Kermitt J. Brooks, general counsel with AXA Equitable Life Insurance.

Manhattan-based AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co. has promoted Kermitt Brooks to general counsel. Brooks replaces Dave Hattem, a 25-year veteran who was named chief legal officer of parent company AXA Equitable Holdings Inc.

In his new role, Hattem is responsible for advising on the development and execution of the company's post-2020 strategy, and ensuring corporate governance across the two subsidiaries, AXA Equitable Life, which provides life insurance and annuities products, and AllianceBernstein, which is an asset management and investment firm. He is a member of the holding company's management committee and fills its corporate secretary function.

Hattem, who couldn't be reached for comment, came to AXA Equitable Life in 1994, was named deputy general counsel in 2004 and general counsel in 2010.

Prior to going in-house, he served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of New York beginning in 1985, and he went on to become acting chief and deputy chief of the criminal division.

After graduating from Brooklyn Law School, Hattem began his legal career as an associate at the now defunct Barrett Smith Schapiro Simon & Armstrong.

Brooks, who couldn't be reached for comment, now leads the legal, regulatory, compliance and government relations functions of AXA Equitable Life and is also on the holding company's management committee.

Brooks joined AXA's legal department in 2010 and headed its insurance practice group until he was named its sole deputy general counsel in 2016.

Prior to joining AXA, Brooks served as first deputy superintendent and acting superintendent for the New York State Insurance Department from 2007 to 2010. He also served as deputy attorney general for operations at the New York State Attorney General's Office from 2002 to 2007.

Brooks, a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, began his career as a commercial litigation associate at what is now Nixon Peabody.

According to AXA Equitable's quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 14, the company's legal activities include being a defendant in two putative class action law suits claiming breach of contract over life insurance and annuities matters as well as allegations of volatile management practices.

The filing says, “As of March 31, 2019, the company estimates the aggregate range of reasonably possible losses on legal matters, in excess of any amounts accrued for these matters as of such date, to be up to approximately $95 million.”