J. Stephen (“Stef”) Zielezienski serves as executive vice president and chief legal officer at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA). In this capacity, he works with the policy, advocacy, legal and communications staff in its holistic approach to public policy thought leadership, and is responsible for APCIA’s top policy priority, reducing legal system abuse. Prior to the merger of the American Insurance Association (AIA) and the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) that created APCIA, Zielezienski held the position of senior vice president and general counsel for 14 of his 22 years at AIA.
Before joining the industry, Zielezienski was with the Washington, D.C. offices of Mintz Levin and Wiley Rein and clerked for the Honorable Richard L. Nygaard of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Zielezienski is a 1989 graduate of Columbia Law School, where he co-directed the moot court program and was executive editor of the Columbia Business Law Review. He graduated summa cum laude from Columbia College in New York City, where he was elected to membership in Phi Beta Kappa.