Introducing The Tessier Law Firm! Our Mission is to empower our clients to take charge of their most challenging life transitions. We provide holistic estate planning services, including Wills and Trusts packages, Elder Law and Long Term Care Planning, Probate, and Administration of Estates. Serving Polk County in central Florida, with appointments available in Winter Haven, Lakeland, and other areas by appointment. What sets us apart? We proactively build long term relationships to help families and businesses through their journeys over time. We provide customized, proactive and thorough life, estate, asset protection and business planning - not just as a one-time document producer, but a trusted, compassionate legal advisor serving holistically on an ongoing basis for years to come. We also embrace technology to make it easy on our clients to find us, and meet us conveniently on their schedule, to their comfort level – with options for virtual/online meetings and notary signings in addition to traditional office and home visits.

Denise Tessier has been a lawyer for over 25 years, admitted in Massachusetts and Connecticut - and Florida as of 12/2020. Now home in Lake Wales, FL (Polk County) she focusses on Life and Estate Planning practice and Business Consulting, helping others take charge of life’s transitions. Denise is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys (AAEPA), a national organization committed to providing quality estate planning through its strong network of member firms throughout the country. In addition, she is an active member of a number of legal and community organizations, including the: • Estate Planning and Real Property Chapters of the Florida Bar Association • National Academy of Elder Law Lawyers (NAELA), Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys (AFELA)• American Bar Association, Real Estate, Trust & Estates Section• Polk County Estate Planning Attorney Bar Association,• Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL) and • American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) (Lakeland Chapter)

Project consultant responsible for providing coaching, assistance and leadership in the risk assessment process for the lifecycle of some of IBM's largest and most complex new engagements.

Global Data Protection & Privacy Regulation Management Team Project Executive providing counsel to IBM's Global Technology Services division (infrastructure, outsourcing, and managed IT services). Includes responsibility for regulatory compliance for EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and similar worldwide privacy laws.

Compliance Project Executive responsible for defining, deploying, managing and supporting a consistent governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance strategy for global insurance and financial services clients, within IBM's Financial Services Global Regulatory Center of Excellence. Assignments include compliance guidance re: the intersection of insurance regulation and cloud technology, infrastructure outsourcing, cybersecurity, cross-border data transfer, cognitive learning (Watson) and the Internet of Things.

Provided regulatory, risk management (ERM or GRC) and technology consulting services to financial service industry. Implemented and trained clients on regulatory change management and compliance for WKFS’s leading insurance compliance and enterprise risk management software. Served as a legal expert to sales force and clients. Frequent public speaker, writer and thought leader for the company on compliance and market conduct best practices, regulatory change management processes, ERM, and line-of-business specific hot topics/emerging risks.

Start-up full-service law firm, serving local community. Growing caseload included personal injury settlements, wills and estate planning, family advocacy, divorce mediation and small business law. Periodic consultation on insurance and regulatory matters on a contract basis.

U.S. General Counsel & Compliance Officer: Successfully created new U.S. Legal Department as part of the start-up of the Aspen Group’s U.S. Operations. Provided direction to Executive Team and staff on a full range of corporate transactional, regulatory, licensing, technology, HR, and claim compliance issues. Served as Corporate Secretary. Charged with managing corporate entity functions, Board and Minute Book activities. Participated in Disclosure Committee and periodically reviewed SEC filings (10Q, 10k, 8k). Analyzed and drafted a broad range of contracts including insurance/reinsurance policies, real estate leases, vendor services agreements, and IT licensing agreements. As Chief U.S. Compliance Officer, researched, drafted and implemented corporate compliance polices, including Code of Conduct. Coordinated with U.K. and international compliance officers on cross-border regulatory issues, risk management policies and protocols. Timely licensed Aspen’s corporate entities. Submitted filings to secure surplus lines authorities in 46 states. Assisted in the tracking of Emerging Risks from a legal perspective. Effectively interacted with state insurance regulators. Managed resolution of consumer complaints and ensured prompt response to state data requests. Coordinated regulatory and internal compliance audits. Presented to executive-level audiences regularly. Directed or influenced mediations, arbitrations, and litigations with serious financial impact to the company. Stewarded discovery and e-discovery requests. Advised and trained the Claims and Underwriting Departments on litigation trends, policy coverage language, and complex, financially significant claims issues. Assisted with Reinsurance reporting/collection and related queries/disputes.

Directly managed approximately 75 highly complex asbestos liability accounts with high financial exposure to the company. Effectively collaborated with counsel and other insurers to negotiate multi-million dollar settlements. Researched and analyzed policies and determined coverage, identify legal issues, drafted reservation of rights and other key letters. Particular experience with long-tail, multi-year claims and related legal issues. Managed outside counsel handling multi-jurisdiction litigation involving thousands of claimants. Presented and/or coordinated training and seminars on related claims and industry issues.

Responsible for increasingly complex legal assignments as in-house counsel within the Law Department. Partnered with clients in multiple departments to implement proactive business changes, with a focus on reinsurance issues. Analyzed insurance policies and corporate contracts to provide coverage opinions. Managed related litigation, arbitration, mediation, collections and disputes. Primary counsel responsible for creating new international offices (Poland, France, Italy, Hong Kong, and reinsurance authorizations in Latin America) for The Hartford’s assumed reinsurer entity, Hart Re, during a period of strategic international expansion. Dealt with local country counsel and regulators to license entities, draft contracts, design and implement key HR policies and procedures, and help embed corporate legal and compliance protocols into local workforce. Policies developed required analysis of laws relating to local corporate organization, licensing, taxes, U.S./International bribery, money laundering, and terrorism financing (OFAC).