Kenneth Farmer has been named regional underwriting counsel for First American Financial Corporation’s gulf coast title insurance, the company recently announced.
Farmer, who has been promoted from within, will continue to serve as state counsel for First American Title’s Mississippi operations while providing underwriting guidance and assistance to title agents in Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee.
“Ken has a deep understanding of the important relationship between agents and their underwriter,” said Evan Zanic, president of First American Title’s agency division. “His extensive knowledge and customer-focused approach to underwriting will enhance our efforts to strengthen and grow agency relationships through the region.”
Farmer has 14 years of experience in residential and commercial real estate, and has represented clients in sales and leasing of retail and office properties, and serving as a commercial real estate associate for a Florida law firm, where he represented commercial real estate developers.
Farmer is a founding member of the Land Title Association of Mississippi. He also served in the United States Army as a signals intelligence analyst and the United States Air Force Reserves as a communications and navigation technician. He is a member of the American Bar Association and the State Bar of Mississippi, and was formerly a member of the State Bar of Florida.
First American recently beefed up its intellectual property efforts with the hiring of former CoreLogic executive Rouz Tabaddor, who was named vice president and chief intellectual property officer. Tabaddor’s responsibilities will include the identification, protection and enforcement of the company’s intellectual property assets, as well as the property portfolio’s 30 active patents and 13 patent applications pending, the company said in a release.
Tabaddor has more than 20 years of experience practicing law — with an emphasis on intellectual property, litigation, privacy, licensing, and audit and enforcement.
First American’s total revenue for the second quarter of 2021 was $2.3 billion — an increase of 41% year over year. Net income in the current quarter was $302.3 million, or $2.72 per diluted share, compared with a net income of $170.7 million, or $1.52 per diluted share, year over year.
The company also announced a rollout of a mobile-friendly platform in several markets, with a national launch planned for later in 2021.
