Speaker Bios

Robert Abramson handles PIP, UM/UIM, fraud, and bodily injury claims for multiple auto accident carriers. Bob regularly speaks at national conferences, local defense organization events, and to numerous insurance companies across the country on how to nail insurance fraud. On November 2, 2015, he moderated a panel in New York City on the topic of "Revolution in Auto Claims" at the Ace Tech East Conference. Bob will be moderating a panel in Orlando on the topic of "Stemming the Rising Epidemic of Insurance Fraud" at the CLM National Conference in April 2016. Bob also handles examinations under oath, dramshop actions, premises liability cases, and coverage opinions.

Before becoming a lawyer, Bob was an award-winning sports reporter for USA Today, Gannett News Service, the Ann Arbor News and the Wolverine Magazine. He co-authored a book on Michigan football's 1997 national championship run which sold 15,000 copies.

Mr. Adelson is the firm’s General Counsel and co-Managing Partner. He has practiced in the field of Workers’ Compensation for almost 40 years. In addition, Mr. Adelson’s legal career includes experience in the areas of civil, family and criminal law.

Mr. Adelson obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Fullerton, and his law degree from Western State University College of Law in Fullerton. He has also completed numerous courses in Advanced Legal Education at the University of Southern California Law Center as well as multiple courses in human anatomy, orthopedic medicine and psychiatric medicine.

He has served as a Judge Pro Tem and also as a workers’ compensation instructor at several colleges in Southern California. Throughout his career, he’s mentored numerous first-year students and enjoys their enthusiasm and fresh approach to the law.

Mr. Adelson has been the recipient of several honors. He received the prestigious designation of Certified Litigation Management Professional (CLMP) from the CLM’s Litigation Management Institute. He was nominated and accepted as a member of The Society of Fellows of the Orange County Bar Foundation. In 2014, he was named as one of California’s Top Lawyers by The Legal Network for “exhibiting the highest in ethical standards and professional excellence.” Who’s Who named Mr. Adelson as a Top Attorney of North America in their 2017 publication.

 

 
Josie Au is a Senior Claims Specialist at Suffolk Construction headquartered in Boston, MA. Suffolk Construction is a national construction management firm that specializes in complex projects in the healthcare, education, science and technology, federal government, and commercial sectors. At Suffolk Construction, Josie is responsible for overseeing Workers Compensation, General Liability, Construction Defect, Pollution, and Builders Risk claims nationwide with the focus on mitigating exposure through risk transfer and cost containment. Josie is a member of her company's Diversity and Inclusion Council and the Chair of her subcomittee focusing on Employee Development and Retention. She was a panel speaker for the 2017 CLM Workers Compensation Conference where she discussed two Florida Supreme Court rulings in 2016 (Castellanos v. Next Door Company and Westphal v. City of Petersburg), and it's impact to employers and carriers. Her presentation was named Canary in the Coal Mine: How the Florida Experience could Impact the National WC Industry. She received her Certified Claims Professional in Construction Designation through CLM Claims College.
 
Prior to joining Suffolk, Josie was a Resolution Manager for Gallagher Bassett specializing in Workers Compensation in the states of Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. Josie received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts Amherst - Isenberg School of Management. 

Natalie R. Bagley is a partner in Hennessy & Roach’s Workers’ Compensation Department. Prior to joining Hennessy & Roach in 2000, Ms. Romo worked as the staff director of an Illinois State Senate campaign. She attended the University of Illinois College of Law and received her J.D. in 1999. She also received her M.A. from the University of Illinois Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations in 1999. Ms. Romo performs work on several client teams including Southwest Airlines, Yellow Roadway Corporation, Addus Health Care, Ryder Services and AT&T.

Bachelor of Arts – Speech Communication (Spanish minor) 1996, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Juris Doctor 1999, University of Illinois College of Law
Master of Arts in Labor and Industrial Relations 1999, University of Illinois Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations
Master Thesis: “English-Only Rules in the Workplace: Their Effect on Title VII and the Globalization of the Marketplace”
Admitted to Practice in Illinois 2000

Mark is the Vice President of Risk Management at Hyatt Hotels Corporation.  With about 700 hotels and resorts in 52 countries, Hyatt strives to be the preferred choice for its guests, colleagues and owners while providing care so people can be their best.  Mark has responsibility for all aspects of Hyatt’s global insurance program, health and safety, workers compensation and claims management functions.  He reports to the General Counsel with 6 team members in Chicago and another 9 spread across the U.S.  He also holds the title of Global Director of Workplace Safety and along with the insurance and claim functions he is supported by a further team of about 60 individuals worldwide.  Mark also partners with a global team related to Board level enterprise risk management reporting, cyber risk and crisis management functions.  He set-up Arizona and Illinois based Captive Insurance Companies for Hyatt and is the President of these entities.  He has utilized captive insurance companies for alternative and unique risks including varied and differing exposures.  He also has extensive experience with leading and developing Risk Management Departments.
 
Mark has numerous years of experience in Risk Management, Legal and Accounting functions with service, manufacturing, distribution and retail operations.  He is also an adjunct professor in the hospitality school at DePaul University, he has guest lectured at Illinois State University in the risk management and MBA schools and was the Spencer Foundation Risk Manager in Residence at the University of Hartford and University of Rhode Island.  
 
Mark has a Juris Doctorate from the University of Detroit; Bachelor of Arts from Alma College, Alma, Michigan with majors in History and Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance; and, an Associate in Risk Management.  Married with 3 children, he works and resides in the Chicago area.
 

Dr. Bartlett joined Sedgwick in January 2009 as senior vice president, medical quality. She began her business career by joining a large automotive manufacturer. She spent 20 years managing large self-insured, multistate workers’ compensation programs as well as the WSIB Canadian program. This involved PPO and IME network development and management and claim and litigation management. The short-term disability (STD) program that Dr. Bartlett managed was union negotiated. She developed an evidence-based medical substantiation process, which saved millions of dollars and reversed the escalating STD trend. The long-term disability program was ERISA-based and was also supported by the evidence-based medical substantiation process. In conjunction with these programs, Dr. Bartlett developed a benchmark fraud detection system, which included both provider and employee fraud for both the United States and Canada.

Her most recent role before joining the Sedgwick team was planning, strategy and operations of healthcare benefits. This involved responsibility for developing a care management strategy, which encompassed the total spectrum of care from healthy through catastrophic, including mental health substance abuse and end of life hospice care. The span of her experience includes hospital bill audits, case management, disease management, focused disease management, quality initiatives, patient safety, review of new medical procedures and technology and medical utilization data analysis. During her career, she has had the opportunity to manage and mold wellness and fitness programs, which evolved into award-winning programs that were integrated into the benefit and claim structure. Dr. Bartlett was the recipient of the Crain’s Detroit Business 2008 Health Care Hero Award for bringing a new and innovative program to address back pain into the workplace.


 

Maria Bocanegra is an Arbitrator for the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, where she presides over workers’ compensation claims and hearings.  Previously, Arbitrator Bocanegra was a practicing attorney with Katz Friedman, where she handled all phases of workers’ compensation matters, wage and hour disputes, employment law matters and personal injury claims.  Arbitrator Bocanegra has experience in practicing before administrative, state and federal courts.  She formerly held the public member seat for the Illinois Department of Labor’s Labor Advisory Board, where she actively advised the Director of Labor regarding labor policy and enforcement of laws, reviewed statutes enforced by the Department and provided recommendations regarding the Department’s administrative regulations.  In addition, Arbitrator Bocanegra previously served for the Workers’ Compensation Lawyer’s Association’s Young Lawyers Section, where she gave a presentation regarding pre and post-trial issues concerning medical billing.  She has given numerous presentations in her current and former capacity on labor and employment laws, workers’ compensation and trial advocacy.
 
Arbitrator Bocanegra volunteers as a moot court coach for DePaul College of Law’s Latino/a Law Student Association.  She is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the National Hispanic Bar Association and the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association.  Arbitrator received her BA from Quincy University and her JD from DePaul College of Law.

Daniel Boyer has over twenty years of experience handling and supervising Worker’s Compensation claims across thirteen jurisdictions in the Northeast and is a Certified Medicare Secondary Payer Professional. He is a Fields Claims Specialist at Strategic Comp (a division of Great American Insurance Group). He continues to handle New Jersey and Delaware claims for a variety of insured’s which involves in-person interviews with injured workers and employers, working closely with case managers and doctors and attending court hearings. In addition to these duties he is a member of the Medicare Compliance team and works with fellow adjusters across thirty-four states on all aspects of MSP compliance. He resides in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area with his daughter and enjoys the burgeoning craft beer seen on his off weekends.  

Fran is a senior level claims professional with extensive management, technical and training experience. She earned her undergraduate degree from Cabrini University and her MBA from Eastern University. Fran has an extensive liability background managing automobile, general, professional and workers compensation programs. She has an extensive background in Subrogation, running a national program both on the insurance carrier side and for a law practice based in the Philadelphia. Her experiences in both a field and corporate setting provide her the ability to manage a variety of programs including traditional insured products, captives, unbundled and SIR programs, large deductible and reinsurance arrangements. Her areas of expertise include Litigation Management, Subrogation, Auditing/Best practices and team building.

Heather is the supervising attorney for the firm's Workers' Compensation Department in Florida. She devotes her practice entirely to workers’ compensation defense, and is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Workers’ Compensation. Heather is highly accomplished in workers' compensation law dealing with the analysis and litigation of problems or controversies arising out of the Florida Workers' Compensation Law. She also has experience handling employment law matters.

Heather is an active writer and lecturer. She has authored multiple articles in the Florida Workers’ Comp Reporter. She has lectured on behalf of the Workers’ Compensation Section of The Florida Bar and at various continuing education seminars. Heather is also Certified Instructor of Insurance Education for the State of Florida and often presents seminars to clients.

Prior to joining Marshall Dennehey, Heather was a partner at one of the leading defense firms in the southeast.

Away from work, she enjoys hiking, biking, traveling and spending time with her family. She is a committee member with the Jacksonville Humane Society, and volunteers for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA). She completed the 2008 New York City marathon, and the National Breast Cancer Marathon, and often participates in road races that benefit various charitable organizations.

Darren Cartwright, Senior Vice President & Partner, Claim Audit & Consulting Practice Leader
 
Darren leads Woodruff-Sawyer’s Claims Audit & Consulting team, a group of highly innovative, talented consultants providing advocacy and consulting around all facets of commercial insurance claims.
 
Darren also provides consulting services to clients on a range of complex claim and program management issues. In addition to his work in saving clients time and money on complex litigated claims, he has saved millions of dollars for clients by auditing claim programs and renegotiating adjustment and medical management contracts. 
 
He is an expert in the intricacies and challenges associated with managing occupational and non-occupational disabilities as well as leaves of absences in the workplace. He has successfully assisted clients with the implementation and management of Integrated Disability Management (IDM) programs and in helping clients to understand the true cost of absence.
 
Darren earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal law from California State University, Long Beach and holds the following designations: ARM, WCCP, Fraud Claim Law Associate and Workers' Comp. Claim Law Associate. He joined Woodruff-Sawyer in 2005.

Jorey Chernett is the CEO and founder of Intrinsic-4D, the developer and marketer of Authentic4D. Jorey has a passion for building and investing in businesses. Jorey previously served as President of D4D Technologies, LLC, a medical device company providing 3D imaging and CNC milling solutions to the $60B dental crown and bridge industry. He led the company in architecting and executing its business model, taking D4D through key strategic partnerships, culminating in a sale to strategic investors that included 3M and Henry Schein. Jorey's past includes experience as a venture capitalist (Illinois Ventures, LLC/Camelot), operator (DigitalWork, Inc.) and investment banker (Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette). He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance with honors from Indiana University.
 

Judi currently serves as the Corporate Claims Manager for K2 Industrial Services, Inc. – a multi-national industrial services company – and its four subsidiaries with several offices located across the country.  She began working for K2 Industrial 33 years ago in Atlanta Georgia when it was still a family owned company, JL Manta, until an opportunity became available to relocate to the company’s headquarters in Chicago in 1988.  Judi began her career in claims eleven years later in 1993 and has since made it her mission to advocate not only on behalf of the company, but also for injured employees.
 
Judi currently resides in Flossmoor, Illinois.  Judi is passionate about her volunteer work at Lincoln Park Community Shelter, in Chicago – a social service organization serving adult men and women who are experiencing homelessness.  She also enjoys spending time collecting fossils at Lake Michigan, though her greatest joy is spending time with her six grandchildren.

Lynn M. Combs has established a successful career defending self-insured employers, third-party administrators, and insurance carriers in workers’ compensation through the appellate level in the states of Illinois and Wisconsin. Lynn is often asked to educate her clients on risk management by speaking at seminars, conferences, and round table presentations.
Lynn takes a proactive approach to file handling, and focuses on obtaining the best possible result for her client. Her attentiveness to her clients’ needs is second to none, and she seeks favorable resolutions using a cost-effective strategy.
Early in her career, Lynn specialized in employment law, and focused on employment discrimination, health care, employer regulation of employees’ lifestyle, and employer liability for third-party sexual harassment.

Quinn Conaboy is the subrogation supervisor at Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Companies, which is headquartered in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance provides workers’ compensation, business owners policies, commercial umbrella, commercial auto and professional liability insurance policies to small and mid-sized businesses nationwide. Quinn is responsible for overseeing subrogation efforts across all lines of business.  Since coming to Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Quinn has utilized his decision making, aggressiveness and ability to leverage resources in order to have positive impact on the company and the subrogation department’s ability to increase recoveries while maintaining efficiencies.
Prior to joining Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance, Quinn worked as a paralegal at Cozen O’Connor and as a workers’ compensation subrogation adjuster at Travelers Insurance. He is a graduate of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and he also received his paralegal certification from Leigh Carbon Community College.
In his free time, Quinn enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter. He is the assistant men’s rugby coach at the University of Scranton and also enjoys mountain biking. 

Currently employed as Claims Operations Manager at The Gray Insurance Company, Metairie, LA. Duties include home office manager for Worker's Compensation, Medicare Section 111 compliance, manage fraud/SIU activities, governmental affairs, vendor management, has assisted in the development of a claims management system, and oversee subrogation activities, among other duties.

Licensed as a resident adjuster in Louisiana, with non-resident licenses in Florida and Texas.

Prior to arriving at Gray, he served at Gallagher Bassett Services, Bankers Insurance Group (where he served as Claims Manager to Louisiana Citizens Insurance - most notably during the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita) and American International Group in both managerial and claims functions.

CLM Worker’s Compensation Committee Co-chair.Member of CLM Fire and Explosion Committee

He has obtained Associate in Claims and Certified Workers' Compensation Professional designations.  He has completed coursework in Aviation Insurance for both Aircraft and Airport FacilitiesHe is a certified firefighter and has provided expert testimony in Fire Cause and Origin testimony in state district court.  Former Fire Chief of a metropolitan fire department. Is POST Certified in Law Enforcement

Past or present affiliations/memberships include: Louisiana Claims Association, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, Longshore Claims Association, National Fire Protection Association, American Society for Industrial Security, International Association of Arson Investigators, International Association of Fire Chiefs, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and Infragard.

Was a speaker at the 2006 American Claims Exposition, 2013 WCI360 Conference, as well as the 2012 and 2013 CLM Annual Conference, and a speaker at the LASIE Medicare Secondary Payer certification seminar.

Member of Advisory Council to Louisiana Association of Self Insured Employers.

Attended Louisiana State University and Delgado Community College.

Kerri is an accomplished professional with over 25 years experience in property and casualty insurance.  Her past amassed claims and management experience working while for a carrier, self-insured/self administered entity, and a large national third party administrator.  It’s from this experience that she brings a different set of skills in the client advocacy/consulting services provided.  In her role as a claims advocate she looks not only for ways to reduce the total cost of risk but looks to the future to develop ways to avoid/reduce risks.  Since joining McGriff in addition to overseeing the claims team, she also manages several high profile clients that have casualty exposures across the United States, its territories and internationally.
 
 Active in the insurance community for years, she currently serves on the Georgia State Board of WC Chairman’s Advisory Committee and is also an Educational Chair for Georgia’s Annual WC Conference. Kerri also served as Past President of the Atlanta Claims Association.  As a licensed adjuster and broker in the State of Georgia, her ability to analyze and recommend varying insurance solutions have proved vital for the clients she represents.  She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Clark College in Atlanta, GA.  

K. Martine Cumbermack is an experienced litigator with more than 20 years of legal experience. She has provided counsel and representation in workers’ compensation matters on behalf of employers, insurance companies, self-insureds and third-party administrators in both Florida and Georgia.

Martine has extensive experience in trial and appellate courts and has successfully litigated workers’ compensation cases at trial on various issues, including the Rycroft defense, notice and intoxication defenses.

A trusted adviser to her clients, Martine counsels them on the best way forward with their unique legal issues. She focuses on providing great accessibility to answer any questions or discuss ideas with clients, even when she is not working an active case with them, to ensure she is always available to troubleshoot problems or advise on issues they may be facing. Martine also assists clients with in-house training for employers to help mitigate risk ahead of issues in order to arm businesses with the knowledge to make smart decisions before incidents occur.

Martine holds a diversity and inclusion professionals certificate through Cornell University’s Institute of Labor & Relations. She has served as the Chair for the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee for nearly ten years and represents the firm as a member of the Steering Committee of the State Bar of Georgia Diversity Program. Martine has also served on the firm’s Hiring, Marketing and Community Relations committees.

Before joining Swift Currie, Martine served as outside panel counsel and in-house counsel providing workers’ compensation defense for a major national insurance company. Martine has become an industry leader, regularly writing and presenting locally and nationally on a wide variety of workers’ compensation topics ranging from employer affirmative defenses, light duty return to work issues, post-hire medical questionnaires, the role of aging employees in workers’ compensation and the impact of diversity on claims management, costs and results. 

Managing Director of Captive Consulting and Underwriting for Iroquois Captive Services.  Bob has worked in insurance and risk management for the past 31 years after graduating from Vanderbilt University.  Since 2002, he has worked extensively with captives and companies seeking to create their own captive insurance company.  His career has included affiliations with firms including Johnson & Higgins, Marsh and Arthur J. Gallagher.  Today he serves over eighty captive insurance companies providing risk management expertise.  Bob holds the Certified Insurance Counselor, Charter Property Casualty Underwriter and Certified Risk Manager designations.

Ericka joined Sedgwick in January, 2016. Her expertise is designing programs to engage, retain, develop and advance a culture of inclusion.

Prior to pursuing a career with Sedgwick, Ericka was the Global Diversity and Inclusion Manager for International Paper, where she oversaw activities that drove company’s integrated D&I strategy through close working relationships with business and functional leaders.  In addition to International Paper, Ericka has led the diversity and inclusion efforts at BAE Systems, American Red Cross, Blood Services, American Cancer Society, and Talbots, Inc.

Ericka has a proven track-record in leading diversity strategy creation and implementation, equal opportunity employment compliance, diversity recruitment, training and programming.  Her specialty is integrating diversity and inclusion practices into the companies’ processes and business activities by advocating actions that will help drive business results.

Ericka holds a degree in Speech Communication from Bradley University located in Peoria, Illinois and a Strategic Diversity and Inclusion Management Certification from Georgetown University located in Washington D.C.

 

Melissa is a multi-line claims specialist with Cincinnati Insurance Company, who handles workers compensation, auto, and property claims in Northwest Indiana.  With over 15 years of experience in the insurance industry, she is a leader in her field. Her extreme diligence and attention to detail make her a cut above the rest. She has strong skills in analyzing problems and finding solutions in a timely and efficient manner.  Melissa works with employers, injured workers, medical professionals, and case nurse managers on a daily basis in handling various work-related injuries.

Martin is the managing shareholder of Sweeny, Wingate & Barrow's Pee Dee Region office in Hartsville, South Carolina. Martin's practice focuses on civil litigation, with an emphasis on defending clients involved in professional malpractice and business disputes. He has successfully represented professional clients before all courts in South Carolina and before professional licensing boards. Martin is licensed to practice law in both North and South Carolina and is a member of the bar associations of both states. Martin joined the firm in 1999, following a two year judicial clerkship under the Honorable Henry M. Herlong, Jr., United States District Judge for the District of South Carolina. Martin is a graduate of Clemson University and the University of South Carolina School of Law. Martin was served as President of the Student Body at Clemson and as the Managing Editor of the SOUTH CAROLINA LAW REVIEW where he authored two published notes. He is married to Karen and is the proud father of five children.

Areas of Practice:
Medical Malpractice
Aviation
Health & Health Care
Professional Malpractice Law

Bar Admissions:
South Carolina, 1997
North Carolina, 1997
U.S. District Court District of South Carolina, 1997
U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1997

Jill Dulich received her B.S. and M.A. from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA. She also received her J.D. from Western State University College of Law.

Since 2015 Jill has been the Claims and Operations Manager for the California Self-Insurers’ Security Fund.  In her role Jill oversees the TPA’s that manage the claims that have been assigned to the Security Fund due to the default of a self-insured employer as well as manages the daily administrative operations of the Fund.

Jill retired from Marriott in February 2015 after 32 years.  She was the Senior Director for Marriott Claims Services, as part of Marriott International. She was responsible for management of workers' compensation, auto and general liability losses for all Marriott managed operations within 8 western states and also manages 3 satellite offices in Hawaii, Oregon and Nevada.

Prior to Marriott International, Jill was a Continuing Unit Supervisor for Allstate Insurance Co., a Unit Supervisor in workers' compensation at Alpha Beta Co. and Vice President of Claims at R. L. Kautz & Company.

She was a former Commissioner and 2003 Chair of the California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation having been appointed in 1998 by Governor Pete Wilson to be the private employer representative.

Jill is active in workers’ compensation in a number of states and was the former Chair of the Board and Executive Committee Chair of the California Self Insurers Association. She also served as the Treasurer and participated on the Nominating Committee, Board of Managers and Executive Committee.

Jill is an active participant in the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute CompScope Advisory committee and has been since 2007.
Jill served on the Board of Directors, Easter Seals Southern California for 15 years and was the former Chair of the Board.

Lance J. Ewing has extensive executive experience in the field of risk management and insurance including his current role EVP of Risk Management at Cotton Holdings, Inc.. Previously he was Industry Practice Group Leader for AIG. Prior to this position; he served in senior risk management capacities for Harrah’s Entertainment, Caesars Entertainment, GES Exposition Services/VIAD and for the City of Philadelphia School District. Mr. Ewing additionally worked for various insurance companies including Lumbermen's Underwriting Alliance, Pennsylvania Hospital Insurance Company (PHICO) and NY Lumberman's Insurance Trust in risk management and risk control capacities.

Mr. Ewing received his Master's degree in Law & Justice from the University of Pittsburgh and completed his second Master's degree in Occupational Safety Engineering. In addition to his Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designation and his International Certified Risk Manager (CRM) designation, he is a matriculated Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) candidate and has completed his Enterprise Risk Management Professional designation (ERMP).

Lance was National President 2003-2004 for the Risk & Insurance Management Society (RIMS) and was also the Chief Risk Officer (CRO).  He teaches risk management as a faculty member for the National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research.  In 2004, the Lance J. Ewing Educational Scholarship was established for the Certified Risk Management designation.  He serves on the University of Mississippi RMI Advisory Board.

Mr. Ewing was honored as the Real Estate Insurance Leader 2014-2015 for Globe Street and was the 2008 Risk Innovator of the Year.  In 2007, Lance was named Risk Manager of the Year.  He is a frequent speaker on enterprise risk management, claims, disaster recovery and risk financing.  He has spoken internationally to promote insurance and risk management in Asia, North America, South America Europe and Australia.   Mr. Ewing continues to be a strong and outspoken supporter of the insurance and risk management industry.

Andrew M. Fernandez has been practicing since 2009 and has dedicated his career to labor and employment law. Andrew focuses on litigation involving the defense of corporate clients in Illinois, Missouri, and Texas in their civil circuit and appellate courts, as well as in arbitrations and mediations and before their employment and workers’ compensation agencies. He is experienced in a broad range of areas including civil rights and municipal liability, as well as employment issues, with specialties in workers’ compensation defense, wrongful termination defense, workplace safety law and implementation, unemployment litigation, general liability, insurance and contract issues, and subrogation.

Andrew works closely with his clients to understand their businesses and goals, and to mitigate their exposure and bring cost-effective results. He is reputed as an aggressive litigator and advocate for his clients, with a track record of successful trial results and favorable settlements.

In his free time, Andrew races on a T-10 sailing team, and is working on obtaining his private pilot’s license.

Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, IL
Juris Doctor, 2009
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Bachelor of Arts, English, 2002

Mark has had a significant career in Logistics and distribution as a senior executive running a large team across Australia and the South East Asia for an Australian Publically Listed company. Mark has also held a number of board positions in both the corporate and non for profit sectors in Australia.
Mark was approached by dorsaVi in mid-2014 to head up the ViSafe side of the dorsaVi business in Australia.
Based in Melbourne Victoria, Mark’s role was to commercialize the ViSafe product, taking it from an R&D phase to a product that is effective in the worker compensation and risk management markets, delivering information, solutions, innovation and real cost savings to clients on a global basis.
Mark is based in New York heading up the USA arm of dorsaVi in both the clinical and worker compensation markets.
Mark’s priority is to build brand and product awareness with a sustainable operating business in the USA. Through partners, agencies and major corporates, the USA business is now exceeding both the Australian and UK business divisions of dorsaVi with an impressive lineup of major corporations, medium sized businesses, partners and agencies nationwide.

Jeffrey Hertrich is the Deputy General Counsel, Corporate Practices of AF Group.
Founded in 1912, AF Group (Lansing, MI) and its subsidiaries are a premier provider of innovative solutions.  Rated “A-“ (Excellent) by A.M. Best, AF Group is a nationally recognized holding company conducting business through its brands: Accident Fund, United Heartland, CompWest, and Third Coast Underwriters. 
Jeffrey began his career in 2010 with AF Group.  In his current role, he is responsible for managing corporate litigation matters, compliance, corporate governance, procurement, and transactional matters.  Recently, Jeffrey helped oversee the creation of a U.K. subsidiary that participates in the Lloyd’s of London syndicates. 
His responsibilities include working with AF Group’s Investigative Services Unit to navigate the complexities of state and federal laws applicable to insurance investigations. 
Jeffrey holds a J.D. from Western Michigan Thomas M. Cooley Law School and a B.S. in Economics from Michigan State University.  

Beth Hostetler RN BSN is a nurse with over twenty five years experience in the field of disability management and cost containment services in Workers Compensation. She has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University. She has been a certified Life Care Planner and is currently a Certified Medicare Set- Aside Allocator, and Certified Medicare Secondary Payer Professional. Her experience includes nearly fifteen years as Branch Manager in the Healthcare Division of Crawford & Company as well as several years as owner of her own company which provided case management, life care planning and Medicare set-aside services. Presently, she is the Director of Medicare Services in the Corporate Risk Management Department of Albertson’s Companies which is one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America. She has developed Albertson’s internal MSP Compliance program for Workers Compensation which includes policy and procedure for MMSEA Section 111 reporting, Conditional payment identification and resolution and the MSA program. She routinely provides internal training on Medicare Secondary Payer compliance and all aspects of the MSA process. 

Cristine K. Huffine practices primarily in the workers’ compensation section of the firm. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Huffine practiced workers’ compensation law (both in Georgia and Pennsylvania), employment law and general insurance defense.

Ms. Huffine graduated, cum laude, from Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in 1992, and the Dickinson School of Law with her J.D. in 1996. While at law school, Ms. Huffine participated on the Trial Moot Court Board for two years and received the Excellence for the Future Award based upon her academic credentials.

Ms. Huffine is a member of several professional organizations, including the Defense Research Institute, the State Bar of Georgia, and the Pennsylvania State Bar. She is a Board Member with the Atlanta Claims Association, serving as the Chair of the Legislative Committee. Her community involvement includes service with the Family and Children Services of Cobb County.
While practicing in Pennsylvania, she participated in a precedent-setting products liability case. Her previous experience also included clerking with The Honorable Sheryl Ann Dorney for the Court of Common Pleas, 19th Judicial District in York, Pennsylvania, and interning at the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office in the Tort Litigation Section.

In Georgia, Ms. Huffine has successfully defended numerous medically intensive workers’ compensation claims, including occupational disease cases and catastrophic claims. 

PRACTICE AREAS
-Catastrophic Injury & Wrongful Death
-Employment & Discrimination
-Insurance Coverage
-Workers’ Compensation
 
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Atlanta Claims Association Board
Pennsylvania State Bar
State Bar of Georgia
 
EDUCATION
The Pennsylvania State University, B.S., 1992
Dickinson School of Law, J.D., 1996
 
BAR ADMITTANCES
Georgia, 1998
Pennsylvania, 1997
 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Awards and Recognitions
Excellence for the Future Award
Community Involvement
Family and Children Services of Cobb County
 
Publications and Presentations
2017 CLM and Business Insurance Workers’ Compensation Conference, “To Pay or Not to Pay (for Medical Records Review), that is the Question,” (May 2017)  

Kirsten’s practice encompasses workers’ compensation, general litigation and criminal defense. Kirsten takes an aggressive approach, moving cases quickly towards closure through an extremely efficient litigation style. Kirsten guides her clients throughout all phases of litigation and frequently lectures regarding unique case handling techniques.

She has successfully tried and argued numerous cases before all of the Administrative Law Judges of the Indiana Workers’ Compensation Board and the Social Security Disability Administration. In addition, Kirsten has tried general liability, medical malpractice and criminal cases before the Indiana trial courts.

Kirsten has an extensive background in criminal defense representation ranging from misdemeanor to felony offenses, and specializes in operating while intoxicated charges and criminal record expungements. Kirsten is experienced in mediation and subrogation matters, including ERISA, Medicare and Medicaid and serves on numerous occasions as Judge Pro Tempore for the Honorable Judge Cantrell in Lake Superior Court.

She frequently volunteers her time with the Porter County Animal Shelter and donated a year of pro bono legal services to aid in their representation. She is an active member of the Women Lawyers Association of Indiana and the Lake and Porter County Bar Associations. While in college, Kirsten was President of the Women in Lawyers Association, executive board member of the Hellenic Law Association and an active volunteer with the Richard Blennerhasset Tax Law Society. In her free time Kirsten enjoys spending time with her husband, son and walking her two dogs.

Fred Karlinsky is a Shareholder and Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Global Insurance Regulatory and Transactions Practice Group. Fred has over 30 years of experience representing the interests of insurers, reinsurers, and a wide variety of other insurance-related entities. He is a recognized authority on national insurance
regulatory and compliance issues and has taken a leadership position in many insurance trade organizations. Fred has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Florida Trend 500, and Florida Trend’s “Legal Elite” for his work in insurance law.
Fred is recognized as the only Band 1 Florida insurance lawyer by Chambers & Partners and one of the most influential leaders in Florida politics by City & State Florida and INFLUENCE Magazine. He has in-depth knowledge of insurance compliance matters and is a primary strategist in all Florida insurance-related legislative initiatives. In addition to his role with Greenberg Traurig, Fred has been an Adjunct  Professor of Law at Florida State University College of Law since 2008. Since 2014, Fred has served on and currently chairs the Florida Supreme CourtJudicial Nominating Commission (JNC), which appointed five of the seven current sitting Justices on the Florida Supreme Court during his tenure on the JNC.

Mandi Karvis, a shareholder with the firm, is an experienced trial attorney, with jury trial experience in state and federal courts.  Ms. Karvis has the desire and skill to try cases, but also has the judgment and discretion to know that not every case belongs in the courtroom.  Her practice primarily focuses on handling complex injury cases, with an emphasis on medical malpractice defense and nursing home liability.  She regularly defends individual healthcare providers of all specialties as well as hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other types of healthcare providers, such as home health care agencies.  Additionally, Ms. Karvis has extensive experience defending chiropractors and other allied healthcare professionals.  Ms. Karvis also has experience defending against claims brought under the Adult Protective Services Act (APSA) relating to the alleged abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults, including claims of financial exploitation of vulnerable adults by care providers.
Ms. Karvis also defends premises liability, products liability, and general personal injury matters that involve catastrophic and/or complex injuries.  Her experience reviewing and understanding medical records is extremely beneficial in evaluating injury claims and deposing treating medical providers.
Ms. Karvis assists clients in pre-litigation evaluation of claims in such a manner that allows clients to identify claims that should be resolved prior to the initiation of litigation.  In that capacity, Ms. Karvis also provides risk management advice to clients in an attempt to improve internal policies and procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
 

Tammie Kater is the Director of Workers’ Compensation and Partner Safety at PruittHealth.  She comes with more than 25 years’ experience in managing all aspects of workers’ compensation with in-depth experience in litigation management.  She has worked with a variety of clients including governmental entities, large manufacturing plants, and healthcare providers, among others.  Her expertise has helped to reduce her clients’ overall costs by implementing effective cost saving processes, safety, and loss control. 
 
Ms. Kater is the current president of the Atlanta Claims Association, which provides continuing education to claims professionals throughout the Southeast region.  She is passionate about claims management and is dedicated to sharing her wealth of knowledge to others.  Her dedication is what sets her apart from everyone else.  

Dr. Ari Kaz is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in treating foot and ankle conditions. Whenever possible, Dr. Kaz performs surgery using arthroscopic and other techniques to minimize incisions and the amount of tissue that must be cut, thus reducing pain and speeding recovery times.

A Chicago native, Dr. Kaz sustained an ankle injury while playing high school basketball, and he was so impressed with the doctor that treated him that he decided to become a foot and ankle doctor himself.

In providing care, Dr. Kaz takes an individualized approach tailored to each patient’s specific situation and challenges. He takes great care to provide a correct diagnosis, and provides care for the patient as an entire person, rather than treating just the foot or ankle condition. He stresses teamwork between himself and the patient and makes certain patients understand their conditions so that they can participate in their care.

 Dr. Kaz keeps current with new developments in his specialty reviewing research articles as a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, British Edition and as an assistant professor of clinical orthopaedics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago.

Mr. Kmiec has been involved with the risk and investigations industry for over 30 years.  He began his career as an investigator in the Chicago area in 1987.  Shortly thereafter he took a management position with a national investigative company specializing in corporate risk and investigations.  During that tenure he was involved in drug, theft, workplace violence, executive protection, risk assessment, and background investigations.  He worked for the U.S. Department of Defense on a specialized program during his tenure.  He was responsible for the operations and client services for multiple states within the Midwest when he left the firm.  He conducted seminars to both associations as well as training on various aspects of risk and investigation within the corporate environment. 

In 1996 he was recruited to take on a new challenge and develop a Special Investigation Unit (SIU) for one of the largest Third Party Administrators (TPA) in the country.  He spent seven years growing that division, with the final three as President of the SIU division.  The unit provided risk and investigative services to clients throughout the country.  This involved the assessment of the work environment, investigative resources for insurance fraud as well as corporate concerns. 

In 2010 he joined Sedgwick, the largest TPA in the U.S., and currently serves as the VP of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) to both clients and colleagues of Sedgwick.  He works with many of the top 100 companies in the US regarding various risk concerns and developing programs to help with the mitigation of questionable claims.  

Beth T. Koller is a partner in the firm’s Fort Lauderdale West Office.  She practices in the area of workers’ compensation defense. Ms. Koller has been a member in good standing of the Florida Bar since 1997.

She received her juris doctor degree from St. Thomas University School of Law, where she participated in an elite internship at the Broward County Attorney Office and was a student member of the American Trial Lawyers Association.  Prior to going to law school, Ms. Koller graduated from Stetson University with a bachelor of arts in English and communication and served as the new student orientation chairperson.

She is a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority and is active in the Broward County Alumni Association serving as Secretary.  Since becoming a member of the Florida Bar, Ms. Koller has practiced solely in the area of insurance defense with an emphasis on workers’ compensation.  She is a member of the Workers’ Compensation section of the Florida Bar as well as the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Broward County Bar Association and the South Broward Bar Association.  Her representation of both large and small insurance carriers has afforded her the opportunity to take several cases to final hearing and speak to adjusters and employers on numerous topics. Ms. Koller is certified by the State of Florida to speak to adjusters for adjuster certification credits including ethics.

Ms. Koller is married and has resided in Florida for the past 28 years.

South Broward Bar Association
Workers' Compensation Section Florida Bar 
Member, Friends of 440
Member, Broward County Bar Association Workers' Compensation Section Board of Directors

Arthur Koritzinsky is a Managing Director in Marsh’s Captive Solutions Group. Located in New York, Mr. Koritzinsky is the leader of the Americas Captive Advisory practice. He assists clients with the organization of single parent and association captives, as well as risk retention groups and is a frequent speaker at industry seminars.  His team is also responsible for maintaining best practices and standards, training of Marsh colleagues involved with captive projects and strategic planning for existing captives. In 2012, Mr. Koritzinsky placed 8th on Captive Review’s Power 50 list, which ranks the most influential people in the captive industry and was recently named to the publication’s Hall of Fame.

Experience
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Koritzinsky was an account executive with Corporate Systems, now part of Marsh ClearSight risk information technology platform.

Education
B.B.A. in accounting with concentrations in risk management and insurance from the University of Wisconsin

Affiliations
Associate in Risk Management (ARM) professional insurance designation

Dan Kugler is the VP Enterprise Risk Management for the REV Group, Inc. The REV Group is a leading manufacturer of motor vehicles for bus, emergency, specialty and recreation markets worldwide. REV’s lineup of products includes ambulances, fire trucks, shuttle buses, transit buses terminal trucks street sweepers, luxury motorhomes and wheel chair accessible vans. REV owns 26 brands employs more than 6,000 in 16 different plants in the US. And produces more than 20,000 specialty vehicles annually.

Prior to joining the REV Group in June of 2016, Dan was the Director for the Center for Insurance & Risk Management at the University Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Business where he was responsible for growing the IRM Center and teaching insurance/risk management courses. Dan joined the college in June of 2014 his Alma Mater. Dan retired from Snap-on Incorporated after 35 years in 2014 where he served as the Assistant Treasurer Risk Management and President of Snap-on SecureCorp Companies. Snap-on SecureCorp Companies consists of: 2 insurance agencies (US and UK) and 2 captive insurance companies in Bermuda and Malta.
Mr. Kugler remains an Adjunct Professor at: Concordia College of Wisconsin, an instructor for: National Alliance, ICCIE in captive insurance studies, and RIMS professional development courses. He currently serves on the boards of: Spencer Educational Foundation, National Alliance Research Academy. He is a member of the Butler University-Davey Risk Management Program Advisory Board. Dan has served as a Director for: RIMS, Wisconsin Workers Compensation Self-Insurers Council, Captive Insurance Companies Association CICA and CPCU Society Board of Governors.

Mr. Kugler received his bachelor degree of business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, MBA from Chicago Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University and Advanced Management certificate in Enterprise Risk Management from Georgia State University. He holds the following designations: RIMS-CRMP, ACI, CPCU, ARM, AIC, INS and CEBS. 

Cyndy Larsen is the Area Vice President for Kaiser On-the-Job® Sales and Account Management and has national responsibilities for the business line.  She has extensive sales and operational workers’ compensation experience bringing medical management, provider network, claims and disability management solutions to national employers, TPAs and insurance carriers.  Cyndy held key leadership positions with healthcare and insurance organizations including CorVel, HealthNet, HIH America Insurance Co., Zenith Insurance Co., Intracorp and Royal Insurance Co.  She started with Kaiser Permanente as KOJ’s NCal Regional Sales Manager in January 2010 and was promoted to her current position in July, 2014.

Cyndy also leads the Diversity and Inclusion Team Champions for Kaiser Permanente’s Sales, Account Management, Underwriting, Health Plan Operations and Medicare departments in California.

Cyndy holds a B.S. in Nursing from University of Nevada, is a licensed RN, and achieved Certified Case Manager (CCM) and Certified Disability Management Specialist (CDMS) professional designations.  She received a Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to her by the California Workers’ Compensation Institute, for her over 20 years of leadership in the field of Workers’ Compensation Medical Management, has been a frequent speaker at workers’ compensation industry events, and is a member of the National Organization of Women Executives in Workers’ Compensation.

Michelle Leighton is a Partner and a National Claims Advocacy & Consulting Leader for Conner Strong & Buckelew. In this role, she serves as a claims advocate for her clients in all aspects of the claim process, including the development and implementation of claims management programs and providing technical expertise and support on claims-related matters. Prior to joining Conner Strong & Buckelew, Michelle was Vice president of Claims for The Graham Company, a Philadelphia based brokerage. Michelle has notable expertise in governmental entities, construction and Controlled Insurance Programs (CIP). She received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resources Administration from Temple University and holds the Associate in Claims designation.

Rich Lenkov brings a killer instinct and unparalleled focus to representing his clients. He partners closely with his clients, ranging from Fortune 50 Corporations to small businesses, to achieve successful litigation outcomes.

Selected to the 2013 Illinois Super Lawyers List (given to no more than 5% of lawyers in Illinois), named Leading Lawyer from 2012-2014 and honored by SEAK as one of the 50 Most Influential People In Workers’ Compensation, Rich enjoys the respect of his peers. He is also a frequent lecturer and involved in a number of national organizations, including:
Claims and Litigation Management Alliance – Chicago Chapter President RIMS Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel Illinois Retail Merchants Association Foodservice Industry Risk Management Association Workers’ Compensation Defense Institute
Rich is also very involved in his community, including serving on the Board of Visitors for the Northern Illinois University College of Law, as Local School Counsel Chairperson for Agassiz Elementary School and on the Advisory Board of Legal Prep Charter Academy, Chicago’s only legal-themed charter school. Rich was recently honored as NIU School of Law Alumnus of the Year. 

Chris Mandel is SVP of strategic solutions for Sedgwick and Director of the Sedgwick Institute, where in both roles he is responsible for helping the company reach its strategic vision of serving current and evolving needs of itscurrent and future customers, as well as help lead the industry vertical to the next level and beyond. He founded two firms,specializing in risk management and insurance services. Mr. Mandel has more than 25 years of experience in insurance and large global corporate risk management. He has pioneered the development of integrated risk management at USAA, where S&P rated USAA as “excellent” and a “leader in ERM”. His career included leadership roles at Liberty Mutual, Marsh, Verizon, American National Red Cross, PepsiCo and USAA, and he has served in numerous leadership positions with the Risk and insurance Management Society. He has held appointments to: the Spencer Educational Foundation Board; the Board of the risk retention group for the American Orthodontics Association; the Center for Enterprise Risk Management Advisory Council (University of GA); and the Advisory Boards of AIG, the Nonprofit Insurance Alliance Group, Liberty Mutual, Zurich American, FM Global, G4S and Willis. He was elected a founding member of Risk Who’s Who in 2008. He is recognized by his peers as a thought leader in ERM and related disciplines.

Training and education

B.S. in Business Management from Virginia Tech and a MBA from George Mason University. He was conferred the CCSA (2007), CPCU (1987), ARM(1990), ARM-E (2015) and AIC (1982) designations. He is a frequent industry speaker and author and writes the “Claim Management column for IRMI and contributes to the Risk Insider collumn at Risk and Insurance magazine and was named Risk Manager ofthe Year – 2004.In 2016 he was honored with RIMS' Goodell Award recognizing lifetime achievement in the risk management profession.

Mr. McGibbon is a graduate of Kettering University with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and extensive industry experience in engine technology engineering, vehicle suspension design, marine powerplant, ship repair of cruise ships, cargo ships and tanker vessels. He has extensive experience in dry docking and dock inspections and crane failures. Principal Engineer for the complete body system for the Chevrolet SSR limited production vehicle from concept to production release; he designed and managed the complete body and exterior components of the SSR vehicle. Team member for US government PNGV program, Advanced Vehicle Propulsion system project to support the Environmental Protections Agency (EPA) fuel economy mandates and Hybrid vehicle early technology; GM development engineer at Michigan and Arizona proving grounds for on road suspension & powertrain fuel economy evaluations. Senior engineer, manager on the design of composite and steel body systems for US government special applications vehicles. He has a 1988 US patent for a vehicle suspension device & authored a 1983 book related to vehicle front suspension steering influence by drive torque.

Gregory McKenna currently serves as Counsel to Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc. ("GB"), a subsidiary of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., in Itasca, Illinois.  GB is a leading Third Party Claims Administrator serving customers in the administration of worker's compensation, property and casualty lines of insurance coverage in the US and around the world.  Mr. McKenna manages claims and litigation involving GB directly.

Prior to joining GB in October 2008, Mr. McKenna was a civil litigator with the firm of Cremer, Kopon, Shaughnessy & Spina, LLP in Chicago.  Mr. McKenna holds a law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, a Master's of Science degree from Georgetown University, and he completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame.

Mr. McKenna currently represents GB in the American Association of Independent Claims Professionals ("AAICP") and is a member of the Medicare Advocacy Recovery Coalition ("MARC") and the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel ("FDCC").  With his wife and three children, Mr. McKenna lives in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago.

Jennifer D. Meyer concentrates her practice in worker’s compensation representing employers, insurance companies and third-party administrators. She also represents insurance companies in civil litigation and subrogation matters. Jennifer was previously employed at MED-1/REV-1 Solutions, where she was an in-house attorney representing hospitals and physician groups, specializing in liability and worker’s compensation accident and insurance cases. 
 
After graduating from law school, Jennifer accepted an in-house counsel position at Conseco Insurance Company (now CNO Financial Group), where she specialized mainly in privacy and security compliance, contract review, claims advising and collections.  During law school, Jennifer was a summer clerk for Chief Judge Sanford M. Brook at the Indiana Court of Appeals and a law clerk at Conseco Insurance Company. She also worked for another, large multi-state firm prior to coming to Downey & Lenkov.

PUBLICATIONS/PRESENTATIONS
“The Evolution of Worker’s Compensation Claims – From Processing Claims to Fully Investigating,” Co-presenter, 2018 CLM Business Insurance & Workers’ Compensation Conference (May, 2018) 
“Managing Risk with Co-Morbidities in Today’s Diverse Workforce-The Burnout Spectrum,” CLM & Business Insurance Workers’ Compensation Conference (May, 2017)
“Recent Legislative Changes to the Indiana Hospital Lien Statute,” KPD Legal Advisory (May, 2013)
“Indiana Legislature Enacts New Law Affecting the Worker’s Compensation Act: Sets Statute of Limitation for Provider Fee Claims,” KPD Legal Advisory (June, 2011)
“Defense of Provider Fee Claims after Washington Township v. Beltway Surgery Center,” IWCI Legal Lines Internet Newsletter, 2010
“Indiana Appellate Court Weighs in: No Appropriate Statute of Limitations for Balance Billing Provider Fee Claims Under the Act,” KPD Connection Newsletter (Fourth Quarter, 2010)

ADMISSIONS, PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS  
Indiana State Bar Association 
U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana 
Indiana Worker’s Compensation Institute, Inc. - Indianapolis Chapter, Board of Directors 

EDUCATION
Indiana University/Robert H. McKinney School of Law, J.D., (Health Law Concentration)
Ball State University, M.S., Counseling Psychology
Ball State University, B.S., Psychology

Scott B. Miller is a partner in the law firm of Hurley, Rogner, Miller, Cox & Waranch, P.A.  
He represents employers, insurance carriers and TPA's in the defense of workers’ compensation claims, with a  special focus on the health care, construction and retail sectors.
Mr. Miller received his undergraduate degree from Duke University in 1986 and his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1989.  He has been licensed to practice law in the State of Florida since 1989 and has been Florida Bar Board Certified since 1997.  He holds an “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Miller serves on the Board of the Florida Association of Self-Insureds (FASI) and is a certified instructor with the Division of Workers’ Compensation.

Justin Nestor focuses his practice on workers’ compensation defense and has successfully handled cases at every level up to the Appellate Court. Based out of the firm’s office in Schererville, Indiana, Justin maintains an active practice in both Indiana and Illinois. He represents construction companies, trucking companies, commercial contract carriers, retailers, manufacturers, municipalities and self-insureds, and works closely with third-party administrators and insurance carriers. He also has experience in subrogation, personal injury and premises liability defense, and defending unemployment claims.

Prior to practicing law, Justin was a municipal police officer in Indiana for 8 years, having attained the permanent rank of Corporal. While on the police department, Justin served the community in a variety of capacities in addition to patrol and investigative duties, including Field Training Officer, Traffic Safety Grant Coordinator and Police Pension Board Secretary. Justin was also a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, having served as President of the department’s local lodge.

Justin frequently speaks on a variety of topics and has authored several articles. Justin is also involved in a number of professional associations, including various bar associations, the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers’ Association, and the Indiana Workers’ Compensation Institute, where he was a Board Member (2011) and President (2012) of the Northwest Indiana Chapter.

Amy Newton, Associate Vice President, Claims
For Amy, insurance isn’t just a job, it’s a career. As associate vice president of claims, Amy Newton oversees overall operations for two Pinnacol Assurance business teams as well as for the claims, medical case management and return-to-work specialists’ teams. She joined Pinnacol in 1992 as a front-line employee who, over her 24-year career in workers’ compensation, has held numerous positions before being appointed to her current role.

Amy is known for both her hard and soft skills – the ability to build strong relationships with customers and for her technical expertise with claims. These skills have provided her with many opportunities to share her knowledge with others. She has spoken on a variety of claims-related topics for nationally renowned conferences such as the American Association of State Compensation Insurance Funds’ (AASCIF) Super Conference and the National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference (NWDC).

She is a member (and former board member) of the Professionals in Workers’ Compensation group and served on the selection committee for the Pinnacol Foundation scholarship program. Amy also served as a board member for the Colorado Workers’ Compensation Claims Conference from 2000 to 2004. She served for several years in the capacity of chairperson and member of the claims and rehabilitation committees for AASCIF.

Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Regis University.

She is a Colorado native who loves to travel and camp with her husband and twin teenaged girls.

Dr. Nirenberg is a board certified podiatric physician and surgeon, and also one of a handful of forensic podiatrists. This rare skillset allows him to provide insightful analysis of malpractice claims and personal injury cases involving the foot, ankle or footwear.
 Dr. Nirenberg has provided analysis of gait, footwear and footprints in homicide cases for law enforcement, including the FBI. He has over 24 years’ experience in private practice and has published in podiatric and forensic journals, served as a residency instructor and lectured at podiatric medical and forensic seminars. His advice has been sought by various media sources, including Fox News, Chicago’s WBBM radio and the Wall Street Journal. 
 Dr. Nirenberg provides analysis in civil and criminal cases that involve the foot and/or ankle, including malpractice and personal injury claims.  

Suzanne is the department head of Risk Management for Alsco Inc., a fourth generation family-run Linen and Textile Service provider headquartered in Salt Lake City. She and her team manage Alsco’s global Property and Casualty program covering 17,000 employees and 160 processing plants.
 
Her career began in the mid-1990s as a workers’ compensation adjuster and has evolved under Alsco’s umbrella to encompass occupational safety and health, regulatory compliance, litigation management, contract administration, and business continuity. She currently serves on the Textile Rental Services Association Safety Committee and is a board member of the Utah RIMS Chapter. She is a graduate of the University of Utah, an AIC, ARM, and perfects risk assessments and wilderness first aid self-applications as an avid mountain biker and backcountry skier.

Steve Pemberton is Senior Executive at Walgreens Boots Alliance, the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise in the world, employing 370,000 people in 25 countries. Prior to that he served as Chief Diversity Officer for Walgreens, becoming the first person to hold that position in the historic company’s 114 year history. He is widely considered a subject matter expert on matters of diversity and inclusion and its importance to the sustainability of organizations and the communities they serve. 

One of America’s most inspiring executives, he brings a deep personal understanding of human differences and the human experience to his position. Pemberton was a ward of the state for much of his childhood, an experience he chronicled in his 2012 best-selling memoir, Chance in the World (Thomas Nelson). His extraordinary life journey, featured in People Magazine, has been translated into multiple languages and continues to inspire audiences across the world; the movie adaption of his life is currently underway. Pemberton’s tireless advocacy for the disenfranchised has earned him numerous accolades. His dedication to public service and personal and professional achievement have also earned him Honorary Doctorates from Winston-Salem State University (2014) and Boston College (2015). In 2015, Pemberton was awarded the prestigious Horizon Award by the United States Congress, presented to individuals from the private sector who have contributed to expanding opportunities for all Americans through their own personal contributions, and who have set exceptional examples for young people through their successes in life. 

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.

As Director of the Workers' Compensation Department at Marshall Dennehey, Michele oversees more than 30 attorneys in 10 of the firm’s offices. She is also a member of the firm’s Board of Directors. In addition to her managerial and litigation responsibilities, Michele supervises client development efforts for the Workers’ Compensation Department. Throughout her legal career, Michele has represented third party administrators, insurance carriers and self-insureds, and her creative legal strategies have been well-received by her clients and the courts.

Michele is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating for attorney professional competence. In March 2022, Michele was inducted into the College of Workers' Compensation Lawyers, joining a select group of attorneys from across the country who have distinguished themselves in the practice of workers' compensation law. She also lectures and writes extensively for various organizations and publications, and is a member of the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bar Associations, the Defense Research Institute, and the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM).

Bar Admissions: Pennsylvania, 1990 U.S District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1991 U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit, 1991

Bert Randall, President of Franklin & Prokopik, is a trial attorney concentrating in complex matters involving employment, tort liability and business litigation.  He regularly represents companies in state and federal courts, and before state and federal administrative agencies.  Outside of his active trial practice, Bert provides general counsel services to Maryland businesses including General Counsel to the Maryland Motor Truck Association (MMTA) and Restaurant Association of Maryland (RAM).  Additionally, Bert actively counsels employers in effective policy formation and training in order to avoid costly litigation.

Bert is sensitive to his clients’ needs by ensuring premiere, yet cost-effective, legal representation.  When needed, he often works with other F&P attorneys in other practice areas to ensure clients’ issues are solved with a cohesive and well-rounded approach.  As part of his practice, he has cultivated relationships with law firms and attorneys across the nation to provide his national clients with quality representation in any jurisdiction in which they have legal needs.

Activities

Bert is active in, and has served in leadership roles for, the USLAW Network, Inc., and National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network (currently serving as Past President), both networks of independent law firms providing educational content and resources to regional and national clients.  He has actively participated in the American Bar Association’s Occupational Safety and Health and Workers’ Compensation subcommittees of the Labor and Employment Section and has testified on behalf of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce before the Maryland General Assembly on a variety of legislation affecting Maryland businesses. He has both been featured as an author and been quoted in a host of legal and industry publications. Bert also served with distinction in the Maryland Army National Guard from 1989–1997.

Jeffrey Richmond, M.D. is a practicing orthopaedic trauma/reconstructive surgeon in New York and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at New York University Medical Center. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Cornell University, and his surgical training at the Hospital For Joint Diseases, the University of Maryland Shock-Trauma Center, and the Hospital For Special Surgery. In addition to his active surgical practice at two American College of Surgeons Level 1 trauma centers, he treats patients for general orthopaedic conditions both operatively and nonoperatively. Dr. Richmond has a longstanding interest in evidence-based medicine and clinical outcome studies, and has worked as a medical consultant for approximately ten years.

Robin Roeder is senior vice president of risk management for Sedgwick.  Joining Sedgwick in 2011, Robin developed the strategic risk management vision and framework for the company’s program.  Today, she leads operational risk management activities and oversees the management of claims, safety and loss control, physical security and travel risk management. She is also responsible for risk management planning and response related to business interruption, crisis management, and business resiliency.

David Roy joined The Travelers as an Ergonomics Specialist where he consulted with employers to reduce ergonomic related injuries.  In 1996, Risk & Insurance Magazine awarded David the “Top Product of the Year Award” for developing “The Travelers Office Ergonomics Consulting Product”. 
In 1997 David began working with Claim.  His duties included identifying ways to integrate science and technology into claim investigations.  He has authored several articles and a book chapter on the subject of ergonomics and human factors.  He is currently serving as a member of the ANSI Z 535 committee on Warnings and Instructions and as a member of the ANSI B101.4 subcommittee on Barefoot Dynamic Coefficient of Friction.  David is currently Co-Chairs the Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace external advisory committee.  David is a 2nd Vice President at the Engineering Laboratory where he is responsible for field operations and the general liability and workers compensation subrogation forensic engineering initiatives. 
 

Thomas F Ryan is a Senior Principal with the Integrated Casualty Consulting (ICC) National Practice at Willis Towers Watson.  Tom has more than 26 years of consulting experience with a global insurance broker and was a product manager for a national medical cost containment vendor. 

He specializes in all aspects of Workers Compensation cost containment, including:
¦      Total cost of risk reduction strategies
¦      Specialized post-loss claim management process improvement
¦      Third Party Administrator (TPA) and managed care vendor selection
¦      Claim Closure Solutions
¦      Medical Cost Containment 
¦      Integrated / Coordinated Absence Management

He is a contributor to publications that provide thought leadership and updates on emerging trends impacting Workers Compensation issues for clients, brokers and advocates.  Tom speaks nationally on innovation, emerging trends and national issues influencing Workers Compensation and is frequently quoted in trade publications.

In addition to his consulting role with the Integrated Casualty Consulting Practice, Tom participates in Willis Towers Watson occupational & non-occupational task forces and works closely with Casualty Brokerage teams.   Tom earned a BS from LaSalle University and an MBA in corporate finance from Fordham University.

Mr. Saccone is currently AVP of Client Services with Sedgwick in Naperville, Illinois. In this role, he is responsible for the management of services, expectations and results of existing programs. He measures, analyzes and communicates program results and presents strategies for improvement.
Jim has 15 years of experience in the claims industry. Jim joined Sedgwick in 2004 and has partnered with multiple clients during that time, including AT&T, The Home Depot, Sears Holdings Corporation and Kohl’s Department Stores. In his current role, he has overall program responsibility for the national Casualty programs for CVS Health and Starbucks Coffee Company. Jim delivers successful results on each program he is a part of.  
 
Jim’s accomplishments with Sedgwick clients include:
Problem solving and successfully implementing client specific solutions
Developing strong client and colleague relationships; enhancing the operational team’s understanding of how their performance impacts each client’s results
Guiding successful new client implementations, technology projects and strategic initiatives
Identifying cost drivers and other areas of opportunity to reduce client costs
 Development and achievement of client specific performance goals
Ensuring overall client satisfaction & delivering the best of Sedgwick 

Training and education
Jim received a bachelor’s degree in business administration finance from the University of Northern Iowa. He has earned an Associate in Claims and Associate in Risk Management designations from Insurance Institute of America.

Jennifer Saddy is the Director of Workers’ Compensation for American Airlines and has 18 years of experience in the Workers’ Compensation industry.  She has received several national awards including the Women to Watch Award by Business Insurance in 2016, leading Risk Manager by Insurance Business America, recipient of the 2015 Teddy Award from Risk & Insurance and the President’s Honor Roll from Work Comp Central.  She has been widely recognized due to the impressive results that she has achieved due to the integration of the Workers’ Compensation program following the merger of US Airways and American Airlines.  This merger created the world’s largest airline and a Workers’ Compensation program that covers over 130,000 employees.  Jennifer began her career in aviation 10 years ago at US Airways in Risk Management.  However, her career in the Workers’ Compensation industry began as an adjuster for Sentry Insurance.  In addition, Jennifer currently serves on the Board of Directors for Kids’ Chance of Texas.  Jennifer graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point.  

FNF continues to invest in the necessary resources to augment and improve loss prevention, employee safety and claims control measures to better control claims costs associated with motor vehicle and work-related accidents and injuries.
 In May 2010, FNF welcomed Kimberly Simmons as the new Property and Casualty Claims Manager.  With over 25 years of claims experience with notable carriers such as Liberty Mutual, Chubb and AIG as well as experience with third-party administrators and reinsurers, Ms. Simmons assumed responsibility for the coordination and management of Property, General Liability, Auto Liability and Workers Compensation claims.  She is charged with managing the relationship with Sedgwick CMS, our casualty claims Third Party Administrator (TPA) with the ultimate goal of expediting treatment and final resolution of claims. 
 
Ms. Simmons’ focus on Workers’ Compensation continues to produce ongoing improvements in our program:
Advancing quality of day-to-day file handling by TPA
Enhancing communication between HR, injured worker and examiner
Initiating quarterly file reviews with stakeholders
Improving coordination between HR and examiners to expedite return to work
Garnering HR focus to improve late reporting, network and pharmacy participation
Addressing claim examiner performance to advance litigation management coordination and settlement strategies
Developing a drivers safety program
MVR’s are run on all drivers in leased vehicles and those employees that drive on behalf of the Company
Cell phone policy rolled out
Initiated the Corporate Ergonomic Program
Developed Pet in Work Place Policy
Created Evacuation Handbook(s)
Created Safety and Training Handbooks for 2 Resort  businesses within the Foley Family, and 2 practice hockey arenas. 

Bridget L. Smith concentrates her practice in Medicare compliance issues that arise in workers’ compensation and general liability settlements.

A frequent lecturer and author, Ms. Smith has presented at many national conferences and written numerous articles on Medicare Compliance. She has worked to save clients thousands of dollars by ensuring that Medicare allocations are fair and appropriate. Ms. Smith has also taken a proactive approach to Medicare compliance by providing clients with risk management strategies and policy guidelines to protect them from potential liabilities in the Medicare and Medicaid process.

Prior to joining Gordon & Rees, Ms. Smith served as one of the Founders and Vice Chair of a Medicare corporate compliance practice at a midsize, Pittsburgh-based law firm. Throughout her 14 years there, she assisted clients in developing procedures to address Medicare and Medicaid issues in the litigation and workers’ compensation process, and provided in-house training to employers and defense counsel on compliance issues. Ms. Smith also practiced in the areas of general litigation, insurance defense, medical malpractice, and workers’ compensation.

Ms. Smith also served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Dante R. Pellegrini and worked as the Director of the Center for Social Concerns at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania where she also served as an adjunct faculty member. Ms. Smith received a J.D. and an M.A. in Social and Public Policy from Duquesne University. She received a B.A. in Political Science from Gannon University. An active member of her community, Ms. Smith has supported a wide range of charitable organizations, including Habitat for Humanity.

Eric W. Spalsbury is the Director of Risk Management for Stanley Steemer International, Inc., a large U.S. based residential and commercial cleaning company headquartered in Dublin, OH.

Eric has over 30 years of experience managing risk at various levels and differing applications. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Science from Ohio University in 1983. He has been with Stanley Steemer for over eight years where he oversees all aspects of risk control. He leads a small team of in-house professionals that utilize a range of external partners to pursue proactive and reactive continuous improvement. 

Prior to Stanley Steemer, Eric spent nine years working in global logistics with DHL and Exel Logistics; nine years in the chemical manufacturing and distribution industry with Ashland Chemical; and six years in the nuclear waste management industry with Battelle Memorial Institute. 
Eric has been a member of the board of directors for the Central Ohio Chapter of the Risk and Insurance Management Society, serving as current Vice President. He has authored and acted as consulting editor in various publications.

Eric is married with a son recently graduating Wittenberg University and a daughter attending Ohio Wesleyan University. Eric is an avid outdoorsman and patron of the fine arts.
 


 
 

Dorothy Stolle currently serves as the Environment, Health and Safety Disability Management Specialist for Boeing.

Dorothy previously served as the Assistant Branch Manager for the Gallagher Bassett claims office in St. Louis, branch 68.  Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc. ( "GB") is a subsidiary of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., in Itasca, Illinois. GB is a leading Third Party Claims Administrator serving customers in the administration of workers compensation, property and casualty lines of coverage in the US and around the world. Mrs. Stolle joined Gallagher Bassett in December 2010.
 
Prior to joining GB, Mrs. Stolle held a Senior WC Examiner position at AIG Claims Services as well as Workers’ Compensation Claims Specialist for Orscheln Management Company.
 
Dorothy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management. She resides in St. Charles, MO, a suburb of St. Louis, MO. There, Dorothy lives with her husband, Matt, and two children, Elena and Ethan. 

Steven C. Testan, Esq., is the Founder of the Law Offices of Adelson, Testan, Brundo & Jimenez. He founded the firm in 1996, and since then the firm has grown from two offices in Southern California to 22 offices nationwide covering 12 states.

Mr. Testan was admitted to practice before all state courts in California in 1980 and has been an active member in good standing since then. He was admitted to practice before The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit and The U.S. District Court, Central District of California in 1981. He was appointed as Judge Pro Tem for the Los Angeles and Santa Monica Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. Mr. Testan is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of The United States of America.

During his years in the workers' compensation industry he has lectured on a wide range of topics. Notably, he presented as a guest faculty member at the Harvard School of Public Health as part of their symposium "The Impact of Mold on Human Health."

On June 14th, 2007 Mr. Testan was appointed to the 13-member California Insurance Guarantee Association, Board of Governors. The Speaker's press release noted: "Steven Testan's firm legal background in workers' compensation law will make him a useful addition to the California Insurance Guarantee Association, Board of Governors. His commitment to justice and the rule of law will be of valuable service to the Board that oversees many of the state's largest insurers."

Most recently, Mr. Testan was appointed to serve as a State Chair of California for The Claims & Litigation Management Alliance (CLM).

Cynthia K. Thurston (Cindi) grew up in northern Wisconsin.  She attended college at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota graduating in 1990.  She worked for State Farm Insurance Company as a workers’ compensation and liability claims adjuster and eventually a claims supervisor.  She graduated from William Mitchell law school in 1995 and joined the McCollum Law Firm on October 30, 1995.  In September of 1997, she opened the firm’s satellite office in Rice Lake, Wisconsin where she currently practices.  In January of 2001, she became a shareholder in the firm and currently serves on the firm's management committee.

Cindi is a member of the  Supreme Court of the United States, American Bar Association, Minnesota State Bar Association, and the State Bar of Wisconsin.  She is also licensed to practice in Federal Courts in Wisconsin and Minnesota.  She represents many different insurance carriers, third-party administrators, and self-insured employers and businesses. In 2010 she was selected to be a member of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance.  She completed the Litigation Management Institute at Columbia Law School in October 2014.  In May 2015 she was sworn in as a member of the Supreme Court of the United States and had the privilege of appearing before all nine members of the court for the swearing in ceremony.

Cindi and her husband, Paul, reside in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.  Their children attend school at University of Wisconsin -Madison and Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA.  She is an active member of the Rice Lake Rotary Club and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. Her favorite activites are listening to her daughter sing, watching musicals, following women's college soccer and volleyball, going to workout class with her husband, and playing with her dogs. 

Ralph F. Touch 51 Brookfield Drive Fleetwood, Pennsylvania 19522 610-944-5766

Education –

Willingboro High School, Willingboro New Jersey Graduated June 1979

University of Scranton, Scranton Pennsylvania BS Pre-Medical Biology May 1983 Minor in Chemistry, Concentration of study in Mathematics and Education

Duquesne University School of Law Juris Doctorate June 1986

Alvernia University MBA May 2005

Court Admissions – New Jersey - December 1986 Pennsylvania – December 1986 United States Supreme Court – May 1993 New York – February 1995 Employment –

University of Scranton September 1980 to May 1983 Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Responsible for Genetics and Molecular Genetics Laboratory

University of Scranton September 1982 to May 1983 Undergraduate instructor, Red Cross Senior Lifesaving

Babcock & Hennes, Esqs May 1986 to February 1990 Babcock, Hennes & Bielory, P.C. Associate Attorney Tort litigation, Matrimonial, Real Estate & County Board

American Institute of Banking September 1990 to December 1994 Instructor – College Accredited Courses in law, banking and accounting Leland H. Langbein Award, Outstanding Instructor 1992-1993

CNA Insurance Company April 1990 to Current Staff Council 4/1990 – 12/1994 Managing Trial Attorney 12/1994 – 12/2009 AVP Recovery 1/2010 - Current

Alvernia University September 2005 to January 2010 Adjunct Instructor – law, human resources, accounting & fraud

Ralph F. Touch CNA RESUME

Law Offices of Roseann Primerano April 1990 to May 1990 Somerset, New Jersey Trial Attorney - Pending of subrogation files and Ocean County tort files

Law Offices of Mark Kaye May 1990 to August 1990 Somerset, New Jersey Trial Attorney – Pending of subrogation files and Ocean and Monmouth tort files

Law Offices of Joel R. Bellush September 1990 to December 1994 Somerset, New Jersey Trial Attorney – Pending of subrogation and southern county tort files Senior Trial Attorney – Pending of workers’ compensation files in central and southern counties

October 1994 – Workers’ Compensation Trial Attorney Roundtable – Downers Grove, Illinois Purpose was to review the process of defending workers’ compensation files

Law Offices of Ralph F. Touch January 1995 to May 1998 Reading, Pennsylvania Managing Trial Attorney – Pending of commercial and personal insurance tort files

Summer 1996 to Summer 1997 – Office Review Team Member Participated in office reviews of the Philadelphia (x2), Chicago (x3), San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Boston offices. Reviewed Michigan office alone. Prepared individual file reviews and office review summaries relevant to each review.

Summer 1997 to December 1998 – Staff Counsel Liaison to Best Practices Project and Litigation Subject Matter Expert Participated in review of litigation processes, development of best practice strategies, preparation of best practices training materials and education of best practices and trainer instruction.

Touch, Ruzzi & McKee May 1998 to March 1999 Philadelphia and Reading, Pennsylvania Managing Trial Attorney – Responsibility for implementation of reductions in force in Philadelphia office and assistance in transition to new managing trial attorney

Law Offices of Ralph F. Touch March 1999 to December 2009 Reading, Pennsylvania Managing Trial Attorney – Pending of personal insurance tort files until October 1999 Pending of workers’ compensation files November 1999 to April 2004.

March 1999 to October 1999 – Personal Lines project for suit reduction and staff counsel involvement in large loss meetings and decisions

Winter 2001 – Review of workers’ compensation files from a litigation perspective for AVP Beth Downs in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Fall 2002 to February 2003 – Participant in Enterprise Sourcing Subrogation Project to select panel counsel for specialty large loss property litigation

January 2003 – Review of RSKCo workers’ compensation files from a litigation perspective for AVP Beth Downs in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

February 2003 – Staff Counsel Liaison to Subrogation

October 2003 to February 2009– Litigation Manager Subrogation. Duties include assignment of property subrogation files over $100,000 nationwide. Selection , development and review of Large Loss Subrogation attorneys who will be responsible for property subrogation files over $100,000 by territory. Review and monitor panel counsel files. Review and development of workers’ compensation, auto and property subrogation initiatives.

March 2009 - Interim Director of Recovery. Established predictive modeling processes for all lines of business to identify missed opportunity. 2009 recovery goal was $100,000,000 which was exceeded – 2009 Recovery was $105,000,000

January 2010 – Promotion AVP Recovery. Responsible for the book of business of the recovery department nationwide. 40 direct, 10 indirect employees. 2010 recovery goal was $110,000,000 which was exceeded – 2010 Recovery was $116,000,000

September 2011 – Implemented Workers’ Compensation Medical Lien review process for California. 2011 recovery goal was $110,000,000 which was exceeded – 2011 Recovery was $121,000,000

May 2012 – Implemented Deductible tracking and reimbursement process. Anticipated identification and pursuit of $4,000,000 in recoverables.

DAVID T. VANALEK is the Chief Legal and Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary of Richmond National, a specialty excess and surplus lines insurance company dedicated to writing hard to place risks for small and mid-sized businesses headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. David is responsible for all corporate governance, regulatory, compliance, claims law, and litigation activities of the company and its affiliates, and serves as legal advisor to the leadership team, business units, and board of directors. Prior to joining Richmond National, David served as the Claims Chief Operating Officer at a global Fortune 500 insurance carrier, where he led the day-to-day operational support for all claims divisions responsible for all lines of business throughout North America and Bermuda. David also served for years in various claims leadership roles in the professional liability, cyber liability, and management liability product lines. Prior to joining the insurance industry, Mr. Vanalek was in private practice as a commercial litigator, serving clients throughout California and Illinois. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his law degree from the University of California, Davis, where he served as an Editor on Law Review, as well as a judicial extern for an associate justice of the California Supreme Court. Mr. Vanalek is a frequent speaker on insurance, claims, technology, professional liability, cyber liability, and management liability issues.

Kimberly began her career practicing law in Chicago, eventually returning to her home state of Michigan when she joined Amerisure Mutual Insurance Company.  She started as a member of the Technical Claims team, providing advice and guidance on high severity and high complexity claims and, in 2016, became a line of business leader as AVP-Workers' Compensation Claims.  In 2018, Kimberly began in the role of AVP-Claims leading the general liability, commercial auto, and workers' compensation teams in Amerisure's North Region.  In 2021, she was chosen to launch a brand new team at Amerisure, the Claims Experience Organization (CXO), leading first as AVP-Claims Experience & Customer Analytics and then as VP-Claims Experience & Culture.  In 2023, after a decade of service at Amerisure, she was named VP-Claims, serving as the head of the Claims department.

Kimberly earned her bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctor from Michigan State University.  She is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Michigan, as well as being admitted to the US District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois and Northern District of Indiana, and the Supreme Court of the United States.   

Kimberly has earned her Certified Litigation Management Professional (CLMP), Certified Claims Professional (CCP), and Advanced Claims Professional (ACP) designations.  She successfully completed the CLM Claims College School of Leadership in 2020.  In 2017, she was a recipient of the inaugural RISE Award from RISE Professionals and in 2021, was a Comp Laude Award finalist.

She previously served as dean and faculty member for the CLM Claims College School of Workers' Compensation as well as content creator and faculty member for RISE Professionals Innovation Certificate program.
 

Lee Weatherly has been lead counsel in over 75 jury trials and is a member of both the South Carolina and Kentucky Bars. He has tried cases to verdict involving medical malpractice, premises liability, food contamination, automobile and motor carrier liability, business and commercial litigation, employment litigation, and property disputes.  Lee’s current practice focuses on cases involving medical malpractice and defending commerical entities in personal injury matters. 

Lee is a graduate of Centre College and the University of Kentucky College of Law, where he was a member of the Kentucky Law Journal (Law Review).  He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) an invitation only organiation of experienced trial attorneys and judges.  Lee lives on the Isle of Palms with his wife and two daughters.  

Ms. Weaver is an Account Manager with CCMSI based in their corporate office located in Danville, Illinois.    Since 1996, Kristi has served the company in several different capacities in the claims management and client service areas.  Currently Ms. Weaver is concentrating on account management.
 
Kristi is a licensed independent adjuster in the States of Kentucky & Texas.  She has obtained the Associate in Risk Management (ARM), and Associate in Claims (AIC) designations from the Insurance Institute of America.  Ms. Weaver has obtained the Senior Claim Law Associate (SCLA) designation from the American Education Institute, Inc.

Dr. Craig Westin is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in treatment of sports-related knee and shoulder injuries.  He provides care for conditions such as rotator cuff tears, shoulder dislocation, meniscal tears and anterior cruciate ligament tears.

In many cases, Dr. Westin is able to treat patients with non-surgical methods. When surgery is needed, he is able to use arthroscopic techniques to minimize discomfort and speed recovery. Dr. Westin performs cartilage replacement procedures as well as total knee replacements. He places an emphasis on continuity of care from diagnosis through completion of treatment, personally coordinating and following the progress of each patient’s postsurgical rehabilitation.

Dr. Westin is the medical director of Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet and a team physician with the U.S. Figure Skating Team. He has participated in several Olympics including the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi.

He holds patents for two medical devices and trains orthopaedic surgery residents as a clinical assistant professor of orthopaedics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. 

Adam Whitten is the managing partner of Goodman McGuffey's Charlotte office. He began representing large corporations and insurance carriers immediately upon graduation from law school in 2003. He has represented nursing homes, banks, security companies, construction companies, airlines, telecommunication companies, hotels, employment staffing companies and large manufacturers in workers compensation matters across the state of North Carolina. He has also represented clients in civil matters involving negligence, premises liability and third-party liens.

Adam is a member of the North Carolina and Mecklenburg County Bar Associations. He has spoken to various groups including adjusters, human resource managers, risk managers and attorneys on a variety of legal topics including workers' compensation, occupational disease, disability, return to work standards, communication with treating doctors, and the nuances of working with the North Carolina Industrial Commission and within the North Carolina Workers' Compensation system. Adam has worked with the Children's Law Center and Council for Children's Rights in Charlotte advocating for children involved in difficult custody disputes.

Adam received his undergraduate degree in journalism from Brigham Young University in 1999. He was a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society. He was awarded the University Scholarship for his academic achievements. He also was awarded the Communications Department Talent Award scholarship for his performance with writing. He received multiple awards from the Society of Professional Journalists while working as a reporter and sports editor.

Adam earned his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2003. While in Chapel Hill, Adam was on the Dean's List and worked in the school's pro bono program including some time assisting a local district attorney with domestic violence cases. In 2003, Adam was a national finalist in Chicago-Kent's Louis Jackson National Student Writing Competition in Employment and Labor Law.

Adam is actively involved in the local community and has worked as a volunteer coach with the local YMCA and community sports organizations. He has also worked with the Boy Scouts of America as a merit badge counselor and assistant scout master. Adam is also fluent in Portuguese thanks to a two-year stint in southern Brazil as a missionary for his church.

Gary L. Wickert is an insurance trial lawyer and partner with the national subrogation law firm of Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C. Gary is regarded as one of the world’s leading experts on insurance subrogation. He is the author of several subrogation books and legal treatises and is a national and international speaker on subrogation. Gary oversees a National Subrogation Recovery Program which includes a network of contracted subrogation law firms in all 50 states, Mexico, Canada, and the United Kingdom and boasts over $1 billion in recoveries and credits for more than 200 insurance companies.

Licensed in both Texas and Wisconsin, Gary is double board-certified in both personal injury law and civil trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is also dual board-certified as a Civil Trial Advocate and Civil Pretrial Practice Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA), for whom he has written and graded product liability questions contained on the NBTA national certification exam taken by trial lawyers around the country. For nearly 30 years, Gary has served as an expert witness and insurance consultant on subrogation and insurance-related issues and has been consulted by insurance carriers, lawyers, and legislative bodies from several states. He is also a licensed arbitrator. In 2011, he was consulted by the National Defense University (the premier center for Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) under the direction of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff) regarding the impact subrogation has on insurance rates and premiums, particularly involving Federal Employees Health Benefit Plans (FEHBP). He is a member of Claims Litigation Management (CLM). He is one of only a few lawyers to have ever represented a client before the U.S. Supreme Court on a subrogation issue. Gary writes a monthly column for the Claims Journal entitled “The Road To Recovery".

Mr. Wingfield has been involved in safety and risk management for over 25 years.  He has been effective in driving total cost of risk down by over 50% with Big Lots and currently enjoys the best results in company history.  He attended Indiana University focusing on Criminal Justice.  Employed within the retail industry for over 40 years and with Big Lots Stores, Inc. for 30 years.  He has been the Risk Manager for 18 years since 1998.  We operate retail stores in 48 states with over 35,000 associates, 1,479 locations to include 5 distribution centers.  Two of the best decisions we have ever made as a company is to take advantage of the options in both Texas and Oklahoma.  We chose to leave the workers compensation system for options in Texas in 2008 and Oklahoma in 2015.  It is by far the best thing we have ever done for our associates and our bottom line.  Currently president of the Association of Responsible Workers’ Compensation Alternatives (ARWCA) and Secratery of the Texas Alliance of Non-Subscribers. 

Stephanie Wood joined The Wendy’s Company in 2012 as Claims Manager.  Wendy’s is the world’s third largest quick-service hamburger company. She has total claim management responsibilities for Workers’ Compensation, General Liability, Auto Liability and Property claims for the 427 company owned restaurants. Those responsibilities include leading a team of four claims analysts that provide oversight of their Workers’ Compensation claims and self-administer their General Liability claims at the company’s corporate headquarters in Dublin, OH. Prior to joining Wendy’s in March 2012, Ms. Wood was a Workers’ Compensation Claims Supervisor for Big Lots and a Claims Specialist for Installed Building Products.

Kathleen Wyeth is the Director of the Office of General Counsel Claims Litigation Group at AF Group, responsible for national oversight of all claim litigation, including an in-house staff counsel operation of attorneys, paralegals and support staff, litigating workers compensation matters in 10 different jurisdictions.  Kathleen also directs all Medicare compliance activity for the enterprise, handled in-house by a staff of attorneys and support staff.  She has presented on Medicare Secondary Payer compliance topics at various national and state professional conferences over the past 10 years and has co-authored the Michigan Chapter of The Complete Guide to Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance, published by LexisNexis. She is a member of the Claim & Litigation Management (CLM) Workers' Compensation Advisory Board. Kathleen graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and has spent 21 years working in the insurance industry, with a primary focus in workers’ compensation litigation.

Zachry is known throughout the risk management industry as a champion of workers’ compensation reform. He serves on the board of the State Compensation Insurance Fund, California’s largest provider of workers’ compensation insurance; Zachry was appointed to the board by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2010 and reappointed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2014. He also participated in the design and implementation of landmark regulations to bring greater equity to the California workers’ compensation system.

Previously, Zachry served as group vice president of risk management for national grocery retailer Safeway. His 15 years of leadership there earned him recognition as Business Insurance Risk Manager of the Year in 2014 and recipient of the California Coalition on Workers’ Compensation’s Tim East Award in 2016. In 2020 he was awarded the Summa  Comp Laude award.