|
2010 Class Roster
|
Mary Jane Pickens
General Counsel
West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner
1124 Smith Street
Charleston, WV
25305
Phone: 304 - 558-0401
Fax: 304 - 558-1362
E-Mail:
mj.pickens@wvinsurance.gov
Class: '10
|
Mary Jane Pickens joined the Legal Division of the West Virginia Insurance Commission as Associate Counsel on January 2, 2001 and was appointed as General Counsel in April, 2003. Prior to joining the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner, she was a partner in a small law firm in Charleston, West Virginia for several years. Ms. Pickens maintained a general practice serving the legal needs of individuals and small businesses, while focusing on the areas of bankruptcy and debtor/creditor rights and secured transactions. Since joining the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner, Ms. Pickens has drafted legislation and rules relating to many insurance and workers’ compensation issues and frequently testifies before legislative committees. She has overseen the expansion of the Legal Division from 12 to over 50 legal staff members following the assignment on January 1, 2006 of workers’ compensation regulatory duties to the Insurance Commissioner from the former Workers’ Compensation Commission. Ms. Pickens supervises legal staff that is responsible for civil investigations, market analysis and market conduct examinations, first and third party consumer hearings, and employer compliance with workers’ compensation laws. In addition, she works directly with third party administrators and defense counsel in the administration of the state funds that are responsible for state “legacy” workers’ compensation claims and claims of injured employees whose employers are uninsured. Ms. Pickens obtained her undergraduate degree in political science from West Virginia University in 1982 and her law degree from Ohio Northern University in 1985.
|
