Paul Hastings Adds Premier Insurance M&A Team

NEW YORK – Paul Hastings LLP announced today the arrival of a premier insurance M&A team led by M&A partners Kirk Lipsey and Chad Vance, and insurance regulatory partner Sanjiv Tata. Lipsey and Vance join from Sidley Austin LLP and will be based in New York and Chicago, respectively, while Tata joins from Mayer Brown LLP and will be based in New York.

“This team will continue to build our premier global M&A practice with market-leading transactional and regulatory experience for leading corporates and private equity sponsors in the insurance and reinsurance industry,” said firm Chair Frank Lopez. “We’re excited to welcome the group to Paul Hastings and look forward to gaining more M&A and broader corporate market share at the top of the market.”

Previously named a “Financial Services Dealmaker of the Year” by The Deal, Lipsey focuses on corporate transactions, including M&A and joint venture transactions in the insurance and financial services sector. Over the past 20 years, he has advised numerous domestic and global life, annuity, and property and casualty insurers, financial sponsor-backed investors and asset managers, such as Prudential Financial, Allstate, MetLife, and GoldenTree Asset Management, in a wide range of complex, high-profile U.S. and cross-border transactions.

“The strategic growth at Paul Hastings has been remarkable and we believe that we will contribute to that growth while continuing to serve our clients,” said Lipsey. “We are excited to add a deeper insurance M&A and regulatory capability to the firm’s first-class M&A practice and look forward to partnering with our new colleagues while providing the highest level of client service.” 

Vance’s practice includes a diverse array of corporate, securities, reinsurance, and regulatory matters relating to the insurance and financial services industry. He has represented leading insurers and financial sponsor-backed investors in connection with many of the largest and most complex insurance industry transactions in recent years. His clients have included Venerable Insurance and Annuity, AIG, and Apollo Capital Management.

Tata advises insurance companies, insurance intermediaries, and investment companies across a broad range of insurance regulatory and corporate matters, including insurance M&A, the formation and licensing of insurance companies, reinsurance transactions, enforcement, corporate governance, cybersecurity, risk, and general compliance matters. His clients have included State Farm, The Hartford, and Nippon Life. Prior to joining Mayer Brown, Tata was a member of Skadden’s insurance practice.

The team’s arrival is the latest addition to a growing roster of elite corporate and transactional lawyers joining Paul Hastings, particularly in New York. Other prominent additions this year include M&A partner Jon Kubek from Willkie; finance team Josh Zelig, Marc Lashbrook, and David Barash from Cahill, capital markets and public company advisory team Seo Salimi, Sean Donahue and Will Magioncalda from Goodwin, and fintech and payments team Dana Syracuse and Josh Boehm from Perkins Coie.

About Paul Hastings

With widely recognized elite teams in finance, mergers & acquisitions, private equity, restructuring and special situations, litigation, employment, and real estate, Paul Hastings is a premier law firm providing intellectual capital and superior execution globally to the world’s leading investment banks, asset managers, and corporations.