John Benton is a principal in Government Strategies Inc. (GSI), a Sacramento-based government affairs and lobbying firm. His public policy expertise includes insurance, health care, pharmaceuticals, workers' compensation, construction defects and civil litigation reform. John also has extensive experience representing clients before California's regulatory and administrative agencies, and has helped clients resolve government contract issues and obtain necessary regulatory approvals. While licensed as a lobbyist in California, he also manages multi-state government relations operations for some clients and is called upon from time to time to assist with regulatory or legislative issues in other jurisdictions. Prior to forming GSI in January of 2001, John operated Benton Consulting, a firm that offered a range of consulting and government relations services to a diverse clientele, including the ACE INA Group, a large international commercial insurance and reinsurance company, which remains a client of GSI.. Between 1997 and 2000, he provided counsel to several rental car companies in the development of agent licensing legislation in California; drafted legislation for a broad-based coalition of builders, insurers, real estate companies, and mortgage lenders seeking to curb construction defect litigation in California; represented and advised a workers' compensation rating organization; and, provided product development advice to an internet pharmacy company. During this period, he also worked closely with the California Department of Insurance on several transactional matters for ACE INA, including the approval of a controversial corporate division of INA. He also successfully managed a critical field rating and underwriting exam for the company in California, as well as a comprehensive insurance claims audit. An attorney by education and training, he spent the majority of his career as a regulatory and legislative counsel in the corporate legal departments of three large, national insurers: CNA Insurance Companies (1987-1991), Transamerica Insurance Group (1991-1994) and CIGNA (1994-1997). In his position as Regional Vice President, State Government Affairs, for CIGNA Corporation, he represented CIGNA's healthcare, life, and property/casualty divisions in Sacramento and eleven western states. He also represented CIGNA on the executive committee of Taxpayers Against Higher Health Costs, a broad-based business and healthcare coalition that successfully defeated a series of anti-managed care ballot initiatives in California between 1995 and 1997. Prior to joining CIGNA, he served as Assistant Vice President, Government Affairs, for Transamerica Insurance Group, based in Los Angeles. He was responsible for managing regulatory and legislative issues in all fifty states, but also spent considerable time in Sacramento on California-specific issues. While at TIG, he led a powerful LA-based business organization in fighting for the landmark 1993 California workers' compensation reforms. He also participated in REBUILD LA, an organization created to offer education and assistance to minority businesses and individuals in the wake of the South-Central Los Angeles riots. At CNA in Chicago, he put together and managed a special unit within the Law Department that was responsible for developing relationships with state insurance regulators and resolving issues for CNA's property/casualty and life/health divisions. Between 1987 and 1991, he personally visited 28 state insurance departments to meet with Commissioners and their senior staffs to help CNA more effectively operate within the complicated system of state insurance regulation. He maintains many of these state regulatory relationships to this day. Upon graduation from Drake University Law School in 1983, he began his career as a staff attorney in the Iowa Department of Insurance, serving two Commissioners?Foudree and Hager?until 1987. During his years with the department, he prosecuted agents and companies, handled consumer issues, served as an administrative hearing officer, and advocated departmental positions in the Iowa Legislature. In 1986, he became the first editor of the Iowa Insurance Quarterly. John Benton lives with his wife, Mary, and their three children in Sacramento, California. Education |