Gary Anderson has joined DLA Piper as a partner in the firm’s U.S. Insurance practice in Boston. Anderson is the former Massachusetts Commissioner of Insurance who went on to serve as chief executive officer of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
DLA Piper announced Anderson’s appointment Sept. 2, marking his return to Boston’s insurance community following a regulatory career that took him from the Massachusetts Division of Insurance to national and international insurance regulatory leadership.
Anderson served as Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner from 2017 until 2024 and as NAIC CEO from May 2024 until October 2025.
DLA Piper is a global law firm with more than 90 offices in over 40 countries. Its U.S. Insurance practice advises insurers, reinsurers and other insurance industry participants on regulatory and compliance matters, disputes, transactions and insurance-related investment activity.
Gary Anderson Joins DLA Piper’s Boston Insurance Practice
At DLA Piper, Anderson will advise insurers, reinsurers and other insurance industry participants on regulatory and compliance matters, disputes and insurance-related investment activity.
The firm said Anderson brings senior-level regulatory experience and a technical perspective developed through his leadership roles in Massachusetts and at the NAIC.
“Gary combines deep industry knowledge with extensive experience advising on complex regulatory, compliance and disputes matters across the insurance sector,” Joseph G. Finnerty III, a DLA Piper partner and leader of the firm’s U.S. Insurance sector, said in announcing Anderson’s appointment. “Having played a firsthand role in shaping insurance regulation, he offers clients a valuable perspective on the legal, regulatory, and business issues affecting the industry today.”
Anderson’s DLA Piper practice will also draw on experience in financial regulation, compliance, governance and prudential policy.
From the Massachusetts Senate to Insurance Commissioner
Anderson’s insurance experience began in 1999 with a regional property and casualty insurer in the Northwestern United States.
He subsequently entered Massachusetts public service, serving from 2007 to 2012 as general counsel to the Financial Services Committee of the Massachusetts Senate. From 2012 to 2014, he served as policy adviser and senior counsel in the Office of the Massachusetts Senate President, working on financial services and healthcare policy.
Anderson joined the Massachusetts Division of Insurance as First Deputy Commissioner in February 2014 and became Acting Commissioner following Commissioner Daniel Judson’s departure in February 2017.
Gov. Charlie Baker formally appointed Anderson Commissioner of Insurance in October 2017, announcing the appointment during his keynote address at the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents’ annual Gourmet Luncheon at The Big Event.
Anderson remained Commissioner until May 2024.
Anderson’s Role in CAR and the Massachusetts Auto Insurance Market
Anderson’s tenure included regulatory matters involving Commonwealth Automobile Reinsurers and the Massachusetts private passenger automobile insurance market.
Following a legislative change expanding independent insurance producer representation on CAR’s 13-member Governing Committee, Anderson appointed FBinsure Chief Operating Officer Nicole Martorana to the committee in November 2022.
His final months as Commissioner also included Electric Insurance Company’s withdrawal from the Massachusetts private passenger automobile insurance market.
In February 2024, following General Electric’s announcement concerning Electric Insurance, Anderson formally notified CAR of the company’s proposed withdrawal and established a ten-day period for the CAR Governing Committee, member companies and agent associations to request a hearing.
Electric’s withdrawal plan included a renewal-rights transaction under which Plymouth Rock could offer replacement coverage to eligible Electric automobile and homeowners policyholders.
National and International Insurance Regulatory Roles
While serving as Massachusetts Commissioner, Anderson became increasingly involved in national and international insurance regulation.
He chaired the NAIC’s International Insurance Relations Committee from 2019 through 2024 and served on the NAIC Executive Committee.
At the International Association of Insurance Supervisors, Anderson served as a member and later vice-chair of the Executive Committee from 2019 through 2024. He also chaired the IAIS Policy Development Committee from 2020 through 2022.
Those positions placed the Massachusetts Commissioner in national and international discussions involving insurance regulatory policy, capital requirements and supervisory standards.
From Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner to NAIC CEO
The NAIC selected Anderson as its chief executive officer in March 2024. He assumed the position May 1, ending nearly seven years as Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner.
As CEO, Anderson headed an organization that at the time had an annual operating budget of nearly $160 million and approximately 600 employees supporting state insurance regulators across the country.
Anderson remained NAIC CEO until October 29, 2025, when he stepped down to pursue other professional endeavors.
His September appointment at DLA Piper brings Anderson back to Boston in a different role — advising insurance-sector clients after more than a decade in senior state, national and international insurance regulatory positions.
