Rafael is a partner in Cattie & Gonzalez, PLLC. He practices Medicare and Medicaid secondary payer law.

Rafael earned his Jurisprudence Doctorate degree from the Florida State University in 1990. After graduating from FSU, Rafael practiced social security disability, workers’ compensation, longshore and harbor workers’ compensation, and personal injury law in Tampa, FL. He then served as corporate counsel for FCCI Insurance Company in Sarasota, Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Medicare Set Aside Administration and Center for Lien Resolution in Clearwater, Vice President of Medicare and Medicaid Compliance at Gould & Lamb, LLC in Bradenton, Vice President of Strategic Solutions at Helios in Tampa, President of Flagship Services Group in Denver, and President of UnitedHealth/Optum Settlement Solutions in Tampa.

Since 1993, Rafael has published numerous articles, book chapters, and books, including his series on Workers’ Compensation, Permanent Total Disability, Social Security Disability, and Medicare Set Asides. Since 2000, he has also taught workers’ compensation and social security disability, and Medicare/Medicaid law at the FSU College of Law, Stetson University College of Law, USF Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, USF Department of Occupational Medicine, USF College of Public Health, and the University of Tampa.

Rafael lectures frequently on a national basis on the history, substance, and legislative composition of the US workers’ compensation system, the federal social security disability system, and the interplay between both of these systems’ medical benefit structure, including the Medicare Secondary Payer Act’s requirements affecting both. 

Due to his expertise in these areas, he has been actively engaged in the workers’ compensation, social security, and Medicare/Medicaid legislative process at both the state and federal levels. Since 1993, Rafael has attended hearings, testified before legislative committees, testified before executive commissions, provided opinions on proposed legislation, and served as a consultant to legislative and congressional staff on these substantive areas.

Brenda G. Baum focuses her practice on mass tort lawsuits involving products liability. Since 2001, she has represented both product manufacturers and premises defendants in thousands of cases pending in some of the most plaintiff-friendly jurisdictions in Illinois and Missouri, in addition to overseeing cases filed in other plaintiff-oriented jurisdictions such as California, Louisiana, and others. Before joining HeplerBroom, Ms. Baum defended both individuals and corporations in various types of personal injury cases, including automobile accidents, premises liability, and construction accidents, as well as defending legal and accounting malpractice cases.

Law School:Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri in 1988

Undergraduate School:Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa in 1985 - B.A. in English

Bar/Professional Association Involvement:Member, Claims & Litigation Management AllianceIllinois and Missouri Bar AssociationsIllinois Association of Defense Trial CounselMissouri Organization of Defense LawyersNational Association of Women LawyersDefense Research InstituteDRI Toxic Tort and Environmental Law CommitteeDRI Women in the LawBar Association of Metropolitan St. LouisWomen Lawyers Association of Greater St. LouisMadison County Bar AssociationArbitrator, Madison County, Illinois courtFellow, Litigation Counsel of America

Awards, Honors, Distinctions:Co-Chair, HarrisMartin Midwest Asbestos Conference, St. Louis, Missouri, 2009-2011Speaker, Mealey's Asbestos Conference: Advanced Trial Strategies, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2008AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Mandy Kamykowski practices in the areas of general civil and commercial litigation with a focus on medical negligence, product liability, professional liability defense and premises liability. She regularly represents clients at the trial and appellate court levels in both state and federal courts. In fact, she has handled more than 10 jury trials, as well as multiple oral arguments in front of the Missouri Court of Appeals.A great deal of Mandy’s practice is focused in the health care industry. She frequently defends physicians, health systems, hospitals, nurses and advanced practitioners in civil medical negligence suits. Her product liability experience includes medical device and pharmaceutical cases. Additionally, Mandy represents health care companies with general liability claims, including premises liability.As part of her professional liability practice, Mandy has defended health care providers, insurance brokers and agents and lawyers. She has prepared and represented professionals before state licensing boards, including the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts.

Education B.S., Creighton University, 1999 J.D., Saint Louis University School of Law, 2002, Certificate in Health Law

State Bars Illinois Missouri

 Activities and Honors: 
• Missouri-Kansas Super Lawyer 2019 – present
• Certified Litigation Management Professional, 2019
• Recipient Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly Up and Coming Law Firm Leader Award, 2015
• Missouri-Kansas Super Lawyer Rising Star, 2011 - 2017 
• Chair, Young Lawyers’ Division of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, 2011-2012
• Recipient Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis Young Lawyers’ Division Award of Merit, 2006-2007; 2009-2010; 2010-2011
• Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Council, 2007-2011
• Recipient Missouri Bar Young Lawyers’ Council Outstanding Service Award, 2009-2010
• Our Little Haven Board of Trustees 2009 – present
 

Nick Kriegel joined Safety National Casualty Corporation in November 2006 after having spent the early part of his career handling workers’ compensation defense throughout Missouri and Illinois for large insurer and self-insured clients. Presently, Nick is the Assistant General Counsel for Safety National with overall responsibility for litigation management for the Company. Following the Company’s acquisition by Tokio Marine Holdings in June 2012, Nick also assumed responsibility for all internal operational legal matters and external regulatory affairs for Safety National. A graduate of the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law (2002), Nick is currently pursuing his MBA through the University of Missouri – St. Louis with an expected graduation date of August 2013. Nick and his wife Sally live in Kirkwood, Missouri with their four sons Henry, Gus, Oliver and Spencer.