First Insurance Company Names New Vice President of Legal
HONOLULU – First Insurance Company of Hawaii, Ltd. (FICOH) is pleased to welcome Leslie Kop as its new Vice President and Managing Attorney. Kop first worked for FICOH from 1992 to 2000 as staff counsel. In her new position, she will serve as chief trial counsel with responsibility for overall management of the company’s five-attorney Legal department.
Kop is a respected lawyer in Hawaii with more than 20 years of staff counsel and private practice legal experience. She previously was a partner at Fukunaga Matayoshi Hershey Ching & Kop. Before joining FICOH in 1992, she was an associate at Rush Moore Craven Sutton Morry & Beh in the firm’s Corporate and Real Estate department and in Litigation.
“Leslie is well-suited for this position. She’s familiar with First Insurance and many of our people thanks to the eight years she worked here in the ’90s, plus she offers the experience she gained as a partner with a private firm,” said Allen Uyeda, First Insurance president and CEO. “We look forward to the many contributions she will make to our company as a legal and defense expert and as a member of our executive team.”
“I’m excited to return to First Insurance and work with such a skilled and knowledgeable team of lawyers and claims adjusters,” Kop said. “First Insurance is a leader in the industry and Hawaii community. I’m honored to be able to return to First during its centennial year and have the opportunity to contribute to its success in the future.”
Kop was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 1988. She earned a J.D. degree from the University of Oregon School of Law and a B.A. degree in political science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association and American Judicature Society.
Founded on August 11, 1911, First Insurance Company of Hawaii, Ltd. is the oldest and largest property and casualty insurer domiciled in Hawaii, with assets of $606.5 million, liabilities of $373.2 million and policyholders’ surplus of $233.3 million at June 30, 2011. First Insurance enjoys an “A” (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best Co., whose ratings are widely recognized as a benchmark of an insurer’s financial strength. For three years running, First Insurance has also been named to the Ward’s 50 list, which recognizes the nation’s top 50 property and casualty insurance companies. Proud of its broadly experienced, service-oriented staff, First Insurance employs more than 300 insurance professionals and distributes its products through 29 independent general agencies. It has claims personnel on Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island.
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