Brian Bartow is the general counsel of CalSTRS, the largest educator-only pension fund in the world. CalSTRS administers a hybrid retirement system, consisting of a traditional defined benefit, cash balance and defined contribution plans, as well as disability and survivor benefits. CalSTRS serves more than 949,000 members and benefit recipients. CalSTRS administers retirement benefits for California’s public school educators in grades kindergarten through community college.

Bartow is the primary legal adviser to the Teachers’ Retirement Board. He oversees six divisions: Enterprise Information Management, Information Security, Investment Counsel, Legal Services, Operations, and Special Projects. In addition, Bartow is responsible for the Office of Ethics and Compliance and Community Property divisions.

Bartow has been with CalSTRS since 2008, first as assistant general counsel and then as acting general counsel before being appointed general counsel in 2010. Before coming to CalSTRS, he was assistant chief counsel for the Department of Social Services. He has also held high-level legal positions at the California Department of Managed Health Care and the California Department of Corporations.

Bartow began his legal career in private practice representing hospital systems, hospitals and health care providers in complex transactions and litigation. He also represented major corporate clients and gained substantial experience in corporate, partnership and business law, and business litigation.

Bartow received his law degree from the University of California, Davis, and holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Riverside, and an associate degree in nursing from Queensborough Community College in Bayside, New York. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army Military Police.

Bartow is a member of the California State Bar, the American Bar Association and the National Association of Public Pension Attorneys.