Former Qwest general counsel Rich Baer is the new chief legal officer and executive vice president of UnitedHealth Group, the large Minneapolis health insurance and health care analytics company with operations in Hartford, The Denver Business Journal reports.
He will be responsible for UnitedHealth’s legal, regulatory and compliance matters and report directly to CEO Stephen J. Hemsley, the paper reports Thursday on its Web site.
Baer, a former partner at Denver’s Sherman & Howard, became Qwest Communications International’s general counsel after the scandal-tainted era of former CEO Joe Nacchio, who is now serving a prison term. He’s credited with helping restore Qwest’s reputation in corporate legal circles, the paper reports.
Baer also helped steer Qwest through its $22 billion merger this year with Monroe, La.-based CenturyLink Inc. Baer left his job at Qwest ahead of the deal’s closure in April, when corporate counsel duties shifted to Monroe.
He was moving to Minneapolis on Wednesday and not available for comment.
