News July 18, 2024
Partner PK Paran, a member of Willkie’s Insurance Transactional and Regulatory Practice Group, recently appeared as the featured guest on The Deal’s Drinks with The Deal podcast, hosted by senior reporter David Marcus. In the episode, PK discussed his career trajectory, move from London to New York, the cross-border nature of insurance M&A and current trends in the space, as well as his interests outside of work, and other topics.
PK started his legal career at the Department of Corrections in Madison, Wisconsin as part of a legal exchange program, which he describes as a “phenomenal experience.” He went on to explain that this experience also taught him that criminal law was not in his future. “The criminal law just wasn’t for me. Speaking openly, I just didn’t have the stomach for it,” he said.
When talking about the cross-border nature of insurance M&A, PK explained that New York and London are key financial centers that allow Insurance M&A lawyers to do a lot of work across the globe. He also spoke about trends in insurance M&A, including the increased presence of private equity sponsors in insurance and how that has impacted the market.
PK also discussed the importance of teamwork and finding a cultural fit in terms of what he looks for in building a cross-border team: “Across the board, whether you are a student coming into the law, an associate, or a senior partner, the right cultural fit and attitude [are key]. I believe we do better as a team, so I think that is first and foremost a requirement.”
Listen to the full podcast here.