DRI Faculty List

Life, Health, Disability and ERISA Seminar

Westin Copley Place, Boston | Boston, MA | April 11 - 13, 2018


Sergio E. Acosta
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

Sergio E. Acosta is the leader of Hinshaw & Culbertson's Government Group. His practice focuses on corporate internal investigations, regulatory compliance, and white collar criminal defense involving complex financial crimes, including healthcare fraud, FCPA violations, and export controls. Mr. Acosta previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Chicago for almost 20 years, including 7 years as a Section Chief. During that time, he oversaw hundreds of grand jury investigations and prosecutions. Mr. Acosta is a 1985 graduate of the George Washington University Law School. He serves as an adjunct professor of Trial Advocacy at the Northwestern University Law School.


Joshua Bachrach
Partner
Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP

Joshua Bachrach is the chair of Wilson Elser's Life, Health, Disability & ERISA practice. Josh represents clients in state and federal courts throughout the United States in litigation involving ERISA and non-ERISA life, health and disability disputes, as well as disputes over pension benefits. Josh also represents insurers in coverage and bad faith litigation and has experience with disputes involving managed care issues. He is a frequent speaker at national seminars on ERISA-related subjects and has written numerous articles on ERISA and related topics. Josh is a partner in Wilson Elser's Philadelphia office.


Patrick W. Begos
Partner
Robinson & Cole LLP

Patrick W. Begos is a partner at Robinson & Cole LLP in Stamford, Connecticut and New York City. His practice is focused on employee benefit claim defense and general business litigation, and he has almost 30 years of litigation, arbitration, mediation, and negotiation experience, representing companies and individuals in a wide array of commercial disputes. He has written and presented extensively on ERISA litigation for DRI and other organizations. Mr. Begos is the Vice Program Chair of the 2018 DRI Life Health Disability & ERISA Seminar in Boston.


Bryan D. Bolton
Managing Partner
Funk & Bolton PA

Bryan D. Bolton is a founding member of the Baltimore based law firm Funk & Bolton, P.A. He is a frequent speaker and author on health insurance, disability insurance, life insurance, ERISA, FEHBA, and Department of Labor regulations. He regularly represents health insurers, disability insurers, life insurers, managed care companies, plan sponsors, and trustees in federal court, state court, and regulatory proceedings, as well as in arbitration and mediation. Mr. Bolton's extensive appellate experience includes appeals to the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fourth and District of Columbia Circuits, as well as amicus counsel before the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Bolton is a member of the Maryland and Pennsylvania bars. Mr. Bolton is included in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, Maryland Super Lawyers and the Best Lawyers in America.


Stephen H. Broer
Senior Counsel
The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America

Stephen H. Broer is senior counsel with the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America where he manages complex litigation matters nationwide and provides legal support to business areas across the enterprise. Mr. Broer is one of the Corporate Vice Committee Chair of the DRI Life Health Disability and ERISA Committee.


Sherril M. Colombo
Shareholder
Littler Mendelson PC

Sherril M. Colombo is a shareholder at Littler Mendelson's Miami office and for over 20 years has represented clients in life, health and disability matters. Ms. Colombo is a member of the DRI's Health Insurance Law Subcommittee and she is the Chair-Elect Designee for the ABA TIPS Health and Disability Insurance Law Committee.


Ann M. Courtney
Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel
Unum Group

Ann M. Courtney is Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel in Unum's Portland, Maine office, managing ERISA and non-ERISA Life, Disability and Long Term Care claim litigation and pre-litigation cases nationally. Ms. Courtney is a cum laude graduate of the Western New England College School of Law in Springfield MA. She is a former President of the Maine State Bar Association and currently serves on the Maine Board of Bar Examiners. She is an active member of the DRI Life, Health and Disability Committee and has spoken often on the issue of diversity in the profession as well as on the inside/outside counsel relationship.


Michelle Thurber Czapski
Bodman PLC

Michelle Thurber Czapski is a member with Bodman PLC, where she specializes in the defense of life, health, disability and ERISA cases, insurance coverage matters, class actions, and commercial litigation. Ms. Czapski is based in Bodman PLC's Troy, Michigan office, where she chairs the firm's Insurance Practice, leads the firm's attorney training program, and is a member of Bodman's ethics committee. She has served as lead trial counsel in matters across the country and has appeared in courts in numerous jurisdictions. She is active in DRI and the Life, Health and Disability Committee, and served as Program Chair of the 2016 Life Health Disability and ERISA Seminar. Ms. Czapski is the current chair of the DRI Commercial Litigation Committee.


Byrne J. Decker
Partner
Pierce Atwood LLP

Byrne J. Decker is a Partner in the Portland, Maine office of Pierce Atwood, LLP. He has a national practice in employee benefits/ERISA litigation. Byrne has defended benefits claims in district courts in every federal judicial circuit. He is a frequent writer and speaker on ERISA topics and is the current Vice-Chair of the DRI Life, Health & Disability Committee.


Wendy L. Furman
McDowell Hetherington LLP

Wendy L. Furman concentrates her practice in the areas of insurance and commercial litigation, including coverage matters for life, health, disability and ERISA matters. She has extensive experience in STOLI and other complex life insurance litigation. She has spoken on ERISA and insurance litigation, including for the ABA TIPS Practice Section and the ACI's "Litigating Disability Insurance Claims" seminar. She has trial and appellate experience and is AV® rated by Martindale-Hubbell. In 2002, she and two other attorneys founded Pett Furman, P.L. prior to joining Edison McDowell & Hetherington in 2016. Ms. Furman is a member of the Florida and Pennsylvania Bars.


Shari Gerson
Partner
Gray Robinson PA

Shari Gerson is a shareholder in GrayRobinson's Fort Lauderdale office. She is AV® rated by Martindale-Hubbell and practices ERISA litigation, including health, life, disability benefits. She also represents insurance companies on non-ERISA employee benefits cases and individual policies of health, life and disability insurance. She is knowledgeable of plan procedures and frequently counsels clients on how to maximize their subrogation and reimbursement rights under ERISA. Shari is also certified as an arbitrator and mediator for the American Health Lawyers Association.


Carolyn Golden Hebsgaard
Boston Lawyers Group

Carolyn Golden Hebsgaard has served for more than 25 years as the Executive Director of the Boston Lawyers Group, while for nearly 14 years also serving as the Executive Director of the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity, Inc. in Connecticut. She is supporting their efforts to identify, recruit, advance and retain attorneys of color. The Boston Lawyers Group Collaborative Consortium model is recognized nationally as one of the most innovative approaches to advancing diversity and Inclusion in the legal profession.


Kristina N. Holmstrom
Partner
Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC

Kristina N. Holmstrom is a litigation partner with Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC. She focuses her practice on defending insurers in life, health, disability, and ERISA matters as well as in property and casualty cases. Ms. Holmstrom practices regularly in Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico.


Mary Jo Hudson
Squire Patton Boggs

Mary Jo Hudson is a former Insurance Commissioner for the State of Ohio with years of experience advising insurance and financial services clients. Her work includes representing insurance companies nationally in regulatory matters involving transactional matters, regulatory examinations operational and governance matters, product and rate filings, and solvency regulation issues. She also represents clients on matters in NAIC proceedings and also serves as an expert witness regarding insurance products and regulation in state and federal courts. As Ohio's Insurance Director from 2007 until 2011, Ms. Hudson served as Chair of the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission and on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. She is a board member of the Association of Life Insurance Counsel.


The Honorable William J. Kayatta, Jr.
US Court of Appeals First Circuit

The Honorable William J. Kayatta, Jr. graduated magna cum laude from both Amherst College and Harvard Law School, where he served as an officer of the Harvard Law Review. He clerked for Chief Judge Frank M. Coffin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit from 1979 to 1980. From 1980 to 2013, Judge Kayatta maintained a nation-wide trial and appellate practice at the Portland, Maine law firm, Pierce Atwood LLP. Prior to his appointment to the bench in 2013, he served as a Regent in the American College of Trial Lawyers. Between 2011 and 2015, he also served as Special Master by appointment of the U.S. Supreme Court in Original Action No. 126, Kansas v. Nebraska, et al.


Rachel R. Krause
Partner
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP

Rachel R. Krause is a partner in both the Georgia and Florida offices of Lewis Brisbois and is a member of the firm's Life Health Disability & ERISA Practice. Ms. Krause specializes in litigation and has substantial experience with complex corporate, contract, and injury disputes. She defends employers and insurance companies and their clients in state and federal court and before administrative agencies, in the areas of benefits litigation, employment, fiduciary obligations, and professional responsibility.


D. Larry Kristinik
Partner
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

D. Larry Kristinik is a partner with the law firm of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP in Columbia, South Carolina where he serves as the Chair of the firm's insurance industry practice group. Mr. Kristinik's practice focuses on the defense of life, health, and disability insurers in matters involving alleged bad faith denials, rescissions based on misrepresentations, ERISA, agent misconduct, and interpleaders. He also defends broker dealers and investment advisors in claims brought by securities investors. Mr. Kristinik is the Program Chair of the 2018 DRI Life Health Disability & ERISA Seminar in Boston.


Leonor M. (Leo) Lagomasino
Partner
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

Leonor M. (Leo) Lagomasino, a partner with Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in the Miami, Florida office, defends insurers in cases involving individual disability and ERISA, bad faith, life insurance and commercial first party coverage actions. She is the Chair of DRI's Life, Health and Disability Committee.


Forrest S. Latta
Burr & Forman LLP

Forrest S. Latta is a 35-year veteran of LHD defense work in some historically dangerous venues. He brings a wealth of experience on the subject of trial preparation and strategy. As a partner with Burr & Forman, he mainly handles high risk insurance and commercial cases. He also chairs the firm's Appellate Practice Section in its five-state region. Forrest is an honors graduate of Troy University and Samford (Cumberland) School of Law, an avid Trojan fan, southern gardener (especially camellias), and long-time member of the DRI Life Health Disability and ERISA Committee.


Robert P. Lesko
Partner
Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP

Robert P. Lesko is an Equity Partner at Wilson Elser in New York, New York and Florham Park, New Jersey with nearly 25 years of experience representing financial services industry clients, including insurers, broker-dealers, TPAs and fraternal benefits organizations, throughout the country. He is active in several industry organizations committed to the education of life, health, disability and ERISA professionals, including the DRI. Mr. Lesko also serves as a trustee and director of a national pension and welfare plan.


Andrew F. MacRae
Levatino Pace PLLC

Andrew F. MacRae is a partner in the law firm Levatino|Pace PLLC. He specializes in general civil litigation and trial law, with a concentration in life, health and disability insurance matters. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law, where he earned his law degree. Mr. MacRae is licensed to practice in all Texas state courts, the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He has tried hundreds of jury and non-jury cases, and has argued numerous cases on appeal to various Texas appellate courts, the Texas Supreme Court, and the Fifth Circuit. He is also a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.


Brooks R. Magratten
Partner
Pierce Atwood LLP

Brooks R. Magratten is the partner in charge of Pierce Atwood LLP's Providence, Rhode Island office. He has more than 30 years' experience in insurance, product liability, and commercial litigation. He is "AV" rated and is recognized as a New England "Super Lawyer" in the field of employee benefits litigation. Mr. Magratten is a former member of DRI's Law Institute, a former Northeast Regional Director of DRI, and past chair of DRI's Life, Health Disability and ERISA Committee.


Marcus M. Maples
Associate
Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC

Marcus M. Maples, a shareholder with Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC's Birmingham, Alabama office, counsels business clients from a broad range of industries in all matter of business disputes. Mr. Maples defends directors and officers in litigation involving fiduciary duty claims, shareholder disputes and allegations of minority oppression, and also litigates disputes over trust and estate matters, including disputes involving fiduciaries, will contests and trust litigation. In addition, he serves as national counsel for domestic and international construction companies handling all aspects of construction law including drafting contracts, pursuing and defending claims, arbitrating disputes, and litigation matters in various jurisdictions throughout the country.


Kirsten V. Mayer
Ropes & Gray LLP

Kirsten V. Mayer is a Partner at Ropes & Gray LLP in Boston. Ms. Mayer represents health care and life sciences clients in criminal, civil and regulatory enforcement matters and in related complex civil litigation, including civil False Claims Act litigation. Drawing on her extensive experience defending corporations and individuals in a wide range of investigations, Ms. Mayer has helped clients win or favorably resolve matters involving both federal and state enforcement agencies. In addition to defending clients in litigation, she advises clients with respect to fraud and abuse and compliance in several contexts, including CIA implementation, internal investigations, and strategic transactions in the health care industry. Ms. Mayer is a frequent speaker on health care compliance fraud and abuse enforcement, and False Claims Act litigation. She has been a faculty member for National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) programs since 2005.


Eric B. Myers
Deputy General Counsel
Blue Cross Blue Shield of TN

Eric B. Myers is Deputy General Counsel – Operations for Blue Cross BlueShield of Tennessee, Inc. ("BCBST") in Chatanooga, Tennessee. He is responsible for managing all litigation impacting BCBST and overseeing the operations functions of BCBST's Legal Divsion. Prior to going in-house, Eric engaged in the private practice of law with a concentration in the defense of life, health, disability and ERISA litigation. Before entering private practice, Eric was a law clerk for the Honorable Deborah S. Eyler, Associate Judge of the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland. Eric received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.


Michael L. Parker
AVP & Special Counsel
Unum Group

Michael L. Parker is an AVP and Special Counsel at Unum in Portland, Maine. His practice is primarily partnering with outside counsel throughout the country defending disability and life insurance litigation, and providing counsel to company personnel, particularly on all matters ERISA. He has 35 years of litigation, mediation, and negotiation experience, gained through work as a psychologist, federal district court law clerk, private practitioner, legal director for the Maine ACLU, member of the governor's pardon board, and in-house counsel.


Gloria R. Perrotta
Director, Claims Resolution Unit
Cigna

Gloria R. Perrotta is the Director of Cigna's Claims Resolution Unit. In this role, she oversees 50 insurance professionals and the Unit's high volume caseload of pre-litigation, litigation, and regulatory disputes, filed by customers and health care professionals, involving the company's healthcare business. In her role, Ms. Perrotta has developed a broad understanding of litigation and regulatory hot points arising out of plan administration. She applies this knowledge through a hands-on-approach to dispute resolution. She studied at Hartford College for Women in their Legal Studies program and has been with Cigna Legal for 30 years.


E. Todd Presnell
Partner
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

E. Todd Presnell is a partner in Bradley's Nashville office where he practices in the areas of business and employment litigation. Mr. Presnell also counsels and advises in-house legal departments on the attorney-client and other privileges, and authors the popular legal blog Presnell on Privileges. Mr. Presnell is a former chair of DRI's Young Lawyers Committee, former Chair of the DRI Annual Meeting, and currently serves on the DRI Law Institute.


Gerardo Puig
General Counsel
Transamerica

Gerardo Puig manages litigation involving Transamerica policies nationwide. He also represents the company at administrative hearings and trials in Maryland. In addition to supporting various operations functions, Gerry provides counsel to the claims departments regarding claims processing and potential claim denials. He also reviews the company's responses to Department of Insurance complaints and to other high-level complaints.


Mark E. Schmidtke
Shareholder
Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC

Mark E. Schmidtke is a shareholder with the law firm of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. in its offices in Valparaiso, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois. For over thirty years, Mr. Schmidtke has represented insurers, employers and fiduciaries in ERISA and non-ERISA employee benefit litigation throughout the United States. In 2016, Mr. Schmidtke was appointed as Chair of the U.S. Department of Labor Advisory Council on Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, commonly known as the ERISA Advisory Council. He was appointed to the Council by Labor Secretary Thomas Perez in 2014 and also served as Vice Chair of the ERISA Advisory Council in 2015. Mr. Schmidtke has authored numerous books and articles on employee benefit topics in various national publications. He is a Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel. In July 2016, he was selected for inclusion in Who's Who Legal – Labour, Employment & Benefits, an international listing of attorneys selected based on the opinions of law firm clients and labor, employment, and benefits lawyers from around the world. Mr. Schmidtke is an AV lawyer in Martindale Hubbell and has been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America. He was selected by Best Lawyers peers as Lawyer of the Year – Employee Benefits Litigation for the Chicago Region for 2017.


Amanda A. Sonneborn
Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Amanda A. Sonneborn is a partner in the Labor & Employment Department of Seyfarth Shaw LLP. Ms. Sonneborn also serves as Co-Office Managing Partner of the Firm's Chicago office. She actively advises clients in the health care, construction, print media, hotel, gaming, manufacturing, transportation, and energy industries. Ms. Sonneborn previously was named one of the National Law Journal's 40 Under 40 Rising Stars in Chicago. Ms. Sonneborn has considerable experience in the area of Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) litigation. She is co-chair of the Firm's ERISA & Employee Benefits Litigation practice group. Her ERISA and employee benefits litigation experience includes defense of single plaintiff claims for benefits, breach of fiduciary duty claims, cash balance plan claims, breach of contract claims, and ERISA Section 510 employment discrimination claims. Ms. Sonneborn devotes a considerable amount of her practice to litigation of class-action and multi-plaintiff claims. She also frequently advises clients regarding handling of claims brought under benefit plan claims procedures. Ms. Sonneborn has handled hundreds of single plaintiff cases brought in federal court under ERISA. She also frequently speaks on ERISA litigation issues and serves as a chapter editor for the American Bar Association book on Employee Benefits.


Sue A. Sperry
Litigation Counsel
Sun Life Assurance Co of Canada

Sue A. Sperry is litigation counsel to Sun Life Assurance of Canada in Kansas City, Missouri. She manages ERISA and non­ERISA disability, life and health litigation, credit life and disability cases, and financial product and services cases.


Scott M. Trager
Partner
Funk & Bolton PA

Scott M. Trager is a Partner in the law firm of Funk & Bolton, P.A. in Baltimore, Maryland. His practice covers a broad spectrum of civil litigation matters, with a focus on the defense of life, health and disability claims (individual and ERISA) in the state and federal courts of Maryland and the District of Columbia, as well as the Maryland Insurance Administration and Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings. He also represents major life and disability insurance companies in actions involving interpleader, beneficiary and rescission issues, as well as agent/broker conduct. Mr. Trager is an active member of DRI's Life, Health and Disability Committee and served as Program Chair of the 2017 DRI Life, Health, Disability & ERISA Seminar.


Michael T. Wade
Associate Chief Counsel
Cigna

Michael T. Wade is an Associate Chief Counsel at Cigna Corporation. He manages litigation for Cigna nationwide relating to health benefit administration and related activities. He serves as primary counsel to Cigna's Service Operations, including call and claim operations. He is knowledgeable in plan design, plan procedures and potential areas of dispute.


Julie F. Wall
Chittenden Murday & Novotny LLC

Julie F. Wall is a member of Chittenden, Murday & Novotny LLC in Chicago. She has over 15 years of experience representing insurance and financial services industry clients in ERISA litigation, life and disability insurance litigation, insurance coverage disputes, healthcare litigation, commercial disputes, and regulatory matters. She has significant trial and appellate court experience, and is a frequent author and speaker on insurance and litigation issues. She has degrees in Economics and Finance from the University of Dayton and received her J.D. from the University of Illinois.


Sheryl J. Willert
Member
Williams Kastner

Sheryl J. Willert is a member and the former Managing Director of Williams Kastner. Sheryl's practice focuses on trying cases, counseling, investigations, and dispute resolution in the area of employment law. She is a past president of the DRI - The Voice of the Defense Bar, the nation's largest association of civil litigation defense attorneys. She also is the organization's first female and first African-American officer.


Christine Olson Zdrojeski
Managing Assistant General Counsel
The Hartford

Christine Olson Zdrojeskiis Managing Assistant General Counsel of Hartford's Group Benefits litigation team. Christine earned her J.D., cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School and practiced as a Litigation Associate at LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene and MacRae prior to joining the Hartford's P&C Coverage unit as Counsel in 2003 where she managed complex coverage disputes.