Kathleen A. Birrane

Partner

From accessing healthcare, to driving to work, to starting a business, it is critical that our insurance system runs well and that customers are treated fairly," said Gov. Moore. "Commissioner Birrane is a leader in this industry not just here in Maryland, but across the country. She has led the Insurance Administration with foresight and dedication, and I thank her for her service to our state.

— Maryland Governor Wes Moore, April 2024

Emailkathleen.birrane@us.dlapiper.com

Call+1 410 580 4135

Baltimore

About

Kathleen Birrane, a partner in the Litigation practice, serves as the firm's US Insurance Regulatory Practice leader. She represents clients who are engaged in, or support, the business of insurance with respect to regulated activities and related litigation. Her areas of focus include the analysis of issues related to the use of technology, predictive modeling/big data, and artificial intelligence in the insurance sector; the development of governance, risk management, and compliance programs; governmental investigations and examinations; and advising on the insurance regulatory aspects of transactions and corporate reorganizations, restructurings, acquisition and investment activities, including due diligence.

Kathleen returned to DLA Piper in July 2024 after four years of service as the Maryland Insurance Commissioner. In May 2020, Kathleen was appointed Maryland Insurance Commissioner by then Governor Larry Hogan. She was confirmed by the Maryland Senate in 2021 and was asked to remain as Commissioner by Governor Wes Moore. During her tenure, Kathleen served on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, was the inaugural chair of the NAIC's Innovation, Cybersecurity and Technology (H) Committee, and lead the solvency workstream of the NAIC’s Climate and Resiliency Task Force. Kathleen is broadly recognized as a thought leader on complex insurance regulatory issues, including the responsible and ethical use of AI Systems and complex predictive models in the business of insurance. She was the primary author of the NAIC’s Model Bulletin on the Use of Artificial Intelligence Systems by Insurers, which sets out regulatory guidance and expectations regarding the development and deployment of certain advanced analytical and computational technologies by insurers.

In 2021, Kathleen was elected Chair of the Interstate Insurance Product Regulatory Commission, an interstate compact among 46 US states and territories that serves as a centralized system for the development of product standards and for product filing and approvals for mortality based insurance products, including life insurance, annuities and certain long-term care and income disability products. In June 2024, she was the first recipient of the Compact Champion Award, which was established to recognize transformational leadership and unwavering dedication to the mission of the Compact.

Kathleen's international work has included chairing the Supervisory Forum within the International Association of Insurance Supervisors, as well as serving on the Steering Committee of the EU/US Insurance Dialogue within the US Department of the Treasury, working closely with the Executive Director of the Federal Insurance Office and the Chair of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA). She also served as Maryland’s representative to the Sustainable Insurance Forum, a project of the United Nation's Development Programme (UNDP) within the UNDP Sustainable Finance Hub.

From 2002 until 2007, Kathleen served in the Maryland Office of the Attorney General in the statutory position of principal counsel to the Maryland Insurance Administration. She managed all of the legal work of the agency, both in its capacity as regulator and as a unit of state government. During her tenure as principal counsel, she served on numerous work groups and task forces of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. After leaving the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, and before joining DLA Piper, Kathleen was a senior vice president and general counsel of portfolio companies owned by major hedge funds that focused on asset consulting, acquisition, diligence, and the servicing of insurance-linked investments.

Areas of FocusInsurance Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations Regulatory and Government Affairs

Bar admissionsMaryland

CourtsSupreme Court of the United StatesUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fourth CircuitUnited States District Court for the District of Maryland

It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to work with Commissioner Birrane over the years," said North Dakota Insurance Commissioner and NAIC President-Elect Jon Godfread. "Her leadership, particularly in AI regulation and the Interstate Compact, has had a profound impact not only on Maryland but across the entire NAIC community and the United States. Her efforts were instrumental in guiding North Dakota to join the Interstate Compact, a milestone we could not have achieved without her influence.

— North Dakota Insurance Commissioner and NAIC President-Elect, Jon Godfread

When I think of my work with Commissioner Birrane, it is hard to list everything about her that impressed me," said Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance Director and NAIC Most Recent Past President Chlora Lindley-Myers. "Certainly, I must admit I am in awe of her mental attributes – she can assess and analyze complex situations quickly and discern and plan her actions decisively. She has always been willing to take on any challenge, and the insurance commissioners have had many complex problems to address in the past four years. We have been fortunate to have her mind and talent directed toward helping solve some of those problems.

— Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance Director and NAIC Most Recent Past President, Chlora Lindley-Myers

Education

J.D., University of Maryland School of Law

B.A., Notre Dame of Maryland University

AWARDS

Recipient, Distinguished Service Award, Mental Health Association of Maryland, 2024
Recipient, Compact Champion Award, Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission, 2024
Named, Top 100 Women of Maryland, Daily Record, 2002 and 2019

Publications

Co-author, "A Look At Calif.'s New AI Law For Health Insurers," Law360, October 15, 2024

Seminars

Client Quotes

Media Mentions

Prior Experience

Kathleen began her legal career as a law clerk at a Baltimore law firm which elected her a shareholder in 1995. Her practice encompassed a broad range of civil, criminal, and regulatory matters, with a focus on complex commercial litigation, insurance coverage disputes, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and insurance regulatory matters.

National Association of Insurance Commissioners Roles