DRI Faculty List

Insurance Coverage and Claims Institute

Loews Chicago Hotel | Chicago, IL | April 3 - 5, 2019


Albert K. Alikin
Partner
Goldberg Segalla LLP

Albert K. Alikin focuses his practice on counseling carriers in bad faith claims and handling complex insurance coverage disputes involving E&O, D&O, fidelity, EPLI, automobile/UIM, property, cyber, and CGL policies. Additionally, he represents a variety of insurance industry clients such as insurance brokers, agents, and third-party administrators in professional liability actions. He also has substantial experience litigating toxic tort, general liability, and breach of contract actions.


Tanya T. Austin
Boyle Shaughnessy Law

Tanya T. Austin is a shareholder at Boyle, Shaughnessy Law, specializing in insurance coverage analysis and defense. Ms. Austin represents several regional and national insurance companies throughout the New England area in coverage and bad-faith litigation at the trial and appellate level assists in drafting policy forms and endorsements for personal and commercial policies, and conducts training seminars for insurance professionals on claims handling practices. Ms. Austin earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2005.


Steven J. Badger
Senior Partner
Zelle LLP

Steven J. Badger represents the first-property property insurance industry in major catastrophe risk exposures. His past work includes matters arising from numerous hurricanes, floods, and the 911 Terrorist Attack. For eight years Badger served on the Plaintiffs Executive Committee leading the $5 billion subrogation action brought by insurers of the World Trade Center Complex against aviation security companies. Today Badger's practice is devoted entirely to responding to the significant increase in fraud and other improper conduct in hail and hurricane claims.


Eric K. Bowers
Counsel
Zelle LLP

Eric K. Bowersis a coverage litigator who has spent his career defending insurers and pursuing their subrogation interests. His experience spans a broad range of risks, including commercial property and liability insurance, homeowners and builder's risk. He has previously served as Chair of the Dallas Bar Association Tort & Insurance Practice Section, Membership Chair of the DRI Insurance Law Committee ("ILC"), Chair of the ILC's Construction Law Group, and as a member of the ILC Steering Committee.


Stacy A. Broman
Meagher & Geer PLLP

Stacy A. Broman is a Partner with Meagher & Geer, P.L.L.P., where she defends insurers in coverage and bad faith litigation. She was named Minneapolis Insurance Lawyer of the Year in 2013. She's named a Top-Rated Insurance Law Lawyer by the American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, and Martindale Hubbell. She has been named a Super Lawyer® since 2005. Stacy was elected to the Board of the FDCC in 2014 and to the Board of the American College of Coverage Counsel in 2015.


Kenyen R. Brown
Partner
Maynard Cooper & Gale

Kenyen R. Brown After working as a State and Federal prosecutor, Mr. Brown's career led him to Washington DC where he worked as Senior Counsel for the US Senate Ethics Committee conducting Congressional investigations. He later served as Chief Counsel to the US House Ethics Committee performing similar work. In 2009 Brown was Presidentially appointed US Attorney in Southern Alabama. Upon completing his tenure Brown joined Maynard Cooper & Gale in Alabama where he practices defensive civil litigation, white collar criminal defense and corporate compliance.


Christopher J. (Chris) Butler
Markel Corporation

Christopher J. (Chris) Butler is a Managing Director overseeing the Professional and Management Liability claims groups in North America and Bermuda for Markel, which encompasses all E&O and D&O claims as well as the Environmental and Construction Defect claims groups. He held a similar position at Alterra prior to its merger with Markel. Before this he spent over nine years with The Hartford managing the Financial Services E&O and D&O claims group. Chris received his law degree from St. John's University School of Law.


Christian A. (Chris) Cavallo
Partner
Goldberg Segalla LLP

Christian A. (Chris) Cavallo is an experienced, AV-rated attorney who regularly represents insurance industry clients in connection with complex, high-exposure matters. Chris's litigation experience includes handling a broad range of matters involving claims presented under both first-party and third-party insurance policies. Chris has both successfully defended insurers in matters involving claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, extracontractual or "bad faith" claims, and alleged violations of consumer protection and consumer fraud statutes.


John W. Danenberger
Corporate Counsel
State Farm Insurance

John W. Danenberger is Auto Claim Counsel in the State Farm Corporate Law Department, where he focuses on policy work, transportation network companies (TNCs), autonomous vehicle technology (AVT), and fractional ownership. He helps analyze and review the company's automobile policy and related documents to ensure coverage language accurately reflects the State Farm position and follows statutory and regulatory guidance. John currently serves as Chair of DRI's SLC Liaison Committee and Vice Chair of DRI's C3 Publication Committee.


Andrew D. Deutsch
Senior Counsel

Andrew D. Deutsch provides legal advice and non-claims coverage support for commercial specialty insurance products while also managing state product filings. His focus is on drafting and product development support for property and casualty insurance for technology risks, including liability and first-party coverage for cyber exposures and data breaches, as well as coverage for general liability, auto, products, umbrella, and excess for both admitted and surplus lines.


Michael W. (Mike) Early
Old Republic Professional Liability Inc.

Michael W. (Mike) Early is the Associate General Counsel of Old Republic Professional Liability, Inc., a subsidiary of Old Republic International Corporation that underwrites Old Republic Insurance Company's professional liability and directors and officers ("D&O") insurance. Mike supervises the national handling of claims made against Old Republic Professional's insureds, including lawyers. Mike has extensive experience with claims arising from professional liability and D&O liability issues. He has helped resolve hundreds of securities class action lawsuits and derivative action lawsuits.


Jennifer A. (Jen) Ehman
Associate
Hurwitz & Fine PC

Jennifer A. (Jen) Ehman is a member of Hurwitz & Fine's Insurance Coverage Practice Group who focuses her practice in insurance coverage analysis and coverage litigation. Jennifer handles additional insured and risk transfer issues arising out of construction and New York labor law claims. She often provides legal training on the handling of insurance claims, investigations and adjuster negotiations.


F. Lane Finch, Jr.
Partner
Swift Currie McGhee & Hiers LLP

F. Lane Finch, Jr. provides insurance coverage advice, defends bad faith claims, and litigates first and third-party claims in federal and state court. He manages the Alabama office of Swift Currie, a 150-attorney firm focused solely on insurance law and litigation. Lane is the Chair of DRI's Insurance Law Committee and is very active in DRI programming and leadership. He also writes and presents frequently on insurance coverage and litigation issues to national audiences of attorneys, in-house counsel and claim executives.


Jeffrey C. (Jeff) Gerish
Partner
Plunkett Cooney PC

Jeffrey C. (Jeff) Gerish A member of Plunkett Cooney's Board of Directors, Jeffrey C. Gerish practices in the areas of appellate law, insurance coverage, commercial litigation and employment litigation. Mr. Gerish is a member of Plunkett Cooney's Appellate Law Practice Group. His successful appellate representation has resulted in numerous published opinions in Michigan and Indiana, where he is also licensed and regularly practices, as well as in several federal appellate courts. He is also a member of the firm's Insurance Coverage Practice Group.


Dawn M. Gonzalez
Partner
Stone and Johnson Chartered

Dawn M. Gonzalez In 20+ years of practice, Dawn M. Gonzalez has focused her career on a wide array of insurance coverage and insurance defense issues. She has advised insurer clients on coverage issues and bad faith allegations across the country involving various insurance products. She has also represented insured defendants in tort litigation in several Midwest states. Before joining Stone & Johnson as a partner in July 2018, she was a partner in two other Chicago area law firms and had a relatively brief in-house position.


Jennifer M. (Jen) Hamilton
Vice President of Claims
NAMIC Insurance Company Inc.

Jennifer M. (Jen) Hamilton is the Vice President of Claims at NAMIC Insurance Company, Inc., serving as the head of its Claims Department and overseeing all aspects of the Company's claim handling processes which provides professional liability coverage to members in the mutual insurance industry including Insurance Company Professional Liability, Directors and Officers Liability, Cyber Liability, and Insurance Agent Errors and Omissions. Jennifer has worked in professional liability for over a decade and spent seven years practicing as a coverage defense attorney.


Jamie L. Hull
Cassiday Schade LLP

Jamie L. Hull practice focuses on complex, high exposure insurance coverage and commercial litigation matters, including broker/agent professional liability, business litigation and appellate. Jamie represents insurance companies, corporations and individuals in a wide range of insurance and business matters in multiple jurisdictions. She has extensive experience working with risk retention groups, self-insured retentions and insurance liability policies including, commercial, general, disability, professional, employer, builder's risk, cyber liability, excess/umbrella and personal. Jamie also serves as outside general counsel for a variety of companies.


Jeff Kichaven
Mediator
Jeff Kichaven Commercial Mediation

Jeff Kichaven is "Ranked in Chambers USA" as one of America's top mediators. "Who's Who Legal" lists him as a "Global Elite Thought Leader," one of only five US mediators so honored. He is Contributing Author of Chapter 25, "Considering Alternative Dispute Resolution," in the New Appleman Insurance Practice Guide. He has taught mediation and advocacy training for numerous organizations, including Harvard Law. His views on mediation have been cited in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.


Rachel H. Kim
Claims Counsel, Excess Casualty Claims
Sompo International

Rachel H. Kim serves as Claims Counsel for Sompo International, where she manages a diverse excess casualty portfolio that includes claims in general liability, construction, product liability, environmental, toxic torts, and trucking. Rachel has 13 years of insurance and legal experience. Prior to joining Sompo International, Rachel was a Partner at a well known law firm, where she represented and advised insurers in complex insurance coverage litigations as well as in pre-litigation disputes, arbitration, mediations, and settlement negotiations.


Jeffrey N. Labovitch
Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan LLP

Jeffrey N. Labovitch joined Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan LLP shortly after its doors opened and established the firm's San Diego office. Applying his 13 years of experience to assist insurers on litigated and non-litigated matters, Jeff assists his clients on a variety of different claims, including environmental, toxic torts, sport-related concussions, construction defects, products liability, class actions and professional liability. He is licensed in California and Nevada, and practices in federal and state courts and at the appellate level.


Roman Lifson
Partner
Christian & Barton LLP

Roman Lifson enjoys an active motorsports law practice in which he addresses the needs of race track operators, track event organizers, race teams and individuals in a wide array of areas including litigation, contract negotiation, and risk management. He also represents clients in litigation involving product liability, business disputes, medical negligence and First Amendment rights. Mr. Lifson serves on DRI's Law Institute and has chaired several DRI programs.


Michael M. (Mike) Marick
Partner
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

Michael M. (Mike) Marick is a partner of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP. Michael represents property and casualty insurers across the United States in high exposure disputes over coverage at the claim stage, in trial courts, and on appeal. The Best Lawyers in America honored him as the 2015 Chicago Insurance Law "Lawyer of the Year", and he is recognized in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Euromoney's World's Leading Insurance and Reinsurance Lawyers, and various other publications.


Keith Marxkors
Claim Counsel
State Farm Insurance

Keith Marxkors has served State Farm 31 years in Property & Casualty claim and policy matters. He is a member of the Missouri Bar, Illinois Bar, DRI Insurance Law Committee and the ABA (Tort and Insurance Practice Section). Keith has attained the CPCU, CLU, ChFC and FLMI insurance designations.


Joe Matetich
Southern Vanguard Insurance Company

Joe Matetich is a P&C insurance litigation and regulatory attorney who currently works as general counsel to Southern Vanguard Insurance Company. He has worked at insurance litigation firms in Texas and New York and recently served as the Acting Executive Director of the Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel. He has a CPCU designation, a finance degree from UT-Austin, and a law degree from the University of Houston. He resides in Austin, Texas with his wife Kirsten and their two 2 young kids.


Kathleen J. (Kathy) Maus
Partner
Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

Kathleen J. (Kathy) Maus a partner of Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP, is active in her firm's bad faith, casualty, and first/third party insurance coverage practices. She is a recognized Super Lawyer in Insurance Coverage and a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer. Her memberships are varied, including Past Board Member of the Defense Research Institute. Kathy is an author and served as a speaker at numerous seminars on issues including first and third party coverage and bad faith.


William K. (Bill) McVisk
Shareholder
Tressler LLP

William K. (Bill) McVisk has more than thirty years' experience in litigation and trials. He is a partner at Tressler LLP, and focuses on complex insurance coverage, bad faith litigation and medical malpractice defense. Bill is the President Elect of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel (IDC) and has been a member of its Board of Directors since 2008. He is an active member of the DRI Insurance Law Committee.


Michael C. (Mike) Mills
Bauman Loewe Witt & Maxwell PLLC

Michael C. (Mike) Mills practices Trucking Defense, Coverage, Bad Faith and Insurance Defense law at Bauman Loewe Witt & Maxwell in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mike is General Counsel for the Nevada Trucking Association. Mike serves as the DRI Insurance Law Committee's Publications Marketing Chair. Mike contributed to DRI's Duty to Defend UM/UIM, and Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Compendia. Reach him at mmills@blwmlawfirm.com or via his blog, NevadaInsuranceLaw.com.


Kristen Nowacki
Staff Coverage Counsel
Canal Insurance Company

Kristen Nowacki is a staff coverage attorney at Canal Insurance Company. At Canal, Kristen works with the claims department to assess coverage issues. She also manages coverage litigation and assists with coverage training for adjusters and underwriters. Prior to joining Canal, Kristen practiced in the transportation law and commercial real estate groups at a firm in Greenville, South Carolina.


Meghan E. Ruesch
Lewis Wagner LLP

Meghan E. Ruesch primarily focuses her practice on insurance coverage, reinsurance, bad faith, cybersecurity matters, and complex civil litigation. She is actively involved in DRI's Insurance Law and Cybersecurity Committees, as well as a number of professional and community service organizations. Ms. Ruesch is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Indiana, New York, and New Jersey. She is a graduate of Hanover College and Syracuse University College of Law.


Sarah R. Schmitz
Claim Manager
One Beacon Government Risk

Sarah R. Schmitz is a Claims Manager and Attorney at OneBeacon Government Risks. She manages several examiners and handles governmental liability claims. During her ten years with OneBeacon, Schmitz has handled professional, general liability, and automobile claims. At Meagher & Geer, Schmitz practiced in the areas of insurance coverage, real estate and professional defense. Schmitz graduated cum laude from Hamline Law School. Schmitz is a past presenter at other national professional conferences and has authored several articles.


Jamie L.Wilhite Dittert
Sturgill Turner Barker & Moloney PLLC

Jamie L.Wilhite Dittert chair of Sturgill, Turner, Barker & Moloney's Torts and Insurance Practice Group, is a litigator with a wide range of experience in defending personal injury claims, including motor vehicle accidents and premises liability matters and medical negligence defense. Her work in health care law focuses on medical malpractice defense, Medicaid recoupment and payment contests, and advising a variety of entities on HIPAA compliance, including drafting and reviewing HIPAA policies and conducting HIPAA trainings.


Jane E. Young
Partner
McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP

Jane E. Young is a Partner in the Colorado office of McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP. Her practice focuses on complex insurance disputes throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Jane counsels and represents insurers and claims administrators on a wide variety of matters involving first and third party coverages and bad faith claims in litigation and on appeal. She often assists carriers and third party administrators in training adjusters and underwriters and frequently speaks on insurance coverage and bad faith topics.