Speakers

Anthony J. Antonellis is a senior partner at Sloane and Walsh. Anthony focuses his practice on the representation of individuals and businesses engaged in civil litigation before State and Federal Trial Courts throughout New England. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) and Suffolk University Law School (Boston, MA), and is admitted to the Massachusetts Bar, Connecticut Bar and New Hampshire Bar. Prior to joining Sloane and Walsh, Anthony was a trial attorney on active duty with the United States Navy and also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. He was awarded the United States Department of Justice Award for meritorious public service.
The focus of Mr. Antonellis’ practice revolves around insurance law involving large commercial property losses, personal property losses, litigation involving environmental and municipal law, construction defects, fires, explosions, electrocutions, large water losses, construction accidents, products liability litigation, worker safety litigation, property damage and personal injury. Mr. Antonellis also serves as counsel in reference and appraisal matters and litigates insurance coverage disputes. Mr. Antonellis litigates residential, commercial, industrial and institutional property cases and claims involving causation, scope of damage, value of loss, and insurance coverage. Mr. Antonellis’ practice also involves collapse, anti-concurrent causation, business income insurance, equipment breakdown, surety bond matters, inland marine and ocean policies, specialty forms, commercial crime insurance, and multiple additional industry policies. Mr. Antonellis has served as an Appraiser and Umpire.

Frank joined Willis Towers Watson in 2001. He has 30+ years’ experience in multi-line claim management, account management, brokerage advocacy and risk management consulting.
As Claim Director for North America Construction, Frank leads a team of highly experienced Regional Construction Claim Directors specializing in construction risk. This industry dedicated resource team is responsible for delivery of technical and strategic risk consulting to construction clients, with emphasis on complex claims, coverage and contracts. The team provides senior level brokerage advocacy on high severity or otherwise critical claims, including exposure analysis, disposition strategy and coverage dispute resolution. Frank has assisted clients in optimizing outcomes on a variety of complex claims and other technical issues involving multiple lines of business and has extensive experience in the management/negotiation of claims involving defective construction / materials.
Franks’ professional experience includes:
- Complex Claim / Coverage Analysis
- Development of Coverage Terms/Conditions
- Contractual Risk Allocation
- Complex Litigation Management
- Claims Program Design
- Multi-line Accident Investigation 

Prior to joining Willis Towers Watson Frank spent nearly 14 years working for two of the largest US commercial property and casualty insurance carriers, including positions in field investigation, regional training and home office technical claims.

Mr. Beemer has 45 years in the insurance industry and is retired and doing consulting and expert witness work through Suite 200 Solutions.  Previously he was the VP of Claims at Tokio Marine HCC Insurance Group.  Prior to TMHCC, Mr. Beemer worked at IAT, QBE, Aetna, CNA, Home Insurance, Risk Enterprise Management and Fireman's Fund Insurance Company.   At QBE Mr. Beemer lead the liability claims department and the Litigation Management department for QBE.  He had direct oversight of Litigation Management, Transportation, GL, CD, TPA Services and Environmental claims.  Prior to QBE Mr. Beemer was the National Claim Director for Construction Defect, Latent Injury and Entertainment Claims at Fireman's Fund Insurance Company. In his career he has been a chief technical officer, consultant to re-insurers, training coordinator, national accounts coordinator, litigation manager, legal auditor, claims and due diligence auditor, PMK, expert witness and has been a panel speaker at CLM and other industry events. He serves on  the Advisory Board for the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, has served as Dean of Litigation Management at Claims College and is a Chancellor and Professor at Litigation Management Institute. Mr. Beemer has authored numerous articles for Claims Management Magazine and Litigation Management Magazine. Mr. Beemer received the CLM Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023 at the Annual Conference in Tampa Florida. Mr.Beemer is retired but does consutling work through Suite 200 Solutions.

Kirk specializes in business litigation, real estate matters, insurance coverage and complex multi-party litigation.  He has experience in handling a wide range of complex matters, including general liability, directors’ and officers’ liability, environmental, employment and asbestos.  Kirk has participated in all activities associated with such litigation from pretrial through trial.  He acted as lead trial counsel in the Western MacArthur Co., etc., et al. v. US Fid. & Guar. Co., et al. coverage litigation which presented in excess of $6 billion in alleged asbestos liability, as well as complex insurance and 524(g) bankruptcy issues.  In addition, Kirk is a Certified Litigation Management Specialist with training in Litigation Metrics and Alternative Fee Arrangements.

Kirk has represented Officers and Directors in business dissolution matters and intellectual property.  Kirk has also acted as counsel in employment disputes.  With respect to mediation, Kirk has been instrumental in successfully resolving complex multimillion dollar matters. Kirk is the head of the real estate department at Chamberlin Keaster & Brockman LLP.  He is also licensed as a real estate broker in California. 

Kirk has written and lectured in the areas of Insurance Coverage and Defense, Bad Faith, and Cost Effective Case Resolution.  These topics include: “Reimbursement of “Non-Defense” costs,” “A Survey of California Law: Real Answers,” “Nationwide Survey of Independent Counsel Rules in Reservations of Rights Conflict Situations,” “A Nation-wide Survey of Defense and/or Indemnity Obligations in Administrative Action Settings,” “Cumis Counsel” and “Unfair Claims Practices Regulations,” and “Climate Change: Recent Developments – Claim and Coverage Implications.”

Ms. Ciliberto is the CEO of the Associated Subcontractors of Massachusetts (ASM), a trade association representing more than 350 member companies that employ more than 25,000 skilled workers on both private and public sector projecs.  For more than 65 years, ASM has worked to promote fair business practices and help subcontractors succeed in a complex and changing industry.
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For nearly nine years prior to joining ASM, Ms. Ciliberto was the Senior Director and Counsel for Contracts and Construction Law at The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).  She also held the position of Deputy Executive Director and Counsel for ConsensusDocs - the only standard contracts endorsed by a coalition of 40+ design and construction industry associations.

Prior to joining AGC and ConsensusDocs, Ms. Ciliberto practiced law in Colorado for 10 years. She was the founder and principal of Ciliberto & Associates, LLC, a firm providing natural resources, environmental, real property and water law counsel. She is licensed in Colorado and DC, and several federal courts including the U.S. Supreme Court.

Prior to her legal career, Ms. Ciliberto was a marketing and advertising consultant for more than 10 years and her clients included Alfa Romeo, General Motors, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, United Way, Telecheck, La-Z-Boy, and numerous luxury resorts in Colorado.

Ms. Ciliberto is a frequent presenter at industry events nationwide. She is the Managing Editor of the Colorado Water Law Benchbook and has authored articles for a number of organizations.

Currently, Mr. DeSaulnier is a Partner and Executive General Adjuster with Apex Claims Services of New England. Apex Claims Services of New England is a regional independent insurance adjusting firm.

Mr. DeSaulnier has more than 25 years claim handling experience beginning with a large insurance carrier handling multiple lines and has spent the last 20 years as an Independent Adjuster handling  complex property claims on a regional basis as well as supervising and training adjusters on a corporate level.

Mr. DeSaulnier has experience serving as referee for Massachusetts Reference hearings and appraiser for Connecticut Appraisal process as the forum for dispute resolution.

Mr. DeSaulnier holds multiple state adjusting licenses throughout the Apex Claim Services  territory and also holds the AIC designation. Mr. DeSaulnier earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management from Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts. 

Joe, one of the founding members of Clark, May, Price, Lawley, Duncan and Paul, represents clients ranging from family companies to Fortune 500 businesses at both the trial and appellate level. His practice consists of the defense of claims relating to personal injury, product liability, contractual disputes, trucking and insurance coverage. Joe spends much of his time working with clients, contractors and trade groups to proactively reduce the risk of liability using lessons learned from litigation.

Joe has helped to mold Alabama law in both the legislative and judicial branches. He assisted in authoring legislation relating to contractor liability and argued to the Alabama Supreme Court on the subjects of indemnity, personal injury and product liability. In Hosea Weaver and Sons, Inc. v. Balch, the Alabama Supreme Court recognized the “accepted-work doctrine” based on arguments made by Joe as amicus counsel on behalf of the Alabama Road Builder’s Association. The Court’s decision reversed a $7.5 million verdict in favor the plaintiffs and rendered a judgment in favor of the defendant. More recently, in DISA Industries, Inc. v. Bell, Joe also successfully argued for the Court to reverse a $500,000 in favor of a plaintiff and rendered the verdict in favor of the Defendant.

Joe and his wife, Ellen, live in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, with their children Porter and Sophie. In his spare time, Joe coaches youth baseball, runs half marathons, travels and volunteers at Children’s Hospital as Santa Claus.

Joe earned his undergraduate degree from Auburn University and his juris doctor from The University of Alabama School of Law.

Andy Ferguson, a partner at Coughlin Betke LLP, with 20 years of civil litigation experience representing businesses, individuals and insurers in the defense of civil litigation of all types, including construction defect, construction work site accidents, professional liability, products liability, premises liability, personal injury, employment and contract disputes has tried cases in state courts in New York and state and federal courts throughout Massachusetts.  In addition to being a trained mediator, Andy has represented architects, engineers, general contractors, waterproofing contractors, masons, and other trades in both construction defect and construction site accident claims. His practice also involves the defense of professionals outside the construction area, such as attorneys, surveyors, and real estate & insurance professionals. 
Andy serves on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association and is also an active member of the Defense Research Institute (DRI), the DRI’s Construction Law Subcommittee, and the Construction Law Committee of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) Construction Defect and Construction Site Accidents.
Education: Colgate University and Albany Law School of Union University (cum laude). Prior experience: Donohue, Sabo, Varley & Armstrong, P.C. Albany, New York.Bartlett, Pontiff, Stewart & Rhodes, P.C.  Glens Falls, New York.

Elaine Fresch is a senior partner in the Los Angeles and Las Vegas offices of the national litigation defense firm Hawkins Parnell. She specializes in construction defect litigation, representing developers, general contractors, subcontractors, design professionals and product manufacturers. She develops aggressive strategies to defend her clients cost-effectively. Elaine has tried complex construction defect cases and handled various complex commercial/real estate litigation matters in federal and state courts. She has also arbitrated construction cases successfully over the years. She is aggressive in her pursuit of settlement on cost-effective and strategically sound terms for her clients. Elaine also represents product manufacturers in complex subrogation claims and defends various clients in general liability and construction accident lawsuits. Elaine is a member of CLM's Construction Leadership Team  and is a member of CLM's Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She is also a Charter Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America and a Senior Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. Elaine has been honored with the Larry Syhre Commitment to Service Award for her contributions to the construction industry.

Marc S. Gaffrey is an AV-rated attorney by Martindale Hubbell and is the Partner-in-Charge of the Environmental & Toxic Tort Litigation Department. He has extensive experience in the litigation of toxic tort matters and mass tort litigation involving lead, asbestos, silica, talc, benzene, "sick building syndrome," latex allergy, PCB, diazanon, welding fumes, orthodichlorobenzene, trichloroethylene, and numerous other chemicals and pesticides. He has handled thousands of toxic tort cases in New Jersey and New York.

Marc also has litigated numerous environmental matters involving fuel oil discharge, hazardous waste, Superfund site construction and remediation, and landfill clean-up. In particular, he assisted in the litigation of the landmark case of Ayers v. Township of Jackson.

Marc has been named National Coordinating Counsel to seven companies encompassing multiple business disciplines. He coordinates the defense of all asbestos-related matters throughout the country, including hiring local counsel and managing the files. He also has authored numerous articles in the toxic tort field and has been a frequent lecturer at both national and regional conferences including: Defense Research Institute (DRI), Perrin Conferences, New Jersey Defense Association, HB Litigation Conference, Harris Martin, Worley, and NJ Institute of Continuing Legal Education (NJICLE). In addition, Marc routinely gives in-house seminars to clients discussing the most recent trends in asbestos and toxic tort litigation.

Valerie Garcia devotes her practice to civil trial work and arbitration. Starting her legal career in the courtroom as an Assistant Deputy Public Defender, Valerie is well prepared to represent her clients through all phases of litigation, including deposition, mediation, arbitration, and trial. Valerie prescribes to a process of early case analysis that helps her clients chart the appropriate course for a winning outcome, be it settlement, mediation, or litigation. With a broader focus on resolution - and litigation just one of the available options - Valerie helps her clients preserve valuable relationships and see their way to optimal resolution based on cost-containment, damage control, and legal strategies. When an aggressive defense at trial is the best course, Valerie is a vigorous advocate in any litigation setting.

 

Elisa Gaudet, author of the series Two Good Rounds – 19th Hole Stories from the World’s Greatest Golfers and Two Good Rounds SUPERSTARS- Golf Stories from the World’s Greatest Athletes continues the exploration of golf and fun, feel good golf lifestyle by exploring the very special connection between golf and business from an array of successful leaders from a variety of industries. This third book Two Good Rounds TITANS -Leaders in Industry & Golf highlights different business leaders and their passion for business and golf. It explores what lead to their success in their respective industry and why golf is so important to them or how it played a role in their business and personal life. Each of these leaders has reached the top of their industry and owns their own golf course so they have gone beyond playing golf to being intricately involved in the golf industry. Titans also explores well known iconic professional Pro golfers that have leveraged their career and turned it into a brand and a business that expands beyond their competitive playing purse winnings.  In all three books Elisa takes an in-depth look at these unique people and their passion for golf.
This book series is a tribute to the great business people, elite athletes and Pro golfers and their love of golf. The books, like a great 19th hole or favorite clubhouse, are a way to share stories of success and passion with family and friends.

Francine Giugno is an Attorney at Kelley Kronenberg where she assists in handling matters related to First Party Property Insurance Defense, including coverage and bad faith litigation, as well as Third Party Defense and General Liability.

Francine is a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent attorney with over 20 years of experience on insurance defense and coverage, bad faith litigation, premises liability, construction, uninsured motorist, and environmental law. She has significant experience in defending first-party property cases and has handled hundreds of wind and flood lawsuits including those with extra-contractual allegations filed by plaintiffs after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Francine received her undergraduate degree from John Carroll University and then went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree from Tulane University School of Law. While in law school, Francine was a judicial extern for the Honorable Steven R. Plotkin and served as a law clerk to The Honorable Clarence E. McManus and The Honorable H. Charles Gaudin.

Francine is an active member of Claims & Litigation Management Alliance and has served as Co- Chair of the Education Sub-Committee of the Construction Committee of the Claims & Litigation Management Alliance. She also served as Vice-President of the New Orleans Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction. Francine has been involved in the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel and The Risk Management Society. Francine is admitted to practice in all of the Louisiana State and Federal Courts and the state courts of New York.

Education:
Tulane University School of Law, J.D. 1996
John Carroll University, B.A., 1991

 

 

Derrick Harris started adjusting claims in 1997 with SAFECO Insurance as a claim specialist. From there he moved to CNA as a Litigation Specialist before joining Harleysville Insurance as a founding member of its Construction Defect Unit in 2004. In his career, Derrick has handled a wide range of construction defect claims across the nation, specializing in coverage analysis, and when necessary, defense. He has handled claims for subcontractors and general contractors, as well as owners and developers. He has also pursued educational opportunities and earned his Associate in Claims, the Construction Risk Insurance Specialist designation, and a Masters in Business Administration. Derrick currently works as a Construction Defect Supervisor for Fireman’s Fund Insurance out of his home in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
 

John C. Hayes is a partner with Hayes Law Firm, LLC located in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. John has extensive experience in civil trial practice. His legal practice focuses on civil commercial litigation, construction defect, and insurance coverage. He is also experienced in wrongful death claims. He was a law clerk for the Honorable Judge R. Markley Dennis, Jr. South Carolina Circuit Court, At-large, Seat No. 2. John is admitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. John is a member of the American Bar Association, the South Carolina Bar Association and the Charleston County Bar Association.

Becky Karam is the Director of Risk Management for Installed Building Products. In her role at IBP Becky has oversight of risk management throughout IBP’s national footprint. Becky and her team work with top management and local operations to deliver real world solutions and minimize exposure. Over Becky’s 18 year career at IBP she has held several positions, starting as the controller for the first branch in Columbus Ohio to the past 9 years as head of the risk department.

IBP has grown by acquisition from one branch in 1998 to about 100 locations in over 40 states, and is primarily a new residential subcontractor installing insulation and other building products such as gutters, garage doors, shower doors, shelving and fireplaces.

Becky and her family have lived in Columbus Ohio for over 35 years. She is former President and still board member of Central Ohio RIMS, member of CLM and ICAA task force committee member.
 

Mark T. Kilgore, P.E. is a Senior Structural Engineer, at CED Technologies, Inc., with a background in structural systems design and analysis, civil site design/construction, commercial and industrial construction management.
He has served as Principal Engineer at a design-build firm involved in projects for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency, Department of the Interior, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Mark has performed reverse engineering duties in structural design and analysis of electronic countermeasures, radar and other operational systems at the Georgia Institute of Technology as well as property inspections after catastrophic natural disasters including hurricanes Hugo, Opal, Katrina and Sandy.
His range of experience includes teaching civil engineering and construction management at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga and Mississippi State University.
With over 30 years of industry and academic experience, Mr. Kilgore brings a wealth of knowledge to the panel having been involved on a daily basis with owners, design professionals, inspection authorities and insurance companies.
EducationPh.D., Building Information Modeling, University of Florida, Rinker School of Construction, Expected 2014M.S., Civil Engineering, University of Florida, College of EngineeringM.S., Building Construction Management, Southern Polytechnic State UniversityB.S., Mechanical Engineering, Southern Polytechnic State University

Mr. Klauber has over thirty years of trial and appellate experience involving Construction and the New York Labor Law and related insurance coverage issues, premises liability, workers' compensation, motor vehicle cases, and products liability matters involving highly technical aspects of engineering and design, as well as property and real estate litigation.He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York and the District of New Jersey, as well as the State Bars of New York and New Jersey. He has argued cases before the Court of Appeals of the State of New York.Among his reported cases are: McCarthy v. Turner Construction, Inc., 2011 N.Y.SLIP OP 05541; Cino v. HRH Construction, 2008 N.Y. SLIP OP 02781; Fenty v. City of New York, 71 A.D.3d 459 (N.Y.); Walker v. Insignia Douglas Elliman, 2010 NY SLIP OP 09087; Walls v. Turner Construction Co., 4 N.Y.3d 861; Fernandez v. New York Hilton Joint Venture, 271 A.D.2d 338, 706 N.Y.S.2d 642 (Mem), N.Y. 2000; Kelly v. H.W. Realty Corp., 264 A.D.2d 761, 694 N.Y.S.2d 768 N.Y. 1999; Achkhanian v. Town of Oyster Bay, 262 A.D.2d 510, 692 (N.Y.A.D. 2nd Dept. 1991); Connecticut Indem. Co. v. 21st Century Transport Co., Inc., 2001 WL 868340 (E.D.N.Y. 2001); Sesskin v. Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 2001 WL 804562 (S.D.N.Y. 2001); Baker v. Captain Jeffrey A. Johnson & Associates, 1987 WL (S.D.N.Y. 1987).

Areas of Practice: Construction/Labor Law; Insurance Coverage; Workers Compensation; Products Liability; Premises Liability; Motor Vehicle; Insurance Defense, and Not-For-Profits.

Admitted :1983, New York, New Jersey, United States Supreme Court, District of New Jersey and U.S. District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

Law School : Boston University School of Law, J.D., 1982

College :Franklin & Marshall College, B.A., 1979

Mr. Klauber is a past president of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Trial Lawyers Association, a member of the Board of the The Defense Association of New York, Inc, CLM, .The New York State Trial Lawyers and DRI.

Mr. Mierzwa, PE, is a forensic Civil/Structural Engineer based out of LWG Consulting’s New England Office. Tom has expertise in areas such as premises liability investigations, structural damage assessment, civil/structural engineering accident investigations, roofing evaluation, geotechnical engineering, construction defect, building foundation analysis, and bridge engineering/construction.

He is a member of PLRB, NASP, CLM, and NECEA where he has been a featured speaker on topics such as “Weather Damage to Roofing Systems”, “Sinkhole investigations”, “Pipe Ruptures” and “Slip and Fall Investigations”.

Tom earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in 13 states.

Phyllis Modlin is a Director and Sr. Counsel with the Specialty International Claims  team of Markel.  Phyllis received her B.A. degree from University of California at Santa Barbara and her J.D. degree from University of California College of the Law, San Francisco.  She handles complex excess construction claims in the United States.  Phyllis joined Markel in April 2002. Prior to joining Markel, Phyllis worked in private practice in Hawaii and California.  She also held senior claims positions at insurers handling complex coverage and catastrophic loss claims.   

Matt Moffett is an “AV” rated (Martindale-Hubbell) attorney, listed among the top 100 lawyers in Georgia (Super Lawyers) in Atlanta Magazine, and selected among the Legal Elite in Georgia Trend magazine.  Matt has tried over 150 cases in state and federal courts. 

Over the last few years, Matt has secured significant defense verdicts in 11 high risk cases.  Four of these cases involved wrongful death (motor vehicle and premises liability) where each plaintiff’s attorney asked the jury to award between $4 million and $5 million dollars in damages. Another trial involved a permanent spinal injury from a third party criminal attack where the plaintiff’s attorney demanded $10 million, and another involved a case against a religious institution where the adverse attorney asked the jury to award $1 million.
 
Born and raised in Atlanta, Matt majored in journalism at the University of Georgia, from which he graduated cum laude. He attended Emory School of Law, where he won Best Advocate in the National Moot Court Competition.  The International Academy of Trial Lawyers recognized him with their Litigation Award, and he was selected into membership in the Order of the Barristers.
 
During the early years of Matt’s private law practice, Emory asked him to return annually as an Adjunct Professor of Law and teach by lecture and demonstration on effective appellate advocacy. When a West Publishing affiliate learned about his teaching at Emory, they asked him to create an audiotape program on appellate advocacy, which continues in circulation under the title “Moot Court Success” (Sum & Substance).
 
Legal organizations and insurers regularly ask Matt to present on effective case evaluation, litigation and defensive trial strategy, and Matt has given presentations across the country from New York to Nebraska.  He has presented at the annual meetings of state defense lawyer organizations and for the Defense Research Institute.  He has instructed at the DRI Trial Tactics program and currently is an instructor at the Trial Academy of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association.  Upon graduating from the CLM Litigation Management Institute, Matt began presenting education and training seminars for member insurers of CLM. 
 
Matt is the President-Elect of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association.  He is a Charter Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a member of The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) and member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.  He is a Lifetime Fellow of the Atlanta Bar Foundation, which supports public service projects that assist youth, provides pro bono legal services, and promotes higher education through scholarships.
 
Married to his high school sweetheart for over 24 years, Matt and Diane have two daughters, Kate and Megan, who attend Marist School and St. Martin’s Episcopal School, respectively, with Matt serving as a trustee at St. Martin’s. Matt and family are longtime members of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, where Matt has chaired the Administrative Board and now teaches in the adult education program.
 
When not lawyering, you likely will find Matt either water skiing in North Georgia or snow skiing out west.  He also is a certified SCUBA diver and has dived both wrecks and reefs all over the Caribbean.
 

J. Kevin Moore is a senior attorney with Bold, Polisner, Maddow, Nelson & Judson. He has more than thirty years of experience representing clients in construction and commercial litigation matters. His clients include government and private utilities, residential developers, residential and commercial general contractors, trade contractors, and construction material suppliers. Mr. Moore has significant experience in litigating construction and construction defect matters and advising clients concerning risk management, contract formation and negotiation, and insurance issues. He also represents a variety of corporate and individual clients in both litigation and transaction matters.He has tried cases before various California Superior Courts and arbitration panels administered by the American Arbitration Association. He has also argued cases before various California Courts of Appeals.Mr. Moore has authored articles for legal publications on a variety of issues including the use of alternative disputes resolution in construction litigation and the use of affirmative defenses for fiduciaries in ERISA litigation. He has spoken on construction and litigation topics, including S. B. 800 litigation and indemnity provisions in construction contracts. He also was an adjunct instructor for the University of California, Berkeley University Extension Program.Mr. Moore is a member of the California State Bar and an inactive member of the State Bar of Virginia. He is admitted to practice before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Ninth, and Federal Circuits; the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Northern and Eastern Districts of California; and the United States Claims Court. He has also represented clients in matters before the various Boards of Contract Appeals, the Comptroller General for the United States, the American Arbitration Association, and private professional arbitrators and mediators.

Ms. Moretti serves as Vice President – Specialty Claims at Liberty Mutual.  She currently manages a 110-employee claims unit dedicated to specialized claims, including Construction Defect, Complex Construction, Energy and traditional specialty claims (advertising injury, class actions, E&O, coverage).  Previously, she served as Assistant Legal Manager managing a staff of attorneys and paralegals in a department dedicated to issues related to complex and emerging risks, including coverage, underlying defense and reinsurance.
 
She has experience advising an in-house business client on all issues related to environmental claims, including coverage, reinsurance and underlying defense.  She has developed and implemented litigation strategy related to silica and asbestos resulting in a landmark decision, thereby significantly decreasing corporate risk. 
 
Throughout her tenure, she has been involved in several critical projects including due diligence related to acquisition targets, interdisciplinary reserve analysis, Department of Insurance audits, state legislative initiatives, and active participation in department process workflow reviews using Lean Six Sigma approach.
 
Prior to joining Liberty Mutual, Ms. Moretti practiced as a litigation attorney in Boston.  She has experience in numerous areas of practice, including business litigation, telecommunications, construction law, legal malpractice, architect and engineer liability, real estate broker liability, employment law, toxic torts, insurance coverage, personal injury, motor vehicle tort and statutory compensation.         
 

David M. O’Connor of O'Connor & Associates, LLC, an AV-rated six-lawyer Boston firm, defends claims against policyholders and represents carriers in coverage and unfair claims practices litigation. Mr. O’Connor is recognized in Martindale-Hubbell’s Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers and has been  a Massachusetts Super Lawyer in mulitple practice categories. Mr. O'Connor regularly presents to industry groups on contractual risk transfer; insurance coverage; extra-contractual exposures; and defending unpopular corporate targets.  He obtained a B.A. from Georgetown University and is a cum laude graduate of Boston College Law School, where he was Articles Editor for the B.C. Environmental Law Review. He is admitted in Massachusetts; the  U.S. District Court, Districts of Massachusetts, Connecticut and  Arizona; and the  U.S. Court of Appeals, First and Ninth Circuits.

Scott D. Rembold is a founding partner of Rembold Hirschman, an insurance, construction, and business litigation firm with offices in Miami, West Palm Beach, and Naples, Florida.  Mr. Rembold focuses his practice primarily on the construction industry, representing contractors and subcontractors both directly and through their insurers as assigned defense counsel.  Mr. Rembold and his firm also have extensive experience handling general liability claims on behalf of insureds, as well as complex commercial litigation matters. Mr. Rembold has also served as outside general counsel for the South Florida Associated General Contractors and the American Society of Professional Estimators.

Mr. Rembold is AV® Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell, and has been named a Top Rated Lawyer in Construction Law by American Lawyer Media, a Top Attorney by the South Florida Legal Guide, “Legal Elite” by Florida Trend magazine, and has been named on the list of the Top 100 Lawyers in Florida by SuperLawyers in both 2016 and 2017. Mr. Rembold is Board Certified in Construction Law by the Florida Bar and earned the Certified Litigation Management Professional (CLMP) designation.

Ms. Roswell is a partner and founding member of Higgins, Hopkins, McLain & Roswell, LLC, a firm which specializes in construction defect and general civil litigation throughout Colorado.  For approximately twenty years Ms. Roswell’s practice has focused on the defense of a complex construction defect lawsuits on behalf of developers, general contractors, and other construction professionals.  Ms. Roswell’s practice also frequently includes providing consulting and risk management services to clients and carriers in both residential and commercial construction matters.  Ms. Roswell’s clientele includes construction professionals, from Fortune 500 companies to single contractor entities.  Ms. Roswell’s background also includes the defense of a wide variety of general casualty and property damage claims.
Ms. Roswell is an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell and she speaks locally and nationally on topics pertinent to the insurance and construction industries; lecturing to attorneys, construction professionals, and insurance organizations. 

Todd Schweitzer is a Senior Claims Advocate at Marsh responsible for claims advocacy on behalf of Marsh clients.  Prior to Marsh, from December 2020 to April 2022, he worked at Aon in a similar role.  From 20018 to 2020, he was a vice president of claims responsible for the management of claims for LPT reinsurer SunPoint Holdings. Prior to joining SunPoint, he worked for Zurich for ten years (2008-2018) and Travelers for nineteen years serving in multiple managerial and technical capacities.  His professional experience over the last thirty three years includes both handling and managing claims involving general liability, products liability, premises liability, auto, construction defect, professional liability and medical malpractice exposures.  He has extensive litigation management and legal audit experience. 

Mr. Schweitzer has lectured extensively on various construction, insurance and claim related topics to attorneys, construction professionals, agents, brokers and insurance industry professionals, including The Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Conference, Defense Research Institute, Utah Association of General Contractors, Claims & Litigation Management Alliance, Willis Construction Risk Conference and the MC2 Construction Defect Conference.

He received his B.A. in Finance with a minor in Accounting from Western Connecticut State University (1987) and the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation (1995).  At the 2009 West Coast Casualty Conference, he received the Larry Syhre Commitment to Service Award.  He is a current member of the Construction Defect Claim Managers Association.

David A. Steiger is an attorney, author and lecturer, who has taught various topics for fifteen years. Steiger received a Bachelor’s in Political Science in 1987 and a JD in 1990 from Indiana University Bloomington.  Beginning as an associate with a Chicago-based law firm, Steiger went on to manage complex products liability litigation for the American subsidiary of a global insurance conglomerate.Steiger then joined the Adjunct Faculty of DePaul University’s School for New Learning. In addition to teaching traditional and online courses in Chicago, he also taught students at the International Bank of Asia in Hong Kong and St. Gabriel’s College in Bangkok, Thailand.In 2008, ABA Publishing released Steiger’s first book, “The Globalized Lawyer,” in which he explained in clear, understandable terms the negotiation and implementation of cross-border transactions. Steiger’s second book, "Transactions Without Borders," scheduled for publication in May 2014, seeks to educate and empower clients in a world in which the balance of power in their relationship with attorneys is already decidedly shifting in their favor.Still affiliated with the law department of an insurance company with global operations, Steiger lives and works in Chicago.

Kyle is a Senior Technical Specialist with Amerisure's Construction Defect Unit and has been with the Amerisure claim department since 2003.  Prior to joining Amerisure, Kyle handled all range of property and casualty claims for insurance carriers and a third party claims administrator.  Most recently, Kyle has been a Claims Litigation Manager and prior to that was Construction Defect Unit Manager for over 8 years.  Kyle rejoined the Construction Defect Unit in 2023 and works in the Tampa office.

Wendy Testa focuses her legal practice on insurance coverage and defense litigation, particularly in the areas of professional liability; construction, premises and automobile liability; product liability; contractual disputes; and employment.

First and foremost, Wendy prides herself on being an advocate for her clients. From inception to the successful conclusion of a case, her skills, experience and focus are all directed toward achieving a cost-effective resolution strategy built around her clients’ needs. Wendy’s attention to detail and the key issues of each case makes her an efficient and effective litigator.

Bar Admissions: Pennsylvania, New JerseyEducation: Widener University School of Law, J.D., 1997; Pennsylvania State University, B.A., 1992

Areas of Focus

Professional Liability: Wendy has defended architects, engineers, lawyers, brokers and agents in professional liability actions. Working closely with clients, she seeks to create a defense strategy to cost-effectively resolve matters in litigation or those before administrative agencies and licensing boards.

Architects & Engineers: Wendy is experienced in the defense of architects, engineers and surveyors and is a member of the firm's Design Professional practice. In addition, she performs contract review and drafting services for design professionals and engages in contract negotiations on behalf of these clients. Wendy also has extensive experience in defending architects and engineers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Lawyers’ Liability: Wendy seeks dismissal of lawyers’ liability cases based on either pre-answer motions addressed to the sufficiency of pleadings and/or motions for summary judgment at the conclusion of discovery. Beyond the courtroom, she has represented attorneys in proceedings before disciplinary committees and licensing boards.

Construction: Wendy has extensive experienced in defense litigation and insurance coverage issues related the construction industry. She has defended contractors, commercial and residential construction firms, construction managers and project owners in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including disputes related to contractual defense, indemnification and insurance coverage issues as well as construction defect claims.

General Liability: Wendy has built a diverse civil litigation practice handling premises, auto and liquor liability matters on a national basis for several Fortune 500 companies and other large self-insured clients. Wendy provides her clients with a high level of responsiveness and personalized attention to assist in risk and crisis management at the pre-litigation phase of potential claims and when preparing a defense in litigated matters. Representative clients include construction firms, commercial and residential property owners and management companies, restaurants, and food and beverage manufacturers, suppliers and distributors. In addition, Wendy has co-authored a 50-state liquor liability law review.

Insurance Coverage: Wendy's experience includes both coverage litigation and drafting coverage opinions for insurers related to commercial general liability as well as professional liability policies. She has obtained very favorable results through motion and appellate practice of coverage disputes for a number of insurers.

Product Liability: A large portion of Wendy’s practice involves the defense of product liability claims against domestic and foreign manufacturers and suppliers of construction equipment, industrial machinery; and food and beverage products. She advises clients and aggressively defends their products in complex cases arising out of a product's design, manufacture or marketing.

Dr. Cris A. Williams has 24 years of experience in applied toxicology, quantitative risk assessment and public health. He develops practical risk assessment approaches to complex litigation, and serves as an expert in matters of risk analysis, consumer product, occupational and environmental exposure assessment, toxicology and public health. He has conducted numerous risk-based site investigations, and has served as a leader in regulatory negotiations. Cris has extensive experience evaluating exposure to and the health effects from halogenated flame retardants, dioxins, metals including chromium and arsenic, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). He has been retained as a testifying expert in matters involving exposures to asbestos, metals such as arsenic, and air pollutants such as particulate matter, ozone, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, and benzene. He is a member of the Society of Toxicology and the author or coauthor of more than 30 peer-reviewed publications in toxicology and risk assessment. In addition, he has served as a peer reviewer for several toxicology and risk assessment journals.

Brendan has more than a decade of experience litigating complex and high-stakes insurance coverage, construction, personal injury, and business matters. Brendan has a particularly deep understanding of the insurance industry. Prior to law school Brendan worked for Safeco Insurance Company as a property and casualty agent. During law school he worked in Safeco’s in-house legal department. After law school Brendan climbed the ranks and became a partner at the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, which is widely considered the “go to” law firm for the insurance industry. There he represented the world’s largest insurance companies in their most complex and high-stakes matters. Brendan now exclusively represents policyholders rather than insurance companies.

Brendan is one of the few policyholder lawyers in the United States to have received the Certified Litigation Management Professional (CLMP) designation from Loyola University School of Law in Chicago. The CLMP designation is the insurance industry’s certification program for insurance company claims managers and their counsel. Brendan is also the former president of the Washington chapter for the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (the CLM), which is the largest professional association in the insurance industry with more than 35,000 members. Brendan is also a former member of the CLM’s national construction committee.

Brendan is regularly invited to speak at regional and national conference on topics involving complex insurance claims, construction, and ethics. Brendan has been published by Litigation Management, Construction Today, and Business Insurance magazines. He was also a contributing author to the Washington Real Property Deskbook series on environmental regulation.

A Dartmouth College (‘77) and Boston University School of Law (‘85) graduate, Kevin is a member at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, whose practice focuses on complex product liability litigation, including the defense of cases involving a variety of toxic materials, industrial machinery, pharmaceuticals and automotive defects.  He has nearly thirty (30) years of experience in defending numerous major manufacturers of asbestos-containing products in local, regional and national courts.  Additionally, Kevin has substantial experience in pharmaceutical litigation as well as the automobile product liability defense area.  He has extensive first chair trial experience in mass tort cases in several jurisdictions, and has appellate experience before the Massachusetts Court of Appeals and the First Circuit Court of Appeals. 

 In asbestos litigation, Kevin has served as National Coordinating Counsel for several companies and has defended mining concerns, and manufacturers of insulation products, brakes and equipment, among others.  Previously he served as NCC for two pharmaceutical companies in the Fen/Phen litigation in thousands of cases, all of which were dismissed after successful Daubert rulings in state courts and the MDL.  Kevin is annually recognized as a “Top Attorney” in New England and Massachusetts, and has been a Martindell-Hubbell AV Preeminent rated attorney for more than a decade.