association, Tort and Insurance Practice section, where she served as vice-chair of the Insurance Regulation Committee and a member of the Federal Involvement in Insurance Regulatory Modernization Task Force. Ms. McPeak also has served on the board of directors of the National Insurance Producer Registry and the Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance.
She received her J.D. from the University of Louisville, School of Law in 1994. She is a 1990 graduate of the University of Kentucky, where she received her B.B.A., with distinction, in marketing.
Victoria Spears
Victoria Prussen Spears is senior vice president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc., a law firm marketing communications consulting company. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Brooklyn Law School, Ms. Spears was an attorney at a leading New York City law firm before joining Meyerowitz Communications. She may be contacted at [email protected].