Press Release
Former Pennsylvania Executive Deputy General Counsel and Acting Insurance Commissioner Robert Pratter Rejoins Duane Morris
PHILADELPHIA, October 17, 2011—Duane Morris LLP is pleased to announce that Robert L. Pratter, former Pennsylvania executive deputy general counsel and acting insurance commissioner, and previously a partner with Duane Morris for 25 years, has rejoined the firm's Philadelphia office as of counsel.
Pratter began his legal career at Duane Morris in 1969, practicing at the firm for 30 years. He headed its Administrative Law practice and served on the firmwide Partners Board, before departing in 1999 to become senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of insurance holding company PMA Capital Corporation. In 2008, after guiding PMA through the process of becoming a publicly held company and providing counsel during the company's expansion, he joined the Pennsylvania Office of General Counsel as its executive deputy general counsel for litigation. Serving both the administrations of former Gov. Edward Rendell and current Gov. Tom Corbett, Pratter oversaw litigation conducted by the 29 commonwealth executive agencies and personally represented Pennsylvania in major litigation involving insurance healthcare reform, prevailing wage enforcement, civil rights and natural resources.
Pratter also served as Pennsylvania's acting insurance commissioner from August 2010 to January 2011. In this role, he led Pennsylvania's initial insurance regulatory response to the federal healthcare law and worked with insurance commissioners across the United States to complete a $100 million settlement of a multistate investigation into AIG's compliance with workers' compensation premium reporting rules.
"Since leaving Duane Morris in 1999 to serve a firm client as its first-ever general counsel, Bob has played crucial roles in both the public and private sectors," said John Soroko, Chairman of Duane Morris. "He returns to Duane Morris with an impressive list of accomplishments, and his unique perspective will undoubtedly benefit our clients. Bob's knowledge of the regulatory environment for insurance companies and other organizations doing business in Pennsylvania is unparalleled. In addition, he has an excellent understanding of state government and how it affects the overall business and legal communities. We’re very pleased and honored to welcome him back."
"With Bob's arrival, the firm regains an experienced and well-respected lawyer who possesses significant judgment and insight into the challenges and opportunities facing the insurance industry and other businesses in Pennsylvania and nationally," said Matt Taylor, Chairman of the firm's Trial Practice Group. "We also believe Bob's experience as a general counsel and state regulator will help us better-serve many of our clients."
At Duane Morris, Pratter will again concentrate his practice on litigation, regulation and transactional matters in the insurance industry, as well as complex litigation matters for businesses of all types. As a former general counsel of a public company, he has proven substantive experience in securities law, corporate governance, business ethics and internal investigations. Pratter has handled numerous complex commercial disputes, including federal securities class actions; bankruptcy and business reorganization; and general business litigation. He is a member of the University of Pennsylvania Law School Inn of Court.
Pratter earned his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law and graduated, with high distinction, from Yale University. He is married to Judge Gene E.K. Pratter of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
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