Kevin is responsible for overseeing the Medical Malpractice, APA/Psych, and Health Care Management Liability Claims Teams. Prior to assuming this role Kevin managed the Employment Practices Liability and Governmental Liability Claims team. Before that, Kevin was a senior claims analyst with Allied World Assurance Company, handling employment practices, governmental liability and directors and officers claims. Before joining Allied World in 2008, Kevin litigated a variety of cases including tort claims, governmental liability issues, employment related claims, insurance coverage claims, medical malpractice and professional liability claims while practicing law with Jackson, O’Keefe and Phelan in Hartford, Connecticut. 
 
Kevin earned his B.A. from the University of Michigan and his J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law, where he also served as the Notes and Comments Editor of the Connecticut Journal of International Law. He is a member of the bar in Connecticut and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut.

 

Kim Noble is a Vice President at Applied Financial Lines in Chicago, IL, where she manages their lawyers' and accountants divisions. She joined Applied Financial in 2022 to develop and launch these products. Prior to that she was at Thompson Flanagan where she advised lawyers and law firms on insurance coverage, professional liability claims and risk management techniques. Before that, she was at Argo Pro, manging their lawyers' and accountants' professional liability programs. Ms. Noble has 26 years of professional liability experience as outside counsel, underwriting management and advisory roles. Before joining Argo Pro, Ms. Noble was Senior Vice President, Lawyers’ and Real Estate Professional Liability for OneBeacon Professional Insurance. In this role, she was responsible for the development, launch and strategic management of lawyers’ and real estate professional liability underwriting and risk management. Prior to this, she was Vice President/Chief Underwriting Officer for GE Westport Insurance’s Lawyers’ Professional Liability program. Prior to this, she was also the Divisional Leader for St. Paul Insurance Company’s Lawyers’ Professional, Defense Research Institute and Law Firm Employment practices products. Before joining the insurance industry, she was in private practice, representing the Resolution Trust Corporation (FDIC) and numerous insurance companies, concentrating on defending professionals and providing coverage advice under director and officer, lawyers, accountant and employment practices policies. 

Ms. Noble holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Drury University in Business Administration and Economics. She obtained her law degree from the University of Missouri in Kansas City and is licensed to practice law in four states.  She holds her CPCU and RPLU designations. She is an active member of many organizations, including the American Bar Association, PLUS, the Defense Research Institute and CLM. She is a frequent speaker and author on malpractice and risk management topics. 

As SVP of Gallagher’s Law Firms Practice, Laura is responsible for the placement of Lawyers Professional Liability Insurance, Management Liability Insurance, and Risk Management services for Gallagher law firm clients. Her primary focus is mid-size to large law firms. Laura has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by law firms due to her 16 years as a practicing attorney, her handling of law firms claims and years dealing with LPL coverage issues.  Laura is happy to bring her knowledge and skill set to the broking process in order to assist firms with finding and tailoring the best coverage solutions available in the marketplace for each individual firm.
Experience
           
Laura Zaroski was the Executive Vice President of Cyber, Management and Professional Liability at Socius Insurance Services, a wholesale insurance broker.  Laura also served as Socius’ EPL Practice Leader and Complex Claims Liaison.  Laura’s practice included the placement of all types of D&O, EPL, Fiduciary, LPL, MPL and Cyber policies. Prior to becoming a broker, Laura was a partner at the Chicago Office of O'Hagan Spencer, LLC, and headed up the insurance coverage and claims management department.  As claims management and coverage counsel for various London and domestic carriers, Laura’s experience involved counseling clients in the drafting of policies, program creation, examining claim exposure, effective claims handling techniques, litigation management, and effective resolution/settlement negotiation techniques.  Laura counseled as to cost effective defense strategies, and negotiated favorable settlements for hundreds of cases nationwide. 
Laura is an approved Continuing Education provider and frequently presents CE classes to producers, agencies and clients on cyber liability as well as various management liability topics.  Laura has authored numerous articles regarding cyber and professional liability issues, and is a regular speaker at industry conferences. 
 

Kelly Mai is a senior claims counsel at Aspen Insurance company.  In her role at Aspen she handles a broad variety of professional liability claims on both the primary and excess level. Prior to joining Aspen, she was a claims counsel at Zurich Insurance, also handling miscellaneous professional claims, with a concentration on legal malpractice claims.  She was in private practice in Connecticut for several years before joining Aspen.  She is a graduate of George Washington University and University Connecticut School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in the State of Connecticut. 
 

Nicole joined Berkley Public Entity Managers in 2012.  Prior to that, Nicole was a Senior Claims Specialist with the Professional Risk Claims Group at a major international insurer where her primary focus was managing litigation for employment practices liability, public officials liability, and educational professionals liability claims.  Nicole previously practiced law in the private sector working first as a plaintiff’s personal injury attorney, and then at a mid-sized Midtown law firm that specialized in Reinsurance.  Nicole graduated Magna Cum Laude from St. John’s University with a BA in English Literature, and received her Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University School of Law.

 

 

Sarah Abrams is Head of Claims at Baleen Specialty, a division of Bowhead Specialty. Baleen underwrites wholesale and surplus lines insurance policies, leveraging proprietary digital underwriting and a technology-forward claims platform that Sarah helped design and implement.
 
Previously, Sarah served as Head of Professional Liability Claims at Bowhead Specialty, where she built the framework, guidelines, and team structure for handling D&O, E&O, and Cyber claims. She began her career as a litigator, representing insurers, reinsurers, and TPAs in defense and coverage matters following her graduation from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Sarah later joined Markel, where she advanced to Director of Management Liability, overseeing people managers across public company, private company, and financial institution teams.
 
Sarah holds a liberal arts degree in Psychology from Duke University. She is an active thought leader in the industry, having keynoted and spoken on numerous panels.  Her writing has appeared in various publications, including Law360, CLM Magazine, and the PLUS Blog.  Sarah is also a regular contributor to The D&O Diary.
 

Current Responsibilities: Mike Komoll serves as Vice President of Risk and Insurance for Community Health Systems in Franklin, TN. Community Health Systems is one of the nation’s leading operators of acute care hospitals with 84 affiliated hospitals and hundreds of other care locations stretching across 16 states.  
 
Mike and his team at CHS are responsible for building the CHS’s insurance program, driving optimal claim outcomes and enhancing patient safety through collaboration with clinical and executive leadership. Mike started his career as a litigator in Cook County, IL representing health care providers and other professionals in state and federal court. Prior to joining CHS, Mike served as the Vice President of Claims at HCA and in various leadership roles at CNA Insurance. 

 
Mark Waldeck is currently president of the Chicago Midwest division of CRC Insurance Services.   In addition, he is also responsible for the Financial Services Division within the Midwest for CRC.  He brokers  all forms of product lines within the Financial Services Department including -  Directors & Officers Liability, Cyber Liability / Technology E&O, Employment Practices Liability,  Errors & Omissions Liability,  Commercial Crime, Financial Institution Bonds, Fiduciary Liability, Representations / Warranty Liability. 
 
Prior to joining CRC, Mark was a Vice President at Marsh, Inc. for five years in the Financial Products Division (FINPRO) where he served as a member of the advisory team calling upon larger risk management clients.
 
In addition to his tenure with Marsh, Inc., Mr. Waldeck was an underwriting officer with Chubb & Son for ten years in the Department of Financial Institutions and Chubb’s Wholesale Division where he managed various offices throughout the country.
 
Finally, he has served as an expert witness in coverage litigation disputes involving Directors & Officers Liability matters.
 
 

Frederick J. Fisher, J.D. is the President of Fisher Consulting Group, Inc. and was the Founder of E.L.M. Insurance Brokers, a Wholesale & MGA facility specializing in Professional Liability and Specialty Line risks. He is a Member of the Editorial Board for Agents of America; a Faculty Member of the  Claims College,  and Member of the Executive Council, School of Professional Lines sponsored by the Claims & Litigation Management Association and a course designer and webinar Instructor for the Academy of Insurance (sponsored by the Insurance Journal).Since his career began,  Mr. Fisher focused on one vision: providing financial security to the client. The result was a  successful 40 year career in Specialty Lines Insurance. In 1975, Mr. Fisher began his career on the service side, as an Independent E&O claims adjuster. In 1982, he bought the Company, continued with claims, while expanding the firm’s services to include  qualitative claim auditing, risk management & loss control services, and acting as a TPA. In only 4 years, the annual billings increased by 400%.  His claim auditing techniques and recommendations resulted in substantial client savings (including the SCRTD now known as the Los Angles MTA). Many Insurers and self-insured’s adopted not only the performance standards raised in the audits, but adopted his recommended Attorney Management Guidelines as a base, which are still in use today by many major insurers. 
In 1995, he formed what is now known as ELM insurance Brokers, a firm that has acted as an MGA and Wholesale Broker of Professional Liability Insurance  and Specialty Lines. From nothing, the firm grew rapidly to a $30 Million dollar facility when sold in 2008. He has lectured extensively on professional liability issues since 1978, and authored over 64 articles in trade journals and periodicals. He is the author of BROKER BEWARE, Selling Real Estate within the Law. He designed a program to conduct on site pre-underwriting risk management assessments of a clients' professional liability exposures. In 1989, he became a Founding Member of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS),  and was elected to the PLUS Board of Trustees in 1993. After serving in all Officer capacities, he was elected President in 1997.  He remains a Special Materials Expert for several RPLU courses and is the Senior Technical Advisor for The Professional Liability Manual, first published by the International Risk Management Institute in 1990. He has taught over 100  CE classes and lectures. He testifies regularly as an expert witness in cases dealing with the duties and obligations of professionals as well as on coverage and claims-made issues.
Mr. Fisher can be reached at 310/413-6200, Email-fjfisher@fishercg.com

After years of practicing with a multi-national law firm, Alan Freisleben acted on his passion to create a boutique litigation firm focused on making his clients’ lives easier. A smaller firm allows for greater flexibility and creativity in resolving the client’s problems. The firm is in the business of simplifying the complexity of insurance coverage and business litigation disputes. 

With over 25-years of trial experience Alan knows that winning can often be accomplished at the negotiation table or through alternative dispute resolution options. If all other remedies are exhausted, years of successful big-firm trial experience speaks volumes to opposing counsel. Alan is admitted to all state and federal courts as represents out of state clients on a pro hac vice basis when called upon. Prior to forming his firm, Alan led the insurance practice group in the Orange County office a large international firm. He has earned an “AV” rating published by the Martindale Hubbell Law Directory, which is the highest possible rating. Alan has also been selected as a “Super Lawyer” for many years.

Mr. Leonard has nearly 30 years of claims and litigation management experience in medical malpractice, general liability, long term care, commercial and personal lines, products, EPL, and auto liability with nationally based commercial insurance carriers and claim management companies. While at Gallagher Bassett, he has held several management positions that have included Senior Vice President and Chair of the Management Committee; Chief Client Officer for North America (Gallagher Bassett Specialty) and in his current position as Head of Liability for North America is responsible for ensuring GB's Liability operational service delivery efficiency and excellence.  

Claudia A. Costa is a partner of the New York City office of Goldberg Segalla.  Claudia's practice focuses on the defense of private and publicly held corporations in all aspects of employment-related matters. In addition, Claudia represents and defends lawyers, accountants and insurance brokers/agents in professional malpractice suits brought against them. As well, Claudia defends municipalities and townships in civil rights and municipal liability claims. With a significant background in commercial litigation, Claudia has represented both publicly and privately held corporations in many aspects of their business litigation, including representing members of boards of directors in class action suits and shareholder derivative lawsuits, and she has represented clients in SEC investigations.

Fluent in Spanish, Claudia offers anti harrassment training in both languages. Claudia also drafts handbooks for employers.

Claudia currently serves on the executive committee and as the out-of-state district representative for the Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law Section of the New York State Bar Association. She holds a CLM premium membership and is an active member of the Defense Research Institute, where she has served as one of the marketing chairs of the Professional Liability Section since 2013. Claudia obtained her juris doctor from the Fordham University School of Law, and her Bachelor of Arts from St. Peter's University.

Mercedes Colwin is the founding partner of the GRSM New York Office. She handles a wide variety of litigation, including employment law, commercial litigation, class actions, products liability, professional liability, wage and hour class actions, defamation and related First Amendment claims, civil rights violations and criminal law.
Prior to private practice, Ms. Colwin served as an Administrative Law Judge for the New York State Division of Human Rights. During these nine years of service, while a partner at a major regional New York law firm, she presided over three thousand cases brought under federal and state discrimination laws.
Forbes Business American Airlines named Ms. Colwin one of the six most influential women in America. The list includes dignitaries such as former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Notre Dame Law School presented Ms. Colwin with the prestigious Graciela Olivarez Award for outstanding achievement as a leading Hispanic lawyer of the highest ethical and moral standards. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor received the same award. MultiCultural Law magazine also profiled Ms. Colwin in a Leadership Interview titled, Reaching Back to Diversify the Legal Professional. Human Resources Magazine named Ms. Colwin as one of the Nation’s Most Powerful Rising Employment Attorneys.

Haralyn Isaac is Vice President-Claims at Great American Insurance Company’s Executive Liability Division.  Ms. Isaac handles multi-million dollar claims made against corporate directors and officers, breach of contract and bad faith claims brought against Great American and media related and data breach claims.  In addition, she manages a staff of attorneys handling of professional liability claims.  In addition to her claim handling and supervisory responsibilities, Ms. Isaac’s duties at Great American includes a role on the division’s steering committee, membership on the panel counsel task force, working with underwriters on policy language, interpretation and endorsements, interacting with reinsurers and selecting and managing outside legal counsel.  She also has primary responsibility for the oversight of managing general underwriters.
  Prior to joining Great American, Ms. Isaac was a Principal of Milliman USA, and led the firm's claim management consulting practice.  Prior to joining Milliman, Ms. Isaac practiced law with a major Chicago law firm.
  Ms. Isaac has been a frequent speaker at conferences hosted by the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS).  She also has taught courses on Civil Litigation at Loyola University of Chicago's Institute for Paralegal Studies and sessions on Directors and Officers Liability and Employment Practices Claims for PLUS University.

Relevant Experience/Specialization
Joe is a 30-year veteran in the insurance industry, with a focus on the cyber sector for the last 20 years. He began his career underwriting and broking Management Liability and Errors & Omissions risk transfer solutions, gained further expertise working with M&A Transactional Products and most recently, Cyber. He has held management and executive positions in underwriting, brokerage and MGA operations.   

Education and Credentials
Joe has served leadership roles in many organizations throughout his career. He is a current fellow for the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance and served as past chair for the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance’s Cyber Committee, and Professional Liability Committee.  He is a frequent author and speaker and is considered an expert in the area of Cyber Liability. 

Jagady P. Blue is a Professional Liability Claims Manager for Markel, managing a staff of six claims examiners responsible for over 1100 professional liability claims and suits against physicians, surgeons, hospitals, medical facilities and allied health professionals pending across the United States and its territories. Mr. Blue was in private practice in Chicago from 2001 - 2008, concentrating his practice in litigating professional liability cases involving medical professionals, attorneys, and financial service providers. He is a 2001 graduate of the DePaul University College of Law and a 1998 graduate of Otterbein College.

Rich King, Managing Member of Melchiode Marks King LLC (“MMK”), litigates disputes in all Louisiana and Mississippi courts and is also licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Rich has vast experience defending his clients in the areas of Professional Liability, Insurance Coverage, Bad-Faith, First-Party Property, Construction Law, Employment Law, Commercial Litigation, Environmental/Toxic Tort liability, Subrogation and General Casualty.
 
Rich has lectured to several organizations and clients on a variety of subjects and issues including but not limited to, Property, Bad-Faith, Construction, Professional Negligence, Alternative Dispute Resolutions, Trial Tactics, and General Litigation.
 Rich is a member of the Louisiana Bar Association, Mississippi Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, Federal Bar Association, and the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM), where he was a member of the Management & Professional Liability Advisory Board from 2014 -2019. Also, Rich is a 2013–2024 Top Lawyer, a 2012-2023 Super Lawyer, an America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigator from 2018 - 2024, has an AV Martindale-Hubbell rating and was named the 2015 Outside Counsel of the Year by the CLM.

Chris joined Mendes in 2004 after graduating from St. John’s University School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review, and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.  Chris works primarily on professional liability claims involving lawyers, accountants, and directors and officers.  He also represents reinsurers with respect to reinsurance programs involving those same professionals.
 
Chris is a member of the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the New York County Lawyers' Association.

Starr M. Kincaid has joined Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority as it's Legal Services Manager. Prior to joining MMRMA, Starr was in private practice, where she devoted the majority of her practice to the defense of professional liability and employment practices claims, including the defense of attorneys, real estate professionals, insurance professionals, miscellaneous E&O and employment-related claims. Starr has been selected as a "Top Lawyer" in the areas of legal malpractice defense and professional malpractice defense by DBusiness, Detroit's Premier Business Journal. She was also included as a top female attorney in Metro Detroit’s Hour Magazine, and has been consecutively named as a "Super Lawyer, Rising Star" for her work in the area of professional liability defense. Starr is actively involved in the legal community and has served on numerous state and local legal community committees and boards.  She currently serves as Chair of the State Bar of Michigan's Client Protection Fund Committee. Starr obtained her juris doctor, cum laude, from Michigan State University School of Law.  She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Michigan State University.

Alan is currently a Manager of GL Claims in the Casualty Claims department of Markel Corporation, a surplus lines insurance carrier.  He is responsible for managing a team of claims professionals handling general liability claims and lawsuits across the entire United States and its territories.  Prior to joining Markel in January of 2014, he was a trial and litigation attorney for over 20 years.  Most recently, he was a litigation partner at a medium size Chicago law firm defending  hospitals, physicians and medical groups in medical malpractice lawsuits and also handled various commercial litigation matters.  He is licensed in both California and Illinois.  Alan attended The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1989, and received his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law in 1992.

Evynne, a licensed New York attorney, manages claims made under the Media Liability insurance policies issued by QBE to television productions, film productions, newspaper publishers, television networks, media companies, and advertising agencies, for cases predominantly concerning allegations of defamation, right of publicity violations and privacy torts, copyright infringement, and trademark infringement.  Evynne has 20 years of experience managing professional liability and errors & omissions claims for a number of prominent insurance companies. Prior to her insurance company experience, Evynne was in private practice for six years handling a diverse range of cases, including commercial litigation, bankruptcy, and intellectual property.  Evynne earned her B.A. in Philosophy from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and earned her Juris Doctorate from Fordham University School of Law. Evynne was the Articles Editor of the Fordham Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal, and published a Note, “The Trademark Protection of Advertising Slogans: A Modern Perspective”.  Evynne has been a panelist at numerous seminars and conferences, including the New York State Bar Association, Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM), E&O ExecuSummit, and the ABA Communications Law Annual Conference.  She is a member of the Insurance Committee of the Media Law Resource Center, and a Member of the American Bar Association Forum on Communications Law, as well as the subcommittee Women In Communications Law.  Evynne wrote the articles, “The ‘Pink Slime’ Insurance Coverage Dispute Shines a Spotlight on Media Liability Insurance,” which was published by the Media Law Resource Center in the MLRC MediaLaw Letter of December 2017, and “Social Media for Business – Who Owns the Followers,” which was published by the Media Law Resource Center in the MLRC MediaLaw Letter of December 2018. 

Tom Sheffield

Tom joined QBE in 2014 and now leads the Specialty Claims Group.  Tom’s background includes considerable time spent with major insurance brokers and in private practice with a multinational coverage background.  In his role as Head of Specialty Claims, he has responsibility for coordinating the QBE Specialty claims staff and ensuring that customers get prompt, professional service relating to their claims within the Specialty practices, which includes the Management Liability and Professional Liability (MLPL) practice.  Tom also assists QBE Underwriting colleagues in ensuring that the coverage will meet the expectations of policyholders and that, from anywhere in the world, broker partners and customers receive unmatched service when a claim arises.  These are just some of the ways in which QBE demonstrates its commitment, by ensuring that our claims professionals—starting with Tom—are engaged and listening to what clients and business partners are saying about their coverage objectives.

Before joining QBE, Tom worked for two different multinational insurance brokerage companies as a claims advocate and International Leader—assisting policyholder clients in meeting coverage objectives and seeking resolution of claims on the best terms possible with virtually every major insurer throughout the world.  For much of this time-period, Tom lived and worked in London (Tom is dual-qualified to practice law in the US and England and Wales), where he was responsible for a team of legal professionals dedicated to assisting with international claims and contracts around the world.  He has personally handled major D&O and Financial Institutions claims in at least 36 different countries, including Finland, Nigeria, Turkey, South Africa, China, Thailand, Australia, Argentina, Brazil and Russia.

Tom was also a partner in a multinational law firm focused on insurance coverage with a particular emphasis on management and professional lines, with additional experience in fidelity and surety, political risk, media liability and other coverages.

Bruce R. Meckler serves as vice-chair of Cozen O'Connor's Commercial Litigation Department and chair of Legal Fee Solutions LLC. He is a member of the firm's Board of Directors and Management Committee. Prior to joining Cozen O'Connor, he was a founder and co-chairman of Meckler Bulger Tilson Marick & Pearson LLP in Chicago. Bruce began his career as a prosecutor in the State’s Attorney’s Office of Cook County, Illinois as an assistant state’s attorney. Bruce has been providing clients with litigation and counseling services for three decades. As an active litigator, Bruce’s practice consists of high-profile, complex commercial, insurance, professional liability, non-compete/trade secret and constitutional/political litigation. As an adjunct to his professional liability practice, Bruce frequently serves as an attorney’s fee expert and is regularly retained to assist litigants in managing their high stakes litigation. Bruce has conducted in excess of 500 legal bill audits involving in excess of $5 billions of dollars in legal fees.

Bruce currently serves as a gubernatorial appointee on the Judicial Inquiry Board for the State of Illinois. This nine-member board investigates and prosecutes allegations of judicial misconduct or incapacity against active Illinois state court judges – reviewing complaints, determining if an investigation is appropriate, determining which matters will be prosecuted. Bruce previously was a long-standing appointee to the Illinois Supreme Court’s Standing Committee of Professional Responsibility, advising the Illinois Supreme Court on the ethical rules governing attorneys in Illinois.  Bruce recently served as Special Counsel for the United States before the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal of the World Court in the Hague.

Bruce services as an ex-officio director on the Board of Trustees at the John Marshall Law School and on the Board of Advisors at GEMS World Academy.

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.

Hillard M. Sterling is a commercial litigator and trial lawyer with thirty years of experience bringing cases to successful resolutions through settlement, judgment, and verdict in tribunals across the country. Hillard brings a strategic, creative, and focused approach to his clients’ cases and disputes, and a wealth of litigation and trial experience at firms ranging from big law (Kirkland & Ellis, Arnold & Porter) to boutique.

Hillard’s matters span the spectrum of commercial and insurance-defense matters, including professional-liability cases (defending agents, brokers and financial advisors), technology system-implementation disputes (representing vendors and customers), cyber matters (breach coaching and counseling clients on risk reduction), privacy cases (defending clients against allegations of wrongful disclosures and access), defamation claims (defending and bringing claims on behalf of private and public figures), intellectual property (defending against infringement allegations), and a panoply of other business disputes representing companies, shareholders and LLC members.

Hillard has served as an expert commentator in print and broadcast media on breaking stories in the technology-law realm. He also speaks at conferences across the country regarding a wide range of technology and cyber issues as well as other insurance-defense topics.

Mr. Sterling is a 1986 graduate of Northern Illinois University, where he received his B.A., summa cum laude. He received his J.D. in 1989, magna cum laude, and Order of the Coif, from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was an Executive Editor of its flagship law review, the Georgetown Law Journal.

Mr. Sterling is admitted to practice law in Illinois and Washington, D.C., and various federal courts including the trial bar of the Northern District of Illinois.

Jennifer R. Weinstein is a VP - Management Liability Claims for Skyward Specialty Insurance.  Jennifer currently manages a group that handles all aspects of management liability claims, including  D&O, EPL, fiduciary, financial institutions and crime/bonds. With over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, Jennifer has handled claims for several large carriers with increasing complexities and responsibilities. She previously served as a Senior Attorney for the New York State Department of Health, handling employment law issues in the healthcare industry within the State. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Ithaca College and a juris doctor from Hofstra University School of Law. Jennifer is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and New York.

Mr. Tucci has more than ten years of claims experience in the insurance industry, and as a litigator. He currently serves as Vice President, Professional Liability Claims, at Aspen Specialty Insurance in the U.S.  At Aspen, Mr. Tucci oversees professional liability claims involving cyber matters and data breaches, media, technology and miscellaneous professional liability.  Prior to Aspen, Mr. Tucci handled professional liability claims involving lawyers, real estate agents, employment practices, accountants, consultants and title agents at Zurich American Insurance Company.  While at Zurich, Mr. Tucci also managed teams of claims professionals handling claims relating to directors & officers liability, life agents, financial representatives and brokers.  Prior to joining Zurich, Mr. Tucci was an associate at Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker where he handled insurance defense matters.  Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Tucci clerked in New Jersey Superior Court.  He received his B.A. in Psychology from Rutgers University and his M.A. in Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University.  He graduated cum laude with his J.D. from New York Law School.  Mr. Tucci is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.  Mr. Tucci also is a member of the CLM Cyber Liability Committee and serves as co-chair of the CLM Professional Liability Publications Sub-Committee.

Melissa Demmon is Vice President, Claims Counsel, Professional Liability for Sompo International, leading a team that handles legal malpractice and accountants' malpractice claims. Prior to joining Sompo, Melissa was Claims Counsel for The Bar Plan Mutual Insurance Company in St. Louis, Missouri where she managed a large caseload of legal malpractice claims against policies with limits up to $5M.  Before joining The Bar Plan, Melissa was Counsel with Ropers Majeski Kohn & Bentley, serving as coverage counsel to insurers with regard to D&O, PL, and FI liability insurance policies. Her work included representing insurers as monitoring counsel and coverage counsel for claims against FI and D&O insureds arising out of regulatory investigations and civil litigations alleging late trading, market timing and broker steering. Melissa spent seven years with the firm Ohrenstein & Brown in New York as an Associate and Counsel, again serving as coverage and monitoring counsel to insurers in connection with D&O/PL insurance policies.  Melissa also defended insurance companies in federal and state courts in coverage litigation, and defended debt collectors in New York federal courts against claims for violation of the FDCPA.  Prior to joining Ohrenstein & Brown, Melissa was an Associate with Mendes & Mount, representing insurers’ interests in claims made against insureds under LPL and miscellaneous E&O insurance policies.  Melissa is a member of the New York, New Jersey and Missouri Bars, and is also admitted to the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the District of New Jersey. She received a J.D.  from St. Johns University School of Law, and a B.A.  from Columbia College, Columbia University.

Daniel Hecht is Assistant Vice President, Senior Claims Counsel at Sompo Insurance where he handles accountants' and lawyers' professional liability claims. Daniel has 23 years of insurance industry experience and 9 years of law firm experience working on commercial litigation and insurance coverage matters. 

Demetrius Holloway is a Member of the firm. He is a member of the Employment Law Service Group and is also an affiliated member of the Business Litigation Service Group and Torts & Insurance Practice Service Group. He has both first and second chair trial experience in employment matters. Demetrius represents employers in the defense of a variety of state and federal civil suits including Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Kentucky Civil Rights Act and common-law tort claims related to employment. He has extensive experience in litigating non-compete and other restrictive covenant cases in both federal and state court. Demetrius's litigation practice also includes civil suits involving personal injury, defense of product liability cases, breach of contract and common law tort claims. In addition to his litigation practice, Demetrius provides training in compliance and investigation of all major areas of employment law, and also assists with the drafting and implementation of employment policies. Demetrius serves as co-chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee. He is listed as a Rising Star in Kentucky Super Lawyers (2013-14) and is a National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) Advocate. He is AV® Peer Review Rated in the Martindale-Hubbell® Law Directory.

Allison Chaplick is an attorney and Senior Specialty Claims Consultant in the Professional Liability Claims Department at The Hanover Insurance Group.   Ms. Chaplick is responsible for handling lawyers, accountants, and miscellaneous professional liability claims.  Prior to joining Hanover in June of 2014, Ms. Chaplick was a Claims Attorney at Monitor Liability Managers where she was responsible for managing professional liability suits and claims filed against attorneys and accountants, and Employment Practices Liability Claims.  In her formative years practicing law, Ms. Chaplick handled a variety of litigation in both state and federal court, focusing mainly on employment law.
 
Ms. Chaplick obtained her Juris Doctor from The John Marshall Law School and her Bachelor of Arts from Ohio University in History and French.

Stephanie S. Rojo is a commercial litigator and is Board Certified in Labor & Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.  Stephanie has been repeatedly named a Texas Super Lawyer and Texas Rising Star, and in 2017 and 2018 was named one of 50 Up-and-Coming Women Rising Stars by Texas Super Lawyers.  

Labor & Employment (Litigation & Counseling) – Stephanie represents employers and their leadership in discrimination and retaliation lawsuits and charges of discrimination, wage claims, suits for breach of contract and various employment-related torts, and suits for violation of state and federal statutes, such as the FLSA, the FMLA, WARN, and the Texas workers’ compensation retaliation statute. In addition, Stephanie has prepared hundreds of employment contracts, severance agreements, non-competes and other restrictive covenants, arbitration agreements, and employee handbooks and policies.  Stephanie advises clients daily on handing complex HR issues, compliance with various employment statutes, and proactively avoiding employee complaints. 

Commercial Litigation – Stephanie also represents businesses, non-profits, and their directors and officers in a variety of commercial disputes, including breach-of-contract claims, claims of breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and misrepresentation, Deceptive Trade Practices Act cases, and community association and condominium governance issues.

Karen A. Smyth is a Partner at Lipson, Neilson, Cole, Seltzer & Garin, P.C., in the Bloomfield Hills, Michigan office.  Karen has considerable experience in the defense of professional liability cases, including legal malpractice, medical malpractice, and employment practices litigation.  She also regularly counsels employers regarding employment-related issues in addition to defending business owners in a vast array of litigation ranging from class actions to premises liability matters. She participated in establishing the Michigan CLM Chapter, presently serving as its President. Karen is also a graduate of the Litigation Management Institute.  Karen is a licensed attorney in Michigan and New York. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan and its Health Care, Negligence and Litigation Law Sections. She is a co-author on the topic of the statute of limitations and legal malpractice claims featured in the Michigan Defense Quarterly. Karen has been invited to speak to the Oakland University (MI)-William Beaumont Hospital Graduate School of Nurse Anesthetists on the topic of Medical Malpractice. Ms. Smyth earned a B.A. from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York and earned her J.D. from the University of Detroit School of Law.

 

David is Chief Claims Officer for Trium Cyber U.S. Services, Inc., overseeing all aspects of Trium's claim department. Prior to joining Trium, David was Head of E&O Claims and Cyber Claims Response Team for the Allied World North American Claims Group. In this role he oversaw claims professionals handling claims for cyber, lawyers liability, insurance agents/brokers liability, architects & engineers liability, contractor's professional liability, and miscellanous professionals liability. Prior to joining the insurance industry, David was in private practice where he ran a general litigation law firm in Springfield, Massachusetts.  His primary areas of practice were civil litigation and criminal defense. David graduated from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona and earned his J.D. from Western New England University School of Law where he was a member of the Law Review.  David is a member of the bar in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States District Court District of Massachusetts, and United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit.  

David A. Wilford is a founding partner of Wilford LLP. Mr. Wilford litigates complex commercial disputes involving a range business matters, with an emphasis on those involving insurance and reinsurance. For over 20 years, Mr. Wilford has successfully handled a wide range of complex commercial litigation and has served as lead counsel for domestic and international insurers in numerous major nationwide insurance coverage disputes involving hurricane, financial products, pharmaceutical and medical device claims, professional liability, environmental claims as well as financial fraud claims arising under fidelity bonds. His cases have also involved securities fraud, trademark, products liability, directors' and officers' liability, employment discrimination, legal malpractice and other professional liability, negligence, real estate, surety, construction, environmental, toxic tort claims.

Angela Russell is the regional managing partner of the Baltimore office and chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. She has significant trial experience and has tried cases in the District of Columbia and across the state of Maryland. Her practice encompasses the defense of professional liability matters, including medical malpractice and legal malpractice actions in addition to claims against agents, brokers and other professionals. Angela regularly handles and supervises general casualty matters for insurers and self-insured entities on premises liability claims, security matters, hospitality – a specialty that has gained significant attention due to the rise in human trafficking cases – and recreational defense claims. Angela also is frequently called on to handle toxic tort matters.
 
Angela possesses an innate ability to connect with her clients, identify their needs and communicate effectively throughout the litigation cycle. Her rapport in the courtroom is equally impressive. An aggressive litigator, Angela is adept at tapping the persistence, preparation and training she gained early on in a variety of public speaking engagements and tackling two marathons. Angela worked at prominent defense firms in Minnesota and Washington, DC, prior to joining Wilson Elser.
 

Frances O’Meara is a partner in WSHB’s Los Angeles office. She is a nationally-recognized professional malpractice attorney who concentrates her practice on errors and omissions defense for attorneys, accountants, architects, insurance agents, real estate brokers, appraisers, doctors, and nurses. Frances is certified by the California State Bar as a Certified Legal Malpractice Specialist. She advises professionals and law firms on legal professional and ethical issues, issues relating to risk management and loss control, and cyber security and data privacy risks.

Frances works directly with major insurance carriers throughout the United States, non-insured attorneys, large corporations, healthcare providers, and financial institutions. She has extensive experience in D&O financial lines and commercial litigation, with an emphasis on fidelity, fiduciary, and surety claims investigation and litigation. Frances also represents medical malpractice claims related to healthcare management, assisted living, dental malpractice, and nursing.

She is experienced in defending general liability matters arising from premises liability, trucking, automobile, and accident claims involving property damage, personal injury, and wrongful death. Her clients have included bars, restaurants, property owners, general contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers, and trucking companies.

Frances also enjoys experience in employment litigation, including discrimination claims, employment contracts, and retaliation and sexual harassment claims. She additionally handles fidelity and bond matters throughout the State of California.

Paul Greve JD, RPLU is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Consultant in the Willis Health Care Practice. In this role Paul monitors national and state malpractice trends as they affect insurance and risk management.
 
Paul has held risk management and legal counsel positions in major hospitals in Ohio, including Columbus (Nationwide) Children's Hospital, University Hospitals of Cleveland, and Saint Luke’s Hospital in Cleveland. He has worked for two malpractice carriers, including the Ohio Joint Underwriting Association and The Medical Protective Company. He began his career in administration at the Cleveland Clinic.
 
Paul has been a board member of both the Ohio and Indiana Societies for Healthcare Risk Management and is the past President of the Ohio Society for Healthcare Risk Management. He currently serves as a member of the Ohio Hospital Association’s Risk and Insurance Committee. He has spoken frequently at the ASHRM Conference and at many state ASHRM chapter educational programs. He has been awarded the designation of Distinguished Fellow of ASHRM. Paul has published numerous articles and textbook chapters on risk management and medical-legal subjects.
 
Paul received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and Juris Doctor from Capital University School of Law.

Ms. Erlich is a professional liability defense attorney specializing in defending professionals including, real estate brokers, attorneys, design professionals and insurance agents. She is a founding partner of Zelms Erlich LLP, a legal malpractice specialist, and a licensed real estate broker. Graduate of Tel-Aviv University (BA 1992, magna cum laude), Whittier Law School (JD 1997, magna cum laude) and California State University (MA, Philosophy of Law 1998). In the last 25 years she has defended many professionals through trial and appeal. Ms. Erlich is a member of the Real Estate Executive Committee of the California State Bar, a delegate to the House of Delegates, and a member of the Legal Affairs California Association of Realtors. She is on the steering committee of several Defense Research Institute committees, Professional Liability Underwriters Society Southern California Chapter, as well as, the Southern California Chapter of the Claim and Litigation Management Alliance. Ms. Erlich is a recipient of Rising Star and Super Lawyers awards, and is an author and frequent speaker on professional liability topics. Ms. Erlich is a former Israeli Defense Force officer.

Christine O’Brien is Vice President of Claims at Ambridge Partners LLC.  With over 30 years of multi-line property and casualty claim management experience, she has been primarily responsible for Public Entity and Non-Profit claims, including complex civil rights, diocesan and public school sexual and physical abuse, and catastrophic property losses for the more than 20 years.  Christine attended Purdue University and began her insurance career with American States. Christine currently manages high severity and catastrophic public entity and non-profit multi-line excess and reinsurance claims as well as facultative reinsurance property losses for Ambridge Partners LLC.  
 

Michael J. DeLonay joined AXIS as a Senior Claims Specialist in January 2021. Mike handles high exposure primary and excess casualty claims. Prior to joining AXIS, Mike was a Claims Expert/Vice President at Swiss Re Corporate Solutions based in Chicago. He is a CLMP. Mike's career has included handling all types of property and casualty claims with a focus on Public Entity claims including complex civil rights litigation. More recently, Mike's career has focused more on handling other high exposure GL claims such as product liability and premises security litigation.

After graduation from UW –Milwaukee, Mike started his career with Commercial Union and after 6 years moved to Providence Washington and then to Crum & Forster Managers. Mike served as a Village Trustee in Glendale Heights, IL (1983 to 1989) and Carol Stream, IL (1993 to 2001).

Mike is currently is member of CLM Coverage Committee & Extra Contractual Committee.

Sarah Abrams is Head of Claims at Baleen Specialty, a division of Bowhead Specialty. Baleen underwrites wholesale and surplus lines insurance policies, leveraging proprietary digital underwriting and a technology-forward claims platform that Sarah helped design and implement.
 
Previously, Sarah served as Head of Professional Liability Claims at Bowhead Specialty, where she built the framework, guidelines, and team structure for handling D&O, E&O, and Cyber claims. She began her career as a litigator, representing insurers, reinsurers, and TPAs in defense and coverage matters following her graduation from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Sarah later joined Markel, where she advanced to Director of Management Liability, overseeing people managers across public company, private company, and financial institution teams.
 
Sarah holds a liberal arts degree in Psychology from Duke University. She is an active thought leader in the industry, having keynoted and spoken on numerous panels.  Her writing has appeared in various publications, including Law360, CLM Magazine, and the PLUS Blog.  Sarah is also a regular contributor to The D&O Diary.
 

Brandon Schlenker
AVP/Director of Public Entity, Carl Warren & Company
 
Brandon has been an employee-owner at Carl Warren & Company for 13 years and has held multiple positions during this time, to include, Claim Specialist, Client Relationship Manager and Service & Retention Leader. He is currently an Assistant Vice President and the Director of Carl Warren & Company’s Public Entity Group.  This experience, as well as his background in Finance, helps him develop and maintain quality claims programs and obtain measurable results for Carl Warren’s clients.  
Brandon works primarily with our new and existing Public Entity clients to ensure we are providing Gold Level Claim Service, this includes ensuring quality claim outcomes, providing ideas for program enhancements, and metrics deliverables.  He is also a member of the CAJPA Litigation and Tort Liability Committee and the CLM Municipal Law Committee. 
With a BS in Finance from CSU Sacramento in 1991, Brandon started his claims career in 1998 at Travelers where he learned the ropes at a high volume adjuster desk in auto and commercial general liability.
 

 
Mr. Farrar revised and improved insurance coverage placements and self-insured retentions to strengthen and enhance the City’s risk profile. Under his leadership, the City’s trial lawyers use their understanding of the financial, business and political factors affecting the City to consistently achieve success.  The City handles over 85% of its litigation defense in-house.
 
Prior to coming to the City in 2009, Mr. Farrar was a partner in a Chicago law firm practicing insurance coverage and casualty defense.  He is a member of the Defense Research Institute, the American Bar Association, and the Association of Corporate Counsel.

 
Mark Waldeck is currently president of the Chicago Midwest division of CRC Insurance Services.   In addition, he is also responsible for the Financial Services Division within the Midwest for CRC.  He brokers  all forms of product lines within the Financial Services Department including -  Directors & Officers Liability, Cyber Liability / Technology E&O, Employment Practices Liability,  Errors & Omissions Liability,  Commercial Crime, Financial Institution Bonds, Fiduciary Liability, Representations / Warranty Liability. 
 
Prior to joining CRC, Mark was a Vice President at Marsh, Inc. for five years in the Financial Products Division (FINPRO) where he served as a member of the advisory team calling upon larger risk management clients.
 
In addition to his tenure with Marsh, Inc., Mr. Waldeck was an underwriting officer with Chubb & Son for ten years in the Department of Financial Institutions and Chubb’s Wholesale Division where he managed various offices throughout the country.
 
Finally, he has served as an expert witness in coverage litigation disputes involving Directors & Officers Liability matters.
 
 

Wayne Melnick is a Partner, Co-Chair of the firm's On Call Trial team, Chair of the FMG Trial Committee, and former Vice-Chair of the firm’s Government Law practice section. He is also a member of the firm’s Tort and Catastrophic Loss practice section where he Chairs FMG’s Media law practice team as well as being Vice-Chair of FMG’s Transportation practice team. Mr. Melnick is an extremely accomplished trial attorney and has tried over 100 jury trials to verdict in cases throughout the country. Based on his extensive trial experience and track record of success, Mr. Melnick is often called in at the 11th hour to “parachute” in and take over as lead trial counsel for high risk high exposure cases as Co-Chair of FMG’s On Call Trial Team. As one of FMG’s most accomplished trial attorneys, Mr. Melnick also Chairs FMG’s Trial Committee which is responsible for reviewing every case across the nation that an FMG attorney will take to trial or arbitration to ensure that it is properly prepared and the best arguments are put forth on behalf of FMG’s clients.

For every year since 2013, Mr. Melnick has been named a "Georgia Super Lawyer" in the areas of civil law defense and prior to that was selected multiple times as a “Rising Star.” He is also continuously recognized as one of America’s “Best Lawyers.” Mr. Melnick previously served as one of only three Northern District of Georgia Representatives on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association where he chaired various committees.

Relevant Experience/Specialization
Joe is a 30-year veteran in the insurance industry, with a focus on the cyber sector for the last 20 years. He began his career underwriting and broking Management Liability and Errors & Omissions risk transfer solutions, gained further expertise working with M&A Transactional Products and most recently, Cyber. He has held management and executive positions in underwriting, brokerage and MGA operations.   

Education and Credentials
Joe has served leadership roles in many organizations throughout his career. He is a current fellow for the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance and served as past chair for the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance’s Cyber Committee, and Professional Liability Committee.  He is a frequent author and speaker and is considered an expert in the area of Cyber Liability. 

Jeffrey Zehe is a partner with Nielsen, Zehe & Antas, P.C. and concentrates his litigation practice in the areas of casualty defense, the defense of various professionals, employment law, municipal liability defense, and property subrogation.  Mr. Zehe specializes in the defense of municipalities, school districts, lawyers, construction professionals, insurance executives, agents and brokers, and corporate directors and officers.

After he was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1979, followed by seven years experience in the public sector as a prosecutor for the Cook County States Attorney's Office, Mr. Zehe joined private practice.  During a varied practice, he has successfully tried several multi-million dollar cases to defense verdict of behalf of his clients in many different venues, both state and Federal.  On the plaintiff side, in 2007, Mr. Zehe tried an insurance subrogation matter to a $63 million verdict in Wisconsin, one of the largest 100 verdicts in the country.

William B. Oberts is a director at Tribler Orpett & Meyer, P.C.  He is a litigation attorney that focuses his practice on counseling and representing professionals in civil litigation and ethical issues before various courts and professional regulatory bodies, such as the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission and Illinois Department of Professional Regulation. He also represents municipalities, including police and fire departments and their employees, in tort, civil rights, labor, employment and class action litigation and has been appointed as a special assistant state’s attorney for various cities, counties and municipalities. Mr. Oberts also practices in other areas of civil litigation such as automotive, transportation, premises liability and construction, and has achieved successful outcomes for his clients as lead counsel in several jury trials and appeals in both state and federal court.
 
Mr. Oberts has been named a “Leading Lawyer” by Leading Lawyer Magazine, a distinction earned by fewer than 5% of lawyers licensed to practice in Illinois. He was also recognized as a Rising Star in Illinois by Super Lawyers magazine and was selected from over 700 nominees as one of the top "40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty" by Law Bulletin Publishing Co. Mr. Oberts has received the Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service from the United States District Court and the Federal Bar Association for his successful representation of an inmate after securing a jury award of both compensatory and punitive damages for his appointed client. Mr. Oberts is the former Chair of the Council on Litigation Management’s Municipal Law Committee, a former member of the Chicago Bar Association’s Board of Managers and is a past Chair of the CBA’s Young Lawyers’ Section, an organization with over 9,000 members. He regularly presents and publishes articles on various issues involving municipalities, schools, professional liability, civility and professionalism.



 

Steve Dzury is the Senior Vice President, Claims for Premia Solutions, Inc.  Prior to joining Premia, Steve was the Senior Vice President, Casualty Claims for IAT Insurance Group.  Prior to IAT, Steve built and led the claims organization as the Senior Vice President of Claims for Berkley Public Entity Managers, a WR Berkley company.  Previously, Steve has acted as the Vice President of Claims for ACE USA, managing diverse claims teams and varied claims groups throughout the United States and Canada.  Before ACE, Steve reorganized a small excess claims group for Investors Underwriting Managers, a Markel Company, and worked as a Complex Director for AIG Excess Claims in New York.  Steve began his career as an Assistant Account Manager with The Travelers Special Liability Group, in Baltimore Maryland.  Steve graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Political Science from Temple University, and an MS in Business Management from the Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business.

Bruce R. Meckler serves as vice-chair of Cozen O'Connor's Commercial Litigation Department and chair of Legal Fee Solutions LLC. He is a member of the firm's Board of Directors and Management Committee. Prior to joining Cozen O'Connor, he was a founder and co-chairman of Meckler Bulger Tilson Marick & Pearson LLP in Chicago. Bruce began his career as a prosecutor in the State’s Attorney’s Office of Cook County, Illinois as an assistant state’s attorney. Bruce has been providing clients with litigation and counseling services for three decades. As an active litigator, Bruce’s practice consists of high-profile, complex commercial, insurance, professional liability, non-compete/trade secret and constitutional/political litigation. As an adjunct to his professional liability practice, Bruce frequently serves as an attorney’s fee expert and is regularly retained to assist litigants in managing their high stakes litigation. Bruce has conducted in excess of 500 legal bill audits involving in excess of $5 billions of dollars in legal fees.

Bruce currently serves as a gubernatorial appointee on the Judicial Inquiry Board for the State of Illinois. This nine-member board investigates and prosecutes allegations of judicial misconduct or incapacity against active Illinois state court judges – reviewing complaints, determining if an investigation is appropriate, determining which matters will be prosecuted. Bruce previously was a long-standing appointee to the Illinois Supreme Court’s Standing Committee of Professional Responsibility, advising the Illinois Supreme Court on the ethical rules governing attorneys in Illinois.  Bruce recently served as Special Counsel for the United States before the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal of the World Court in the Hague.

Bruce services as an ex-officio director on the Board of Trustees at the John Marshall Law School and on the Board of Advisors at GEMS World Academy.

Mr. Spiers has been in the insurance industry since 1980.  Since 1985, he has been a claim executive in the reinsurance and excess marketplace and has been with Genesis Management and Insurance Services, a subsidiary of General Reinsurance, since 1997.  Rick has extensive, nationwide experience handling the wide array of claims faced by Public Entities, K-12 School Districts and the Higher Education sector.  Based in Chicago, he has worked for Transamerica Insurance Group, Northbrook Excess and Surplus Insurance Company, CNA Insurance and Allstate Reinsurance.  A graduate of Northern Illinois University, Mr. Spiers is a member of the Society of CPCU, and holds Associate Designations in Risk Management and Reinsurance.  Mr. Spiers has been developing and presenting insurance industry related training sessions to a variety of client and industry groups for over twenty years.
 

David Smith is a Senior Liability Claims Adjuster with Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc.  David has been handling insurance claims for twenty years, the last eight with Gallagher Bassett.  David was a member of the United States Air Force, and attended Olivet Nazarene University in Kankakee, Illinois.  As a Senior Adjuster with Gallagher Bassett, David is part of the National Liability Branch where he oversees multiple accounts handling many different types of liability claims.  David’s primary focus is in adjusting litigated claims.

William T. Salzer, a partner in the Philadelphia office, has concentrated his practice for over twenty years in the areas of employment law, insurance coverage and bad faith litigation. Mr. Salzer advocates on behalf of and counsels management and individuals in a wide variety of employment law matters including discrimination claims under federal and state law, employee benefit and fiduciary liability under ERISA, wage and hour disputes, enforcement of intellectual property and restrictive covenant rights, wrongful discharge, breach of contract and labor grievances. Mr. Salzer capitalizes on his litigation experience in the transactional arena where he has protected clients in the purchase and sale of businesses by drafting employment contracts, confidentiality agreements and restrictive covenants.

A substantial part of Mr. Salzer’s practice includes representing and advising primary and excess insurers in complex insurance coverage claims involving risks under commercial general liability, professional, environmental, property and casualty, fidelity and workers’ compensation policies. Mr. Salzer provides timely and comprehensive insurance coverage opinions for risks nationwide. Mr. Salzer assists insurers in drafting policy endorsements to respond to changing legal developments and to foster new risk business in targeted markets.

Mr. Salzer has been consistently recognized since 2005 as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer and is peer rated AV-Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell.

Prior to joining Swartz Campbell, Mr. Salzer was a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Solicitor with responsibility for enforcement of occupational safety and wage and hour laws, representation of the government in black lung benefit claims and defense of union grievances.

Practice Areas

Employment and Civil RightsContractsERISALaborInsurance CoverageBad Faith

Bar Admissions

Pennsylvania 1984

Court Admissions

United States Supreme CourtU.S. Court of Appeals 3rd CircuitU.S. District Court Eastern District of PennsylvaniaU.S. District Court Western District of PennsylvaniaU.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania

Education

Juris Doctor, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey School of LawCamden, NJ, 1984

B.A. With Distinction, University of Virginia, 1980Charlottesville, VAMajor: Government and Foreign Affairs

Representative Published Matters

Donegal Mut. Ins. Co. v. Baumhammers, 595 Pa. 147, 938 A.2d 286 (Pa. 2007) (amicus)Minnesota Fire and Cas. Co. v. Greenfield, 579 Pa. 333, 855 A. 2d 854 (Pa. 2004)Madison Construction v. Harleysville Mut. Ins. Co., 557 Pa. 595, 735 A. 2d 100 (1999)Barry v. Luzerne County, 447 F. Supp. 2d 436 (M.D. Pa. 2006)Evans v. Maui Cup-Letica Corp., 2009 WL 1034490 (M.D. Pa. 2009)Trunzo v. Association of Property Owners, 90 Fed. Appx. 622 (3d Cir. 2004)ProDent, Inc. v. Zurich U.S., 33 Fed. Appx. 32 (3d Cir. 2002)Lucker Mfg. Co. v. The Home Ins. Co., 23 F.3d 808 (3rd Cir. 1994)

Representative Carrier Clients

Harleysville Insurance CompaniesNationwide Insurance CompaniesScottsdale Insurance CompanyMunich ReNutmeg Insurance CompanyThe Chubb Group of Insurance CompaniesMidwest Claims ServicesLumbermens Mutual GroupUnited States Liability Insurance Group

Selected Publications and Presentations

Who Pays the Tab For Faulty Construction: The Pennsylvania Experience Mealey’s Litigation ReportsPennsylvania Supreme Court “Just Says No” to Drug Dealer’s Request For Defense Under Homeowner’s Insurance Policy, Mealey’s Emerging Insurance DisputesRisk Transfer in Construction Litigation, 2010 PAMIC Claims SummitEstablishing the Foundation, The Insurance Contract, National Business Institute

U.S. Supreme Court Gets Back to ADA Basics with Toyota Decision, Pennsylvania Law Weekly

Darcy L. Proctor is a partner in Tressler’s Local Government Practice Group. Darcy concentrates her practice in the defense of local governments in all aspects of tort, civil rights liability and employment litigation. She also defends private sector employers across a variety of employment law issues. A seasoned litigator, Darcy has taken dozens of cases to trial in both state and federal court. Clients trust Darcy to provide them with the best defense possible in court based upon her proven record of successful results. She also counsels her clients with training seminars, educating on best practices and loss prevention strategies to mitigate liability.

Darcy has devoted her legal career almost exclusively to litigation in both state and federal courts throughout the State of Illinois. Darcy has successfully defended local governments including cities, towns, villages, school districts, park districts and other public entities in civil rights, tort, wrongful death and employment litigation matters.

Prior to joining Tressler, Darcy served as lead counsel for the largest self-insured school cooperative pool in Illinois. She also acted as outside litigation counsel for the City of Chicago and PACE. In these roles, Darcy managed all aspects of complex, high-profile and high-exposure tort, civil rights and employment litigation, including extensive discovery and motion practice, jury trials and appeals, as well as risk management analysis and counseling for clients.

Education:
B.A., Loyola University Chicago , cum laude
J.D., Loyola University Chicago School of Law , Dean’s Honor List

Professional Affiliations:  Defense Research Institute  Illinois Association of Defense Counsel  Illinois State Bar Association Chicago Bar Association  Women’s Bar Association of Illinois  Illinois and National Council of School Attorneys