Jim Donelon, an American attorney, military veteran, and public official who served as Louisiana’s Commissioner of Insurance from 2006 to 2024, joined Middleberg Riddle Group as of counsel, where he will advise insurers, agencies, producers, and other insurance market participants on regulatory and operational issues.
Donelon led the Louisiana Department of Insurance from 2006 to 2024, becoming the longest-serving insurance commissioner in the state’s history.
During that period he oversaw Louisiana’s insurance market through major catastrophe events including Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike, Isaac, Laura, Delta, Zeta, and Ida, along with the COVID-19 pandemic.
His experience in public office included regulatory supervision, insurer licensing, enforcement actions, market oversight, and industry transactions.
According to Beinsure analysts, former regulators frequently move into advisory roles as insurers face increasing compliance pressure and catastrophe exposure in coastal states.
Donelon said he intends to assist companies navigating a market shaped by environmental risks, economic pressures, and shifting regulatory requirements.
He plans to focus on providing guidance grounded in regulatory practice and operational experience.
At the national level, Donelon served as president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2013.
He also sat on the organization’s executive committee from 2011 through 2024 and chaired several regulatory bodies including the Surplus Lines Task Force and the Receivership Task Force.
Donelon holds a Juris Doctor from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and earned a bachelor’s degree in government and law from the University of New Orleans. He is admitted to practice law in Louisiana.
Middleberg Riddle Group operates offices in New Orleans and Dallas and advises clients on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, litigation, healthcare regulation, financial services oversight, and economic development matters.
Donelon joins a team that also includes JP Morrell, a former state legislator who serves the firm as of counsel.
