Avoiding the Minefields of Claims Made Coverage - RIMS Breakfast

More and more coverage is written on a claims-made basis. As you know, those policies have unique and restrictive claim reporting requirements and require more attention from the Risk Manager during the insurance purchasing and renewal process. Our speaker, L.D. Simmons II with McGuire Woods will address both the basics of claims made coverage and recent decisions of significance in this area of insurance law.

L. D. is a co-chair of our insurance recovery practice and has 20 years of experience representing clients in state and federal courts in high exposure insurance disputes. Clients frequently call on him to handle matters pending in jurisdictions where juries are hostile to corporate defendants, and he has represented clients in cases in Alabama, California, Mississippi, Florida, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, New Mexico, New York, New Jersey, South Carolina, West Virginia, Texas and Virginia. L. D. has represented corporate policyholders in a wide range of insurance coverage disputes arising under many types of policies including: directors and officers, property, general and product liability, professional liability, fidelity and surety, life, and disability policies. He also frequently litigates extra-contractual disputes and counsels clients on risk management issues. While at his predecessor firm, he led a team that served as national trial counsel for a major property-casualty carrier regarding several lines of business. This experience gives him a unique perspective on claims by insureds against their insurers. He is active in the insurance coverage bar and is a frequent speaker on insurance and risk management topics. 

Please join us for breakfast on Thursday, November 17 at Byron's South End as L.D. Simmons discusses Claims Made Coverage.

Never Let A Good Crisis Go To Waste by PricewaterhouseCoopers

You have heard the clichés. Every cloud has a silver lining. Or quoting Oscar Goldman from the Six Million Dollar Man “We have the technology… Better, stronger, faster.” But when your company suffers from a crisis will you improve? Or just survive? This session will use case studies from real companies that suffered disastrous losses, but recovered better, stronger, and faster. Partnering with their insurers they changed their business models and wowed their customers and their investors. This session will also get you thinking about your current insurance coverage and how it would function in the face of crisis. Are you prepared only for survival mode or can you be better?

Alice Edwards is a Managing Director in the Atlanta office of PwC’s Insurance Claims Service Practice, specializing in insurance claim consulting for policyholders. Alice has extensive experience in claims project management for aerospace, automotive, chemical, construction, food and beverage, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, mining, power generation, real estate, and retail clients. She has managed the claim process for several organizations following fires and explosions that shut down operations for significant periods and resulted in multiple casualties. She worked with numerous clients to resolve their claims following the World Trade Center attacks in 2001, and following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. On behalf of clients who have suffered catastrophic events, Alice works with clients’ claims teams, insurance brokers and counsel to advise on high level claim strategy, develop approaches to communications with insurers and other major stakeholders, and help determine the most efficient and effective path to settlement of the insurance claim. Alice began her 30 year career by adjusting claims on behalf of major US, London and European insurers. She worked as an adjuster in Europe and Asia prior to coming to the U.S. with one of the major international adjusting firms in 1995. Prior to her work as a consultant for corporate policyholders she was the National Property Practice Claims lead for a major US insurance broker. Her experience managing and negotiating major losses on three continents has equipped her with the skills and relationships to advise clients who are planning for, or dealing with, catastrophic claim situations.

Hunter Williams is a Director in the Atlanta office of PwC’s Insurance Claims Service Practice. As a certified public accountant with over 25 years of specialized experience in the field of forensic accounting, Hunter helps clients analyze, measure and recover business interruption, extra expense and property damage claims resulting from major insurance losses. Hunter assists clients who have suffered losses as a result of catastrophic events such as fires, explosions, storm and earthquakes. He has extensive experience in the manufacturing, transportation, chemical, food and beverage, real estate, hospitality, mining, construction, and retail sectors. He worked with numerous clients to resolve their claims following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Registration begins: 11:30am / Lunch and session: 12:00 to 1:00
Place: Byron's South End at 101 W Worthington Ave. Suite 180 Charlotte NC
Cost for Members: 30.00 / Cost for Non-Members: 35.00

Crime Insurance, An Often Overlooked and Misunderstood Line

Please mark your calendar and join us for our RIMS luncheon on Wednesday, September 14th for a lively entertaining lesson on the history of Fidelity/Crime Insurance, with an emphasis on the perils covered and misunderstandings in today's market. Mike Beranek is an experienced and focused fidelity underwriter of 25 years with Berkley) and he will take you along a journey, from the ancient Code of Hammurabi to the cybercrime of today with engaging stories and tales on the perils. This interactive session will keep you awake and engaged.  This course is pending approval for one (1) continuing education (CE) credit.

Mike Beranek leads the Commercial Crime Product and the Midwest Team within Berkley Crime, where he just celebrated his 5th anniversary.  Lending his 25 years of experience to the Surety & Fidelity Association of America(SFAA) and the Insurance Services Office(ISO) by sitting on a handful of committees are just some of the ways he gives back to the industry.  As a frequent speaker on Fidelity & Crime related topics, and keeper of Berkley Crime's Fidelity Reference Library, Mike's passion for his underwriting craft comes through.  He's participated in numerous Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, Fidelity Law Association, Risk & Insurance Management Society, Professional Liability Underwriting Society events and presentations over the years in an effort to educate Insureds and Producers on an often misunderstood product.

Date: September 14th

Registration begins: 11:30am / Lunch and session: 12:00 to 1:00

Place: Byron's South End at 101 W Worthington Ave. Suite 180 Charlotte NC

Cost for Members: 30.00 / Cost for Non-Members: 35.00

Reminder – have you registered for the Southeastern RIMS Conference?  Room rates increase August 29th.  

Shadow Day Feedback

On the bus ride back to Boone the students shared with me how much they enjoyed the event, and how their classroom lessons "made much more sense and clicked" for them while spending the day shadowing at the various organizations.  Most of our students who participated in your Shadow Day were Juniors who had not traveled off-campus yet, so this day was very impactful for them.  The day re-affirmed their desire to work in the Industry upon graduation.  The students also commented how nice, friendly and helpful each person was to them during the day.

Scholarship support from your RIMS members is critical for our students, and we are very grateful for this financial investment.  The investment of your members with their time and expertise, truly makes a tremendous positive impact, too.  On the morning bus ride to Charlotte I shared with the students that Shadow Day is one of my most favorite days every year.  Over the weekend I received a very nice e-mail from one of our students who referenced my comments - and shared how she, too, thought this Shadow Day was one of the best experiences she has had as a college student.  What you are doing with Shadow Day works very well for our App State students, and I hope that even more than 17 may experience the benefits next spring.

Please share our thoughts with your RIMS members, and let them know just how important and impactful this Shadow Day is for our App State students.

- Greg Langdon, Associate Director of the Brantley Risk & Insurance Center at Appalachian State University