Gardere Welcomes Government Affairs Attorney Marisol Saenz to the Austin Office

    AUSTIN, TX, October 15, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP is pleased to announce that Administrative Law Attorney Marisol Saenz has joined the Firm's Government Affairs Practice in Austin, Texas.

Ms. Saenz joins Gardere from the Texas Department of Insurance where she provided counsel to the commissioner of insurance and staff on compliance and regulatory matters, legislative and policy issues, and litigation. Her legal advice covered all phases of insurance regulation, including formation and licensing of regulated entities, major holding company transactions, examinations, financial solvency concerns and receiverships. Ms. Saenz also oversaw all aspects of high-profile, complex federal civil and criminal litigation matters involving receivership estates as counsel to the insurance commissioner in his role as receiver.

Focusing her practice on counseling clients in insurance and other regulatory matters, Ms. Saenz provides representation before various state agencies and the Texas Legislature. She is proficient in analyzing matters under the Texas Insurance Code, Public Information Act, Open Meetings Act and Administrative Procedures Act, and is experienced in rulemaking and the legislative process. Her clients value her ability to find novel, yet practical, solutions while minimizing risk, as well as her collaborative approach to working with governmental entities, government officials and diverse stakeholders.

"We are very excited to add Marisol's insurance and overall administrative law expertise to the Firm's Government Affairs team," says Kimberly A. Yelkin, executive partner in Gardere's Austin office. "Marisol's proven track record of success will be an asset to our clients and will further advance our team's influence in the Texas public policy process."

Prior to working at the Texas Department of Insurance, Ms. Saenz served as a staff attorney for the Texas Water Development Board. In this role she provided counsel regarding the financing of water projects across the state and planning for Texas' future water needs, which required significant collaboration with federal, state, and local governmental entities and officials, in addition to members of the public and various parties of interest. Ms. Saenz earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas in 1999 and her juris doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2004.

"I am thrilled to join the Gardere team," says Ms. Saenz. "It is an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to expand upon my administrative law experience as part of the Firm's highly recognized Government Affairs Practice."

Gardere's government affairs attorneys are consistently recognized among the best and most experienced legal and lobbying teams in the region. The group earned first-tier honors in the Best Law Firms rankings compiled by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers in 2011, 2013 and 2015. In addition, the team was ranked as one of the top legal lobbying groups in the state by Capitol Inside's Texas Lobby Power Rankings in 2013 and 2015 for having the state's largest legislative practice housed at a law firm.

Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, an Am Law 200 firm founded in 1909 and one of the Southwest's largest full-service law firms, has offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston and Mexico City. Gardere provides legal services to private and public companies and individuals in the areas of aviation, chemical and refining, corporate, energy, environmental, financial restructuring and reorganization, government affairs, hospitality, insurance, intellectual property, international, labor and employment, litigation, manufacturing, maritime, private equity, real estate, retail, tax and technology law.

For more information, contact Jennifer Dilworth at 214-999-4718 or [email protected], or Connie Thompson at 214-999-4288 or [email protected].

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