John Hester Retiring from Lawyers Mutual After 35 Years
Cary, N.C. - A Lawyers Mutual mainstay who helped create a claims department that became the gold standard for professional liability insurers across the country is retiring after 35 years.
John Hester was Lawyers Mutual’s first full-time claims attorney when he was hired in 1985. Since then, he has guided countless North Carolina attorneys through the darkest hours of their professional lives.
“I have enjoyed coming to work every day,” John says. “Over the years, I’ve been able to help thousands of attorneys. They tell me they’ve not been able to sleep. That they’re afraid they are going to be sued, be terminated by their firm, lose their law license, have a grievance filed against them or lose their house. The first thing I do is try to calm them down, then assure them everything will be okay. Being in a position to help so many has been an honor and a privilege.”
Lawyers Mutual President Dan Zureich called the news of John’s retirement bittersweet. “After 35 years of serving Lawyers Mutual, our insureds and the North Carolina legal community, John has decided to retire at the end of May,” he says. “The lives of many lawyers have been positively affected because of John’s service and dedication. We wish John and his wife, Belinda, the best in the next chapter of their lives.”
Purchased First LM Policy in 1977
John came to Lawyers Mutual after 11 years of private practice, corporate law, and public service law. He says this experience gave him a keen appreciation of the pressures lawyers face and proved invaluable when it came to helping build the LM claims department.
“Lawyers Mutual was the first lawyer owned and operated insurance company in the nation,” he says. “I purchased a policy from this newly formed company in 1977. From the moment I received my first policy, I knew Lawyers Mutual was going to be successful.”
A Legacy of Helping
John’s contributions have extended beyond the walls of Lawyers Mutual. For years, he has given generously to the wider community. He and Belinda established the John F. Hester Scholarship at his alma mater, N.C. State University, which provides support for undergraduates in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences who major or minor in History. The award is specifically designed for students of historically under-represented populations such as Native Americans.
But it is in the North Carolina legal community that John has made the biggest impact.
“Our business is building relationships,” he says. “I cannot tell you how many fine attorneys I have met while working at Lawyers Mutual. I consider many of them to be my long-standing friends.”
What has he most enjoyed about his time at Lawyers Mutual?
“Helping other lawyers,” he says. “If you look at our law license, it says ‘Attorney and Counselor at Law.’ A substantial part of my job is counseling attorneys through difficult times. That has truly been a pleasure.”
About Lawyers Mutual
Lawyers Mutual Liability Insurance Company was the first insurance company in the country formed by lawyers for lawyers. It is the largest legal professional liability insurance provider in North Carolina and the only company that has served the state bar continuously since 1977. For more information, call 800.662.8843, follow us on Twitter at @LawyersMutualNC, connect on our LinkedIn page, like us on Facebook or visit www.lawyersmutualnc.com.
Media Contact
Julie Beavers, Director of Client Services
800.662.8843 or julie@lawyersmutualnc.com
