Commissioner Nickel Appointed Zach Bemis
as Chief Legal Counsel
Madison, WI—Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance Ted Nickel has appointed Zach Bemis to serve as Chief Legal Counsel at the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI).
"I am pleased to have Zach as OCI's Chief Legal Counsel," said Commissioner Nickel. "Zach brings a variety of valuable experiences to the position, including his most recent work for the legislature, and we look forward to his leadership."
Prior to his appointment as Chief Legal Counsel, Mr. Bemis spent 5 years working in the legislature, including chief of staff to the Assembly Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Finance and legal counsel and advisor to the Speaker of the Assembly. In the Co-Chair's office, he helped shepherd the 2017-19 Wisconsin State Budget through the legislature and also worked on the Governor's Task Force on Opioid Abuse.
As legal counsel to the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Bemis advised on compliance with Assembly Rules, state ethics laws, open records and public meeting law, and the administrative rules process. He also has experience working in the Governor's Office of Legal Counsel.
Mr. Bemis graduated from DePaul University College of Law. While attending DePaul, he worked in regulatory affairs for an energy company, in the Office of Legal Counsel at the United States Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, and at a law firm representing public sector clients. Mr. Bemis earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Created by the Legislature in 1870, Wisconsin's Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) was vested with broad powers to ensure that the insurance industry responsibly and adequately met the insurance needs of Wisconsin citizens. Today, OCI's mission is to lead the way in informing and protecting the public and responding to its insurance needs.