Breakfast

Premier 2

• Speakers:

• Johanna Hoyt, McKinsey & Company

Break

Session 1 - Collision Course: Work Comp, Civil Litigation, and Subro in Construction Claims

• Speakers:

• Jason Danks, Orion Construction

• Jason Doshi, Manning & Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, Trester LLP

• Sean Dowsing, Kahana Feld, LLP

Construction injury claims often unfold across multiple fronts, with work comp, civil litigation, and subrogation actions moving in parallel. Select this roundtable to explore how these tracks intersect, from early incident response and documentation to coordinated claim resolution. Panelists will examine how jobsite decisions, contractual relationships, and expert analysis shape liability and exposure in multi-party cases. The discussion also will cover how work comp records can influence causation and damages in civil litigation, along with the role of risk managers in aligning strategy across systems. Plan to learn practical approaches to managing these overlapping claims and improving outcomes.

Session 1 - Construction Claims Feud: We Asked 100 Claims Pros What Went Wrong

• Speakers:

• Mitchell Ayes, Callahan & Fusco, LLC.

• Audrey Smith, Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP

• Kori Trotter, TSIB

• Tonimarie Welch, Liberty Mutual

Explore construction claims challenges through a structured, interactive game show format designed to engage and inform. Using a Family Feud–style approach, this session draws on real claims data, litigation trends, and industry experience to spotlight the most common, and costly, drivers of loss and dispute escalation. You won’t just watch; they’ll compete, debate, and test their instincts while uncovering why certain decisions lead to litigation, coverage conflicts, or increased exposure. Walk away with practical insights you can apply to strengthen claim strategies and avoid familiar traps.

Session 1 - Construction Defect 101: From First Notice to Resolution

• Speakers:

• Sam Alberico, Amerisure Mutual Insurance Company

• Cole Munson, Cohen Cunningham DeRose Higgins Lyon LLP

Build a strong foundation for handling construction defect claims from the moment they are reported. This session begins with a clear overview of common defect issues and the legal claims that may arise, making it especially valuable for those newer to this space or seeking a refresher. The focus then shifts to early-stage decision-making, including effective investigation, expert retention, and identifying risk transfer opportunities. Attendees will gain practical guidance on positioning claims for efficient resolution from the outset, with insights applicable to both emerging and experienced claims professionals and attorneys.

Session 1 - Creative Solutions: Strategies for Navigating Conflict in Construction Defect Cases

• Speakers:

• Tammy Brito, Coastal Construction

• Lauren Eliopoulos, GrayRobinson, P.A.

• Kelley Inman, Hudson Insurance Group

• Katherine Klapsa, Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP

Complex construction litigation demands more than technical expertise -- it requires managing competing interests, strained relationships, and high-conflict dynamics across the defense team and opposing counsel. Select this session to explore how counsel, insureds, carriers, and experts interact throughout the lifecycle of a claim, highlights include common tension points and phases where communication often breaks down. Panelists will share practical strategies to navigate conflicting positions, strengthen collaboration, and leverage each party’s role to drive more effective outcomes. From pre-suit investigation through expert development, dispositive motions, and resolution, attendees will gain insight into aligning stakeholders to move even the most challenging cases toward efficient and successful resolution.

Session 1 - Hands-On Workshop: Field Tools in Action for Construction Defect Claims

• Speakers:

• David Harrigan, Luks, Santaniello, Petrillo, Cohen & Peterfriend

• Carolyn Luken, Nationwide Insurance Company

Get hands-on experience with the non-destructive testing tools shaping today’s construction defect investigations, including moisture meters, infrared cameras, and lidar scanners. This interactive workshop demonstrates how proper calibration and use can significantly impact findings and influence claim evaluation, coverage analysis, and litigation strategy. Learn from experts how NDT results help assess defect existence, alternative causation, and reasonable repair scope, while also highlighting the risks of misuse or overreliance. The session also will address how well-documented findings support reserves, mediation, and early resolution, along with key litigation considerations around expert opinions. Prepare to leave with a practical framework for using field technology in a defensible and cost-effective way.

Session 1 - Pre-Existing or New Damage: Sorting Responsibility in Renovation Claims

• Speakers:

• Casey Flynn, Clune Construction Company

• Catherine Messer, Christian & Small LLP

• Afroz Mohammed, Moon Shepherd Baker Insurance Agency, Inc

Renovation and repair projects often blur the line between pre-existing conditions and new damage, creating some of the most contested issues in construction claims. This session explores how failures emerge when new work intersects with existing structures and why determining responsibility is rarely straightforward. Through practical examples, attendees will examine how causation, scope limitations, and documentation gaps influence liability, allocation, and coverage. The discussion offers actionable insight into evaluating these claims and avoiding common pitfalls.

Session 1 - Who Picks Up the Tab: Defense Costs and Risk Allocation

• Speakers:

• Timothy Dobrenen, Hannover Re Services, USA

• Mariah Garcia, The Conco Companies

• Yvonne Jorgensen, Lorber, Greenfield & Olsen, LLP

• Josh Keane, Blau | Keane Law Group, P.C.

• Milli Kim, Law Offices of Adrienne D. Cohen

Sorting out who pays for the defense is becoming increasingly complex under additional insured (AI) coverage. This session explores key issues, including whether coverage applies on a primary basis or requires shared contribution, and how the general contractor’s choice of counsel may shift when an AI carrier participates in the defense. Panelists also will address challenges involving self-insured retentions, such as satisfaction, cost allocation, and control of litigation. Ethical considerations, including the need for independent counsel and the rise of broad conflict waivers, will be discussed alongside the growing influence of litigation funding on strategy and resolution.

Lunch

Session 2 - Data Center Defect Case Study: When Damage Triggers Costly Operational Impacts

• Speakers:

• Stephanie Chesney, Cozen O’Connor

• Hannah Conrardy, Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

• Jeff Heiliger, Network Adjusters, Inc.

• Brian Maloof, Goetz Schenker Blee & Wiederhorn LLP

Examine a high-stakes construction defect claim involving a newly expanded data center where differential settlement between existing and new structures caused damage to the building and critical mechanical and electrical systems. This session walks through the unique challenges of maintaining ongoing operations during repairs, where business interruption and mitigation costs far exceeded the physical damage. Presenters will explore liability considerations across multiple project participants, litigation strategies to recover losses, and the complexities of allocating responsibility among both clearly liable and peripheral parties. Attendees will gain insight into handling large-scale, high-exposure claims where operational continuity and technical issues intersect.

Session 2 - Defending the Fortress: Construction Claims in Ultra-Luxury Homes

• Speakers:

• Dan Coombe, Coombe Curry Rich & Jarvis

• Douglas Stevens, Caplan & Earnest

• Brad Temple, CapSpecialty

High-end residential projects bring a distinct set of challenges when construction defect claims arise. Together, roundtable attendees will explore the complexities of defending ultra-luxury home cases, from evaluating loss of use and lost rental income to addressing intricate MEP systems and the handling of high-value personal property, including art and collectibles. Panelists plan to examine the unique pressures on construction cost estimating in these one-of-a-kind properties. Drawing on notable case studies from Vail, Jackson Hole, and Los Angeles, the discussion will highlight practical strategies for navigating high-exposure claims in this specialized space.

Session 2 - Defense Counsel’s Role in Fraud-Driven Litigation

• Speakers:

• Tracy Abatemarco, Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP

• Donald Orlando, Tradesman Program Managers

• Kirk Willis, The Willis Law Group, PLLC

Fraud has moved from the margins to the center of many high-exposure claims, reshaping how defense counsel support the claim process. Panelists will explore how early legal involvement, close collaboration with claims professionals, SIU teams, and carriers, and strategic guidance can strengthen investigations and defenses. The discussion also will address how fraud allegations influence coverage positions, litigation strategy, and settlement decisions in complex cases.

Session 2 - Driving the First Nail: Anchoring the Construction Jury

• Speakers:

• Kelly Behrens, Argo Group US

• Jason Judovin, Munich Re Group

• Scott Rembold, Rembold Hirschman

• Richard Righi, Righi Fitch Law Group

• Jannea Rogers, Adams and Reese, LLP

In almost any jury trial, and especially in construction cases, the first number a jury hears often becomes the reference point for everything that follows. This session explores how attorneys can use anchoring principles to influence juror perception from opening statements through closing arguments. Presenters will explain the psychology behind anchoring and demonstrate practical techniques to frame damages, responsibility, and overall case value more effectively. Both trial attorneys and claims professionals will gain insight into applying these strategies in construction defect cases where damages may be inherently reasonable but still highly variable in presentation and outcome.

Session 2 - Everything’s Bigger in Texas: Navigating Construction Litigation

• Speakers:

• Russell Dennis, Markel Service, Inc.

• Stephen Melendi, Tollefson Bradley Mitchell & Melendi, LLP

• Cynthia Tarle, Kahana Feld, LLP

Construction litigation in Texas often involves high-stakes, long-tail claims that demand sharp legal strategy and coordination. This panel examines key developments shaping the landscape, including the duty to defend, the growing use of extrinsic evidence, and recent statutory and case law shifts affecting coverage and liability. Discussion also will address risk transfer challenges and the impact of Texas’ anti-indemnity framework on additional insured positions. Beyond doctrine, panelists will explore how social inflation, evolving views on coverage triggers, and fast-moving settlement dynamics are influencing outcomes. Attendees will gain practical insight into handling pre-suit repair demands, managing complex, multi-party defenses, and aligning legal strategy with business objectives.

Session 2 - Making the Deal: Tenders, Transfers, Towers, and Mediation Strategy

• Speakers:

• Erica Crane, Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.

• Krissy Mendoza, American Contractors Insurance Group, Inc.

• John Paul Spearman, Zurich North America

• Kevin Young, Cassiday Schade LLP

Construction mediations often involve layered insurance programs and competing interests among multiple parties. This session breaks down key issues that arise in these settings, including tender strategies, reservation of rights, and navigating complex insurance towers. Attendees will gain practical insight into indemnity, timing of disclosures, expert strategy, and mediator selection. The discussion is designed to help participants approach mediation with greater clarity and avoid common missteps.

Session 2 - Risky Business: Navigating Risk Transfer With In-person Demonstrative Aids

• Speakers:

• Rinaldo Cartaya III, Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A.

• Brett Reuter, Arch Insurance Group Inc.

Risk transfer continues to evolve across construction defect claims, requiring a clearer understanding of how strategies function in practice. This session uses demonstrative tools to walk through current trends, including downstream risk allocation, carrier involvement, and the role of experts in identifying transfer opportunities. Attendees will leave with practical insight into applying these concepts in complex claims.

Break

Session 3 - After Surfside and Beyond: Diminution, Stigma Damages, and Construction Defect Valuation

• Speakers:

• George Truitt, Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A.

For decades, cost of repair has anchored construction defect damages, with diminution in value playing a limited role. That framework is shifting as rising repair costs, constrained insurance capacity, aging properties, and post-Surfside stigma reshape how claims are valued. This panel brings together perspectives from across the aisle to examine when and how diminution is being advanced, challenged, and resolved in today’s environment. Discussion will cover evolving legal standards, valuation methodologies, stigma damages, and coverage considerations, along with the strategic impact of presuit frameworks and settlement dynamics. Attendees will walk away with practical insight into how a credible diminution analysis can influence case strategy and outcomes.

Session 3 - Double Coverage, Double Trouble: Navigating Multiple Towers in Construction Claims

• Speakers:

• Tracey Dockx, Nationwide Insurance Company

• Elaine Fresch, Hawkins Parnell & Young, LLP

• Phyllis Modlin, Markel Service, Inc.

• Jay Sever, Phelps Dunbar

Large construction claims often trigger multiple towers of insurance, creating complex challenges around notice, exhaustion, and priority of coverage. This session examines how primary, excess, umbrella, and professional liability policies interact—particularly when issued by different carriers with competing interests and varying policy language. Presenters will break down the practical impact of “other insurance” clauses, horizontal versus vertical allocation, and the added complexity of OCIP and CCIP programs. Attendees will also gain clarity on the distinct roles of claims professionals, monitoring counsel, and coverage counsel, along with the ethical considerations that arise when responsibilities overlap. Walk away with strategies to better coordinate stakeholders, manage disputes, and navigate high-exposure claims involving layered coverage.

Session 3 - Ending a Construction Project Early: Legal and Practical Considerations

• Speakers:

• Tom Fama, Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP

• Maren Mooney, TSIB

• Michael Rodriguez, Tokio Marine HCC

Terminating a construction project is rarely straightforward and often carries significant legal and financial implications. This session outlines a structured approach to early project exit, including contract analysis, payment disputes, affirmative claims, and abandonment issues. Through real-world examples, attendees will learn how stakeholders approach termination decisions and how to manage the process strategically to reduce risk and control costs.

Session 3 - Social Inflation and Litigation Finance: Defense Strategies for Today’s Claims Environment

• Speakers:

• Graham Miller, Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP

Rising verdicts and increased litigation funding are reshaping the defense landscape in construction claims. This session examines how these trends influence case strategy, settlement dynamics, and jury behavior. Attendees will gain practical insight into defense approaches that respond to these pressures and help manage evolving litigation risk.

Session 3 - Tools for Successful Mediation: Strategy, Preparation, and Results

• Speakers:

• Annie Bahadourian, RSUI Group Inc.

• Ken Bloom, Gartner + Bloom PC

• Adrienne Cohen, Law Offices of Adrienne D. Cohen

• Michael Hinojosa, National Claim Services LLC

• Kirkland McKenzie, QBE Insurance

With litigation costs rising and outcomes growing less predictable, effective mediation is more important than ever. Prepare to explore the practical tools and strategies that drive successful resolutions, from selecting the right mediator to aligning approach and expectations across stakeholders. Panelists will discuss how thoughtful pre-mediation preparation and strategic information exchange can minimize surprises and support productive negotiations. The conversation also will address common challenges, including managing unrealistic demands and bridging wide negotiation gaps using techniques like bracketing and mediation proposals. You will leave with actionable insights to strengthen mediation outcomes in construction disputes.

Session 3 - When Roofs Fail: Systems, Defects, and Causation in Claims

• Speakers:

• Matt Borden, Sedgwick

• Trevor Brown, SBSB Eastham

• J. Abraham Hanze, Davies North America, LLC

• Ashley Mattingly, Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

• Keniatta Thompson, Engle Martin

Roofing claims span a wide range of systems, materials, and failure modes, each presenting unique challenges in evaluation and defense. This session brings together low-slope and steep-slope roofing issues, examining how design choices, material performance, and installation practices contribute to defects and disputes. The roundtable discussion will explore common problems, including drainage failures and water intrusion in flat roofs, as well as installation deficiencies and product issues in shingle systems, and how these conditions evolve into claims. The discussion also highlights practical approaches to determining causation, identifying responsible parties, and developing effective defense and risk transfer strategies, giving claims professionals a well-rounded framework for handling roofing-related losses.

Break

Session 4 - Breaking Bias Without Breaking Bad: Advancing Equity in Construction and Claims

• Speakers:

• Juana Ciriaco, In Transition

• Gwen Gatson-Long, Gallagher Bassett

• Amir Kahana, Kahana Feld, LLP

• Leahetta Washington, AVAAS Career Academy

Deepen your understanding of bias, equity, and collaboration through an engaging, scenario-based discussion. Using a hypothetical case study, attendees will examine how bias can influence claims handling, valuation, architectural design, and construction practices. The session encourages thoughtful dialogue and group analysis to uncover where inequities may arise and how they can be addressed. Participants will leave with practical resources and strategies to promote more equitable outcomes in their day-to-day work.

Session 4 - Death by a Thousand Cuts: Managing Eroding Limits in Wrap Claims

• Speakers:

• Kellie Caggiano, GrayRobinson, P.A.

• Marshall Henson, Nationwide Insurance Company

• Dermot Leech, Cranmore (US) Inc.

• Joseph Miele, Kaufman Dolowich LLP

Wrap policies present distinct challenges when limits are steadily reduced by defense costs, indemnity payments, and multi-party exposure. Join this session to explore practical strategies for resolving claims in the face of diminishing limits, with a focus on early evaluation, allocation among competing claimants, and effective coordination among carriers, contractors, and counsel. Attendees will gain insight into risk-shifting mechanisms, key coverage considerations, and proactive approaches to preserve available limits while minimizing overall exposure in complex construction defect and bodily injury matters.

Session 4 - Hands-On Workshop: Test, Trust, and Validate AI in Construction Claims

• Speakers:

• Michael Estes, Crawford Global Technical Services

• Kyle Weynand, MehaffyWeber

AI is reshaping construction defect claims, but using it effectively requires more than speed and efficiency. Through guided exercises and real-world scenarios, participants will actively explore how AI can support document review, issue identification, photo organization, and timeline development. This interactive session emphasizes how to validate and backcheck AI-generated outputs, recognize tool limitations, and avoid overreliance on conclusions that may not hold up under scrutiny. Attendees will work through practical applications of integrating AI into claims workflows while preserving defensibility, transparency, and professional judgment. The roundtable discussion will connect these practices to coverage analysis, reserving, mediation, and litigation strategy, highlighting where careful oversight makes the difference.

Session 4 - Lurking in the Shadows: Is Playing Hide and Seek Really Working for Design Professionals

• Speakers:

• Athena Bozek, RiverStone Resources LLC

• Catherine Deter, Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP

• Ryan Pitterson, TSIB

Design professionals face increasing pressure to manage liability in a challenging litigation environment. This interactive workshop explores how contracts and scope definitions can both protect and expose design teams. Attendees will hear perspectives from across the industry on risk transfer strategies, defense approaches, and current claim trends. Practical guidance focuses on aligning contract language, project roles, and litigation strategy to better manage exposure.

Session 4 - Pin the Tail on the Subcontractor and Other Risk Transfer Techniques in CD Cases

• Speakers:

• Toby Donoway, Selective Insurance

• Jason Feld, Kahana Feld, LLP

• Jason Gunther, Gunther Legal, PLLC

• Kevin Stineman, Hannover Re Services, USA

• John H. Toohey, Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara, LLP

Effective risk transfer remains a critical tool in managing construction defect exposure. This session explores practical approaches to shifting risk through contractual provisions, additional insured coverage, and alternative policy structures, including wrap programs. Attendees will gain insight into how these strategies apply across multiple jurisdictions and how to use them more effectively in real-world claims.

Session 4 - The Art of the Early Exit: Navigating Multi-Party Construction Settlements

• Speakers:

• Sarah Bishop, Utica National Insurance Group

• Catherine Naltsas, Lynberg & Watkins

Resolving multi-party construction claims early can reduce costs, but it introduces added complexity. This session explores strategic considerations behind partial settlements, including managing ongoing liability, mitigating bad faith risk, and balancing short-term resolution with long-term exposure. Attendees also will learn about tools that support early resolution while preserving rights, offering a practical roadmap for handling complex settlement decisions.

Networking Reception