Insurance Claims and Claims Investigation Consultants

Robert E. Underdown, AINS, SIA, AIC, ARM, CFLC, The Insurance Archaeologist ™, is an Insurance and Risk Management Consultant with over 30 years of experience in both private & public risk management. 

Consulting Services:

• Insurance - As a result of his background as a Claims Manager and Risk Manager, Mr. Underdown is in a position to provide coverage opinions based on real-world examples and on-the-job experience. He has developed a systematic method for bidding insurance programs
• Agent Broker - Mr. Underdown has decades of experience in the area of Agent/Broker (Producer) duty. In addition, Mr. Underdown has experience in the areas of Producer Compensation and Producer Contingency Commissions
• Coverage - Mr. Underdown has real-world practical experience in most areas of personal and corporate insurance coverage types from annuities to workers’ compensation
• Risk Management - As a Risk Manager for over twenty years, Mr. Underdown gained a wide variety of experience in several industries both public and private. He is experienced and knowledgeable in the areas of cost of risk allocation, loss control programs, risk performance measurements, and safety management
• Claims - With over ten years as a Claims Adjuster and Claims Manager and twenty years as a Risk Manager, Mr. Underdown has handled and supervised a great variety of claims beginning with investigating and adjusting property and casualty claims

Selected Background Experience - Mr. Underdown's past experience includes serving as Director of Risk Management for Rural/Metro Corporation, Scottsdale, AZ, where he managed $20 million risk management program and completed due diligence on 60 acquisitions in 48 months. As Assistant Vice President of Imperial Corporation, San Diego, CA, he managed special insurance for a $2 billion loan portfolio and implemented a risk management program for 60 branch offices. Mr. Underdown also served as Risk Management and Employee Benefits Manager for the City of Escondido, CA, where implemented risk management programs and completed self-funded health insurance, saving $750,000. 

View Robert Underdown's Expert Witness Profile.

T.R. Michaels Claim Consulting, LLC is a Property and Casualty Insurance firm offering:

Complex Claims Analysis, Negotiation, and Mediation for:

• Law Firms that have asbestos, environmental, toxic tort or other long tail claims
• Insured to determine the potential insurance coverage for claims against them
• Insurance companies or insured to attend mediation
• Mediation of claims between insurance companies or insurance companies and policyholders

Insurance Policy Interpretation and Retrieval:

• Review of Insurance policies to determine coverage available
• Search for and Assemble documents that provide evidence of insurance coverage

Claim File Audits for:

• Reinsurance companies for pre-quote and at-risk claim audits
• Corporations of third party administrators or insurance companies
• Insurance companies of managing general agents or underlying carriers

Principal, Tommy R. Michaels, CPCU, AIC, ARe, ARM is an Insurance Professional with over 45 years of experience in the Property and Casualty Insurance industry.

Mr. Michaels has worked in the Home Office of a large insurance company determining coverage obligation, providing coverage interpretation, and performing functions of an insurance archaeologist. He has taught insurance courses through Robert Morris College, University of Connecticut, and Society of CPCU, Memphis Chapter.

Mr. Michaels' experience in claims includes direct handling, supervision of adjusters and other supervisors, claim office administration and development of a system that integrated various technologies to eliminate paper within the claim office. He has unparalleled claim expertise in property and casualty claims developed from his years of direct handling and supervising claim handlers. Mr. Michaels has handled claims in several states including Arkansas, Connecticut, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. He also directly handled all Fidelity and Surety claims in the State of Oklahoma.

View Tommy Michaels' Expert Witness Profile.

AVAILABLE NATIONALLY
CERTIFIED RESTORERS * CERTIFIED INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS *
CERTIFIED MICROBIAL REMEDIATION SUPERVISORS * CERTIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL INFECTION CONTROL CONSULTANT * CERTIFIED STRUCTURAL DRYING SUPERVISOR * CERTIFIED INFRARED THERMOGRAPHERS *
IICRC CERTIFIED MASTERS * LIC. GENERAL CONTRACTORS #299472

SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE

 Brian Spiegel and David Spiegel offer expert testimony and consulting services regarding smoke, water, fire, mold contamination property damage restoration, reconstruction, and construction defect related problems. Both have been speakers nationally and internationally on property damage restoration, construction, and mold contamination related topics. In the past at the Property Loss Research Bureau (PLRB) national mold symposium in Charlotte, North Carolina and at the Forensics Consultants Association on toxic mold litigation and mold remediation in Newport Beach, California. In the media, Brian and David have written articles for industry trade magazines and given television and radio interviews, including one with Brian on ABC TV “Good Morning America” featuring a segment on mitigating water damage. 

CONSULTANTS AND EXPERT WITNESS

Mold & Bacterial Contamination Construction Defects Fire & Smoke Damage Industry Standards of Care

Structural Damages Water Damage Sewage Backflow Flooring Forensics

EXPERT SERVICES

Property Damage Contractor Inspections & Formal Reports Cause and Origin Investigations Smoke Particulate Testing Property Insurance Claims Testing

Detailed Construction Estimates Cost Damage Appraisals at Current Industry Pricing Litigation Support Infrared Structural Inspections Concrete Moisture Testing

PROPERTY DAMAGE ASSESSORS

• Residential and Commercial
• Appraisal Process: Appraisers & Umpires
• Contents and Structure

Paul W. Burkett, JD, CPCU, CIC, ARM,CRM, ALCM, has been CEO of Snoaspen Insurance Group, Inc., since 1995. He has extensive experience:

• Providing Insurance Risk Management Consultant Services and Policy / Risk Management Program Audit Services to Commercial Clients and Agents/Brokers
• Providing Personal and Commercial Insurance Policy Coverage training for Agents, Brokers and Risk Managers

Mr. Burkett began his career as a Loss Control Representative for SAFECO Insurance Company after serving as an Officer in the United States Air Force. During his career with SAFECO, he served as a Loss Control Supervisor, Loss Control Manager, Commercial Sales Representative, Division Commercial Lines Underwriting Manager, and Regional Workers Compensation Manager.

From Safeco Insurance Company, Mr. Burkett worked for Frank B. Hall & Company as a Vice President in charge of Risk Management Services. From Frank B. Hall, Mr. Burkett assisted in establishing the Meadowbrook of Colorado office and focused on developing specialized group programs.

Paul Burkett delivers seminars as a National Instructor for Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) Courses, National Instructor for Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) Courses and a Nevada Independent Insurance Agents Association Instructor for numerous Personal and Commercial Insurance coverage topics.

Areas of Expertise:

• Insurance Company Good and Bad Faith
• Agent / Broker Standard of Care
• Insurance Industry Customs and Practices
• Risk Management
• Business Contract Insurance Clause Analysis and Application
• Insurance Coverage Analysis
• Insurance Claims Disputes Analysis

View Paul Burkett's Expert Witness Profile.

Scott Stein, ARM, is an Insurance Industry Expert and Property Casualty and Professional Liability Insurance Broker with over 25 years of experience. He has served the last 18 years as an Agency Owner preceded by 7 years at two of the world's largest insurance brokers. Throughout his career, Mr. Stein has been negotiating and placing the broadest and most comprehensive Property Casualty coverage and Professional Liability Insurance with specific emphasis on Legal Malpractice Insurance and Directors and Officers cover; to also include Architects E&O, Accountant Malpractice Insurance, Employment Practice Liability Insurance, Medical Malpractice and Medical Defense coverage, and nearly every other specialty within the Professional Liability Insurance spectrum, as well as Worker's Compensation Insurance. Litigation Support - Mr. Stein provides expert witness services to counsel representing both plaintiff and defendant. He has been engaged in excess of 180 cases as an insurance industry expert in the past 15 years. Never disqualified or challenged as an expert by any Court, Mr. Stein has extensive deposition history and trial testimony experience. His cases involve all areas of Broker and Insurance Carrier Standards of Care and his services include depositions, Written reports, and trial testimony when necessary. Areas of Expertise:

• Agent and Broker Procedures
• Insurance Agent and Broker Liability
• Insurance Errors and Omissions
• Broker and Agency Standards of Care
• Failure to Procure Insurance
• Claims Management and Handling
• Insurance Coverage and Placement Issues
• Insurance Disputes-Sales Practices and Bad Faith
• Risk Management Practices and Procedures
• Insurance Contract Review
• Insurance Proposals- Brokers, Agents, and Agencies
• Umbrella Liability Exposure and Placement
• Insurance Compliance- Brokers and Agents
• Intermediary and Broker Procedures
• Risk Management Analysis
• Insurance Company Claims Management and Processing

David Stegall is the Principal Consultant and Founder of Risk Consulting & Expert Services since January 1, 2007. He has over 40 years of insurance, reinsurance, bond and risk management industry experience. He is a Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter, an Associate in Risk Management, an Associate in Reinsurance and a Registered Professional Adjuster. He has experience as an underwriter, an agent, a broker, a surety bond producer, a reinsurer, a managing general agent, a third-party administrator, a captive manager, a self-insured fund executive, a risk management consultant, an expert witness and has been retained as an arbitrator.

He was President of the Society of Risk Management Consultants in 2017 and continues to serve on the Board of Directors. Mr. Stegall is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Alabama Captive Association, a member of the Society of Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriters, the American Association of Insurance Management Consultants, the Association of Registered Professional Adjusters, ARIAS-US, Defense Research Institute, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association - Tort Trial and Insurance Section. Mr. Stegall has provided 112 expert opinions, been deposed 53 times testified in five trials and three arbitration hearings. His testimony has been divided between 65 for the Defense and 62 for Plaintiffs.

PozmantierWilliams Insurance Consultants, LLC is an Insurance / Risk Management firm that offers clients negotiating expertise and depth of knowledge to optimize their coverage while in many cases reducing costs. Services Include:

• Design / Implement / Audit Insurance / Risk Management Programs
• Contractual Review and Recommendations
• Lease Analysis
• Broker Selection / Broker Services Review Advice
• Competitive Marketing of Insurance Programs
• Merger and Acquisition Due Diligence
• Executive Insurance Review
• Claims Services
• Captive / Alternative Risk Planning Services

Joe L. Williams, CPCU, partner in PozmantierWilliams Insurance Consultants, LLC, has over 49 years of experience as an Insurance Agent / Broker and Insurance Consultant. From 1970 until 2007, he was a principal shareholder in a large Houston firm, Wisenberg Insurance + Risk Management, and was Chairman and CEO when the firm was sold to a subsidiary of Wells Fargo Bank. Mr. Williams is very familiar with all phases of the insurance industry, including consulting on bad faith, customs and practices, and standards of care. He has particular expertise in property coverage, business interruption, non-subscription, and risk transfer techniques. During the past several years, Mr. Williams has been a media contact for radio, television and news publications as an authoritative source of information about various insurance and risk management topics. He has taught numerous seminars on Business Insurance at the University of Houston. He has lectured and been a seminar leader on various insurance topics. View Joe Williams' Expert Witness Profile.

Daryll W. Martin, JD, MBA has a unique professional experience as a Lawyer, Insurance Broker, and Insurance Brokerage Executive. Mr Martin has over 30 years of insurance experience, serving nearly half of that time as corporate counsel for two international brokers, and the other half of that time as a senior insurance brokerage executive. 

Broad Coverage Experience: Property & Casualty; Employee Benefits / Life & Health (qualified and non-qualified); D&O / Employment Practices Liability / Fiduciary; Property / Business Interruption / Boiler & Machinery / Inland & Ocean Marine; Casualty: General Liability / Professional Liability / Workers Compensation / Umbrella / Excess. 

Broad Brokerage Customer Industry Experience: Construction; Energy; Transportation; Manufacturing; Financial Institutions; Health Care; Public Entity / Not For Profit; and, Technology 

Extensive Insurance Industry Operational Experience: Executive officer of nationally ranked insurance brokers; Managed and handled a variety of international, national, and middle market accounts; Self Insurance / Large Retentions / Alternative Risk Transfer Vehicles; Foreign Placements; Wholesale Brokerage; Insurance Underwriting; Reinsurance; Technical Services / Loss Control / Actuarial/Risk Management Consulting; Actuary Services / Actuary Liability; Insurer Solvency / Market Security; Finance and Accounting; Mergers & Acquisitions; Insurance Sales; Client Service Standards; Technology Infrastructure; Human Resource Management; and, Insurer / Broker Relationship Management. 

Areas of Expertise:

Bad Faith Business / Employment Insurance Insurance Insurance Agency Insurance Agent / Broker

Insurance Customs & Practices Insurance Excess & Surplus Lines Life Insurance Property & Casualty Insurance Risk Management

Olie R. Jolstad & Associates L.L.C. is an independent insurance and claims consulting firm representing both policyholders and insurance carriers in approximately 200 lawsuits. Our guiding principals are based on a careful review of the facts and evidence of individual cases, consistent with insurance industry customs, practices, and standards.

Olie R. Jolstad & Associates L.L.C. specializes in:

• Commercial Insurance Coverage Analysis and Disputes
• Insurance Claims Handling
• Broker/Agent Standards of Care

Principal, Olie R. Jolstad, SCLA, FACFEI, has worked in the Insurance Industry for more than 37 years. Over the span of his career, Mr. Jolstad has worked with various types of civil litigation and forensic insurance policy reconstruction projects on behalf of policyholders.

His areas of skill, knowledge, and expertise include coverage disputes, unfair and deceptive claims, claim settlement acts and practices concerning general liability, property, commercial auto, personal lines, business interruption, builders’ risk, excess and umbrella liability, aviation, workers’ compensation, loss sensitive rating plans, professional liability, errors and omissions, directors and officers, third-party claims administration, and Lloyd’s of London coverage and analysis.

View Olie Jolstad's Expert Witness Profile.

M.K. Wickens, PLLC, is a Health Care Fraud and Compliance company. Principal, Mary Wickens, JD, CFE has over 35 years experience in the Healthcare Insurance, Managed Care, and Compliance Industry. Her experience includes advising and counseling health care providers, insurers, government contractors, and others in compliance, ethics, fraud and abuse, Medicare, Medicaid and Federal Employees Plan, managed care, and other matters.

Consulting Services:

• Internal Investigations - As a highly experienced investigator, Mary Wickens is available to provide swift and thorough review of potential compliance and ethics issues. She is seasoned at handling potential whistleblower concerns, C-suite investigations, and reporting for self-disclosures. She provides comprehensive, understandable reports and recommendations to executives, audit committees, and auditors.
• Compliance Consulting - Ms. Wickens is experienced in providing site reviews, red team reviews, and independent compliance reviews. She has in-depth knowledge developing and implementing effective corrective action plans and extensive experience in responding to government and commercial audits and investigations.

Background Experience - Ms. Wickens is a former compliance officer for a major health insurer and former legal and compliance specialist for a CMS Medicare Program Safeguard Contractor. Also a former operations director for government programs (Medicare Part C, Medi-gap, and FEHBP) for a major HMO, she is experienced with government audits and investigations, commercial audits, as well as self-reporting and internal investigations.

Ms. Wickens has decades of experience as in house counsel to HMOs and health insurers. She has drafted, developed, negotiated, and implemented numerous healthcare provider-payor contracts, and developed and implemented codes of conduct, ethics programs, compliance programs and numerous corrective action plans. Ms. Wickens has authored numerous professional publications and presentations on health care fraud and compliance, government and commercial audits, compliance programs, and healthcare contracting.

View Mary Wickens' Expert Witness Profile.

Florida Office:
Andrew Avalon, PE, PSP
Chairman
8633 Willow Kane Court
Orlando, FL 32835
aavalon@long-intl.com
T: (407) 445-0825     F: (407) 445-0821

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Long International provides expert engineering and construction claims analysis, expert testimony, project management consulting, and insurance claims analysis services. Our focus is on heavy industrial projects including oil and gas, petroleum refining, petrochemical, chemical, mining/mineral processing, power, cogeneration, and other industrial projects. We analyze claims, not limited to, disputed change orders, schedule delay, acceleration, time extensions, liquidated damages, loss of productivity, defective specifications, and deficient project management performance.

Richard J. Long, PE, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Long International has over 40 years of U.S. and international consulting experience involving construction contract disputes analysis and resolution, arbitration/litigation support and expert testimony, project management, engineering/construction management, cost and schedule control, and process engineering. He has presented and published numerous articles on the subjects of claims analysis, entitlement issues, CPM schedule and damages analyses, cumulative impact claims, and claims prevention. As an internationally recognized expert in the analysis and resolution of complex construction disputes for 30 years, Mr. Long has served as the lead expert on over 300 projects having claims ranging in size from US$100,000 to over US$2 billion.

Rod C. Carter, CCP, PSP is President of Long International and has over 20 years of experience in construction project controls, contract disputes and resolution, negotiations, mediation, arbitration support, and expert testimony on scheduling, loss of productivity, and quantum issues.  He has experience in entitlement, schedule, and damages analyses on over 30 construction disputes ranging in value from US$100,000 to US$7 billion, related to oil and gas, oil refinery, LNG, heavy civil, nuclear, environmental, chemical, power, industrial, commercial, and residential construction projects.  Mr. Carter is proficient in the use of Primavera P6 and P3 software, and he has extensive experience in assessing the impact to engineering and construction works of RFIs, change orders and other events.  Mr. Carter specializes in loss of productivity, cumulative impact, and quantum calculations, and had a lead role in assessing damages on more than a dozen major disputes.  In addition, Mr. Carter has developed cost and schedule risk analysis models using Monte Carlo simulations to address the uncertainty of estimates and claims.

Michael J. Vallez, P.E., MBA, LEAN SIX SIGMA is a Principal with Long International and has over 40 years of hands-on and leadership experience in project management, engineering and construction management, cost and schedule control, change management, claims, dispute resolution, and mine and process engineering. He has served in executive management roles in industry, including both the owner and contractor sides, with organizations and contractors working on world-class projects for oil and gas companies, power companies, international mining companies, and other institutions.  Mr. Vallez has a proven ability to organize and integrate the work of multi-disciplined technical specialists and project construction teams to achieve corporate financial goals and objectives of return on investment (ROI), safety, operational performance, cost, and time. In all, he has provided leadership on several billion dollars’ worth of projects in the Mining, Power, Oil and Gas, Industrial, Heavy Civil and Commercial sectors.  Mr. Vallez has written several books on the subjects of construction management, safety, and effective project leadership.

Key Coleman, CPA, CFA, CPCU, ARe is Executive Director and Founder of Litigation Economic & Forensic Consulting Group LLC. While his firm is located in Greater Philadelphia, his practice is nationwide. Mr. Coleman focuses his consulting practice on forensic accounting, contract audits and investigative analysis. Mr. Coleman has a specialty in the Insurance and Reinsurance Industry, having worked in or around the industry for over 30 years.  Prior to starting his own firm, he spent the bulk of his career in Chicago where he was a partner at a Big Four accounting firm and subsequently held high level positions at other nationally recognized accounting and consulting firms. Prior to his consulting career, he spent more than eight years in the insurance and reinsurance industry. His major investigative work includes having spent 4 years on the then-largest insurance investigation in history.  He is one of the few experts nationwide who holds both the CPA and the CPCU designations; he has significant depth in reinsurance, as well, enabling him to gain the 'big picture' when dealing with insurance and reinsurance issues.  He performs inspections of MGAs, TPAs, ceding companies, and insureds. An abbreviated list of his investigative and insurance specialties include:

Accounting, Forenisic Accounting and Investigations Analysis of accounting records Forensic accounting Investigative analysis Contract audits Consulting Services in Insurance and Reinsurance MGA/MGU audits or inspections Underwriting audits

Claims analysis Ceding company audits Premium audit analysis Insolvency and run-off analysis Workers’ Compensation Professional Employment Organizations (PEOs) Damages Analysis in Inurance and Reinsurance

. View Key Coleman's Expert Witness Profile.

Lieberman Financial & Consulting Services, LLC provides high quality Financial Planning services and Insurance Investment to advice to clients in all walks of life. Principal, Maurice Lieberman, CLU, ChFC, RHU, LUTCF, has over 40 years of experience specializing in Life Insurance, Annuities, and Health Coverage.

Mr. Lieberman also offers Financial Planning Workshops and conduct large and small group seminars. He provides individual and family financial counseling sessions to active duty members of the United States Military (all branches.)

Mr. Lieberman holds three professional designations from the American College, Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant, and Registered Health Underwriter. He is a Life Insurance Training Council Fellow, and a member of the American College of Financial Services Professionals, Forensic Expert Witness Association, and the American College of Forensic Examiners International.

Background Experience - Mr. Lieberman started as an insurance agent for Metropolitan Life and then advanced in his career to manage brokers. He successfully built agencies for Aetna, and Principal Financial Group. He was later promoted to Regional Director for New England Financial, and CSAA Life. Over the years he mentored hundreds of insurance agents, brokers, financial planners and agency managers to build their own successful careers and agencies. He was also a member of the Million Dollar Round Table and utilized his selling and management experience to train insurance agents, brokers and financial planners in advanced areas of estate, business insurance, and financial planning.

View Maurice Lieberman's Expert Witness Profile.

Jim Leatzow has 43 of "hands-on" practical, property / casualty insurance agency experience. Leatzow has literally worn "every hat there is to wear in the P/C insurance business. He provides expert & arbitration services nationally & internationally with no charge for travel time. He is articulate, efficient & equally comfortable within the U.S. & in foreign venues. His experience includes:

• 44 years national Property/Casualty insurance industry experience
• 30 years national, Property/Casualty insurance Agency Owner
• 23 years national, Property/Casualty Managing General Agent (MGA)
• 20 years national, Third Party Administrator (TPA) insurance claim adjuster
• 26 years Reinsurance experience & Company Founder/President
• 17 years Certified insurance Arbitrator (U.S. / U.K. / Bermuda) 
• 56 years Licensed Pilot with Commercial, Instrument, Multi & Seaplane Ratings 
• Still licensed in Illinois (44 years) & Wisconsin (37 years) 
• Licensed in all states for 20-25 years until 2005 (agency sold)
• Rule 26 Report specialization on complex cases 
• Bad Faith Expert nationally 
• History of representing plaintiff & defense equally
• No charge for travel time "coast to coast"

Leatzow's specialties include: Agent-Broker-MGA standards of care / Bad Faith / Coverage    / Agent-Broker E&O Claims / Agent-Broker custom & practice / Professional (E&O) Liability / Claims adjusting Standard of Care / Claims-made coverage / Surplus Lines issues / Underwriting / Licensing / Property / General Liability /Aviation Insurance

Guy O. Kornblum has specialized as a trial and appellate lawyer for 40 years. He is certified in Civil Trial Advocacy and Civil Pretrial Practice Advocacy by the prestigious National Board of Trial Advocacy, and is a Fellow of the American College of Certified Attorney Specialists.

Mr. Kornblum has handled over 4,000 litigated matters to conclusion and has several million dollar plus cases to his credit. He has represented hundreds of clients, small businesses, individuals, and large Fortune 500 corporations during his 40 plus years of practice in his practice. He is highly regarded for his courtroom and appellate skills, and his representation of his clients in mediations, where he has a strong track record of successful settlements.

Areas of Practice:

Personal Injury Wrongful Death Insurance Law Insurance Coverage / Bad Faith Claims Medical and Legal Malpractice

Punitive Damage Actions Commercial Disputes Class Actions Nursing Home Negligence & Abuse Elder Abuse

Guy Kornblum is a Life Member of the Multi-Million Dollar and Million Dollar Advocate’s Forum, for those attorneys who have achieved multi- million dollar awards or settlements for their clients. He is also a Charter Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America Trial Lawyer Honorary, a Platinum Member of The Verdict Club, recognized for his “professional excellence in litigation,” and is a Legends Society “Top Lawyer” in the personal injury field and a Silver Member of the Elite Lawyers of America.

Mr. Kornblum is the author of: Negotiating and Settling Tort Cases: Reaching the Settlement, published by the Thomson West Publishing Company and American Association for Justice, Second Edition, 2013; and co-author of Litigating Insurance Claims: Coverage, Bad Faith and Business Disputes (Wiley & Sons, 1991); and the California Practice Guide: Bad Faith (The Rutter Group, 1986). He also is a contributing author to the California Continuing Education of the Bar’s “Alternative Dispute Resolution in California,” which was published in 2005. He has authored over 200 published articles on trial practice, discovery, civil procedure, and insurance law and related topics.

View Guy Kornblum's Expert Witness Profile.