New York Life appoints senior vice president, deputy general counsel

New York Life Insurance has promoted Katherine O’Brien as new senior vice president and deputy general counsel in the Office of the General Counsel.

O’Brien will report to Sheila Davidson, executive vice president, chief legal officer and general counsel.

In this role, O’Brien will be responsible for managing the employment, litigation, ERISA, contracts, intellectual property, corporate transactions and administrative units of the Office of the General Counsel.

Previously, O’Brien was first vice president and deputy counsel in the Office of the General Counsel after serving as the company’s chief diversity officer in the Human Resources Department for two years.

Prior to that she held positions of increasing responsibility for the Office of the General Counsel, having joined New York Life in 1995 as a litigator, specializing in employment litigation and benefits compliance.

Earlier to joining New York Life, O’Brien worked with several law firms in New York, including Christy and Viener, in general commercial litigation.