Former Tennessee Department of Commerce Assistant General Counsel, Assistant Attorney General joins regulatory & government relations practice
Butler Snow is pleased to announce Benjamin Arthur Whitehouse, former supervising attorney and assistant general counsel of the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance has joined the firm’s Nashville office. Whitehouse, who also served as an assistant attorney general for the state, will practice with the firm’s regulatory and business groups.
“Ben will be a tremendous asset to our firm and to our regulatory and business group, and we are excited he has joined our team,” said Donald Clark, Jr. chairman of Butler Snow. “His unique captive insurance and tax issues knowledge and government leadership experience will prove valuable in helping our clients successfully navigate insurance matters.”
Prior to joining Butler Snow, Whitehouse served as supervising attorney and assistant general counsel for insurance for the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance. As part of the general civil division, he served as the legal advisor to the captive insurance section providing legal advice on the regulation and formation of new captive insurance companies based in Tennessee. Whitehouse frequently worked with local industry groups, venture capital firms and private industry to promote and encourage the formation of captive insurance companies throughout the state. He was also responsible for drafting legislation, administrative rules and policy advice on proposed statutory and regulatory changes governing captive insurance companies in Tennessee. Whitehouse has significant experience in other insurance regulatory matters.
Whitehouse was an assistant attorney general for Tennessee from 2007 to 2013, where he served as a trial attorney in the law enforcement and special prosecutions division. In this post, he was responsible for defending state agencies such as the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Department of Safety in civil litigation and judicial review of administrative agency action and for the preparation and criminal prosecution of white-collar crimes statewide. Whitehouse also served as a Judge Advocate in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
Butler Snow’s insurance regulatory team has experience in handling major regulatory, compliance or enforcement issues before the Department and before the legislature.
Whitehouse holds a certificate from the International Center for Captive Insurance Education as an Associate in Captive Insurance and held a certification as a Professional in Insurance Regulation by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. He received his undergraduate degree from Wabash College and his Juris Doctor from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Whitehouse also holds a master of laws in taxation from Boston University School of Law to support his work in captive insurance.
