DRI Faculty List

Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium

Sheraton New York Times Square | New York, NY | December 7 - 8, 2017


Michael F. Aylward
Senior Partner
Morrison Mahoney LLP

Michael F. Aylward is a senior partner in the Boston office of Morrison Mahoney LLP, where he chairs the firm's complex insurance coverage practice group. For the past 30 years, Mr. Aylward has represented insurers around the country in disputes with their policyholders, including bad faith, intellectual property disputes, environmental and mass tort claims and construction defect litigation. He has also testified as an expert in cases involving coverage and reinsurance issues. Mr. Aylward is a past chair of DRI's Law Institute and presently serves as an Advisor for the American Law Institute's pending Restatement of the Law of Liability Insurance.


Kevin S. Brown
State Farm Insurance

Kevin S. Brown has over 20 years' experience in-house with State Farm. He recently began working in the privacy and information security space after nearly ten years focusing on electronic discovery and related litigation issues. Kevin also has experience with information retention, contract, and general technology legal issues. Kevin has an undergraduate degree in Applied Computer Science from Illinois State University, and earned his law degree from the University of Iowa. Kevin also has his CPCU, CLU, and ChFC industry designations.


Michael J.Cawley
Gordon and Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP

Michael J.Cawley with Gordon & Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP concentrates his practice in the areas of insurance coverage, bad faith disputes, commercial litigation and professional liability matters. Mr. Cawley's experience includes the representation of insurers and insureds in all forms of insurance coverage disputes and the litigation and trial of complex professional liability cases. He is a member of the firm's Class Action Defense practice. Michael has had over 30 years of litigation experience in state and federal courts across the United States. He has handled product liability litigation, has defended educational institutions and has defended physicians against claims alleging medical malpractice. In addition, he has extensive insurance coverage and professional liability experience as well as being trained in Legal Project Management. Michael is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell and is a Fellow of the American Bar Association. More recently he has developed proficiency in litigation involving intellectual property, e-commerce and other technology claims and in drafting commercial agreements related to those industries including distribution agreements. Mr. Cawley has also addressed other compliance issues dealing with federal and state laws governing consumer credit.


Lee Craig
Managing Partner
Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

Lee Craig is with Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP in Tampa, Florida. He specializes in coverage analysis and litigation of first-party insurance matters, including "bad faith." Lee joined the firm as an associate in 1989. In due course he became a partner, then the managing partner, then a name partner. In DRI, Lee has been Chair of the Insurance Law Committee, Chair of the Insurance Roundtable and a National Director. Presently he is a member of the Law Institute. He works, also, in the Program Committee of the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence.


Oona M. Cremata
Berkley Global Product Recall Management

Oona M. Cremata is the Vice President & Chief Claims Officer of Berkley Global Product Recall Management, an operating unit of W.R. Berkley Corporation, that provides worldwide insurance protection and technical assistance with the prevention, management and indemnification of product recall and contamination events. In her current role, Oona has created a ground up claims operation focused on providing exceptional service and support. She has worn many hats during her fifteen year insurance career, which began in E&O and Crisis Management claims in New York. In 2004, she headed west to Los Angeles for opportunities in underwriting, marketing and broking Crisis Management, International Casualty and Global Property business. In 2015, Oona returned to Product Recall and Contaminated Products claims handling where she brings her extensive service experience, technical knowledge, creative problem solving and resourcefulness to bear for clients. She holds a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Cornell Law School. Oona was admitted to the New York bar in 2004.


Tracy L. Eggleston
Cozen O'Connor

Tracy L. Eggleston with Cozen O'Connor concentrates her practice on complex insurance matters and commercial litigation. Tracy has extensive experience in various insurance coverage matters, including first-party property, comprehensive general liability, maritime, bad faith, and life, health, disability and ERISA claims. In addition, she has substantial experience defending construction defect claims and product liability matters, as well as litigating the coverage issues arising from those claims. She has successfully represented various carriers both at the trial court level and on appeal.Tracy earned her Bachelor of Arts from Furman University in 1979, where she graduated with high honors. She earned her law degree from the University of South Carolina in 1982.


Rachel K. Ehrlich
Judicate West

Rachel K. Ehrlich with Judicate West in San Francisco is a nationally recognized, multi-jurisdiction mediator specializing in complex civil disputes. She mediates litigated and non-litigated matters involving insurance coverage and bad faith, real estate including landlord-tenant, personal injury, construction defect, environmental, and other subjects. Prior to becoming a full-time neutral, she spent 20 years in insurance as a coverage attorney, claims executive, and underwriter. Rachel mediates in several court programs including the Federal District of Northern California. She is currently serving as co-Dean of the CLM's Claims Mediation School. She regularly presents on mediation of insurance coverage, bad faith, mediation confidentiality, and ethics to varied audiences.


Dawn Estes
Estes Thorne & Carr PLLC

Dawn Estes is a founding partner of Estes Thorne & Carr – the largest women-owned law firm in Texas. Dawn's successful litigation track record has earned her an AV Preeminent® lawyer rating through Martindale-Hubbell, along with recognition as a Best Lawyer in America, a Texas Super Lawyer, one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Texas, and a Best Lawyer in Business Litigation by D Magazine. Dawn has two awesome kids and a lawyer husband. She sings in the band, Black Dirt Tango.


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

F. Lane Finch, Jr. has advised on insurance coverage, defended bad faith claims, and litigated first-party and third-party insurance claims in Alabama and California for almost 28 years. He has handled insurance coverage claims involving up to $500 million, as well as class action and other liability claims exceeding $100 million. Mr. Finch authored "Automobile Liability Insurance," New Appleman on Insurance Law Library Edition, Chapter 63, as well as numerous articles on insurance coverage and bad faith. He is a Regional Editor for DRI's Bad Faith and Professional Liability Compendia. Mr. Finch is Vice Chair of DRI's Insurance Law Committee, among other leadership positions. Mr. Finch is also a frequent speaker at national American Bar Association (ABA) and DRI conferences.


Laura A. Foggan
Partner
Crowell & Moring LLP

Laura A. Foggan is a partner at Crowell & Moring LLP in Washington, DC. Laura is a leading insurance lawyer with 20+ years' experience litigating general liability, professional liability and other coverages, emerging risks, reservations of rights, policy conditions/exclusions, environmental/toxic tort, data breach and privacy, EPL, and bad faith.Her appellate experience includes more than 250 appeals nationwide, including precedent-setting long-tail and other complex coverage claims. Laura also counsels insurers and reinsurers on a range of legal issues such as privacy, data management, and regulatory concerns. LawDragon 500 calls her "one of the most successful advocates for the insurance industry to ever practice." Law360 named her among "10 Most Admired Insurance Attorneys. She is the American Insurance Association's liaison to the ALI Restatement of the Law, Liability Insurance. In addition to DRI, Laura is a member of the FDCC and the American College of Coverage and Extra-Contractual Counsel. Laura is the Program Chair for the 2017 Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium.


Matthew S. Foy
Partner
Gordon and Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP

Matthew S. Foy is a partner in the San Francisco office of Gordon & Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP and serves as the national practice group leader for the firm's property and casualty insurance practice. Mr. Foy represents insurers nationally in connection with coverage litigation and advice involving primary and excess liability policies with an emphasis on complex Coverage B, mass tort, directors and officers, professional liability, and environmental matters. Mr. Foy serves as Chair of DRI's Insurance Law Committee.


Joseph R. Geoghegan
Travelers

Joseph R. Geoghegan is Senior Counsel for the Major Case Unit of Travelers Claim Legal Liability Group, and provides coverage advice, litigation management and other legal services to Travelers complex claim professionals. Joe is a 2004 graduate of Columbia Law School, where he earned the designation of Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Prior to joining Travelers, Joe spent ten years in private practice focused on a broad spectrum of civil litigation, including positions in the Insurance Law and Litigation practice groups of Gordon & Rees LLP and Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP (now Locke Lord LLP). Joe has been published on a variety of topics related to insurance coverage and coverage litigation.


Daniel W. Gerber
Partner
Goldberg Segalla LLP

Daniel W. Gerber is co-chair of Goldberg Segalla's Global Insurance Services Practice Group. He maintains an international practice in complex insurance coverage and reinsurance matters. In addition, Mr. Gerber co-chairs Goldberg Segalla's Cyber Risk and Social Media Practice Group and advises insurance and reinsurance companies on the effective use of social media platforms and mitigating the risks associated with these strategies. Among his many leadership roles, Mr. Gerber is currently serving on the Defense Research Institute (DRI) Board of Directors and is vice-chair of membership for DRI. He is a past chair of DRI's Life, Health, and Disability Committee and chairs DRI's Social Media Task Force.


Sean C. Griffin
Member
Dykema Gossett PLLC

Sean C. Griffin is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Dykema Gossett PLLC. Mr. Griffin defends insurance companies in coverage disputes, property damage claims, bad faith litigation, and similar matters in state and federal courts in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. He also conducts insurance and internal corporate investigations, and he is the point person for the DRI Insurance Law Committee Special Investigations Group.


Rick L. Hammond
Shareholder
HeplerBroom LLC

Rick L. Hammond is a Shareholder with the law firm of HeplerBroom LLC. He serves as national counsel on matters relating to Property Insurance Coverage, and defense of Bad Faith suits. Mr. Hammond also serves as an Adjunct Professor on Insurance Law for the John Marshall Law School, and as an expert witness on insurance bad faith and insurance law and coverage. Rick previously served as an Assistant Deputy Director of the Illinois Department of Insurance, as the Executive Director of a national insurance trade association, and was a manger in property claims and an insurance agent for two national insurers. He is a member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, former Chair of their Property Insurance Coverage Section, a Fellow of the American College of Coverage and Extra-Contractual Counsel, and Past president of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel.


Paul W. Kalish
Partner
Crowell & Moring LLP

Paul W. Kalish is a partner and co-chair of Crowell & Moring's Insurance and Reinsurance practice. He represents domestic and Bermuda-based clients in a variety of litigation and counseling matters, including (1) serving as national coverage counsel for insurers with regard to various tort (implants, asbestos, pharmaceuticals) and environmental matters; (2) representation of insurers and reinsurers in liquidation matters, such as the Midland Insurance Company and Home Insurance Company liquidation proceedings; (3) representation of insurers in Bermuda form international arbitrations; (4) representation of insurers in putative class actions involving allegations of unfair claims handling practices; and (5) counseling insurers with regard to new insurance products and policy wording. In addition to his insurance and reinsurance practice, since 2000 Paul has served as co-counsel for the Coalition of Litigation Justice, a group formed by insurers to address abuses and inequities in the current mass tort litigation environment. The Coalition files amicus briefs (including briefs in the United States Supreme Court and the Supreme Courts of various states), promotes judicial education through legal scholarship and educational conferences and works with counsel in key jurisdictions to promote changes in the way in which courts handle mass tort litigation.


Kathryn E. Kasper
Director
Hancock Daniel Johnson & Nagle PC

Kathryn E. Kasper is a director with Hancock, Daniel, Johnson & Nagle, P.C. She focuses her practice on insurance coverage litigation and counseling and appellate advocacy. Prior to entering law school, Ms. Kasper spent three years working in the insurance industry, managing litigated environmental bodily injury and property damage claims involving chemical injuries, pollution, asbestos exposure, mold exposure, latex allergies, and hazardous waste. She also managed complex bodily injury and property damage claims brought against insureds in all fifty states. Ms. Kasper frequently writes, and presents on insurance coverage issues arising out of Commercial General Liability and Cyber Coverage forms.


Dan D. Kohane
Partner
Hurwitz & Fine PC

Dan D. Kohane, a Senior Member of Hurwitz & Fine, P.C., is a nationally recognized insurance coverage counselor who serves as an expert witness, conducts extensive training, consultation and in-house seminars on this highly specialized practice. Mr. Kohane is known in the industry for his comprehensive newsletter, Coverage Pointers, a bi-weekly publication summarizing important insurance coverage decisions. He teaches Insurance Law as an adjunct professor at the University at Buffalo Law School and heads the firm's Insurance Coverage practice group.


Matthew J. Lavisky
Parnter
Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

Matthew J. Lavisky is a partner in the Tampa, Florida office of Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP. Matt graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor's degree, and earned his law degree from Barry University. He is a member of DRI and the Florida Defense Lawyers Association where he is chairman of the editorial board for FDLA's primary publication, the Trial Advocate Quarterly. Matt focuses the majority of his practice on the defense of extra-contractual matters, first-party property claims, and insurance coverage disputes. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.


Kelly M. Lippincott
Carr Maloney PC

Kelly M. Lippincott is a member of Carr Maloney P.C. in Washington, D.C. She focuses her practice on insurance coverage and products liability. She is licensed in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, and she has argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Kelly is a member of the DRI Insurance Law Committee, serves as Editor of the DRI Insurance Law Committee's dedicated issue of For the Defense, served as Regional Editor of DRI's Duty to Defend Compendium, and is a contributing author to a number of DRI compendia, including the Rescission Compendium, Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Compendium, and the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Compendium. Kelly is Program Co-Vice Chair for the 2017 Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium


David R. Mackenzie
Blaney McMurtry LLP

David R. Mackenzie with Blaney McMurtry LLP represents insurers in complex coverage matters in Canadian and cross-border litigation. He advises insurers on a variety of coverage matters, including cyber coverage and liability, commercial general liability, professional liability, reinsurance and first party property loss. David obtained his J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law, and his LL.M from the University of British Columbia. He is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Law Society of British Columbia and the Washington State Bar Association. He is currently the Chair of the Canadian Defence Lawyers Coverage Committee.


Andrew S. Nadolna
JAMS

Andrew S. Nadolna is a mediator with a national insurance focused practice based at JAMS in New York City. He has mediated disputes involving cyber, pollution, D&O, E&O, CGL and Excess Casualty, reinsurance and captives. He has also mediated many catastrophic injury claims including medical malpractice, products liability, premises liability and general liability as well as New York Labor Law. Prior to starting his mediation practice in 2016, Andrew was Global Head of Casualty Claims at AIG. He served 17 years at AIG altogether and before joining AIG he was an insurance coverage lawyer in private practice.


Brian H. Sande
Vice President - Senior Staff Counsel
Federated Mutual Insurance Co.

Brian H. Sande is Vice President – Senior Staff Counsel for Home Office P&C Claims at Federated Mutual Insurance Company in Owatonna, Minnesota. Prior to joining Federated he was in private practice for 15 years. He was a shareholder at Bassford Remele in Minneapolis, and before Bassford he was a partner at the Rider Bennett firm in Minneapolis and an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Minnesota. He handled complex insurance coverage and commercial litigation matters in state and federal court, including appeals in Minnesota and Wisconsin's state courts of appeals and supreme courts, and before the Seventh and Eighth Circuit U.S. Courts of Appeals. He is an active member of the Insurance Law Committee of the Defense Research Institute, is a former editor of its e-newsletter "Covered Events," and is a former co-chair of the Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association's Insurance Law Committee. Brian is the Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium Program Co-Vice Chair


Charles E. Spevacek
Partner
Meagher & Geer PLLP

Charles E. Spevacek is a Partner in the Minneapolis office of Meagher & Geer, P.L.L.P. He has over 30 years of experience litigating complex commercial cases, with particular emphasis on insurance coverage disputes, including breach of contract, declaratory judgment and bad faith actions. Chuck was named by The Best Lawyers in America as its 2016 Minneapolis Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action - Defendants "Lawyer of the Year" and as its 2014 Minnesota Insurance Law "Lawyer of the Year." He has twice been recognized by Minnesota Lawyer as an "Attorney of the Year, "and was chosen as one of Minnesota's 10 best appellate lawyers and has been recognized since 2003 as a Minnesota Super Lawyer, earning "Top 100" distinction in twelve of those years. Since 2013, he has been identified by Chambers USA as one of America's Leading Litigation Lawyers for Business. Chuck is co-head of Meagher & Geer's Insurance Practice Group. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Center of the American Experiment, having previously served as Chair. Chuck also serves on the Board of Directors of Ridgeview Hospital Foundation and has served on the Board of Directors of The Purdue Alumni Association.


Kelly Link Stoltz
Partner
Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan LLP

Kelly Link Stoltz is a partner at Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan LLP, in Chicago, Illinois. Kelly is a seasoned litigator who focuses her practice on the representation of insurance companies. Kelly frequently advises her clients regarding complex coverage issues, bad faith claims handling, and how to avoid pitfalls in problematic jurisdictions. Her litigation and insurance coverage experience encompasses a number of subject areas involving domestic and international policies, including: bad faith, primary-excess disputes, construction defect, product defect, environmental, wrongful convictions, and general commercial litigation. In addition to her litigation practice, Kelly frequently presents seminars for insurance industry professionals and clients.


Caitlin Piccarello Strauss
Saul Ewing LLP

Caitlin Piccarello Strauss is a partner with Saul Ewing LLP resident in the Philadelphia office and the Co-Chair of the firm's Food & Beverage Group. Caitlin concentrates her practice on complex commercial litigation matters and has extensive experience litigating in Pennsylvania state and federal courts. Caitlin also has experience litigating coverage issues on behalf of insurance companies and brokers as well as products liability actions on behalf of manufacturers. Caitlin has worked with clients in the food and beverage, financial services, insurance, retail, and telecommunications industries, among others.


Sonia M. Valdes
Vice President, Claims
Medmarc Insurance Group

Sonia M. Valdes is responsible for managing a team of dedicated claims professionals as well as overseeing technical and administrative issues within Medmarc's Claims Department. Her responsibilities include directing mass tort litigation, training and developing staff, assisting with policy development, advising underwriters on risk management, and expanding Medmarc's litigation management services. Ms. Valdes joined Medmarc in August of 2013. Prior to Medmarc, Ms. Valdes was Assistant Vice President with Chubb & Son Inc. in its headquarters in Warren, New Jersey for 14 years. She had worldwide responsibility for managing Chubb's Life Sciences Claims Core. Ms. Valdes has extensive experience in evaluating coverage and liability issues in environmental, mass tort and health science litigation. She has been an admitted attorney in New Jersey since 1992 and is and a member of the IADC, CLM and ALFA. She received her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Rutgers University in 1984 and her law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1991.


James J. Wrynn
FTI Consulting

James J. Wrynn is a Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting, Global Insurance Services. He has more than thirty years of experience as an insurance executive, attorney, regulator and strategic advisor. Mr. Wrynn has served as Superintendent of Insurance in the State of New York; was heavily involved in creation of the NYS Department of Financial Services; and was Executive Director of the NYS Insurance Fund. As a trial attorney, Jim has represented insurers, reinsurers, captives, brokers, investors, corporations and their legal and business advisors in addressing complex strategic and tactical issues of local, regional, national and international importance.