Celebrating the Best

One of many highlights from the CLM Annual Conference was the announcement of 2023’s Lifetime Achievement award as well as this year’s professionals of the year.

Accepting CLM’s Lifetime Achievement award, sponsored by Compex Legal Services, was HCC Casualty Insurance Services Inc.’s Vice President, Casualty Claims, Larry Beemer (pictured middle). The award recognizes a long-time industry professional who has made a lasting impact on the industry and CLM, a definition that aptly describes Beemer, who has made himself known outside of CLM for transforming underperforming claims departments, and inside CLM for his work in developing the Litigation Management Institute and his CLM advisory board work. During his emotional acceptance speech, Beemer focused not on his career achievements, but rather his most memorable moments within CLM, of which he said there were many.

CLM’s Professional of the Year awards were also announced in the categories of Outside Defense Counsel and Claims and Litigation Management.

JD Keister (pictured left) accepted the Outside Defense Counsel Professional of the Year award. A partner at McAngus Goudelock & Courie, LLC, Keister focuses on civil and complex litigation. His nomination submission noted, “JD exemplifies what it means to be passionate about insurance defense litigation, to be a tremendous client resource, and to give generously back to our industry.”

Indeed, Keister is a prolific contributor to CLM, where he serves as a dean for Claims College’s School of Litigation Management, co-chair of the Litigation Management Symposium, and faculty member and presenter at the Litigation Management Institute. Other nominees for outside defense counsel professional of the year included Rafael Gonzalez (Cattie & Gonzalez) and Cathleen Rebar (Rebar Kelly).

“Of all the great things that the CLM offers to its membership, the chance to come together and interact as a community and build relationships is the most important thing to me,” said Keister. “It was a true and humbling honor to be nominated for, let alone be the recipient of, CLM’s Outside Counsel Professional of the Year. The ‘community’ aspect of CLM was very obvious to me this year in that the other two very deserving finalists are lawyers whom I have known for years and had the pleasure of working with and presenting with. And the legend Larry Beemer, the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, is a longtime business partner to our firm, co-teacher at LMI and LMS, and friend. What we do can be tough, but CLM helps make the giant industry seem like a much smaller community!”

Finally, Mary Haefer (pictured right) was announced as the Claims and Litigation Management Professional of the Year award winner. Haefer serves as chief claims officer - property & casualty at CapSpecialty, a provider of specialty insurance for small- and mid-sized businesses. Her nominator cited Haefer’s work as both an attorney and claims executive, and lauded her role in starting several DE&I initiatives at her company. Haefer is also a frequent speaker at CLM conferences and helped support CLM’s nuclear verdict task force. Other nominees for claims and litigation management professional of the year included Dr. Brad Gronke (Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc.) and Carol Threlkeld (Berkley Select).

“I am so honored to have received the 2023 Claims and Litigation Management Professional of the Year award,” said Haefer. “I have so much respect for CLM and its membership that being recognized in this way is truly a high point in my career. The professional development opportunities and the connections I have made through CLM are amazing. I am so thankful to all for this exciting recognition.”  

CLM’s next annual conference will take place in San Francisco on April 3-5, 2024.