Jonathan Barger

Property Claim Ethics: Adjusting in Good Faith

State Approved CE Credits:DE FL NH NC OK TX

Monday 3:30 - 5:00
Wednesday 10:30 - 12:00

Jonathan Barger, JD, Partner, Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig
Nanci Smilie, CPCU, AIC, Litigation Specialist, Erie Insurance Group

Describe various challenges that claims professionals face when adjusting property claims

Identify good faith methods for resolving these challenges

Review recent bad faith case law developments

Describe how to avoid bad faith dangers in property claim adjustments

Trisha Barhorst

Building Inclusive, Diverse, and Equitable Leadership Roles

Tuesday 3:30 - 4:30

Trisha Barhorst, VP, PL Claims Property, Nationwide Group
Jessica Hamilton, SVP Sales & Business Dev., Eberl Claims Service
Michelle Licht, VP Sales, ALE Solutions
Baer Philipbar, CPCU, AVP Property Claims Manager, W. R. Berkley Group
Gina Reyes, VP of Claims, Openly Insurance Company

This panel discussion delves into the vital aspects of recognizing women's experience, talent, and acumen as fundamental attributes for leadership roles. Participants will explore strategies for garnering support from board leaders, securing sponsors and advocates, and promoting diversity by including the best diverse women in leadership positions. This discussion also emphasizes the celebration of male allies who contribute to building pipelines for women leaders and highlights the significance of celebrating successful women as role models and advocates. Participants will also examine the importance of equal compensation and learn about opportunities to join women's organizations dedicated to advancing positions, pay, and equal power for all women.

Diane Barnes-Reynolds

Claims Handling for Iconic Hotels

State Approved CE Credits:FL NC OK TX

Tuesday 3:30 - 5:00
Monday 10:30 - 12:00

Diane Barnes-Reynolds, JD, Managing Partner, Tampa Office, Simon, Reed & Salazar, P.A.
Kenneth R. Gilvary, M.S., P.E., Principal Engineer/Owner, Revision Engineering Inc.
Tom Jefferies, Senior Vice President, Allcat Claims Service
Steven Romero, CPCU, AIC, ARM, Executive Large Loss Spec., ICAT Boulder Claims

Identify key issues when handling a large damaged occupied iconic hotel in a disaster zone          

Organize and manage claim conditions while separating sudden damage from ongoing conditions

Separate multiple causes of damage/loss using appropriate allocation methods

Evaluate risk and resolve complicated claim disputes, while maintaining excellent customer service to the insured.

Samuel Baumgartner

Smoke Chasers, Storm Chasers and PA'S! Oh My!

State Approved CE Credits:FL NC OK TX

Monday 1:30 - 3:00
Wednesday 8:30 - 10:00

Samuel Baumgartner, JD, Partner, Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson
Jonathan H. Colman, JD, Partner, Colman Perkins Law Group

Identify the most common scenarios driven by questionable public adjusters including an understanding of the "supporting roles"

Review current PA schemes, concentrating on specific geographical areas, and how these are expanding to other venues

Take a deep dive on extensive hurricane, wildfire and hail loss claims and how public adjusters have fueled multi-million dollars worth of claims

Learn about "outside the box" investigative techniques and legal theories to help deter future questionable claims

Jeremy Beagle

Water Loss Investigation: Principles & Methodologies

State Approved CE Credits:FL NC TX

Tuesday 10:30 - 12:00
Wednesday 3:30 - 5:00

Jeremy Beagle, CIH, CMC, CMCC, Sr. Principal Scientist, Sdii Global

Gain perspective into how to approach the assessment of a convoluted water loss

Learn the importance of collecting and documenting moisture measurements

Highlight the importance of confirming the information provided on receipts and other documents

Understand how laboratory analysis can be beneficial in identifying compounds associated with unknown substances being applied to a surface or area to mimic water damage

Heather Becker

Art Claims: Disaster Response & Risk Management

State Approved CE Credits:DE FL NH NC TX

Tuesday 10:30 - 12:00
Wednesday 10:30 - 12:00

Heather Becker, CEO, The Conservation Center

Implement the helpful procedures for handling a client's collection in an emergency (basic protocols, stabilization, etc.)

Identify what damage to artworks was a direct result of the loss, as opposed to pre-existing damages.

Communicate with the conservation team after the disaster event.

Explain how damage could have been preemptively minimized for art and heirloom damages.

Timothy Begley

Equipment Breakdown & Related Time-Element Issues

State Approved CE Credits:FL NC

Monday 1:30 - 3:00
Tuesday 3:30 - 5:00

Timothy Begley, CPCU, Director-Claim Account Mgmt., Hartford Steam Boiler
George Dickover, ACI CPCU, Executive General Adjuster, Selective Insurance Group
Patrick F. Kelleher, CPA, CFF, VP, Investigative Accounting, Meaden & Moore

Describe the potential interplay of Equipment Breakdown and Commercial Property Coverage for a variety of claims scenarios

Identify strategies for adjusting a complex claim that involves Equipment Breakdown coverage where both Equipment Breakdown and first-party property policies provide coverage for an insured's loss

Evaluate what is covered in Home Systems Protection as compared to the HO policy and from what causes of loss, including apportioned claims

Patrick Biggins

PLRB: Case Law and Hot Topics for Claims Decisions

State Approved CE Credits:DE FL NC OK TX

Monday 3:30 - 5:00
Tuesday 1:30 - 3:00

Patrick Biggins, JD, Counsel, PLRB
David Fox, JD, Counsel, PLRB

Address issues adjusters are facing today and case law to back it up

Explore resources to help adjusters get a handle on emerging coverage issues in real time

Develop strategies to apply new case law to coverage decisions

Review hypothetical claims scenarios to strengthen adjusters understanding of case law

Sherry Bos

Auto Fraud Investigations: Drive for Results

State Approved CE Credits:FL NC TX

Monday 3:30 - 5:00
Tuesday 3:30 - 5:00

Sherry Bos, Investigator, Auto-Owners Insurance Group
Steven R. Jarrett, MBA, CIFI, FCLA, Director/Leader-SIU, Westfield Group

Identify the three basic types of auto fraud and develop a plan of action for them

Recognize types of misrepresentation and application fraud

Describe various types of staged accidents

Determine which resources can aid in investigation

Steven Bowen

Climate & Insurance: Risk, Preparation & Mitigation

State Approved CE Credits:FL NC TX

Monday 10:30 - 12:00
Tuesday 3:30 - 5:00

Steven Bowen, Chief Science Officer, Gallagher Re
John A. Lee, , Coverage Atty, Meteorologist

Define the underlying science behind climate change

Identify current and potential regional impacts related to climate change

Explore efforts by the insurance industry to model and prepare for future impacts

Examine insurance industry risk mitigation effort

Todd Breton

Onboarding, Offboarding, and Personal Development Training Today & Tomorrow

State Approved CE Credits:FL NC

Tuesday 10:30 - 12:00
Wednesday 1:30 - 3:00

Todd Breton, Program Manager, Hippo Insurance Services
Gene Strother, President of Adjust U, Mid-America Catastrophe Svcs.

Evaluate current onboarding/off-boarding/professional development

Investigate virtual and in-person options

Anticipate future possibilities (AI, etc.)

Kelly Bridgewater

Complex Contents Adjusting

State Approved CE Credits:FL NH NC OK TX

Tuesday 3:30 - 5:00
Wednesday 8:30 - 10:00

Kelly Bridgewater, Adjuster Team Lead, Sedgwick
Ashleigh Hochstettler, AIC, AIM, AINS, Manager - Large Loss Claims, Auto-Owners Insurance Group
Charles McMartin, Director-Contents Solutions, Sedgwick

Understand of the valuation process including the calculation of co-insurance and underlying coverages

Address complexity stems from perceived values, unique purchasing habits and hands off nature of the insured

Identify “cons” of content claims and how misrepresentation occurs and is overlooked

Mike Brode

PLRB Presents! Tech Challenges & Opportunities

Tuesday 8:00 - 9:30

Mike Brode, VP Meetings & Education, PLRB
Lars Daniel, EnCE, CCO, CCPA, Practice Leader-Digital For., Envista Forensics/AREPA
Tim Havlir, JD, Counsel, PLRB
Neel Sus, CEO, Susco Solutions
Alissha Watley, Sr. Meetings Manager, PLRB

Fitness Wearables and Trucking: Transforming More Than Waistlines
Presented By: Lars Daniel EnCE, CCO, CCPA, CTNS, CTA, CIPTS, CWA, Practice Leader - Digital Forensics, Envista Forensics
The escalating popularity and sophistication of fitness and wearable devices increase their value as a source of digital evidence, as these devices can provide forensic artifacts about when and where something happened, such as a medical event while driving, or to determine the historic sleep quality and duration of a driver as part of a lifestyle analysis.

How Personal Transformation Drives Digital Transformation
Presented By: Neel Sus, CEO & CPO, Susco
This talk will explore how leveraging paradigms in digital transformation can yield massive breakthroughs in personal transformation and vice versa. Topics will include “The Power of Why,” common pitfalls in allocating enough time & money, and defining stakeholder engagement.

What’s the Scenario? with PLRB: Help! They Stole My Facebook Followers!
Presented By:
Tim Havlir, Coverage Counsel, PLRB
Mike Brode, VP Educational and Technical Services, PLRB
Alissha Watley, Sr. Meetings Manager, PLRB
In each episode of PLRB’s new podcast “What’s the Scenario? with PLRB”, the PLRB team addresses a claims or coverage scenario and answers interesting insurance questions. In this live taping, they’ll tackle this scenario: The two head pastors of a megachurch had a falling out. One pastor left to start his own ministry, but just before he did, he changed the megachurch's Facebook password. He now has exclusive control of the account and sole access to the 100k+ followers, so the church filed a theft claim with its first-party insurer. Is this a direct physical loss to the church's property? Are Facebook followers even "property" with any means of valuation? Subscribe anywhere podcasts can be found, or check us out on YouTube.

Kenneth Bunn

Confronting the “Reptile Theory”

State Approved CE Credits:FL NH NC OK TX

Tuesday 10:30 - 12:00
Monday 3:30 - 5:00

Kenneth Bunn, AIC, VP Claims, Builders Mutual Insurance
JD Keister, JD, Attorney, McAngus Goudelock & Courie

Examine considerations for litigation

Analyze the foundations of the Reptile Theory and the teachings of Ball and Keenan

Compare the various ways plaintiff attorneys are putting the Reptile Theory into action across the country

Identify how to spot the reptile and manage a claim before suit is filed

Rhonda Burns

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Tuesday 1:30 - 3:00
Wednesday 8:30 - 10:00

Rhonda Burns, Associate Vice President, Nationwide Group

Define what Diversity, Equity and Inclusion mean

Develop an awareness and understanding of unconscious bias

Recognize and address Microagressions

Encourage allyship and bystander intervention

J. Tyler Butts

Cyber Coverage & Claims: Recent Trends

State Approved CE Credits:FL NC

Tuesday 10:30 - 11:30
Wednesday 10:30 - 11:30

J. Tyler Butts, JD, Attorney, Robinson & Cole LLP

Understand the different types of product in the marketplace that carriers are issuing to try and cover cyber threats from both a first- and third-party perspective.

Appreciate the different kinds of cyber risks that current exist, and understand how certain policies might respond to those risks.

Acknowledge specific considerations that need to be taken into account when handling cyber claims.

Understand recent caselaw addressing cyber coverage

Allyson C. Byrd

Accidents: Immediate Steps in the First 48 Hours

State Approved CE Credits:FL NH NC

Tuesday 1:30 - 3:00
Wednesday 10:30 - 12:00

Allyson C. Byrd, JD, Member, McGlinchey Stafford, PLLC
Robin Roeder, SVP-Risk Management, Sedgwick

Implement polices and guidelines to mitigate costs and exposure in litigation, as well as effectively respond to incidents.

Communicate protocols to their employees on responding to incidents.

Understand why the recommended investigative tactics are helpful to your company.

Consider legal ramifications of a thorough, proper investigation.