Nick Conca is the Chief Claims Officer of Berkshire Hathway GUARD Insurance Companies. He was previously the Chief Claims Officer of Markel Corporation, which he joined as part of Markel's acquisition of Alterra, where he served as Chief Claims Officer.  Prior to Alterra, Nick was Executive Vice President of Integro Insurance Brokers, where he oversaw US operations for the company.  He has more than 25 years of insurance industry experience, including senior leadership positions with other international brokerage, insurance and claims organizations.  He began his career as an attorney with the international law firm Wilson Elser.Nick Conca is the Chief Claims Officer of Markel Corporation and is responsible for the strategic direction of the Global Claims Department.  Nick joined Markel as part of the acquisition of Alterra, where he served as Chief Claims Officer.  Prior to Alterra, Nick was Executive Vice President of Integro Insurance Brokers, where he oversaw US operations for the company.  He has more than 25 years of insurance industry experience, including senior leadership positions with other international brokerage, insurance and claims organizations.  He began his career as an attorney with the international law firm Wilson Elser.

David Crowe is Senior Vice President of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, responsible for the group’s Claims function. David has been in the industry for over 21 years, most recently as Global Head of Commercial Property Claims at AIG. Prior to joining the AIG companies, David was with Aetna Casualty & Surety and Envision Claims Management where he handled both commercial and personal lines property and casualty claims. David holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Business from Washington & Jefferson College and a Juris Doctorate degree from New York Law School.

Steve began his career as a Field Claims Adjuster. In just over five years, he became an Assistant Vice President of Environmental Claims for Zurich Insurance Group. Steve held many significant senior leadership roles at other property and casualty insurance carriers such as AIG, Travelers and CNA. He also was the Executive Vice President and Chief Claims Officer at Balboa Insurance Group in Irvine, California, where he was responsible for overall claims execution and strategy supporting the company’s $3+ billion book of business.

In August 2009, Steve joined State Auto Insurance Companies in Columbus, Ohio as Vice President and Chief Claims Officer/Chief Risk Control Services Officer responsible for all pre-loss and post-loss initiatives from a Claims, Loss Control and Premium Audit standpoint for their Personal Lines, Commercial Lines and Specialty book of business. 

In September 2015 he joined State Compensation Insurance Fund as their Chief Claims Operations Officer responsible for the leadership of their 2,400 person claims/legal/processing centers.

Steve has served as Chairman and Board member of the Ohio Insurance Institute, sat on the Board of Directors for the Ohio Insurance Guarantee Association, and served as Board member and Director of Central Ohio American Charities.  He also serves as a co-chair of the Chief Claim Officers' Summit and serves on the Advisory Board of The CLM.

 Laurie practices in the area of insurance and reinsurance. She advises insurers, reinsurers, self-insureds and brokers on issues involving coverage, claims handling, and bad faith claims, as well as on risk management issues. When litigation is necessary, she represents her clients in state and federal courts. She also represents clients in arbitrations, mediations and other dispute resolution proceedings.

Notable Experience

Laurie regularly advises insurers on complex coverage issues, negotiates resolution of coverage disputes and litigates coverage actions.  Laurie provides guidance to insurers on bad faith exposures, providing risk management advice to insurers on managing their exposures to extra contractual liability, and defending insurers against allegations of bad faith and unfair claims handling. Laurie frequently consults with insurers and reinsurers on their development of new forms and drafts policies and endorsements. Laurie advises clients on cyber risk and privacy breach insurance coverage issues. Laurie represents insurance and reinsurance companies as to insurance and reinsurance issues arising from natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes, as well as events such as September 11, 2001. Laurie counsels companies on aviation and aerospace insurance issues. Laurie defends professional liability and general liability lawsuits involving significant damages and complex liability issues. Laurie advises clients on liability and coverage issues arising in the health care context, and earlier in her legal career regularly defended health care institutions and professionals in defense of malpractice claims.

Laurie guides insurers in their compliance with the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002, the Extension Act of 2005, and the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007.

Recent Speaking Engagements and Publications

"Every Company's Nightmare: Privacy and Data Breach Risks," coauthor, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP White Paper, 2010.

"Getting the Deal Through," co-author, USA analysis chapter, Insurance and Reinsurance, 2009, 2010.

"A New Exposure of the Information Age: Data Breaches of Personal Information," co-author, Journal of Reinsurance, Spring 2010.

"Data Protection Challenges for Bank Insurance Programs in the U.S.: New and Upcoming Deadlines and Exposures," speaker, American Bankers Insurance Association Teleconference, March 11, 2010.

"Every Company's Nightmare: Privacy and Data Breach Risks," speaker, program presented by ACG of Greater New York and Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP, New York, September 22, 2009.

Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge Insurance & Reinsurance Seminar, speaker on Privacy and Data Protection Risks, Bermuda: June 22, 2009, New York: June 24, 2009 and Boston: June 26, 2009.

"Consequential Damages: New Developments in New York Case Law Regarding an Insured's Right to Recover Extra Contractual Damages," co-author, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge Insurance and Reinsurance Review, March 2009.

 "An Insured's Right to Recover Consequential Damages Against its

Insurer Under New York Law: Will It Be the Exception or the Norm?,"

co-author, Insurance Advocate, February 9, 2009.

"Does the Reservation of an Insurer's Right to Recoup Defense Costs Actually Entitle an Insurer to Recoupment?" co-author, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge Insurance and Reinsurance Review, December 2008.

"New York's Longstanding 'No Prejudice' Rule is Overturned," coauthor, International Law Office, September 28, 2008.

"New York's Reversal of Its Long-Standing "No-Prejudice" Rule and Its Expansion of Rights of Direct Action Against Insurers: How Broad Is Their Effect?," co-author, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge Insurance and Reinsurance Review, September 2008.

"Discovery of Coverage Counsel Opinions and Work Product in Bad Faith Litigations," speaker and conference moderator, Lorman Insurance Bad Faith Seminar, December 5, 2007 and December 4, 2008.

"The Eroding Privilege of an Insurer's Communications with Its Coverage Counsel," co-author, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge Insurance and Reinsurance Update, June 2007.

"Preparing for Catastrophes: Legal and Insurance Issues to Consider," moderator of PLI panel, June 5, 2006.

"The TRIA Extension Act of 2005," co-author, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge Insurance and Reinsurance Update, March 2006.

"The World Trade Center Trial's Two Occurrence Verdict: How Far-Reaching Is Its Effect?" Edwards & Angell Insurance & Reinsurance Update, March 2005.

"TRIA's Impending Sunset," Edwards & Angell Insurance & Reinsurance Update, Summer 2004.

"TRIA Revisited: Will Insureds be Adequately Covered After Sunset?", co-author, Insurance Risk, May 2004.

"September 11 - US Legal Developments Reach the Critical Path," coauthor, Insurance and Reinsurance Law Briefing, Issue 89, March 2004.

"September 11th: The Continuing Conundrum of the Number of Occurrences," Mealey's Litigation Report: Insurance, October 21, 2003.

"The Role of Punitive Damages in Insurance Coverage Disputes: Point and Counterpoint," co-author, Excess Surplus Lines, Summer 2003.

ABA's National Legal Malpractice Conference, Panel on Managing Technology Before It Manages You, September 2003 Conferences; accompanying paper: "E-Mail Alert: Pitfalls of Electronic Communications."

ACI Runoff & Commutations Conference, Panel on "Managing Run-Off Claims: Lessons Learned, Current Trends and Projections for the Future," November 2002 Conference.

Cambridge Reinsurance Symposium, "Recent Developments in Coverage Litigation Arising from September 11," November 2002 Conference.

Excess/Surplus Lines Annual Conference, "Reinsurance Issues Arising from September 11," September 2002 Conference.

Reinsurance Association of America, Life Reinsurance Conference, WTC Roundtable, February 2002 Conference.

"Mold Update: A Musty Year for Insurers," Journal of Reinsurance, Fall 2002.

"World Trade Centre: Who Will Foot The Bill," Reinsurance, August 2002.

"Waiver Ratification and Estoppel in Reinsurance Disputes: When Can a Reinsurer Lose A Defense Before It Is Even Asserted?," Journal of Reinsurance, Spring 2002.

"Responses to Reinsurance Issues Arising from September 11," For The Defense, January 2002.

 "Issues Facing the Insurance and Reinsurance Industry in the Wake of September 11, 2001," Mealey's Litigation Report, November 2001.

Areas of Practice

Insurance & Reinsurance

Claims & Coverage

Litigation

Privacy & Data Protection

Reinsurance

Industries

Healthcare

Education

Vassar College, B.A.

Boston University School of Law,

J.D.

Bar Admissions

Massachusetts

New York

Court Admissions

U.S. District Court, Southern District

of New York

U.S. District Court, Eastern District

of New York

Memberships

American Bar Association, Member TIPS Section

APIW, Inc., an association of professional insurance women, Past President.

Association of the Bar of the City of New York

New York State Bar Association,

Committee on Association Insurance

Mr. Leggette is responsible for consumer lines auto, property, warranty and plus+ lines of business in 90 countries.

Hedy “Linette” Ranieri is the Chief Claims Officer for both Berkley Life Sciences and Berkley Technology Underwriters.  She has 38 years of experience in the property and casualty insurance industry.  Prior to joining Berkley Life Sciences in 2010, she held positions with several insurance carriers, which included managing a team of Life Science Examiners. Ms. Ranieri was a Director with a major insurance company where she managed Medical Malpractice and Environmental Program claims on a national basis. Her diverse experience also includes supervising and managing complex commercial toxic tort, environmental, asbestos, property, casualty, employment practices, directors and officers, personal lines and automobile claims. Ms. Ranieri is a member of the Claim and Litigation Management Alliance where she serves as Co-Dean of Casualty Claims at CLM’s Claims College. She is a frequent speaker at CLM and the Litigation Management Alliance. Ms. Ranieri is a graduate of East Carolina University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health. 

Glenn Shapiro is the Chief Claims Officer for Commercial Insurance at Liberty Mutual Insurance. Glenn originally joined Liberty Mutual in 2010 as Chief Claims Officer of Safeco Insurance, A Liberty Mutual Company.  He has more than 26 years of industry experience with leadership positions in personal, commercial, and disability claims organizations.

Chuck Stauber started with Allied World on June 2nd, 2014 in the New York office as the Head of North American Property & Casualty Claims. Prior to AWAC, Chuck was the Senior Vice President, Head of Claims Torus Americas for Torus Holdings Limited. He joined Torus in November 2009 with over 22 years of extensive domestic and international experience in managing and resolving complex specialty claims within the property and casualty insurance industry. Before joining Torus, Chuck served in a variety of claim technical and management roles for several leading insurance companies and held significant claim leadership positions at Travelers, AIG, and ACE USA; where he was also a  member of the Board of Directors. Chuck possesses considerable experience in direct claim and litigation management of frequency and severity claims within AL, GL, Excess, Professional, Healthcare, Aviation, Marine, and Environmental lines of business; TPA oversight and claim management services; and the development and implementation of Quality Assurance Programs. While at Torus, Chuck was in charge of the strategic design, staffing, infrastructure build-out and budgeting of the Casualty, Property, and Specialty Claims organization for North and South America for Torus Americas.  He is an Associate Member of the American Bar Association (ABA), a member of the National Structure Settlement Trade Association (NSSTA) and a Member of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDDC). Prior to his insurance career, Charles was also a Sergeant in United States Marine Corp.

Nelson Tavares is the Senior Vice President of Claims at W. R. Berkley Corporation. In this role since 2011, Nelson is responsible for the overall strategy and technical outcomes of the Claims function across all Berkley companies. W. R. Berkley Corporation is an insurance holding company of 53 subsidiaries operating in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Nelson has been in the insurance industry for more than 25 years. Prior to his tenure at W. R. Berkley he held a variety of U.S. domestic and international senior leadership roles at Zurich Insurance Company including, Head of Global Large and Complex Claims, Head of Strategic Execution – International Claims, and National Director of Specialty Claims. Nelson started his career at Travelers Property Casualty Company in New Jersey and New York.