AmTrust Title Expands Energy Division
September 15, 2020
AmTrust Title Insurance announced the expansion of its energy team within its National Commercial Division. The team will facilitate title insurance transactions for renewable and conventional energy projects, including refineries, liquefied natural gas facilities, and wind and solar farms, along with various other energy related transactions. Lou Canaras and nine others join AmTrust Title in Houston, expanding not only the company’s energy division but adding an average of 20 years of general title insurance underwriting and production experience in Texas and the surrounding states.
“This extremely knowledgeable and experienced team was added to address some of the most complicated transactions in the real estate industry, with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake per transaction,” said Jason Gordon, President of AmTrust Title Insurance Company, a subsidiary of AmTrust Financial. “A typical energy project presents complex underwriting issues that can involve thousands of acres with acquisition, easement, mineral estate, access, development and project finance challenges. There is no room for error in the transaction process. This team has successfully insured hundreds of these transactions.”
Canaras will serve as senior vice president and underwriter for the energy division, responsible for overseeing the team of underwriting, sales and production specialists. Prior to joining AmTrust, he served as senior vice president and senior underwriter and director at another major title underwriter.
Mellissa Atle will serve as vice president of the energy division and will oversee the work of six dedicated Energy Project Coordinators. Atle has over nine years of experience in the title industry managing multi-million-dollar transactions involving Wind, Solar, LNG, Transmission Lines and other energy-related sectors.
Rob Concepcion will serve as vice president of business development for the energy division. His recent roles included vice president of business development-renewables for another underwriter, and real estate supervisor for both Sempra U.S. Gas & Power and EGPNA.
“Lou’s ability to understand and insure complex transactions is well known throughout the energy industry,” said Steven Napolitano, president of First Nationwide Title Agency, a subsidiary of AmTrust Financial. “Mellissa and Rob have led remarkably successful careers in the energy space, overseeing operations and sales under Lou and forging one of the largest energy focused groups in the country.”
Contact ALTA at 202-296-3671 or communications@alta.org.