Burnie Burner brings unique experience and perspective to the representation of insurance companies, investors, agents and alternative risk arrangements in Texas and throughout the country. His practice includes advising clients in the acquisition of companies and blocks of business, holding company issues, licensing, product and policy development, regulatory compliance, examinations and investigations. He has successfully drafted and secured the passage of legislation for clients in the last five Texas legislative sessions and routinely participates in rule making and procedure developments at the Texas Department of Insurance.  As a result, he is involved in developing trends in the business including cyber security, data use and protection, and alternative risk arrangements.  Burnie was instrumental in the lobby team that secured passage of the Texas captive insurance bill and now serves as counsel for the Texas Captive Insurance Association and he continues to be involved with the evolution of captive law in Texas.  Burnie secured the first Texas captive Certificate of Authority and continues to add more captive clients in a growing segment of his practice.

Prior to Mitchell Williams, Burnie began his legal career in law school as a litigation law clerk for the firm he would ultimately join immediately after law school and build until it became Long, Burner, Parks and DeLargy, PC.  The Long Burner practice merged with Mitchell Williams in July of 2008 to create an insurance regulatory practice of unprecedented breadth and depth.

Burnie’s practice evolved into an insurance regulatory practice, initially in company formations and compliance matters, and then expanding to essentially all aspects of the insurance business and related entities including agents, managing general agents, third party administrators, risk purchasing and risk retention groups, MEWA’s, self-funded plans, inter-local government risk pools and more.

Burnie has served as the General Counsel of the Texas Title Insurance Guaranty Association for 26 years and currently serves as counsel for the Texas Captive Insurance Association.  Formerly, he served as General Counsel for the Texas Association of Professional Benefit Administrators, the Texas County Mutual Association and the Texas Association of Mutual Insurance Companies. After successfully securing the privatization of the Texas Workers Compensation Assigned Risk Pool, he served as General Counsel of its successor, Facility Insurance Corporation.  These roles and the advice and counsel of many clients have provided extensive knowledge of the insurance industry and business acumen.

Burnie uses this knowledge and experience combined with his creative problem solving skills to assist clients in the design, planning and effective and efficient execution of complex transactions such as financing and capitalization, reorganizations, re-domestications and nationwide expansions and licensing projects.

Burnie has served the legal profession and his community in many ways.  He has served as the chairman of bar committees focused on public services, delivery of legal services to the elderly, insurance law and the State Bar of Texas Insurance Trust.  He continues to be active in the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas and the Federation of Regulatory Counsel.

In the community, Burnie is currently a member of the board of the Gazelle Foundation and has served on the boards of Wildlife Rescue, Live Oak Theatre and St. Andrew’s Episcopal School.

Burnie is an alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin for both undergraduate and law school where he graduated with highest honors.