Speaker Bios

Tara Acton has been the Director - Claims and Counsel for Lumen Technologies and its predecessors since October 2008. In this role, she is responsible for the casualty claim program, including management of Lumen's third party administrator. She is also involved in the oversight of outside counsel handling liability claims. Prior to joining Lumen's risk management department, she spent a year in the law department focusing on litigated liability claims. Before moving in-house, she was in private practice at Berenbaum, Weinshienk & Eason, P.C. and Cooley Godward LLP in Denver. Tara earned her B.A. degree from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and J.D. degree with honors from the Emory University School of Law. She is admitted to the Colorado state bar.  She holds the following professional designations: Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter from the Institutes (CPCU), Associate in Captive Insurance from the International Center for Captive Insurance Education (ACI), and the Associate in Claims from the Institutes (AIC).  In May 2019, Tara was named a Break Out Award Winner - West Region by Business Insurance Magazine, which recognizes the next generation of leaders in the insurance sector for their leadership, expertise and professional skills.

Amy Allen advises insurers on solutions to drive profitable growth, enhance operations and technology, and optimize risk and regulatory compliance. In addition to advising leading insurers on potential impacts and opportunities related to health care reform, Amy focuses on improving the insurance processes and technology that impact customers, distributors, underwriters and claims executives. Amy has 16 years of insurance experience. Prior to joining Deloitte nine years ago, she was an insurance broker.

The American Medical Association has repeatedly listed Dr. Barth among their “internationally recognized experts”.  The AMA has repeatedly asked him to contribute to their publications focused on chronic pain, brain injury, and mental illness.  He has also served as faculty, editor, or author for theAmerican Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Psychological Association, the European Union of Medicine in Social Security and Assurance, the North American Spine Society, the American Academy of Neurology, the American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the Official Disability Guidelines, the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions, the National Association of Workers' Compensation Judiciary, and several governments internationally.  Dr. Barth has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, for having made a significant contribution to science and practice.  His full time education culminated with a Harvard Medical School internship and Harvard Medical School post-doctoral fellowship training.

Brian T. Bellavia is a partner at Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A.and practices from the Orlando office.  Mr. Bellavia has extensive experience representing clients in civil litigation with a focus on the defense of health care providers in medical malpractice actions.  His experience also includes the representation of other professionals in error and omission claims, insurance coverage disputes, premises liability defense, legal malpractice defense, personal injury, trucking, and product liability cases. Mr. Bellavia has tried cases, including medical malpractice matters, to defense verdict as lead trial counsel.

Mr. Bellavia received his undergraduate degree from St. Bonaventure University in 1990, where he graduated with honors.  He earned a Juris Doctor from the Shepard Broad Law Center at Nova Southeastern University in 1993.

Mr. Bellavia is licensed to practice law in Florida and New Jersey and is admitted in the state courts of Florida and New Jersey, as well as the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida and the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Mr. Bellavia lectures at seminars accredited by the department of insurance. He regularly provides in-house seminars to corporate leaders, risk managers, and insurance companies.

Sandy Blunt is an executive with a consistent track record of sustaining growth and leading organizations. He has proven leadership in operations management, ROI analysis, policy development, strategic planning, and Total Quality Management. Sandy was the COO of the largest exclusive workers’ compensation system and fourth-largest underwriter of workers’ compensation in the United States with over a $19 billion fund comprised of 2,650 employees located in 16 customer service centers.
 
Skilled in continuous process improvement; Sandy has the ability to identify and capitalize on opportunities to reduce costs, increase bottom-line profits, and streamline operations. He is a dynamic, conceptual thinker known for optimizing business operations, integrating/motivating staff, and building cohesive teams.
 
At Medata, Sandy provides Executive Consulting services as a technical subject matter expert in workers’ compensation. As a former CEO and COO of workers’ compensation carriers, he brings “the carrier’s perspective” to Medata’s strong line of products and services by partnering with customers to provide enhanced products and services.
 
Sandy has a Master of Government Administration (MGA) from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Ohio University.

As Vice President of Medical Affairs for Ameritox, Dr. Bronstein directs a team of field-based scientists responsible for providing clinical education on medication monitoring, oversees the research strategy of the organization and serves as liaison between physicians and Ameritox.

Dr. Bronstein has more than 20 years’ experience in the medical field, with extensive clinical, research and publications experience. She has a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Syracuse University, a master’s degree in Adult Health/Neuroscience from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and a PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Prior to joining Ameritox in 2009, Dr. Bronstein served as Director, CNS Medical Science Liaisons for five years at UCB. In addition, she previously lead the medical team at United Therapeutics and worked as a Regional Scientific Director at Novartis. Dr. Bronstein has also held several academic and clinical positions. She is widely published and has presented on a range of subjects related to pain treatment, opioid management, prescription drug abuse and urine drug monitoring
 
 

John Browning is the managing partner of the Dallas, Texas office of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, LLP, where he handles civil litigation in state and federal courts in areas ranging from employment and intellectual property to commercial cases and defense of products liability, professional liability, media law, and general negligence matters. Mr. Browning has extensive trial, arbitration, and summary judgment experience and has represented companies in a wide variety of industries throughout Texas and on a pro hac vice basis in other jurisdictions. Mr. Browning received his B.A. with general and departmental honors from Rutgers University in 1986, where he was a National Merit Scholar and member of Phi Beta Kappa. He received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1989. Some of his honors include being a 2009 and 2010 recipient of the prestigious Burton Award for Achievement in Legal Writing; rated "AV," the highest commendation issued by Martindale-Hubbell for legal ability, ethics, and professionalism; selected as a "Super Lawyer" in the field of Civil Ligation Defense (2005¬2010, Law & Politics); inducted as a Charter Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society limited to 3,500 Fellows, representing less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers; and elected to the American Law Institute (one of only seven lawyers in Texas elected in 2009). Mr. Browning is a noted legal writer, and is a frequent contributor to national and regional legal publications on a wide variety of subjects. His weekly syndicated newspaper column "Legally Speaking" has garnered numerous journalism awards. His book, The Lawyer's Guide to Social Networking: Understanding Social Media's Impact on the Law, was published in December 2010 by Thomson ReutersWest Publishing. He is a member of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel, the International Association of Defense Counsel, and also serves as an adjunct professor at SMU Dedman School of Law, where he teaches the course “Social Media and the Law.” He is the author of numerous articles on social media-related topics, and has been quoted as a national authority on the subject by the New York Times, TIME Magazine, Salon.com, Inside Counsel Magazine, Law 360, and other publications.

Ms. Brozina is originally from Tucson and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona. Though she is a proud Wildcat, she ventured to Moscow, Idaho to experience snowy winters and earn her juris doctorate degree from the University of Idaho College of Law. Upon graduating in 2009, she returned to her native Arizona to start her legal career in Phoenix. She started practicing as an associate with Mr. Lester in November 2009 and has focused on workers’ compensation defense.

Ms. Brozina contributes to updating the Arizona Workers’ Compensation Handbook annually with new developments in caselaw and statutes. She serves as the co-chair of the workers' compensation section of the State Bar of Arizona for the year 2012-2013.

Michael Caspino is one of the Founding Partners of Brady, Vorwerck, Ryder & Caspino.  His energy and tenacity has resulted in a solid reputation as an accomplished trial attorney.  He is licensed to practice in the states of California, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado.   

Published appellate opinions include the landmark case of National Union v. Nationwide Insurance Company, 69 Cal. App. 4th 709, which dealt with the extent of indemnity obligations in contracts.  In Olson v. Aztech, 120 Nev. 240, Mr. Caspino argued before the Nevada Supreme Court in the first appeal that dealt with the Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 40 statutory scheme for resolving residential construction defect claims. 

Mr. Caspino's litigation efforts have lead to a number of advantageous settlements on behalf of the firm's clients.  In one matter, he was lead counsel in a construction dispute involving over 6,000 apartment units in Nevada and Florida.  Mr. Caspino litigated and resolved multiple personal injury and property damage claims, throughout the country, related to a legionella outbreak at a Las Vegas timeshare resort.

Recently, Mr. Caspino was quoted in The Wall Street Journal, wherein he commented on legal liability relating to automated external defibrillators.

Dr. Cook is the Medical Director of the Surgical Weight Loss Program for Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory, North Carolina, and a general and bariatric surgeon with the Hickory Surgical Clinic. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Cook received his bachelor’s degree from Morehead State University and his medical degree from the University of Kentucky, where he also completed his residency.

Lori is a Senior Medical Analyst with ISO Crowe Paradis. Lori has been a registered nurse for over 25 years. Her clinical background includes intensive care of neonates through adults and pediatric home health infusion therapy. Lori has been a certified life care planner, certified case manager, and Medicare Set-aside certified consultant for more than ten years. Lori has extensive experience in worker’s compensation case management, legal nurse consulting, life care planning, and preparing Medicare set-aside allocations. Lori has been twice published in the Case Management Society of America’s book, Core Curriculum for Case Management (2000, 2007). Lori is a lifelong resident of Birmingham, Alabama.

Chris is 12 year veteran in the healthcare field.  She graduated with a Master's Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Miami in 2001. Her physical therapy practice has included neurology, orthopedics, trauma and critical care, and burn care across multiple settings.  She continued her education in 2005 with a Certificate in Prosthetics from Northwestern University.  She is licensed to practice both physical therapy and prosthetics in the state of Florida.  Prior to her current position, Chris acted as the Clinical and Technical Director at Evolution Industries in Orlando, FL.  She now works as a Clinical Specialist in Prosthetics for Ossur.

Robert joined the United States Navy in November 2003 as a Hospital Corpsman. He spent his first few years treating service members at Naval Medical Center San Diego.  There, he was attached to the USS Peleliu in support of the Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard.  In 2006 Robert left the Hospital Corps to attend the Naval Dive Salvage Training Center where he was trained to be an Explosive Ordnance Diver and followed on to train at Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal.  Upon completion of EOD training he was stationed at EOD Mobile Unit Three NAB Coronado, CA in January of 2008.  After completion of team training in preparation for deployment with the Marine Expeditionary Force Robert suffered a severe fracture of his right ankle during a Military Freefall jump (HALO).  The fracture resulted in the amputation of his right leg below the knee.   Robert was retired from the United States Navy in December 2011.  He now works for the Semper Fi Fund as the Northeast Region Veteran Lead for their new Veteran to Veteran program.   

Julie Fortune is Senior Vice President and Chief Claims Officer for Arrowpoint Capital based in Charlotte, NC. The Arrowpoint Capital insurance operation has a 165-year history in the United States, formerly as part of the worldwide Royal & SunAlliance Insurance Group plc. Julie is responsible for the workers' compensation claims management operation.  She has more than 20 years of claims and legal experience in the insurance arena with both ongoing and run-off companies.

Prior to joining Arrowpoint Capital, Julie served as the Vice President of Staff Counsel, Services Provider Group and Claims at Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co., Sr. Vice President Claims Zurich Canada, Vice President – Customer Services Provider Group and National Litigation Manager for Zurich North America, and National Litigation Manager for Liberty Mutual. Throughout her career she has gained extensive experience in claims, organizational transition, and vendor and litigation management.

Julie earned her B.S. degree from the University of Oregon, M.A. degree from the Ohio State University, and J.D. degree from the Antioch School of Law.  She is a member of the Supreme Court of the United States, Tennessee, and Oregon.

She is a frequent speaker at industry events and has been quoted in various publications on the topic of claims and litigation management. She is the current Co-Chair and an Advisory Board member of the CLM, and a Chancellor for the Litigation Management Institute.  Julie is also a member of the American Bar Association and the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Elizabeth Ganiere has years of experience as In-House Counsel for both public and private corporations including construction developers, manufacturers, financiers, consumer products companies and and most recently the energy sector including, nuclear, alternative energy and oil & gas.

Ms. Ganiere currently works for McDermott International at its global headquarters supporting onshore and offshore projects in the Americas.  Formerly, she was onsite Senior Counsel with CB&I as a government contractor to build the Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility. The MOX Project, has since been terminated, was at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site in South Carolina. 

Previously she was General Counsel of Oakland Enterprises (Gulf Stream Coach, Inc.), a privately-held consumer products manufacturing conglomerate located in the Midwest.  Formerly, Ms. Ganiere was Corporate Counsel for global commercial and consumer products manufacturer Champion Enterprises, Inc., and served as the advising attorney and negotiator of sponsor and media contracts for a professional extreme sport athlete (BMX) and his training center.  She also has served as Advising Counsel for select directors, producers and filmmakers.

Ms. Ganiere served on the Advisory Board of the CLM for several years.  Ms. Ganiere is licensed to practice law in Michigan, Indiana and the U.S. Supreme Court.  She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from University of Southern California and Juris Doctorate from Western Michigan University and in 2011 became a Certified Litigation Management Professional (CLMP).

Ms. Ganiere is a regular lecturer and speaker in an array of legal and insurance subject matters for CLM, ABA, USLaw, Eagle International & LatinoMediaVision – Filmmakers conferences.

Mark received his bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama in 1992 and his law degree from the Florida State University College of Law with high honors in 1995. His practice areas include the defense of workers' compensation and other injury and employment related litigation, as well as Entertainment Law. He has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1995 (Worker's Compensation and Entertainment Law Sections), the Jacksonville Bar Association (Workers' Compensation Section), the Jacksonville Association of Defense Counsel, and the Jacksonville Claims Association. His bar memberships also include the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, and the United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. Mark previously served as Chairman of the Fourth Circuit UPL Committee for The Florida Bar, and presently serves as Chairman of the Fourth Circuit Grievance Committee B. He is a founding member of the Robert Williams Inns of Court. Mark is a member of the workers compensation committee for DRI. Mark is a member of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO). Mark also enjoys a strong pro bono practice and works extensively with families of children who are victims of violent crime. He represents Mark Lunsford (father of Jessica), Diena Thompson (mother of Somer) and Sue Rodriguez (grandmother of Christopher Barrios). Mark has made appearances on national television shows including "Larry King Live," "The O'Reilly Factor," "The CBS Morning Show," "Fox and Friends," "Nancy Grace" as well as numerous appearances on Court TV. Mark is an AV rated lawyer by Martindale Hubbell and has received an "Excellence in Litigation" award from CNA Insurance Company.

Marc Glickstein MD, FACR is a radiologist who has been in practice for over 25 years.  He completed his medical training at Yale University School of Medicine, went on to become board certified in Internal Medicine at Yale New-Haven Hospital, and then pursued Diagnostic Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania where he completed both his residency and fellowship training.

He is a senior partner in Jefferson Radiology, a large private practice group with multiple outpatient offices in central Connecticut, and is on the active medical staff of 8 hospitals in the Connecticut-Massachusetts region.  He has been an Assistant Clinical Professor of Radiology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, participates in resident teaching, is the author of over 25 peer reviewed journal articles in the Radiology literature, and is a past President and officer of The Radiology Society of CT.

Dr. Glickstein has served as a consultant in multiple medico-legal cases, and has also created Medivence, a service providing demonstrative evidence exhibits for the legal profession.

Dr. Guzik is owner and President of Business Health Resources, Inc. - a private consulting practice providing expert guidance and resources in the areas of occupational health and safety. For the past 25 years, Dr. Guzik has served in an array of positions providing expert specialty leadership for a variety of businesses. Dr. Guzik has also led one of the nation’s leading occupational health medical practices to strategic growth and success.

Dr. Guzik graduated from West Virginia University with a Master’s Degree in Nursing, and holds a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Case Western Reserve University. She is board certified as an Adult Nurse Practitioner, is also board certified as an Occupational Health Nurse Specialist, and holds a Fellowship in the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses. She is the author of a new and innovative textbook on occupational health nursing: Essentials for Occupational Health Nursing.
 

Angela Henderson is a Claims Supervisor for ESIS Inc, a subsidiary of Chubb Insurance.  Angela has more than fifteen years of experience in the workers’ compensation industry spanning technical and managerial responsibilities.  Angela has a varied background of corporate experiences and worked in marketing research for eight years prior to moving into the insurance industry.  She has managed claims for captive self-insured organizations, large national third party administrators and regional carriers. Angela has recently relocated to Southern California where she continues her adjusting career as an Independent Consultant in Commercial and Residential Property loss estimating. Angela also manages the public site Learn To Adjust, helping contractors who are new to the industry network with other professionals to obtain job leads and training resources.

Selected as one of 12 “Outstanding Healthcare Litigators” in the nation for 2005 and 2007 by Nightingale’s Healthcare News, David M. Humiston is a partner in the Los Angeles office and chairs the firm’s Healthcare Practice Group. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the authoritative book, Managed Care Litigation, published by Bloomberg BNA and the ABA Health Law Section. Mr. Humiston represents health plans and managed care organizations in liability matters. Many of the liability issues involve utilization review, benefits and claims determinations, ERISA, MediCare, bad faith, quality assurance, risk pool, IBNR, reimbursement, RICO, wrongful termination, behaviorial health, breach of contract and unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business and advertising practices.Litigation MattersMr. Humiston is an experienced trial lawyer who has successfully tried matters in Southern and Northern California.Memberships & HonorsMr. Humiston has several published appellate opinions and articles, which have contributed to the jurisprudence of California. Mr. Humiston is the Editor-in-Chief of the authoritative book, Managed Care Litigation, published by Bloomberg BNA and the ABA Health Law Section. Mr. Humiston is also a coauthor of the book’s chapter “State Law Challenges in Managed Care.”Mr. Humiston is a member of several bar associations, including the ABA Health Law Section; the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA), the California Society of Healthcare Attorneys, and the California Association of Physician Organizations. He was appointed to serve as Vice Chair of the Membership Committee for the ABA - Health Law Section for the 2013-2014 term. In 2013 he became co-chair of the Payors Work Group for AHLA’s Behavioral Health Task Force Mr. Humiston served as the ABA Health Law Section’s Chair of the Managed Care & Insurance Interest Group for the 2004-2005, and 2005-2006 terms. He is recognized as a Fellow of the American Bar Association, an honor limited to only one third of one percent of lawyers in his jurisdiction.He is admitted to practice in all of the courts of the State of California, the United States District Courts for the Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of California, the Eastern District of Michigan, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.Mr. Humiston has been annually honored as a “Southern California Super Lawyer” since its inception in 2004 by the publishers of Los Angeles Magazine and the Journal for Law & Politics. Southern California Super Lawyers published the top vote getting attorneys after totaling 65,000 ballots from attorneys practicing in Southern California.He was also named one of 12 “Outstanding Healthcare Litigators” in the nation for 2005 and 2007, by Nightingale’s Healthcare News. Mr. Humiston is recognized in Who’s Who in American Law and Who’s Who in California. Mr. Humiston is an elected member of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel organization.Mr. Humiston has annually received an “AV - Preeminent” rating, the highest ranking for legal ability and general ethical standards as reported in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. He was selected as a 2013 “Top Rated Lawyer” in Healthcare Law by American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell™. Mr. Humiston is on the Board of Trustees for the U.C. Hastings College of Law and previously served as President of the Board of Governors.

Dr. Iglesias is a seasoned physician executive and national speaker with over 25 years of experience in workers' compensation and disability treatment, evaluation and insurance leadership. His professional interests include the prevention and mitigation of delayed recovery and disability. His passion for helping workers live active, productive and fulfilling lives has led him to develop innovative comprehensive disability management solutions that focus on early identification of risk factors and appropriate early interventions to return workers to preinjury function.

Kathleen H. Klaus specializes in professional liability defense, premises liability defense and employment defense, with an emphasis on taking cases seamlessly from initial intake through trial and appeal.  She has been a member of the Firm's Defense Practice and Insurance Coverage Group since 2004.  Ms. Klaus graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1992 and received a bachelor’s degree, with honors, from the University of Iowa in 1987.  She has been included in the nationally known Best Lawyers in America publication since 2012. Ms. Klaus has considerable appellate experience and has been admitted to the appellate courts in both Michigan and Illinois, as well as the Third, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh United States Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.  She is also admitted to the United States Tax Court.  She is a long-standing member of the American Bar Association and the Oakland County Bar Association.

Donna Larson is the Director of Operations for Space Coast Health Foundation in Melbourne, Florida.   Ms. Larson has extensive experience in insurance program administration and litigation management in areas specific to medical malpractice, premises liability, antitrust, director and officer, employment, and workers compensation claims.
In addition to managing general corporate and regulatory matters in her former role as paralegal to the General Counsel of a health system, she was a team member for complex corporate transactions including real estate, mergers and acquisitions.  Prior to her experience in the hospital setting, she worked in both surgical centers and physician practices.
Ms. Larson is a licensed healthcare risk manager and certified claims adjuster.   Donna received her Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration from University of Central Florida in 2003, where she graduated with honors.

Al Luther is a Claim and Legal Consultant with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of assignments including strategic direction and profit/loss accountability for both personal lines and commercial business segments, Chief Claim Officer and other management roles for multistate personal lines and commercial claims organization, reduction and control of legal expenses, management and direction of various other functional areas including human resources, call center, underwriting, operations and legal.

He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School, 1978 and his B.B.A from Eastern Michigan University, 1974.

Corporal Gabriel Martinez and his wife, Kayla, were married only three months before Gabe was deployed to Afghanistan with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion (CEB) in October 2010. Just one month later, on Thanksgiving Day, Gabe called Kayla with the devastating news that he had been injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) blast and medevaced out with one of his best friends. Both men lost their legs.
The Semper Fi Fund supported Gabe's family while they were with Gabe in the hospital in Bethesda, MD so that they could remain by his side when he needed them most without added financial pressure. The Semper Fi Fund also helped Gabe and Kayla move their belongings to their new home in California and provided additional assistance to Gabe's family, allowing them to visit him when he left the hospital without having to worry about financial repercussions. Gabe was even able to purchase specialized athletic equipment and an adaptive truck, thanks to the assistance of the Semper Fi Fund.
Despite the loss of his legs, Gabe continues to be an extremely positive young man, always in a good mood and wearing a smile! In no time at all, Gabe learned to walk again on his new legs and has since been very busy rock climbing, skiing, biking and handcycling. He is also an active member of Team Semper Fi.
However, Gabe does still face certain difficulties of walking on prosthetic legs. For example, he sometimes has trouble bending down to pick things up. In 2011, to help him in his daily life, Gabe received a service dog that he named Wonka. Wonka can pick things up for Gabe and open doors when Gabe is in his wheelchair. Wonka can even fetch a drink from the refrigerator! In early 2012, Wonka became ill due to something that he had ingested. The Semper Fi Fund's Tim and Sandy Day Canine Companion Program took care of veterinary expenses, as well as necessities for Wonka, such as dog food. Wonka quickly returned to health and went back to assisting Gabe, who says he "feels blessed" to have a friend like Wonka in his life.

Ron Mazariegos is Head of Public Entity and Non-Profit claims at Ambrdige Group.  Ron manages a claims unit handling complex, high impact commercial auto, municipal liability, E&O, MPL, EPL, workers' compensation, excess casualty and reinsurance claims on behalf of insured municipalities, school districts, public risk pools, religous organizations and higher learning institutions.

Previously, Ron was VP of Claims and Vendor Manager with Arrowpoint Capital, (formerly Royal and SunAlliance Insurance), where he led a team of Workers Compensation, No-Fault and PIP claim adjusters and supervisors. Ron also managed professional lines, including Architects and Engineers' Errors and Omissions claims in the U.S. and Canada.

Ron has extensive experience representing the insurance industry on both the claims and defense side. Prior to joining Arrowpoint, Ron was an attorney with Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, LLP in New York. His practice focused on litigation, with an emphasis on construction, professional and general liability defense, insurance coverage matters and subrogation claims. He regularly defended automobile negligence, premises liability, assaults and batteries and negligent security lawsuits on behalf of major insurance carriers, self-insureds, third-party administrators, reinsurers and municipal entities.

Ron was also a civil-trial attorney for the New York City Law Department, Office of the Corporation Counsel. As an Assistant Corporation Counsel, Ron successfully defended and resolved hundreds of lawsuits filed against the City of New York, the New York City Police Department, the Board of Education, the Department of Transportation and the NYC Sanitation Department.

Ron is a licensed attorney in New York and North Carolina. He also a licensed adjuster in NC, SC, FL, TX and GA.

David is currently VP of Reimbursement & Compliance at Ossur Americas. Since starting there in 2006, he has obtained 2 of only 3 reimbursement codes granted by Medicare during that time for lower extremity prosthetic devices. This has given all amputees in the U.S. access to better clinical solutions. He also provides in-person and web-based presentations to practitioners, business owners, and billing personnel in the orthotics and prosthetics industry. These offerings help Ossur's customers navigate an increasingly hostile reimbursement environment.

David authors 2 blogs and records a monthly podcast: Ossur R&R, less is more, and Amp'd.

He is the current VP of NAAOP (since 2009), an AOPA board member (since 2012), and a former board member/Chair of the Amputee Coalition (2003-11).

David presented at Fast Company magazine's 2012 Innovation By Design Awards, and has been interviewed by Psychology Today magazine (2013) The Christian Science Monitor (2013), CNN (2011), BBC Radio (2011) and The Wall Street Journal (2003). He has been featured in Mazda's Conviction, Creativity, and Courage ad campaign (2013), as well as the film documentary, Out On a Limb (2012).

Tina Zink Pernie serves as the Head of Strategy, Operations, & Compliance at the CLM. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing strategic initiatives, operational efficiency, compliance management, and implementing innovative solutions.
 
Before rejoining the CLM, Tina served as the Head of Strategic Partnerships at North American Risk Services (NARS). In this role, she provided vision and direction for service relationships, partnerships, and product development. From 2014 to 2021, Tina was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the CLM. She was responsible for overall operational efficiency, strategic vision implementation, talent acquisition and empowerment, as well as IT innovation and implementation. Prior to 2014, Tina served as Claim Manager for Litigation & Vendor Management at Arrowpoint Capital. She oversaw and directed claims professionals, vendors, and defense attorney contracts and billing. From 2000 to 2007, she held various positions at Arrowpoint Capital, including managing the legal bill review division, where she maximized legal bill savings and law firm compliance through the application of litigation management billing guidelines according to all company, state, and federal regulations and practices.
 
Tina graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and earned the dual degree Master of Business Administration/Master of Science in Leadership (MBA/MSL) from Pfeiffer University in North Carolina.

Bill is a partner in the Mobile, Alabama office of Austill, Lewis, Pipkin & Maddox, P.C.  He has a civil defense practice, focusing on the defense of personal injury, workers' compensation, premises liability and general liability matters. 
 
 Admitted to practice in Alabama and Florida, he is an experienced trial and appellate attorney in both state and federal courts throughout Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.  He is AV rated in Martindale-Hubbell.  He is a member of the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association, the Defense Research Institute (Construction Law, Trucking Law and Workers’ Compensation Committees) and the Florida Bar.  He is past Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Defense Research Institute and is a frequent speaker at professional education seminars.  He is a Fellow of the American College of Workers' Compensation Attorneys and co-Chair of the National Workers' Compensation Review Program at the annual WCI Conference. He co-authored the CLM Workers' Compensation Claims Handling Guide for the State of Alabama for use by claims professionals and members of CLM.  He served as chair of the Workers' Compensation Section of the Alabama State Bar from 2006-2007He earned his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1989 and his undergraduate degree in English and History from Birmingham-Southern College in 1986.
 

Jim is a shareholder in the Pittsburgh based law firm, Poerio & Walter, Inc. His practice is concentrated in the defense of workers’ compensation and Federal Black Lung claims. Jim was defense counsel in the landmark case of Republic Steel Corporation v. WCAB (Petrisek), which fundamentally changed the law in Pennsylvania eliminating most claim petitions filed by retirees, saving Pennsylvania employers and carriers literally millions of dollars. Jim is active in the National Counsel of Self-Insurers  in addition to the CLM, where he has served as Co-Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Committee, and is a member of the Workers' Compensation Community Advisory Board.  He earned his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1981. He has been recognized as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in workers’ compensation law and for inclusion in “Best Lawyers in America” since 2006. Jim is AV Preeminent Rated by Martindale Hubbell.   Jim's firm, Poerio & Walter, Inc., has been recognized as well as a Tier 1 Firm for workers' compensation defense by US News & World Report Magazine.

Mark Popolizio, Esquire is Section 111 Senior Legal Counsel for ISO Claims Claims Partners. Mark is a nationally recognized authority in Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) compliance.

Mark practiced insurance defense litigation for ten years concentrating in the areas of workers’ compensation and general liability. During this time, he developed a national Medicare practice that included Medicare Set-Asides (MSA) and general MSP compliance. While in private practice, Mark represented numerous carriers, third party administrators and self insureds. Since 2006, Mark has dedicated his practice exclusively to MSP compliance working with carriers, self-insureds, TPAs and other claims professionals in addressing MSP compliance issues.

Mark is a regularly featured presenter on MSP issues at national seminars and other industry events. He provides presentations and educational training on a wide array of MSP topics, including Medicare Program Basics, MSAs, Medicare Conditional Payments, Medicare Part D (prescription drugs), and Section 111 of the Medicare, Medicaid & SCHIP Extension Act. Mark has authored numerous articles addressing several topics related to MSP matters, including a chapter in the California Bar CLE publication, Special Needs Trusts: Planning, Drafting and Administration.

Mark also served as Vice President of the National Alliance of Medicare Set-Aside Professionals (NAMSAP) from 2006-2008 and is currently a NAMSAP board member. Mark remains active with NAMSAP concentrating on education and legislative matters. He was also a featured instructor on Medicare and Life Care Planning issues with the former University of Florida/Medipro LLC program.

Mark grew up in Wallingford, Connecticut. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut with Bachelor of Science degrees in Legal Studies and Sociology. Mark relocated to South Florida in 1992 to attend law school at Nova Southeastern University School of Law in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. While at law school, Mark served as a Judicial Clerk to the late Honorable John D. Wessel (15th Judicial Circuit, Palm Beach County, Florida) and was a research assistant for Professor Leslie Larkin Cooney. Mark graduated from Nova in 1995 and is licensed to practice law in Florida and Connecticut. He resides in Miami, Florida.

Kevin Puckett began his career in 1995 with Aegon USA in Louisville Kentucky as a Senior Life Underwriter where he worked on large and complex individual life insurance applications. He is CMS approved and has five years experience in Medicaid Set-Aside as well extensive experience in structured settlements, rated ages and life expectancy and the full spectrum of medical underwriting services. He has worked with other major life insurance companies including Allstate, Aviva, Pacific Life, The Hartford and John Hancock where he was a Medical Underwriting Consultant, underwriting impaired risks medical cases via the analysis of medical history, mortality studies and utilizing underwriting guidelines to provide rated ages and new life expectancy reviews. Kevin’s experience also includes the development and management of structured settlement, impaired risk medical underwriting programs and systems; development of a medical underwriting manual for structured settlements using mortality studies, life expectancy tables and medical literature; as well as hiring, training and management of medical underwriting teams; marketing and new product development. Kevin earned a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Kentucky University.
 
 

Dr. Rosenthal has been with Zenith since June 2010. She received her bachelor’s degree from Duke University and medical degree from the University of Illinois. In addition, Dr. Rosenthal earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of Illinois and is board certified in Occupational Medicine.
 
Among her earlier roles, Dr. Rosenthal was the Area Medical Director for Concentra in South Florida and served as the Medical Director for General Motors in Doraville, Georgia and several other companies. In addition, she has served as a Physician Advisor for SBC-Smart Disability Program, Broadspire, General Electric, and Federal Occupational Health.
 
She is on the Board of Directors of the Florida Component of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. She was recently appointed to the Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Foundation Board of Directors.
 

Dr. Andrew Rosenthal M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.S. completed his residency at the University of Illinois Metropolitan Group Hospitals and attended Emory University School of Medicine as a fellow in surgical critical care and trauma. Dr. Rosenthal first joined Memorial Regional Hospital’s Trauma Program as a member of the general surgery trauma team in August 2006. Dr. Rosenthal is a Board Certified Trauma Surgeon at Memorial Regional Hospital, which has a Level I Trauma Center. He was appointed associate director of Trauma Services in 2009. Dr. Rosenthal is a frequent speaker at medical conferences, including the Annual Trauma Symposium held in Florida. He also written various articles and case studies including Grade V Renal Laceration: An Unusual Complication of Transfemoral Carotid Angiography for The Journal of Trauma Injury, Infection, and Critical Care and Hepatothorax: A Rare Outcome of High-Speed Trauma for Case Reports in Emergency Medicine.

Dr. Singh is a fellowship-trained, board-certified Pain Management physician who is passionate about minimizing the use of opioids in patients with Chronic Pain. He has seven years of clinical practice experience treating worker’s compensation patients with chronic painful conditions using a multi-disciplinary team approach to Pain Management. He successfully developed and expanded a worker’s compensation pain management service line for a multi-site medical group in central and southern California.

He currently is an Independent Physician Review Consultant for Prium Medical Cost Management and a Medical Advisor for Concentra Medical Review Stream and Medical Director with Irvine Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the American Board of Pain Medicine.

Jessica C. Smythe is a Medicare Secondary Payer compliance consultant with ISO Claims Partners. Prior to joining ISO Claims Partners, Jessica was a workers’ compensation defense attorney.

Jessica is a nationally recognized speaker and trainer on the subject of Medicare compliance, including the impact of Medicare compliance on claim handling and litigation management. She also writes a bimonthly column, “Medicare Matters,” for Claims Management Magazine and was awarded the designation of CLMP (Certified Litigation Management Professional) in October 2012. Jessica also holds the designation of CMSP (Certified Medicare Secondary Payer Act Professional). 

Jessica is a graduate of Meredith College and the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, Campbell University. She is an inductee to the Order of the Barristers and is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, the Wake County Bar Association, the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, the Claims & Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) and the National Association of Medicare Set Aside Professionals (NAMSAP).

Nick Stilwell is the co-founder of the Never Say Never Foundation, a not-for-profit formed to help disabled children overcome adversity, with a particular focus on athletics. Never Say Never mentors and sponsors amputee athletes and also hosts adaptive sports events.

Nick started the foundation after becoming a bilateral below-the-knee amputee in July 2008 as a result of a car accident. He began walking with prostheses less than 4 months after his accident, and today competes in track and field events, plays recreational softball, and engages in outdoor and extreme sports.

Having been with the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund for six years, Christy Stover is a case manager, meaning she works directly with OIF/OEF veterans to help them with financial assistance, as the need is directly related to their combat-related illness/injury. Christy has been able to help catastrophically injured service members with home grants, car grants, home modification grants, musical instruments, iPads, laptops, exercise equipment and transition grants. It has been her privilege to assist those who have fought for our freedom. Christy is a graduate of The University of Alabama, has been married to her active duty Marine for 17 years and is a mother of two.
 

Richard A. Tucker is a former Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Mr. Tucker received his Bachelor of Science degree in Urban Life from Georgia State University.
His extensive experience in law enforcement includes 10 years as a police officer; Mr. Tucker’s 25-year DEA career has included both domestic and international assignments.  He speaks fluent Thai. He has held a variety of management and enforcement positions including, investigations, intelligence and personal security. He has presented to national and international audiences on a wide variety of topics, including undercover operations, demand reduction, illicit abuse of prescription medicines and intelligence. Mr. Tucker has also instructed law enforcement professionals on issues involving conducting investigations of drug trafficking organizations. He is retired from his law enforcement career and engaged in consulting to the healthcare industry. Mr. Tucker’s experience provides unique perspective on many issues, including property crime, organized crime, and trafficking and use of drugs at the local, regional, and international levels. This broad view also provides compelling insight on many legal and enforcement issues.

Linda Van Dillen is the Executive Vice President/Partner, S&H Medical Management Services, Inc. She is a Registered Nurse with experience in Emergency and Occupational Medicine. Linda is experienced in medical records analysis and developing cost projections for future care.

Previously, she worked as a case manager and supervisor at a nationwide TPA.  Currently she manages the Marketing Division at S&H and develops products and servicesto meet the client's needs. She assisted in developing a software program specific to the needs of case management.

Specialties include: Developing software for the case management industry, researching and developing services and products to meet the needs of insurance companies, self-insured employers and third party administrators, and developing relationships with municipalities to assist with their health insurance needs.

Linda was awarded the Rotarian of the Year in 2011,and was named an Influential Woman in Business by the Business Ledger.  She is active in charities including serving as the Underwriting Chairperson for the American Cancer Society in St. Louis for their Celabaroo Gala.
 

Doug Vaughn is a partner in Deutsch Kerrigan’s Gulfport, Mississippi, office. His practice is focused on litigation including medical malpractice defense, commercial litigation, products liability, insurance first and third party claims, and motor vehicle/motor carrier catastrophic personal injury law. Mr. Vaughn has an "AV" rating from Martindale Hubbell and has been selected for inclusion in "Best Lawyers" and as a Mid South "Super Lawyer."   He is admitted to practice in Mississippi and Florida and is an alumnus of the University of Mississippi School of Law.  Mr. Vaughn has been an active member of the CLM, serving as a committee co-chair and presenting CEU/CLE programs at both its annual meetings and specialty conferences.  He is a past president of the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association and has served on the faculty of the International Association of Defense Counsel's trial academy in Palo Alto, CA, after having  served as chair of its Medical Defense and Health Law Committee and its inaugural and subsequent Medical Liability Roundtable seminars in Manhattan and Chicago.  

Margaret Fonshell Ward is a founding principal of Ward & Herzog, LLC in Baltimore.  Ward & Herzog is a women-owned litigation practice in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. Ms. Ward’s practice covers commercial litigation, insurance defense litigation, auto and premises liability, intentional torts and complex insurance coverage. She has tried 40 jury trials and a similar number of bench trials. Ms. Ward is a past member of the Board of Directors of DRI, a past president of the Maryland Defense Counsel, and a member of IADC.

Ms. Wilson is a partner in Reed Smith LLP’s Life Sciences Health Industry Group.  Her litigation practice focuses on her expertise in complex commercial and product liability matters, with particular emphasis on pharmaceutical products.  In this area, she has served as both national and regional coordinating counsel, as well as local counsel, and she has tried complex pharmaceutical cases in state and federal court in many different jurisdictions.

As the Director of Project Management, Yasko's responsibilities at Preferred Medical are vast and varying. Preferred Medical is a workers compensation PBM and ancillary services provider. In his role, Yasko helps to create the strategic focus of the organization while optimizing internal processes. He also serves a customer facing role however, where his consultative, trusted advisor approach has helped him to earn a modest reputation of a subject matter expert within the industry.

Scott is a member of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, serving on the Medical Legal Committee. Through the CLM, as well as other industry affiliations, Yasko has evolved as a frequent contributor, both as writer and speaker, on topics related to prescription drugs, medical marijuana, drug testing, and complex claims issues. 

Scott received his Bachelors of Arts in business management from Robert Morris University and his Masters in Business Administration from Georgia Southern University. He resides in Atlanta, GA with his wife, Leah, and two daughters, Monroe and Kensington.

Dave Zehner is a founding partner of Zehner Trial Consulting. Zehner Trial Consulting is a provider of superior mock trials, focus groups and jury selection services. Zehner Trial Consulting uses the latest research in cognitive theory to design research exercises to test the essential elements of cases and determine what will shape the verdict of the jury. During his career, Dave has consulted on more than 800 cases in 42 states and over 180 venues in all areas of the law, specializing in professional negligence, employment, intellectual property, white collar criminal, capital crimes and complex commercial cases. Dave has also assisted clients in selecting over 120 juries in venues throughout the country. Before becoming a trial consultant, Dave taught high school history for five years and coached the freshman and JV basketball teams. Dave also coached the Academic Decathlon team to three San Diego County championships and one fourth place finish in the state of California. Dave also appeared on Jeopardy!, and his crushing defeat was made even more enjoyable by being called "evil" by Alex Trebek for working as a jury consultant. 

A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in History and International Political Economies, Dave was a University Fellowship recipient while earning his master's degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and ABD status for his PhD in the Public Policy Analysis Program. 

Laura Zehner is the Director of Trial Services with Clarity Partners Trial Consulting, a national trial strategy consulting group based in Chicago, Illinois.  She is reponsible for coordinating and managing mock trials, focus groups and witness preparation exercisees.  Prior to joining Clarity Partners, Ms. Zehner managed claims for a Chicagoland hospital with a self-insured retention of several million dollars.  Her career focus has been in the insurance defense industry, primarily in the medical malpractice arena.  She has been in risk management and claims at several Chicagoland hospitals, including the University of Chicago Hospitals.  Prior to her in-house work, Ms. Zehner was an associate at an insurance defense firm specializing in medical malpractice and products liability.   In addition to being an attorney, Ms. Zehner is a registered pharmacist.