Heffernan Insurance Brokers welcomes Chris Nussbaum and Paul Martinez to its Employee Benefits Team

San Francisco, Calif., Nov. 17, 2010 - Heffernan Insurance Brokers, one of the largest independent brokerage firms in the United States, is pleased to announce that Chris Nussbaum and Paul Martinez have joined the company as assistant vice presidents and employee benefits producers.

“We are pleased to welcome Chris Nussbaum and Paul Martinez to the Heffernan team,” said Steve Williams, president of Heffernan Financial Services and Employee Benefits. “With their knowledge of health care they will offer our clients valuable expertise in this very important insurance sector.

” Nussbaum brings 18 years of experience as an employee benefits professional on both the carrier and brokerage side to his role at Heffernan. His technical underwriting background and his skills as a strong negotiator and strategist will help his clients navigate the new world of health care reform.

Chris has lived in San Francisco for more than a decade, while working for some of the largest insurance companies in the country, including Travelers, Aetna and United Healthcare. Chris was born in St. Louis and is a graduate of the University of Missouri.

Martinez will focus on educating his clients on health care reform, with an emphasis on consumer-driven health care and wellness. He started his career in the financial industry with Wells Fargo, and that led him into the insurance business.

Paul, a Bay Area native, was born in Walnut Creek and raised in Danville. He attended the University of Oregon on a football scholarship and started for the Ducks all four years. Paul majored in Economics.

About Heffernan Insurance Brokers

Heffernan Insurance Brokers, formed in 1988, is one of the largest independent insurance brokerage firms in the United States. Heffernan provides comprehensive insurance and financial services products to a wide range of businesses and individuals. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, Heffernan has additional offices in San Francisco, Petaluma, Palo Alto, Los Angeles, and Orange, California; Portland, Oregon; and Chesterfield, Missouri.

Heffernan Insurance Brokers was named the Top Mid-Sized Broker in the United States to Work for in 2009 by Business Insurance Magazine. The firm has been among the Top Greater Bay Area Philanthropists since 2003 by donating more than $2.5 million to local charities. Each of the firm’s 420 employees is granted four paid days off per year to volunteer their time at a local nonprofit. The Heffernan Group provides a Workplace Wellness program for all employees and many participate in active volunteering events such as the Avon Breast Cancer Walk and Best Buddies Hearst Castle Challenge bike ride.

For more information, please visit www.heffins.com or call 800.234.6787. License # 0564249.