10 Guardian Life legal leaders
Chief Legal Officer, Associate General Counsel and Assistant General Counsel are among the roles held by these ten Guardian Life legal leaders. A reader can learn how legal leaders work at Guardian Life from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Alycia Sacco Duquette
LinkedInExperience: Assistant General Counsel, Individual Life & Disability, Financial Protection & Retirement Solutions · Guardian
Alycia Sacco Duquette has been Assistant General Counsel, Individual Life & Disability, Financial Protection & Retirement Solutions at Guardian since August 2023, based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Alycia Sacco Duquette also held the Guardian roles of Assistant General Counsel, Regulatory Affairs (2021 to 2023) and Chief Compliance Officer, Berkshire Life (2010 to 2021).
Brenda Fischer
LinkedInExperience: Associate General Counsel, Data Strategy & Security · Guardian
Brenda Fischer has been Associate General Counsel, Data Strategy & Security at Guardian since July 2021, reporting to the General Counsel and overseeing privacy, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, corporate security and intellectual property. Brenda Fischer also held the role of Head of Financial Transactions, Cyber & Fraud Investigations at Guardian (2018 to 2021) and was Bureau Chief, Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
Ellie Jurado-Nieves
LinkedInExperience: Head of Strategic Public Policy & Assistant General Counsel, Government Affairs · Guardian
Ellie Jurado-Nieves has been Head of Strategic Public Policy & Assistant General Counsel, Government Affairs at Guardian since January 2025, based in the New York City area. Ellie Jurado-Nieves also held the Guardian roles of Vice President & Assistant General Counsel, Strategic Public Policy Initiatives (2023 to 2025), Vice President & Assistant General Counsel, Regulatory & Legislative Affairs (2022) and Vice President & Counsel, Government Relations (2014 to 2022).
Kermitt J. B.
LinkedInExperience: Chief Legal Officer · Guardian
Kermitt J. B. has been Chief Legal Officer at Guardian since May 2020, based in the New York City area. Kermitt J. B. also held the roles of Senior Executive Director and General Counsel at Equitable (2010 to 2020) and First Deputy Superintendent and Acting Superintendent at the New York Department of Insurance (2007 to 2010), now the New York Department of Financial Services.
Kevin Wilson
LinkedInExperience: Assistant General Counsel, Litigation and Investigations · Guardian
Kevin Wilson has been Assistant General Counsel, Litigation and Investigations at Guardian since November 2023, based in the New York City area. Kevin Wilson also held the Guardian roles of Head of Anti-Financial Crimes (2021 to 2023) and Head of Anti-Financial Crimes Operations (2019 to 2021), and was an Assistant District Attorney at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office from 2003 to 2019.
Lauren Roza
LinkedInExperience: Assistant General Counsel · Guardian
Lauren Roza has been Assistant General Counsel at Guardian since April 2025, based in Brooklyn, with the profile headline Assistant General Counsel, Financial Protection & Wealth Management. Lauren Roza also held the role of Senior Litigation Counsel at Guardian (2023 to 2025) and the New York City Law Department roles of Deputy Unit Chief (2020 to 2023), Assistant Borough Chief Senior Counsel and Trial Attorney.
Sean Quinn
LinkedInExperience: Associate General Counsel, Litigation · Guardian
Sean Quinn has been Associate General Counsel, Litigation at Guardian since June 2007, based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and the About section describes managing the company's Litigation and Investigations Team. Sean Quinn also held the role of Vice President and Associate General Counsel at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company from 2002 to 2007.
Steve Puhala
LinkedInExperience: Assistant General Counsel, Tax · Guardian
Steve Puhala has been Assistant General Counsel, Tax at Guardian since March 2024, based in New York. Steve Puhala also held the Guardian roles of Senior Counsel, Tax (2021 to 2024) and Tax Counsel, Corporate Tax (2016 to 2021), and the Och-Ziff Capital Management roles of Attorney, Head of Legal Operations (2015 to 2016) and Tax Attorney (2010 to 2015).
Steven Ornstein
LinkedInExperience: Assistant General Counsel, Corporate Initiatives & Transactions · Guardian
Steven Ornstein has been Assistant General Counsel, Corporate Initiatives & Transactions at Guardian since January 2022, based in New York. Steven Ornstein also held the Guardian roles of 2nd Vice President, Corporate Advisory & Transactions Counsel (2016 to 2021), Assistant Vice President, Senior Counsel (2015 to 2016) and Director, Corporate Initiatives Counsel (2011 to 2015), and was an Attorney at New York Life.
Suyash Paliwal
LinkedInExperience: Assistant General Counsel, Regulatory Affairs · Guardian
Suyash Paliwal has been Assistant General Counsel, Regulatory Affairs at Guardian since June 2025, based in Washington, D.C. Suyash Paliwal also held the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission roles of Director, Office of International Affairs (2019 to 2025) and Special Advisor to the Acting Director, Office of International Affairs (2025), and was Supervisory Valuation Analyst at the Federal Reserve Board from 2018 to 2019.
Choose the right perspective
Choose the person whose own practice area is closest to your question, and check whether they hold that role now. Weigh scope as well as title, because a chief legal officer and a lawyer leading one practice group see different parts of the work.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What took most of your time in your current legal role, and what did you change first?
- 02How did you balance regulatory expectations against what the business teams you advised needed?
- 03What did you carry over from earlier roles that changed how you practice law at Guardian Life?
Reaching Guardian Life legal leaders
How can I contact one of these Guardian Life legal leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: Guardian, based on profile data retrieved on October 18, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Guardian Life legal leaders?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
Can an AI agent ask one of these Guardian Life legal leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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