We are saddened to share that Kim Yelkin, Austin Office Managing Partner unexpectedly passed away in her home the weekend of December 3, 2022. Kim is survived by her daughter Chloe, and Chloe’s fiancée Johannes Lackinger.
Kim was a powerhouse in Austin. In 1989, after a May snow storm in St. Paul, she brought her insurance regulatory and lobby prowess to Austin. In 2002, she opened Foley's Austin office and spent the past 20 years cultivating valuable relationships with colleagues, clients, and the Texas state government.
Kim was a mentor to many and embodied our core value of stewardship. She was a tireless champion of the firm, the Foley brand, and Foley’s culture. She was a fierce advocate for recruiting, retaining, and promoting women to leadership positions. She was key to the firm’s Austin sponsorship of the MLK oratory competition and partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs. Kim left the firm better than she found it and, for that, we can all be grateful. As the city of Austin continues to grow and the intersection between business and state and federal government deepens, the Foley Austin office is well-positioned due to Kim’s efforts.
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Kim Yelkin is nationally recognized in government affairs and is routinely consulted by clients for her knowledge in strategy and execution. Kim brings a unique blend of legal talent and business acumen to assist her clients in solving complex problems which include transactional, regulatory, legislative, litigation avoidance, premium tax and routine compliance matters before various state agencies, particularly for insurance and reinsurance entities doing business in the state of Texas. Kim advises both admitted and non-admitted insurers, insurance agents and private equity funds invested in the insurance space. She is routinely engaged by clients to coordinate multi-state insurance regulatory projects to maximize their long-term competitive advantage and defend against governmental action adverse to their interests.
Kim acts as a trusted advisor to her clients, guiding them through corporate governance, complicated reorganizations and regulatory challenges. Whether it is a project requiring immediate attention or the development and implementation of a long-term strategy, Kim’s clients know her to excel in executing a proactive approach to issues management and strategy development to accomplish their desired goals.
Kim not only has over 30 years of experience in insurance and health care issues, but also represents clients in other industries who have issues with government. Her practice concentration is in administrative, regulatory, and legislative law before the Texas Legislature, the Department of Insurance, the Office of Attorney General, the Texas Department of Health, the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, the Texas Comptroller, the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and other state agencies.
Kim serves as Co-Chair of the firm's State and Local Public Affairs Practice and is also the Austin Office Managing Partner.
Prior to joining Foley, Kim was a Partner at a globally established firm for 12 years. She has a wealth of experience in insurance issues having served as senior government affairs counsel for the St. Paul Companies and associate counsel for the American Insurance Association. Prior to her tenure at the American Insurance Association, she was Deputy District Attorney in Omaha, Neb.
Born and raised in Omaha, Neb., Kim received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University in 1977 and a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Creighton University School of Law in 1980.
Kim's representative clients include:
Professional Affiliations
Community Involvement
Honors & Awards
Education
Presentations & Publications
Admissions