Overview
With a legal career spanning more than five decades, Barry Weissman offers significant insurance and reinsurance industry experience. He partners with clients in advising them on various methodologies to help them achieve their desired results.
He represents various forms of insurance and reinsurance entities in regulatory proceedings, transactional matters, and resolution of disputes in both litigation scenarios and alternative dispute mechanisms such as arbitrations and mediations. He also works with numerous national and international corporations, banking and financial institutions, insurers, reinsurers, captives (on and offshore), insurance and reinsurance intermediaries, risk purchasing and retention groups, and departments of insurance. On behalf of departments of insurance, his work has included representing the departments in various types of matters such as Form As, licensing matter hearings, and various legal matters. He has also continued to represent insurance and reinsurance companies in regulatory matters such as Form As, acting as liquidator and rehabilitator of troubled insurance companies.
Barry partners with clients in both investing and purchasing insurance entities such as brokerages, insurance companies, and insurtech entities. In the last two years, he has been involved in performing due diligence (including drafting transaction documents) for clients that have invested in the entities in excess of $1 billion.
Barry partners with his clients on various complex and diverse matters, such as formations, capitalizations, mergers, acquisitions, portfolio transfers, insurance-linked securities, commutations, restructurings, working with clients to prepare for and handle insurance examinations such as financial and market conduct exams, dissolution of insurers, captives, and receiverships, and assisting his clients on their operational and regulatory needs, including global licensing, policy drafting, and participating in legislative activities. His legislative activities have included working as part of the team that drafted the California Risk Retention Act, and the Cumis legislation (regarding insurance companies' use of separate counsel when their interests potentially conflict with those of their insureds), and serving on the California State Senate Advisory Commission on Malpractice Insurance.
His largest source of business has always been his clients, who have complimented him and recommend him to others. He has been told frequently by his clients that he "thinks out of the box" and "is practical, understands the client, and knows how to get them to the finish line."
Clients appreciate that Barry Weissman "is very business-oriented and experienced, he knows a lot of people and connects well with them. He provides hands-on advice and thinks outside the box." He is a market-leading adviser with extensive experience across transactional and regulatory matters affecting the reinsurance sector.
News & Insights
News
Publications
Speaking Engagements
"Key NAIC (A), (E), and (H) Committee Initiatives: A Discussion With NAIC Leaders," ALI CLE Conference on Life Insurance Company Products, Washington, D.C. (November 5, 2026)
"Innovations in Life Insurance and State Insurance Regulatory Initiatives," ALI CLE Conference on Life Insurance Company Products, Washington, D.C. (November 13, 2025)
"Innovations in Life Insurance and State Insurance Regulatory Initiatives," ALI CLE Conference on Life Insurance Company Products, Washington, D.C. (November 7, 2024)
"Regulatory Developments in Latin America," (Re)Insurance Latin American Regulatory Conference, Miami, FL (May 10, 2024)
Integrity Marketing Group LLC Compliance Summit (2023)
"Representations and Warranties Insurance: A Third-Party Risk Partner for M&A Transactions," California Lawyers Association Business Law Section Insurance Law Symposium: Insurance Law and Regulation for Non-Insurance Lawyers (May 20, 2021)
"Plenary Session No. 10: Brexit! What Happens Next?," American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section 43rd Annual Midwinter Symposium on Insurance and Employee Benefits, Coral Gables, FL (January 14, 2017)
"Insurance in the Age of a Shared Economy: A Primer and a View of the Future Impact," Association of Professional Insurance Women, New York, NY (September 21, 2016)
"Member Company General Counsel Panel," Northeast General Counsel Seminar, Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, Philadelphia, PA (September 19, 2016)
"California Fair Claims Settlement Regulations," International Underwriting Association of London, London, United Kingdom (May 10, 2016)
"New and Emerging Risks and Regions: Top Ten Global Risks, New and Emerging Regions, and Types of Coverages for Which Captives Are Being Used," Fourth Annual Forum on Captive Insurance, American Conference Institute, New York, NY (May 2–3, 2016)
"Collection Issues for Alternative Capital Funding," Re Claims Bermuda: Navigating the World of Reinsurance Protection When Loss Strikes, Reinsurance Association of America, Hamilton, Bermuda (March 16–17, 2016)
"Collection Issues for Alternative Capital Funding," Re Claims: Navigating the World of Reinsurance Protection When Loss Strikes, Reinsurance Association of America, New York, NY (October 16, 2015)
"Governance of Captives, Complying With Regulatory Demands, and Regulatory Issues With NAIC, FIO, and the IAIS," Third Annual Forum on Captive Insurance, American Conference Institute, New York, NY (April 24, 2015)
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Recognition
Honors & Recognitions
The Best Lawyers in America (2026–2027)
Who's Who Legal (2023–2024)
Chambers USA (2007–2019)
Southern California Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Magazine (2005, 2009–2010)
No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the highest court of any state. See Awards Methodology.
Professional & Community Involvement
Professional & Community Involvement
Barry is a member of the International Association of Insurance Receivers and ARIAS-U.S. and serves on the Nevada Division of Insurance Commissioner's Property and Casualty Insurance Advisory Committee. In the American Bar Association, he is a member of the General Practice, International Law, and Litigation sections and served on the council of the General Practice Section. At the State Bar of California, he served on the Council on Access and Fairness and chaired the Business Law Section's Standing Committee on Insurance Law.
Beyond the Bio
Barry has helped shape insurance law in California and beyond, including state insurance legislation, and he continues that work as an adviser to Nevada's insurance regulator. His pro bono work has centered on foster children. As a volunteer with Advokids, which supports California foster children, he has helped caregivers adopt the children in their care, including four young siblings they had raised for years. At the firm, he is an editor of the Reinsurance & Arbitration Focus blog, covering reinsurance and arbitration developments.
Related Capabilities
Bar Admissions
Court Admissions
Education
J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law
B.A., University of California, Davis
