Spencer Kook

Spencer Y. Kook is an insurance regulatory and business litigation attorney. He regularly represents insurers in matters before various governmental agencies, including the California Department of Insurance, and has substantial experience in providing compliance counseling and assisting with rate matters, market conduct examinations, and governmental enforcement actions concerning a company’s advertising, rating, underwriting, and claims handling practices.

He also represents companies in a wide variety of insurance and non-insurance related business and tort disputes and regularly handles class actions and challenges brought under California’s Unfair Competition Law and false advertising laws.

Mr. Kook is the Partner-in-Charge of Hinshaw’s downtown Los Angeles office. Mr. Kook also serves on the firm’s Executive Committee and Diversity Committee and previously co-led the firm’s Insurance Regulatory Law section.

Prior to joining Hinshaw, Mr. Kook was partner at Barger & Wolen LLP, a long established and leading California insurance regulatory and litigation firm that merged with Hinshaw in October 2014.

Representative Matters :

• In the Matter of the Rate Application of Geo Vera Insurance Company, File No. PA-2007-00008 (2007 EQ Rate Application)
• In the Matter of the Rate Applications of Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company et al., File No. PA-2007-00017 (2007 HO Rate Applications)
• In the Matter of the Rate Application of California State Automobile Association Inter-Insurance Bureau, File No. PA-2010-00014 (2010 HO Rate Application)
• In the Matter of the Rate Application of Mercury Casualty Company, File No. PA-2013-0004 (2013 HO Rate Applications)
• 2010 Amendment of Governing Procedures for Noncompliance Hearings (REG-2010-00013) (Public Comment)
• Representing physicians and private corporations in defense against multi-million dollar claims for defamation, breach of contract and fiduciary duty, conspiracy, extortion and interference claims arising from acrimonious partnership dissolution.
• Representing and successfully prosecuting breach of contract and fraud litigation against individual defendants and alter-ego company for recovery of converted funds and unearned commissions owed to company.
• Representing workers compensation carriers in prosecuting and recovering premiums owed by companies under loss-sensitive workers compensation policies and programs.

Professional Affiliations :

• The State Bar of California, Member
• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Member , Insurance Law Committee, Co-Chair
• Korean American Bar Association of Southern California, Member
• The Imagine Project, Board Member

Education :

• J.D., University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, 1999
• B.A., University of California at Berkeley, 1996

Admissions : California