Cynthia Bernstiel

Biography

Cyndi concentrates her practice on arson and fraud investigation and litigation, and first party coverage matters. She also has extensive experience handling bad faith litigation involving underlying claim denials for arson/fraud and cases involving policy rescission. Cyndi conducts in-depth, multi-faceted investigations on behalf of her insurance clients and routinely conducts examinations under oath of policyholders. Cyndi has assisted her insurance industry clients in investigating all types of suspicious claims, including: large-scale residential and commercial arsons, residential burglaries, commercial vandalism/burglaries, stolen/damaged artwork claims, claims involving the mysterious disappearance of property/automobiles, and claims involving income tax, bankruptcy and mortgage fraud, among others.

Cyndi has 20 years of experience investigating and litigating cases involving criminal and/or fraudulent activity. After completing a criminal judicial clerkship for the Superior Court of New Jersey in 1994, Cyndi then served as a prosecutor for the District Attorney’s Office in Montgomery County, PA for six years. As an Assistant District Attorney, Cyndi tried numerous cases to verdict, including drug and sex crimes, violent felonies and homicides. She also served as Chief of the Investigating Grand Jury, in which capacity she oversaw complex, multi-jurisdictional investigations that included arsons and white collar crimes. Cyndi was one of three attorneys appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2001 to serve as a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Disciplinary Board Hearing Committee Member, in which capacity she served for 6 years.

Beginning in 2001, Cyndi began work at Cozen O’Connor where she worked for seven years. While a partner at Cozen, Cyndi obtained extensive insurance coverage experience, and developed vast expertise in the investigation of all types of first-party property claims where red flags for insurance fraud presented during the claim adjustment process. Cyndi has developed the unique skills and good judgment needed to conduct a comprehensive fraud investigation, while simultaneously protecting the carrier from potential bad faith exposure. She has also helped carriers utilize the Examination Under Oath process in cases where the insured is less than forthcoming during the claim adjustment process, or where further factual development is necessary, often resulting in substantial cost savings to her clients.

Cyndi is frequently asked to lecture on a wide range of topics involving the investigation and litigation of arson/insurance fraud claims. In recent years, Cyndi has presented for the IAAI, IASIU and The CPCU Society, among others. She also frequently conducts in-house training for her insurance industry clients on best practices for the adjustment and investigation of arson/fraud claims, and for preventing bad faith exposure. In 2010, Cyndi had the privilege of attending a training by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm’s at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia where she completed 41 tested hours of specialized instruction in the area of “Advanced Arson Investigation Techniques for the Insurance Industry.”

Practice Areas Arson and Fraud Investigation/Litigation Bad Faith Litigation First Party Property Coverage

Professional Affiliations Montgomery Bar Association
Board of Directors (2000-2003)
Young Lawyer’s Division, President (1999)
American Citizenship and Membership Committee,  Chair (2000-2004)
Montgomery County Law Reporter, Chief Editor  (2002), Editor (2000-2001)

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Disciplinary Board
Senior Hearing Committee Member (2001-2007)

International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)

International Association of Special Investigation Units  (IASIU)

Speaking Engagements “Winning the Circumstantial Arson Case” – 2012 Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Conference, 5/15/12 “The Circumstantial Arson Case: Investigative Techniques and Strategies” – 2012 International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) 63rd Annual Training Conference, 4/26/12 “Winning the Fight Against Insurance Fraud: Contemporary Issues & Strategies” – The CPCU Society Webinar, 12/8/11 “Developing Trends in the Investigation and Litigation of a Fire” – National Business Institute (NBI), 11/9/11 “The Circumstantial Arson Case” – International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU) Seminar & Expo on Insurance Fraud, 9/12/11 “An Insurer’s Fraud Defense in Catastrophic Property Loss Claims” – ABA/TIPS Property Insurance Law Committee Annual Spring CLE Meeting, 4/29/11 “Coordinating the Civil and Criminal Arson Investigations” and “Top Ten Ways to Win a Circumstantial Arson Case” – Moderator andPresenter at Joint Law Enforcement/Private Sector Arson Training Seminar, 2/9/11 “Arson for Profit – Fires in a Failing Economy” - Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office Joint Law Enforcement/Private Sector Arson Training Seminar, 5/8/09 “Fighting Insurance Fraud: From the Claim Investigation to the Courtroom: How to Conduct a Fair and Reasonable Investigation While Avoiding the Bad Faith Bullet” – The CPCU Society, 12/08.

Lateral Source: Cyndi worked at Cozen O’Connor from 2001 through 2008.

Education Villanova University School of Law, J.D., 1994
  Moot Court Board University of Delaware, B.A., 1991, magna cum laude
  Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society; Honors Program  Writing Tutor

Notable Honors Pennsylvania Rising Star, Law & Politics

Charitable & Civic Involvement

Montgomery County, PA Child Advocacy Project
 Board of Directors
Child AdvocateCyndi has served on the Board of Directors of the Montgomery County Child Advocacy Project, which is a nonprofit organization providing free legal representation to children of Montgomery County who are victims of abuse and neglect. Cyndi serves as an advocate for these children and provides a voice to them, as they weave their way through a complex legal system.

Clerkship Criminal law clerk for the Hon. Michael Connor and Hon. Manuel Greenberg, Superior Court of New Jersey, Atlantic County

Education

No information available.

Admissions/Licenses

• Bar Admissions: NY, PA, OH, MD