PLUS Web Blog

John J. McDonald, Jr., One of the Founders of the PLUS North Central States Chapter, Dies at 55

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:50:06 GMT

John J. McDonald, Jr., one of the Founders of the PLUS North Central States Chapter and Partner with Meagher & Geer, passed away suddenly on February 28, 2010.

A PLUS member since 1995, John was passionately committed to his legal career and was recognized as a "Super Lawyer" for his employment law practice by Minnesota Law and Politics Magazine.

A full notice from the Minneapolis StarTribune can be found here.

Should Malpractice Awards Be Reduced By The Contingency Fee That Would Have Been Paid In The Underlying Case?

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:21:29 GMT

The issue of a deduction for contingency fees that would have been paid in the underlying matter has far-reaching implications in legal malpractice claims. This is because it could potentially reduce the value of a plaintiff’s malpractice claim by a third or up to fifty percent. For instance, it is common in personal injury claims for a plaintiff to contract to pay his counsel one
Contingency fees sliced from the malpractice award.third of any recovery if the claim settles before a lawsuit. Contingency fee contracts also frequently provide for a high percentage recovery for the lawyer depending on how far through the litigation process the case must go. Some contingency fee contracts provide for a recovery to the lawyer of as much as fifty percent if a recovery is only made after appeal.

Notably, courts in three jurisdictions have adopted the view that the malpractice plaintiff’s damages are reduced by the hypothetical contingency fee that would have been paid if the case had been successful: South Dakota, Wyoming, and the federal First Circuit.* The Dallas Court of Appeals recently found that an award should not be reduced by contingency fees, because a plaintiff should not bear the cost of another set of attorney’s fees. (Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. v. Nat’l Development and Research Corp., Case No. 07-0818.) The Texas Supreme Court refused to address this issue when the Akin Gump case came before it. The Texas Supreme Court instead ruled on other issues that it found outcome dispositive.

Nevertheless, the courts in three jurisdictions—New Hampshire, New York, and Minnesota—have adopted the view that the malpractice claimants damages should be reduced by the hypothetical contingency fee that would have reduced the plaintiff’s recovery if the claim had been properly handled. There is also a hybrid approach adopted by Tennessee, Indiana, and New Jersey, where damages are not automatically reduced by the amount of the contingent fee, but rather by the value of the services rendered to the client.

The moral to the story on allegedly mishandled plaintiff’s cases is to consider whether the damage claim is subject to a reduction for the contingency fee that would otherwise have been paid, if the underlying case had been properly handled.

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* I have removed Tennessee from the list of jurisdictions that support reducing a fee award for contingency fees. Both parties and the Dallas COA have incorrectly noted that four jurisdictions have adopted this view, by including Tennessee in the list. That no longer appears to be good law in Tennessee. In Silton v. Clements, 257 F. Supp. 63, 66(E.D. Tenn. 1966), the federal district court reduced a plaintiff’s award by the contingency fee he would have paid to his attorney. In 1985, the Tennessee Supreme Court held that a plaintiff’s damages are only reduced by the value of the services rendered to the client. Foster v. Duggin, 695 S.W.2d 526, 527 (Tenn. 1985).

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For more information on this topic see the article "Collectability, Deductibility, and Recoverability,"by Bruce A. Campbell. Texas Lawyer, June 9, 2009. For more articles on legal ethics, see Lawyer Conduct Issues.

Bruce A. Campbell is the managing shareholder in the law firm of Campbell & Chadwick, P.C. He has defended lawyers and other professionals on a variety of malpractice and other tort claims for more than 25 years in claims totaling more than $2 billion. Mr. Campbell may be reached by email or at 972-277-8585.

Will Your Insured Lawyers Be Stung By The Changes In The Ethical Rules?

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:57:19 GMT

For about 20 years the Texas Disciplinary Rules have remained substantially the same. This year that is about to change. The Texas Supreme Court has issued proposed amendments to the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. The amendments are broad and extensive. The last time the Rules underwent this level of sweeping changes was in January, 1990. After the 1990 revisions to the Rules, the number of disciplinary sanctions against Texas lawyers experienced a substantial increase approximately a year after the rules changed. And, the number of sanctions had not returned to normal even nine years later. Lady or the Tiger? Opening the Door to Lawyer Discipline Standards, Campbell, Fla. Coastal L.J. Vol. 1, p.232-36 (1999). If there was one lesson to be learned from the last time the Rules were substantively amended, it is that it can take a decade or more for lawyers to conform their conduct to substantial changes in the Rules. Now would be a good time to start the process of helping your insureds become aware of the changes and hopefully conform their conduct to the amendments before it is too late. For more information on this topic, see Comment on Disciplinary Rules' Proposed Amendments, Texas Lawyer, December 28, 2009, and Staying Within the Lines: Proposed Rule Changes Could Blur the Lines for Attorneys.

Deal Near on Sweeping Wall Street Regulations

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:21:52 GMT

More than a year after Lehman Brothers' collapse set off a financial panic, Senate negotiators appear close to resolving a narrow dispute that was holding up broad legislation to set new rules for Wall Street.

At issue was whether a government consumer watchdog agency should be free from bank regulators to write rules that govern everything from credit card and overdraft fees to payday loans and mortgages.

After a flurry of offers and counter proposals over the past three days, the Senate Banking Committee was closing in on a deal that would house a government consumer entity inside the Federal Reserve but give it autonomous power to write regulations, three people familiar with the talks told the Associated Press Monday night.

The sources spoke on the condition on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the evolving talks publicly.

The idea, proposed by Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, could break the logjam that has prevented a bipartisan bill from emerging in the Senate. While the sources said the Banking Committee's chairman, Democrat Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, was seriously entertaining the plan, it was unclear whether the committee's top Republican, Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, was receptive to it. Dodd would also need to persuade fellow Democrats to accept the compromise.

Read the full story here on the FoxNews.Com website.

EEOC Issues New Rules on Age Discrimination Defense

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:15:32 GMT

The Employment Opportunity Commission has published new proposed rules clarifying the meaning of "reasonable factors other than age" under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

The new rules are in response to the 2008 Supreme Court ruling in the case Smith v. City of Jackson, which held that an employment practice that has a disparate impact on older workers is discriminatory unless the practice is justified by a reasonable factor other than age.

The proposed rule explains that the "reasonable factors other than age" defense applies only if the challenged practice is not based on age. An age-neutral practice that disproportionately affects older workers can be justified under the defense only by showing that the practice is objectively reasonable when viewed from the perspective of a reasonable employer under like circumstances.

Click here to see a .pdf file of the Federal Register which has the proposed rules.

Richard Bucilla, 2006 PLUS Foundation Award Winner for Outstanding Leadership in Healthcare Professional Liability, Dies at 64

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:54:02 GMT

Richard Bucilla, 2006 PLUS Foundation Award Winner for Outstanding Leadership in Healthcare Professional Liability and long-time PLUS Member, died peacefully at home on February 27, 2010 after a long illness.

Richard was Executive Vice President of Lexington Insurance Company and Senior Executive responsible for AIG's healthcare industry casualty business. The cornerstone of his underwriting vision was that each client / prospective client was unique, insurable on some basis/price, and capabale of improving its risk profile given proper risk management/patient safety guidance by its underwriters / consultants. He had been a member of PLUS since 1988.

Donations can be made in his memory to the Passim Folk Music & Cultural Center, 26 Church Street, Suite 300, Cambridge, MA 02138.

A full notice of the obituary can be found here on the Boston Globe website.

Prudential to buy AIG Asia for $35.5 billion

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:39:02 GMT

Britain's No. 1 insurer said it would finance the buy through a rights issue of $21 billion including costs and fees, a record for an acquisition-related cash call, and by raising $5 billion of debt.

The acquisition increases Prudential's already strong exposure to soaring demand for personal financial services in Southeast Asia as rapid economic growth there lifts consumer spending power, compensating for at-best sluggish growth in Britain.

"Transformational is an overused word, but this deal is truly transformational," Prudential Chief Executive Tidjane Thiam told reporters. The British company reported the deal on Monday, confirming an earlier Reuters report.

Buying American International Group Inc Asian arm, AIA, will lift the proportion of Prudential's new business profit generated in Asia to 60 percent from 44 percent, while roughly trebling its Asian customer base to 30 million, the company said.

Read the full story here on the Reuters website.

High Court Rules for Hertz in California Case

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:45:19 GMT

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a lower court ruling that saidHertz Corp. had to face a California class-action lawsuit in state court instead of federal court, a potentially important procedural ruling for the business community.

Business defendants generally prefer to face lawsuits in federal court because they believe state courts like California's are more friendly to plaintiffs.

The high court's unanimous ruling could make it harder for plaintiffs to bring lawsuits against national corporations in California state courts merely because companies do so much business in the nation's most populous state.

At issue was a lawsuit by California employees of Hertz seeking unpaid overtime and vacation wages. Hertz argued that it should not have to defend itself in California courts because it was not a citizen of the state. The company's headquarters is in New Jersey.

Read the full article here on the Wall Street Journal website.

Early Registration Deadline Approaching for 2010 PLUS Medical PL and Professional Risk Symposium

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:26:21 GMT

The registration rate for the 2010 PLUS Medical Pl Symposium and the Professional Risk Symposium goes up after Thursday, February 25. If you are planning on attending, please register now to avoid paying a higher rate!

New This Year: The Medical PL and the Professional Risk Symposia are running simultaneously in one location, so you will be able to attend sessions in one or both events depending on what interests you have and still obtain CE credits too! Just register for one of these two events and you can attend any sessions at either event.

Experts from across the country have been recruited to make this an exciting and educational event for anyone involved with Medical PL, EPL, E&O, and Fiduciary Liability issues.

In addition to the fine educational sessions, the Symposia will include a networking reception and a luncheon with keynote address by Ben Sasse, PhD, Public Policy Faculty Member LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas and former Assistant Secretary of Health & Human Services.

Click Here to get more information and register now.

Large Brokers Freed to Go After Contingent Commissions But Will They?

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:58:52 GMT

The nation's largest insurance brokers have received the go-ahead to begin accepting contingent commissions again -- but two of them say they won't do it.

Officials in New York, Illinois and Connecticut have agreed to amend agreements under which the three largest insurance brokers – Aon, Willis and Marsh – have been banned from accepting contingent commissions since Jan. 1, 2005, while other brokers have been free to accept them.

The state officials said the three brokerage firms have complied with the terms of the 2005 agreements and that the time had come to level the playing field for all brokers regardless of size.

Read the full story here on the Insurance Journal website.

The Crisis and the CFO

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:54:29 GMT

Knowledge Today, Wharton's daily news update, has an interesting article about Ruth Porat. Ms Porat, whose ascent next month to the role of chief financial officer at Morgan Stanley was announced Tuesday, directed the firm's financial-institutions investment-banking business as the financial crisis unfolded in the fall of 2008.

At the Wharton conference, Porat pointed to three factors that are critical to the ongoing process of recovery: First, keeping the economy going; second, enacting global regulatory reform without putting a drag on the economy; and third, unwinding the government intervention that was critical to stabilizing the economy in the initial stages of the crisis. She also noted that key data are already showing improvement. Key stock indices have rebounded and market volatility has settled. Debt spreads, which had “exploded, making it very difficult to finance businesses that relied so much on the debt markets,” have been reined in “materially."

You can read the full article here on the Warton website.

2010 PLUS D&O Media Coverage

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:54:52 GMT

If you missed the 2010 PLUS D&O Symposium, you missed more than 1200 of your colleagues gathering to hear from industry experts and key decision makers about the current state of the D&O Market. As the LG posts below point out, you also missed out on the networking and fun.

However, don't just take our word for it....check out some of the media write-ups on the program that have come out since it ended:

AM BEST features a story on D&O market dynamics with information from the View From The Top and Coverage Wish Lists panels.

Reactions Magazine features a story on Thursday Luncheon Keynote Kenneth Feinberg and Executive Pay Calculation.

Reactions Magazine features a story on D&O Insurers and the Claims Pipeline.

Make plans to attend next year's program so you are where the news is being created!

Long Term Care Hospitals Face Little Scrutiny

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:51:02 GMT

More than 400 similar facilities, called long-term acute care hospitals, have opened nationally in the last 25 years. Few of them have doctors on staff, and most are owned by for-profit companies. The Kansas City hospital is part of a chain called the Select Medical Corporation, a publicly traded Pennsylvania company that runs 89 long-term hospitals, more than any other company.

Lawsuits, state inspection reports and statistics deep in federal reports paint a troubling picture of the care offered at some Select hospitals, and at long-term care hospitals in general.

In 2007 and 2008, Select’s hospitals were cited at a rate almost four times that of regular hospitals for serious violations of Medicarerules, according to an analysis by The New York Times. Other long-term care hospitals were cited at a rate about twice that of regular hospitals.

Read the full story here on the New York Times website.

The LG Blog: Statesman Dinner 2010 - A Great Night

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:01:41 GMT

The 12th Annual Statesman Dinner was held on Thursday, February 4th at the Hudson Theatre in New York City. The event dates back to 1999 when David Foster, then a leading Lloyd's underwriter, now retired, was honored as the first Statesman of the Year.

Todd Jones, who runs Willis’ Northeast Region and was formerly its executive protection practice leader, was this year’s honoree. Nobody was exactly sure what Todd did to earn the honor, but, nonetheless, it was a good excuse for a very enjoyable evening.

An independent event not affiliated with PLUS (or any other reputable insurance organization as far as we can tell), the Statesman Dinner is held each year not only to honor a deserving leader in the professional lines insurance industry, but also to raise significant funds for various charities.

The event is the brainchild of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge’s John McCarrick, a man who has created, and/or played a key role in, a number of very successful charitable endeavors.

McCarrick has been joined by Don Bailey of Willis and Dave McElroy of Arch in organizing the Statesman Dinner, along with many other unsung heroes, such as McCarrick’s very capable assistant, Karen Pinski.

The event, a sell-out every year, hosts roughly 250 people for a cocktail hour, dinner and post-dinner entertainment consisting of a roast of the honoree, and playful jabs at many others in the industry. The typical proceedings each year include speeches, videos and live skits.

Bailey, a very talented and funny master of ceremonies, was absent this year, but he appeared in larger-than-life form via two videos. McCarrick and McElroy, each with his own style, also did excellent jobs of delivering entertaining presentations. [Clearly, I'm hoping this critique will get me off the hook from skewering next year.]

Many believe that the Statesman Dinner, a very hot ticket, has supplanted C&S Night as professional lines insurance's most enjoyable evening of the year. Individuals were in attendance from every corner of the United States, as well as Canada, Bermuda and the U.K.

Besides being a chance to catch up with old friends, the Statesman Dinner also seems to be the place where people bury the hatchet on old disputes and renew past friendships. In general, it is a night of great industry camaraderie.

Each year the honoree chooses a charity to receive half of the dinner’s proceeds. The organizers select the charitable recipients of the rest. Todd chose the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, a cutting-edge medical research organization. A doctor from the charity was on hand to accept a $25,000 donation from the Statesman Dinner. I would tell you his name, but someone at my table was yelling for more wine when it was announced. The doctor made a very nice speech, telling people that significant advances are being made and that a cure for paralysis may occur during our lifetimes.

Todd made some very touching and funny remarks in his acceptance speech, despite being roundly ridiculed during the evening. His graciousness was in keeping with the general nature of the proceedings (this blogger will, of course, depart from that path with the captions on the photos to follow…)

All in all, the 2010 Statesman Dinner was another rousing success: people enjoyed themselves immensely and a lot of money was raised for very good causes.

Here now are some pictures from the evening:

Statesman Dinner founder John McCarrick greets AWAC CEO Scott Carmilani during the evening's cocktail hour. Scott would probably still have jet black hair if he were just a lowly underwriting manager, but our guess is that he'll take the gray and the CEO pay package any day of the week.

Bill Winget and Luigi Spadafora, two of ~~my friends~~ the industry's leading insurance defense attorneys, probably wish that they could have a do-over on this picture.

Rob Wolfe of ACE, Mike Morales of Everest National, Catherine "No Relation to Danny" Seto of Everest National and Mark Paccione of Everest National enjoy the cocktail hour without cocktails. New York State insurance officials were investigating to see if they really are in the industry.

Claudine Rossman (far left) and Laura Coppola (far right), both of Arch, flank two young ladies, one of whom is Robyn Semos of Arch Bermuda, the trouble is I'm not sure which one she is. She knows however. It was a hectic night, lay off the blogger. Tim Kelly, a very successful professional lines broker at Lockton in Houston, stands behind the girls in order to balance out their beauty and intelligence in this photo. Sorry Tim, you knew you were taking your chances by letting me photograph you.

Tom Gamble of Willis, Kathy Kelly of Arch and LouAnn Layton of Marsh catch up on old times before the dinner. Each was overheard saying that they thought they should've been the Statesman instead of Todd. That was a very common theme among attendees.

Rich Fernandez of AmWins Atlanta and Ray Santiago of Chartis New York. compete in the Ugliest Tie, Biggest Forehead and Phoniest Smile Contest. It was a dead heat. That looks sort of like a church pillar in the background but, believe me, it's not.

Andy Pritchard of AmWins, Steve Boughal of Travelers, Keith Riccio of Freedom Specialty and Tom Ruck of CNA stop discussing their Super Bowl bets long enough to be photographed. The four, who worked together at National Union in the 1990s, were also overheard discussing when it would be safe to start wearing their AIG logo'd clothing in public again.

Tom Zacharopoulos of Integro Atlanta was looking for the New York Insurance Library and mistakenly ended up at the Statesman Dinner bar. Oh well, he made the best of the circumstances.

DANGER, DANGER WILL ROBINSON! Word of advice from this blogger: never go to lunch at Nobu with this pair, Steve Pincus and Matt Baum of Willis. Steve, normally a great guy, will advise "Just let the waitress bring what's fresh, don't bother ordering off the menu." That will be your last memory before finding yourself in front of a bankruptcy judge. Go with the Trinity Pub, much cheaper. PS I know both of their wives, very cool women who could've done much better.

Paul Lavelle, owner of LVL Claims Services, one of the professional lines industry's leading claims consultants, stands at the podium to roast Todd, not a difficult assignment. Todd's enlarged photo, seen in the background, was later used by the kitchen crew to scare away rodents.

Here's a photo of Table 4 and some of the other tables at the Hudson Theatre. Look hard, you're probably there somewhere in the background.

Mike Karm of The Hartford and John Rafferty of Arch reprise Johnny Carson's "The Great Carnac" skit. This blogger's favorite Raff insult: "May your wife's number be found on Tiger Woods' cell phone." They did a terrific job for amateurs (I mean with the skit, not their underwriting...)

I only took this photo so that Todd would see the flash and think that someone really cared about what he was saying. It worked, he welled up shortly after this was shot. Everyone else was enjoying their wine and side conversations while he spoke.

After the event, Todd was so drained of emotion that all he had left for the camera was an empty glass and an empty expression. The pressures of being named Statesman of the Year are known only to those so honored. Good luck Todd, please represent the industry well in this next year and don't let any compromising erotic videotapes leak out. Really, please. We beg.

The Statesman Dinner is ripe for an after-party (smart marketers take note) but, in the absence of that, people broke off in groups and hit various bars. Here, Steve Walsh of W.R. Berkeley and John Connolly ~~former governor of~~ ~~Texas~~ of Willis' Philadelphia office discuss how John's wife thinks he's on a business trip in Detroit. John's best side for photographs, apparently, is the back of his right hand, which he proudly displays for the camera. Walshy seems to be enjoying it.

And, finally, to sum up the entire evening, we have this photo of Martha Roberts and Brian Wanat of Aon. Was it fun or what? Another great evening at the Statesman Dinner. We hope to see you all there again next year...

The LG Blog: 2010 PLUS D&O Symposium Concludes

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:58:42 GMT

The PLUS 2010 D&O Symposium wrapped up another very successful run on Thursday, February 4th at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.

The final day featured informative sessions dealing with recent developments in U.S. and Canadian securities laws, the latest insurance coverage issues and enhancements, and insider views from policyholders and senior insurance company managers. The featured luncheon speaker, “Compensation Czar” Kenneth R. Feinberg, provided useful insights into the government’s role in setting compensation guidelines and corporate governance guidelines.

Just about every session was packed; “standing room only” was the order of the day. Here’s a picture of the International D&O: Focus Canada panel moderated by Dave Williams of Chubb in Toronto:

Joining Dave on the Canadian panel were Justice Colin Campbell of the Ontario Superior Court, Jay (A.R.) Cassidy, a Claims Advocate for Marsh Canada, attorney Alan D’Silva, attorney Dimitri Lascaris and Rissa Revin, the Chief Claims Officer of Liberty International Underwriters in Canada.

The panel dissected the various differences between Canadian and American securities laws and also focused on the unique characteristics of D&O coverage, and law, north of the border. Dave did a great job in leading a lively and informative discussion.

As I’ve long said, Canada is my kind of town. Heard that one before? Thought so…

One of the highlights of every year’s PLUS D&O Symposium (besides reading this blog, of course) is the View from the Top session. As a testament to the drawing power of this presentation, check out this close-up photo of the panel:

You know what this means don’t you? It means that I actually had to get to the session before it started to get that photo. No sneaking in late and standing in the back as I normally do.

Pictured are the very capable moderator, LouAnn Layton, John Rafferty of ~~The Hartford~~ The Arch, Evan Rosenberg of The Chubb and Mike Smith of The Chartis. You may have noticed that old timers in this industry arbitrarily use the prefix “The” before every insurance company's name. Now that I’m over 40, I thought I’d adopt the practice myself.

The View from the Top panelists had some great insights about securities claim activity, defense strategies and many other topics (for the third time: if you want this valuable info, you’ll have to attend, don’t expect me to spoon feed you!) The three rival executives were exceedingly polite and respectful to each other, unlike some past years when the session would’ve been more aptly shared a title with a James Bond movie: View to a Kill.

John Rafferty (“Raff” to us) noted that the surfeit of insurers, including some new markets, is keeping rates lower than they should be. Evan Rosenberg opined that credit problems are going to continue to persist, and he believes that claims will be problematic in general, especially for financial institutions. Evan also said that while some financial institutions are getting rate increases based on their specific risk profile, the majority of D&O customers are paying less than warranted.

Mike Smith warned that we shouldn’t forget about commercial real estate problems, which are going to intensify over time. Mike also said that rates aren’t heading in the right direction at the moment, and he doesn’t see any real relief until some capacity exits the market.

LouAnn did an excellent job of steering the conversation into areas that were of the most interest for the audience. Well, for this audience member anyway.

I have some leftover photos that I feel impelled to post for a variety of reasons, none of which you’ll consider good, so I won’t bother explaining. Here they are:

This is Richard Minor of AmWins Atlanta and Tom Zacharopoulos (“Zach” to us) of Integro Atlanta. They each had an observation about The LG Blog’s PLUS party photos.

Richard (in a British accent): “It won’t be long before your late-night party pictures start showing up in divorce proceedings….”

Tom (in a combination backwoods Georgia, Greek Island and Cornell University accent): “I’m glad these pictures don’t contain a time stamp.”

Pictured here are Stephanie Hazen (Beecher Carlson), Courtney Coletti (ACE), Teresa Cazares (Beecher) and Jane Hahn (Beecher). Not pictured but should be: Christina Wunsch of Beecher. She was back at the office working hard.

The other day I posted this photo and couldn’t remember Teresa’s name. Since then, I’ve done mental calisthenics, taken brain vitamins and have thought really, really hard to come up with it.

Actually, it was e-mailed to me.

Anyway, I now set the record straight. These four ladies get the 2010 PLUS D&O Symposium Red Carpet Award from The LG Blog for being the best photo subjects. Unfortunately, there is no plaque, trophy or money associated with this award, only mention on the PLUS Blog. Congrats!

And, finally, I forgot to include this photo earlier in the week. Assembled here are some members of the Federation of EthnicGreek Trade Associations, or FETA. It’s a leading organization of philanthropic insurance industry members, not all of whom are Greek. The main qualification for admission is being able to field about 50 frivolous e-mails a day and respond at least occasionally. You don’t want to be in it. Actually, two people in this photo aren't in FETA, but since they were there they'll have to accept the punishment of being associated with the group on this blog.

So that’s it folks. Another very successful PLUS D&O Symposium is in the books. A big thank you goes out to all of the Symposium’s organizers, including PLUS management, panel participants, and, of course, attendees. Oh, and a “thank you” to all the people who I badgered into letting me take their picture. Good sports, all of you.

I’ll be checking back in on Monday with a post that will include photos from, and a recap of, The 2010 Statesman Dinner which honored Willis’ Todd Jones. Also, if you’re so inclined, feel free to check out my non-insurance blog at www.lgreport.blogspot.com. Adios for now.

The LG Blog: PLUS Networking in Pictures

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:05:01 GMT

In addition to the many informative sessions that take place at PLUS conferences, there's a vast amount of networking that occurs. Here are pictures from last night's opening reception for the 2010 PLUS D&O Symposium as well as some from the AmWins party that took place later in the evening.

Blair McCloud of Chartis, Rosine Roberts of Aon and Simon Beynon of Chartis discuss their love for the PLUS Blog.

Frank Blasio of Navigators Pro, Brian Braden of Valiant and Michael Fetchko of Navigators Pro discuss which company is driving down pricing the most. They each thought it was the other guy. It appears that a young child wrote Brian's name tag for him. Speaking of which...

Rich Luca of ACE USA proudly shows off his hand-written name tag at the PLUS reception. Rich's ancestors came from Italy to this country so that they could work hard and gather the resources to enable Rich to one day have his very own hand-written name tag. He was overheard saying that he will be framing this name tag once the conference is over.

A happy crowd gathers outside the reception's men's room. Don't ask me why.

Sal Collura and Rich Luca of ACE USA innocently pose for a photo not suspecting that I'm going to say mean things about them in the caption. Nah, they're both good guys. I don't know about those ties however (but Rich's goes well with his name tag.) Sal's lack of a name tag will be investigated by the PLUS Police, we don't like party crashers....

No, Glamour Magazine wasn't holding a photo shoot at the PLUS reception. Stephanie Hazen (Beecher Carlson), Courtney Coletti (ACE), a woman whose name I forget (sorry) and Jane Hahn (Beecher) provide a welcome contrast to the picture of Sal and Rich above.

It's rare to see Phil Voluck without his good friend Michael Jordan in tow, but our dogged photographer managed to corner Phil for a solo photo in the Marriott's elevator. He was on his way, no doubt, to Michael Jordan's steakhouse for dinner and some laughs.

Kevin Healey of AmWins Atlanta, Erin Burns of RCM&D in Virginia and Rich Fernandez of AmWins Atlanta smile for the camera at the AmWins after party at the Bourbon Street Bar. AmWins is one of the leading U.S. wholesale brokerages and it throws a heck of a party. Rich is the new head of AmWins' D&O practice in the U.S. and he's smiling despite that fact. Healey looks like he's up to no good but who am I to say?

Andy Pritchard of AmWins, one of the leading insurance brokers for asset managers in the U.S., catches up with old friend and talented underwriter Jen Hickox of PIA. Andy was one of the co-hosts of this enjoyable party.

Carol Lundgren Matthys, Andy Coleman and Mary Moran Henderson at the PLUS reception. I know I'm skipping back-and-forth here, just deal with it.

Tom Zach of Integro Atlanta, one of the fastest growing brokerages in the industry, tries to recruit server Kelsey of the Bourbon Street Bar into the insurance industry. Don't laugh, more than one insurance professional got their start this way.

Lyndsey Bauer (Paragon London), Lee Philips (Chartis London) and Ian "Theo" Theato (~~Elvis Costello's Band~~ Allied World) share stories of good times in the U.K. at the AmWins party.

That's it for today's pictures folks. Be sure to return tomorrow to read a recap of today's sessions, including the intriguing final session featuring senior executives from various companies. There will also be pictures and a recap of tonight's Statesman Dinner honoring Todd Jones of Willis.

The LG Blog: 2010 PLUS D&O Symposium Begins

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:24:14 GMT

The 2010 PLUS D&O Symposium officially kicked off today with a schedule packed full of interesting and informative sessions.

The unofficial start, however, took place last night with the annual "Shots for Charity" fundraiser hockey game. Your semi-official PLUS blogger didn't make it to the game, but was told that it was another rousing success. More than 100 people attended the game and, not surprisingly, many more were at the ESPN Zone after-party.

In case you didn't know it, here's the standard industry equation:

Insurance + Party = Lots of People

Here's a graphic artist's recreation of what the game may have looked like from the Goodyear Blimp:

Your semi-official blogger did, however, make the sacrifice of attending the Tri-City Brokerage party at the Pig 'n Whistle in midtown. It was a loud and enjoyable affair hosted by the incomparable Garrett Koehn of the San Francisco office. Tri-City is one of the leading wholesale brokerages in the United States and quite an impressive outfit. AmWins invited me to a party tonight, so I'm sure I'll have some good things to say about them tomorrow. You see how I roll. Here are some pix from the Tri-City event:

Damian Jocke of ACE Westchester told me that he yearned for his wonderful wife, Ellen, and their two cute daughters back home in Atlanta. Here Damian is shown making a gallant effort to keep his spirits up with colleagues Andrea Landers, Brooke Atwood and Devon Lay. Good job on putting up a brave front Damian. He was in tears shortly after this picture was snapped. Poor guy.

Dixie Noel tries to ignore Tom McArdle by leaning against him as if he were a post. Tom was regaling Dixie with stories of his baseball stardom at Middletown South High School in New Jersey. Tom, a proud alum of the baseball team, was almost drafted. By the US Army.

Cary Nichols (left) of Arch San Francisco and Kirsten Slawson (guess which one she is) yukk it up with host Garrett Koehn. Garrett was inadvertently omitted from the All-Star Chapter of the leading insurance book "Claims Made & Reported," but that omission has been rectified here. Great party Garrett!

Katie Verry and Marty Maslanka seem way too overjoyed to be pictured on this blog. Oh well, it's one of life's simple pleasures I guess...

Today's PLUS D&O Symposium program began with a panel on Securities Litigation. It was moderated by Boris Feldman of the Wilson, Sonsini law firm. Attorneys Bruce Angiolillo, John "Sean" Coffey (doesn't really seem like a nickname for a "John" but that's what the program says...), Patrick Coughlin, Daniel Kramer and Linda Chatman Thomsen provided a lively and insightful review of recent cases and the current state of securities law in the U.S. I was so engrossed that I forgot to take a picture of the panel, sorry. They were all good-looking people, as are most in insurance. I'm hoping this flattery will keep you reading...

The 11 am session was titled "Mediation Tactics: Who's Part of the Problem/Solution?" Kevin LaCroix (author of the excellent insurance blog "D&O Diary" at www.dandodiary.com; you should read it as soon as you're done reading every word of this one) was the moderator. He did an excellent job of leading the panel to reveal some useful mediation strategies.

Here's a picture of the panel:

As you can see, I was way in the back of the room.

Yes, I admit that I got there a bit late. I didn't want to march to the front of the room to snap a photo with my impressive Blackberry camera phone, so this is what you get.

This is a lesson to everyone out there: PLUS sessions are very popular, get there early and find yourself a seat. Do as I say and not as I do. Back to the session....

The panel consisted of attorney Max Berger, senior XL Claims manager Steve Gladstone (a former colleague of mine and a good guy so he gets a shout out), attorney Gregory Markel and the Honorable Daniel Weinstein, a retired judge who now serves as a mediator with the JAMS service out of San Francisco.

This was an especially lively session. Judge Weinstein, in particular, peppered the conversation with both great insights and some hilarious comments. At one point he observed "What's that they say, most of the problems of Western Civilization began with .... the brokers!"

The crowd roared in laughter, except for broker Andy Doherty of Willis NY, one of the best in the business, who jumped up in defense of his fellow brokers by yelling: "No they didn't, the problems started with retired judges!"

Actually, Andy didn't do that. But I'll bet he was thinking it. Andy is a friend of mine, and I owed him a favor, so I told him I'd mention him in the blog. I didn't say how I'd mention him. Favor repaid.

Judge Weinstein also made the interesting observation that A-Side insurance coverage is now being called upon to pay claims, whereas in the old days it was a dormant coverage, along the lines of title insurance. "Who ever made a claim under their title insurance?" he asked. Great point.

The keynote luncheon speaker was Rudolph Giuliani, former mayor of New York City. Here's the best picture that I could get of him without being restrained by security:

Bad shot, I know. Hey, he's an important guy and he doesn't let semi-official bloggers get too close, who could blame him? This looks sort of like your uncle in a family photo from the 1970s. Photos of Bigfoot are also usually of this quality.

Mr. Giuliani spoke about today's economic crisis, how it was caused and how the solutions should be approached. It was a fascinating, non-partisan discussion. If you want to know more, you should've attended, sorry.

The first afternoon session, about excess Side-A coverage, was moderated by the very moderate David Goldstein of Willis Boston. Dave is also a former colleague of mine and a terrific broker. He's also very modest. He's a modest and moderate moderator. You can quote me on that.

Joining Dave on the podium were Carl Bach of Navigators' London office, Randall Bodner, a partner at Ropes & Gray and a former model in the "Most Beautiful Lawyers of Boston" calendar (it's true; I'll bet he didn't expect to see that tidbit in this blog), Joan Goldberg of Wells Fargo Insurance Services in Boston (and one of my industry faves), Mike Karmilowicz (friends just call him "Karm") Head of the Management Solutions Group at Zurich in New York, and a gentleman from ACE Bermuda whose name is not in the program because he was a last-minute substitute for a colleague. Sorry, I didn't have the presence of mind to write it down when they flashed his name on the screen. He was a good speaker though, a Brit. They always sound smart even when what they're saying is total rubbish. This guy made some excellent points though. If I come across his name later, I'll include it in a future posting.

This was another very informative session that included cutting-edge insights from a number of perspectives. The panel also revealed the single most important factor to consider when purchasing or underwriting A-Side coverage. It was.....nah, if you weren't there you're SOL again. Sorry. Next time attend in person and you'll learn these valuable things.

Finally, I took this photo in the lobby earlier today:

Here we see senior Chubb honchos (actually, Chubb doesn't have "honchos," let's call them "leaders") Evan Rosenberg and Dave Williams. They were seen plotting Chubb's world domination of the insurance industry. Shortly after news of this summit among Chubb's brain trust hit the stock market, Chubb's stock price rocketed to new highs.

Of course, you know that none of this is true, but Evan and Dave are great guys and I wanted to bust their chops in here somehow....Chubb's stock price may have actually fell if analysts saw them together!

That's it for this posting, stay tuned for more to come. Click back often, I need to ratings to maintain my cushy PLUS gig!

2010 PLUS University Registration Now Open

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:30:25 GMT

New to Professional Liability?

Come to PLUS University!

PLUS University is a fast-paced, week long program designed specifically for people who are new to Professional Liability. It will provide information about the key concepts and primary disciplines of Professional Liability.

Set in an intimate classroom
Network with industry leaders and peers
Learn from industry experts
Earn continuing education credits

Registration is now available by clicking on the link below.

Member registration is $2,200 and non-member registration is $2.600. Your registration fee includes lodging for the nights of May 17 through May 20 and also includes most meals.

Please note: Only one session is being offered in 2010. Register early as space is limited.

Register now by following this link.

The LG Blog: D&O Conference Coverage Coming Next Week

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:47:02 GMT

Just a short post to let you know that I'll be the "official/unofficial/semi-official" blogger next week at the PLUS 2010 D&O Symposium at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. This D&O-focused conference is always well attended and features a wide variety of valuable sessions for professional lines practitioners. It's not too late to register if you haven't already.

This year's keynote speakers are Rudolf Giuliani and Kenneth Feinberg.

Unlike my stint at the 2009 PLUS International Conference in Chicago, I will actually be attending some sessions and providing recaps and interviews. Of course, I'll also be at some of the networking events (read: parties) so keep your eyes peeled for the guy taking pictures with the Blackberry.

It promises to be another great PLUS conference. I hope to see you there, but if you can't make it, be sure to follow the proceedings here on the PLUS Blog site. You can be sure that Sophie the Blog Dog will be sinking her teeth into all the action...

More Claims, Bigger Exposures Likely For Employers in 2010

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:05:07 GMT

Employers are likely to face more claims and bigger exposures in 2010 as sophisticated class actions and collective lawsuits increase along with aggressive government enforcement, a law firm reported.

Those and other findings were part of the sixth annual Workplace Class Action Litigation Report by Seyfarth Shaw LLP analyzing class action and collective action court rulings of 2009 involving claims against employers in federal and state courts.

“Since we began publishing this annual report six years ago, both the number of cases filed and the financial exposure that they pose to companies has increased exponentially," J. Stephen Poor, chairman and managing partner of Seyfarth Shaw, said in a statement.

"As plaintiffs' attorneys bring increasingly sophisticated litigation against employers that combine claims under multiple statutes, the financial exposure is only going to become greater for businesses," Mr. Poor warned.

The report’s general editor, Gerald L. Maatman Jr., co-chair, Complex Discrimination Litigation Practice Group and frequent contributor to National Underwriter, said a significant number of the firm’s attorneys contributed to the study.

Read this full story here on the National Underwriter website.

2010 PLUS Conference RFP Due February 1

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:16:58 GMT

If you have a great idea for a panel or speakers at the 2010 PLUS International Conference, you need to submit your idea to us by February 1.

This year's Conference will be held November 10-12 in San Antonio, Texas.

You can visit the 2010 Conference Page on the PLUS Website by clicking this link, choose the "Material" tab and download the RFP form and instructions.

We look forward to your participation as we plan another outstanding Conference.

The LG Blog: Celebrating A Life

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:24:39 GMT

Do not fear death so much, but

rather the inadequate life.

– Bertolt Brecht (1898 – 1956)

More than 200 insurance professionals gathered last night at the Public House on East 41st Street (special thanks to manager Lynette Cesarowas) to raise money for the creation of "comfort packs" for kids undergoing chemotherapy at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx. And, just as importantly, to celebrate the life of Carolyn Sullivan, the precious daughter of Pete (Aon NY) and Jeanne Sullivan who passed away in September from cancer. Here's a photo of Carolyn in her school uniform:

Carolyn was eulogized at her funeral as being a very energetic, fun-loving and friendly girl, who lit up a room whenever she entered. Many mourners also talked about her great charm and sense of humor. Her loss is felt deeply, even by those of us not lucky enough to have known her.

The event was organized by Cara LaTorre and John Vanasco of Aon. Cara, in particular, deserves special mention for the untold hours of her personal time that she devoted to making the event the huge success that it was. Money was raised not only through the admission fee, but also by means of a raffle, with many great prizes, and direct individual and corporate donations.

Dr. Kathy Skae of The Children's Hospital at Montefiore was on hand to make some very nice remarks about Carolyn, who she personally treated. Dr. Skae also expressed the Hospital's gratitude for the fundraising effort.

The event was a great opportunity for friends to catch up with each other. Judging by outward appearances, everybody enjoyed themselves immensely. No doubt, that's just the way that Carolyn would've wanted it.

Below are some photos from last night's event.

This is Cara LaTorre and John Vanasco, the party's organizers. Cara was working frantically at the admissions table shortly before this photo was taken. John was having a drink.

Braden, Quinn & Lubeck is not a law firm (scary thought!), just Brian, Pete and James sharing some war stories.

Dan Flood, Ray Santiago and Simon Beynon talking about how they miss the good old days at AIG working with LG. Or maybe not. That's what I thought I heard them saying but I may have been hallucinating. Those drinks were strong.

Rich "Sunshine" Fachet and Steve "Coach" Troiano share a laugh. They probably won't be laughing when they see their nicknames in print. Steve is actually called "Coach" because he's a mentor for a lot of young underwriters. I wouldn't want you to think that it's because he sits in coach class all the time. That's not the reason. Really. And "Sunshine" is a better nickname than "Moonshine" so Rich should just be happy with it.

Mike Klaschka and Laura Coppola (and industry favorite of mine) catch up on old times. Laura mustn't have been able to find anyone else to talk to at that moment (just kidding Mike...well, maybe not...)

Here we see that Laura was able to peddle Mike off on the lovely and talented Natasha Tarasova, another one of my industry favorites. She deserves better.

In this third and final picture from my time-elapsed photography session, Jason "The Hawk" Hawkins tells Mike that he's done talking to him and will have to hand him off to someone else...

They say that bloggers get all the women...here I'm flanked by Raquel Rongione and Lara Bruzzese, two good Irish girls... They say the camera adds 20 years to men.

Leigh McMullan (prominent member of the John Street Club) and Lori Marino talk about the good old days at ACE, or the good new ones at Valiant.

Dave "Lucky" Lynders and EveAnn "Not-Much-Luck-I'm-Stuck-With-Dave" Cassis (of FETA fame) discuss their former time together at Axis. Unfortunately for Dave, and through no correlation, the Axis stock price rocketed the day after he quit.

Bill "Billy Mo" Morris and Pete Sullivan. Bill volunteered to test an experimental NASA human transporter, much like the one in Star Trek, and is seen here dissolving molecularly just before being beamed up. Unfortunately, the experiment went awry and Bill was only transported across the room next to Klaschka. NASA Scientists are back at the drawing board and Bill is undergoing counseling.

Rob Exelbert, Andy Perterson and George Blume share a laugh and a Coke. Andy, in my opinion, is one of the most talented underwriters in the history of insurance. He controls the Zurich luxury box at Madison Square Garden. I tried to speak with Andy last night about some really important stuff, but it was too loud. We need a quieter place to talk, like in a luxury box maybe.

Ray Santiago and John Benedetto discuss the latest fashion trends. Actually, John did all the talking, Ray just nodded as he looked around the room.

Steve Whalen, Andy Doherty and Lara Bruzzese are shown here. Andy was supposed to be calling Bingo at St. Margaret's in Pearl River last night. Hopefully none of the parishioners read the PLUS blog. I barely read it, so I doubt any of them would....

Pete Sullivan and Car LaTorre.

Jason "Doc" Brown and Tania Chen discuss the current state of the insurance market. Jason is affectionately called "Doc" because he has a doctorate in being ~~cheap~~ thrifty. Not really, but if there were such a thing, he could teach the courses.

Steve Boughal, Ryan Seacrest, Liz Mayo, Brian Wanat and, surprise, surprise, Mike Klaschka (he was following me around) appear here. Seacrest took some time off from filiming "American Idol" to stop by in the hopes of meeting Kevin Sears. Seacrest heard that Sears looks like him. Unfortunately, Kevin never showed up, so Ryan entertained the crowd with behind-the-scene stories from his days working at CNA. Strange coincidence.

Have you ever seen two guys happier to be at a party? This is Vince McGee (not to be confused with industry legend Vince McGeehan of Willis) and Brian Braden competing to see who can smile wider for the camera. A fitting final photo for a thoroughly enjoyable party.

One last thought on Carolyn and her brief but wonderful life. A quote from Abraham Lincoln:

"In the end, it is not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years."

The LG Blog: One Thing I Learned in the 2000s, PLUS Some Others

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:51:07 GMT

The launching of the new decade caused me to reflect on some of the insurance industry lessons that I learned in the past ten years. The first decade of the 2000s was certainly eventful, although not always in a good way.

The old Chinese proverb, “May you live in interesting times,” once again proves susceptible to multiple interpretations.

I can’t verify that all the lessons below were learned in the last ten years, some are older no doubt, but most fit the bill. The very first lesson that I learned last decade, shortly after the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2000, is that the “experts” are not always right. As we know, the much-anticipate Y2K "meltdown" never happened.

Not only did things not meltdown, they didn’t even get warm to the touch. Sometimes the "experts" are just flat-out wrong. Astoundingly so, in fact. So, I learned that lesson….

Ø PLUS, I learned that you should think creatively and share your innovative ideas with people who can make them happen. Even they don't work out, your superiors will be impressed that you're one of the few people who really think about the business;

Ø PLUS, I learned that karma exists; if you’re a jerk, it will come back to haunt you. On the other hand, do a good deed and it will be repaid (pay it forward, as they say...);

Ø PLUS, I learned (again) that you can’t judge a book by its cover. I've listened to senior executives of respected companies tell me how great their organizations were, only to see those companies destroyed by scandal not long after. It's hard to detect a really good liar no matter how good you think you are;

Ø PLUS, I learned that if someone asks to have the fraud exclusion removed, decline their submission immediately and vow not to do business with them in the future. You'll be happy you did;

Ø PLUS, I learned that if you remember people's names, especially prospects in a large group meeting, you'll have a greater chance of getting their business (Dale Carnegie gets credit for that one);

Ø PLUS, I learned that the good accounts will pay you back over time, because they value relationships;

Ø PLUS, I learned that if we all did our jobs with as much enthusiasm as Bruce Springsteen does his, our industry would be immensely better off;

Ø PLUS, I re-learned that you should respect everyone. We've all seen examples of subordinates eventually becoming their boss's new boss. Just be nice to everyone and you won't have to worry;

Ø PLUS, I learned that if September 11th taught us nothing else, it drove home the fact that we should cherish every day;

Ø PLUG, I learned that no company is above scrutiny;

Ø PLUS, I learned that Yahoo Finance is a good resource and you shouldn't let info-snobs talk you out of using it;

Ø PLUS, I’ve learned that if you’re going to let someone take a silly picture of you, like my friend did, you should get them to promise not to post it on a blog;

Ø PLUS, I learned that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions in a group meeting. Others have the same thoughts but are afraid to speak up. You’ll impress both the prospect/client and broker with your interest and intelligence;

Ø PLUS, I learned that you should acquire at least one rabbi, a senior person in your company (or, if not there, in your industry niche) who can give you career advice and insights. Choose someone who cares about you, it will pay off handsomely in the long run. Don't just rely on the random musings of people like me;

Ø PLUS, I learned that there are a lot of benefits, some unexpected, that come with being an active participant in industry associations like PLUS, RIMS, DRI, The Council on Litigation Management, the CPCU Society, etc.;

Ø PLUS, I learned that when underwriting a company, you should think about their product or service and how you believe it may have utility in your own life. If you have no use for it, others might not either. And if you’ve used the product or service and had a bad experience, maybe others have too. Personal experience is important;

Ø PLUS, I learned that when you're adjusting a claim, treat the claimant with courtesy and respect, and promptly return their calls, whether their claim is valid or not. You may keep a client for your company, and possibly even spark an expansion of the relationship, regardless of whether you pay the claim;

Ø PLUS, I’ve learned that if a company brings their CEO to an underwriting meeting, they usually either have a really good story to brag about or a really bad one to mask;

Ø PLUS, I’ve learned that the operations people rule the world, so be nice to them. That includes your assistant and all other support staff;

Ø PLUS, I’ve learned that you should pay attention to what the popular press says about your clients. Whether it’s true or not, it can have a big effect on the company;

Ø PLUS, I’ve learned that you should never speak ill of competitors, especially to clients and prospects, it only denigrates you and makes you look classless, no matter how true your comments may be;

Ø PLUS, I learned that who you work with is usually more important than what company you work for;

Ø PLUS, I learned that you should let the other side make the first offer whenever possible;

Ø PLUS, I learned that Side A coverage is no longer pure gravy;

Ø PLUS, I learned that Cost of Corrections benefits the carrier when used properly;

Ø PLUS, I’ve learned that if you discover something that doesn't make sense to you, ask questions until it does, no matter what the issue (maybe this should be called "The Madoff Rule");

Ø PLUS, I’ve learned that if you get an account solely on price, you should expect to lose it solely on price;

Ø PLUS, I learned that you can never do too much for charity. For example, this Thursday, January 14th from 6 - 9 pm at the Public House, 140 East 41st Street in Manhattan there will be a party to raise money to create "comfort packs" for kids undergoing cancer treatment. It's one of the most worthwhile events that you can attend this year. For more information, or to buy your tickets, please contact Cara LaTorre at charity11410@yahoo.com or call 212.441.2372. You can also call John Vanasco at 212.441.2281. There will be a raffle featuring terrific prizes such as vacation getaways, golf foursomes, an autographed Derek Jeter baseball and other great items. I'm sorry to sneak this ad into what you thought was an informational piece, I'm getting like Advisen!

Ø PLUS, I’ve learned that you should protect business secrets even more zealously than your own;

Ø PLUS, I’ve learned that if you invite someone to a meal in the business world, you should pick up the tab (this doesn’t apply to friends);

Ø PLUS, I've learned that a picture of Sophie The Blog Dog increases blog reader satisfaction. Here Sophie licks her chops over what she anticipates to be many clicks;

Ø PLUS, I’ve learned that your personal reputation in this industry is the most important thing that you own; don't compromise it for any reason;

Ø PLUS, I’ve learned that if you're a broker, you should always remember that most exclusions are not in the Exclusions Section. Close your office door (or put on headphones if you're in a cube) and do a full-on policy review, your client deserves it and your E&O carrier will appreciate it;

Ø PLUS, I’ve learned that you should read the footnotes to the financials, that's where the meat is hidden, and is from where headlines will be made;

Ø PLUS, I’ve learned that when in doubt, you should err on the side of overdressing for a meeting or other business function;

Ø PLUS, I’ve learned that brokers should keep RFP responses as short as possible, the client or prospect will appreciate it and be impressed that you’re not wasting their time with another War and Peace;

Ø PLUS, I learned that you shouldn’t gloat over another company's misfortune, you could be in their position someday;

Ø PLUS, I learned that just because everyone else dislikes a person or an account, it doesn't mean that you have to; make up your own mind based upon your own investigation;

Ø PLUS, I learned that if you meet a famous or very powerful executive, it’s natural to be impressed, but don’t let it show too much;

Ø PLUS, I learned that relationships matter in our business on many levels. I do business on a personal basis with MetLife, Chase, BofA, Verizon Wireless and Fidelity Investments, to name a few, because I know the current or former risk managers and they are good representatives of their companies;

Ø PLUS, I learned that you can’t steal second base without taking your foot off first. You have to take some personal and professional risks sometimes if you want to really succeed;

Ø PLUS, I learned that I like blogging so much that I’ve started a humorous blog on general topics. It’s at www.lgreport.blogspot.com. You can read about my experience in Martha Stewart's audience, my environmentally-friendly idea that would save McDonald's millions, and where to get the best sushi (Yama) and groceries (Wegmans), among other things;

Ø PLUS, I learned that I should thank you for reading my PLUS blog postings and I hope you’ll come back often and continue to support PLUS. Best wishes to you and your family for an awesome 2010.

Medical PL Symposium and Professional Risk Symposium Registration Now Open

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:51:18 GMT

NY Governor Paterson: To Re-Launch New York Insurance Exchange

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:11:13 GMT

CHICAGO (Dow Jones)--A plan by New York to establish an infrastructure for a revived New York Insurance Exchange will create thousands of jobs in New York and help keep insurance dollars there, said James Wrynn, superintendent of New York's insurance department.

Governor David A. Paterson announced the plan in his state of the state address delivered Wednesday.

The NYIE "would enhance New York's status as the world's financial center stimulating the economy by increasing the flow of capital and insurance premiums to New York," according to a copy of his speech published on the governor's Web site.

Paterson described the exchange as a way to bring buyers and sellers of complex commercial insurance together that would operate like the famous Lloyd's of London exchange.

In a conference call Wednesday, Wrynn did not give a timetable for setting up the exchange, which he said could have a physical location as well as a technical infrastructure.

"The goal is not to get it up and running quickly. The goal is to make sure it fits a need for the industry. When it does get up and running it will be running for a long time," Wrynn said.

Wrynn estimated that 50% of the money that goes to the Lloyd's of London insurance market comes from the U.S., and that the exchange could help keep some of that money in the U.S. as well as create thousands of jobs in New York city and in upstate New York. The exchange would focus on complex and large risks.

The Freedom Tower, since renamed One World Trade Center, currently under construction on the site of the World Trade Center, would be a "perfect" example of a risk that could be insured through the exchange, Wrynn said.

A previous New York Insurance Exchange opened in 1980 but closed within a decade. The exchange offered a centralized marketplace for brokering and underwriting insurance risks, but closed after the industry suffered some losses.

"The risk market has advanced and technology and capital markets have advanced" since then, said Wrynn. "Conditions are more favorable for an insurance exchange."

Wrynn said the exchange would provide added security for insureds by establishing a central fund to pay claims if an insuring syndicate was unable to pay.

"By bringing together buyers and sellers of complex commercial insurance, the exchange will reaffirm our status as the hub of international trade and finance and it will also curtail the unregulated transactions that devastated the global economy," Paterson said in the remarks published on his Web site. He added that "New York was the epicenter of so much that went terribly wrong in 2008. It is our responsibility as New Yorkers to lead in the rebuilding and reform of these vital global markets."

Link to Article:

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100106-711820.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines

2010 PLUS D&O Symposium Early Registration Deadline is Friday, January 8!

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 09:09:32 GMT

If you are unable to view the above graphic, please click here.

Out With the Old...In With the New

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 06:23:34 GMT

This past year was quite a year. We had bailouts, ponzi schemes, and unemployment. There was the inauguration of a new President, healthcare legislation, and the ongoing war in Afghanistan. And we topped everything off with pirates, pandemic flu and a balloon boy.

While this was taking place, PLUS continued to move forward due to the creativity, diligence and foresight of the PLUS volunteer leadership and staff. Here are some of the highlights from 2009:

RPLU and Curriculum

We completed our transition into the new RPLU exams based on the 23 module PLUS Curriculum. In addition to offering exams at Prometric centers worldwide, we also offer companies the opportunity to administer exams at their locations, making it easier to train employees in the elements of professional liability.

Chapters

We held more that 40 local meetings this year, hosted by volunteer Chapter leaders in the United States, Canada and Europe. Dedicated volunteers also worked to host eight golf outings raising money for the PLUS Foundation.

Social Networking

We moved into the realm of social networking, adding Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as resources for PLUS Members and others interested in professional liability. They also began inviting guest bloggers to participate in keeping our messages fresh and humorous.

Going Green

Starting with lowering our printing output and offering an electronic option for the PLUS Journal, we are working to help the environment by “going green” and conserving resources.

Webinar

PLUS offered its first Webinar in conjunction with Advisen. This program was a success, with more than 400 people participating in the call.

International Events

PLUS held four large scale events this year (D&O Symposium, Medical PL Symposium, Professional Risk Symposium, and the PLUS International Conference). They attracted more than 4,000 attendees and brought in timely and topical speakers including Madeleine Albright, Eric Dinallo, Paul Keckley, Susan Hodgkinson, Marvin Zonis, Walter Bond, Dr. Robert Hartwig, President Bill Clinton and Malcolm Gladwell.

Next week we will post some of the things we’re going to be working on come the new year. For now, on behalf of the PLUS leadership and staff, thank you for your support of PLUS in 2009 and best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2010.

Happy New Year

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 06:21:03 GMT

Happy New Year!

We will resume posting articles and information on Monday, January 4th.

Out With the Old...In With the New...

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:29:15 GMT

While this was taking place, PLUS continued to move forward due to the creativity, diligence and foresight of the PLUS volunteer leadership and staff. Here are some of the highlights from 2009:

RPLU and Curriculum

Chapters

Social Networking

Going Green

Starting with lowering our printing output and offering an electronic option for the PLUS Journal, we are working to help the environment by “going green” and conserving resources.

Webinar

PLUS offered its first Webinar in conjunction with Advisen. This program was a success, with more than 400 people participating in the call.

International Events

The LG Blog: Thoughts on a Holiday Dinner

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:51:30 GMT

This picture sums up, for me, one of the best aspects of working in the professional lines insurance industry:

That first sentence was rather cryptic. Allow me to elaborate.

The photo above was taken last night at an annual holiday dinner which has occurred during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day for about eight years now. Nobody remembers the exact year of origin. All of the participants worked together at AIG in the 1990s. A few are still there, although most have moved on to other companies over time. Despite working for competing firms, we still get together every year at this time to reminisce, catch up on everyone's news and to just have a good time.

One of the traditions in recent years is that I invent a ridiculous bar game or two (which explains why Mike Kambos is wearing goggles in the photo below) and a few of us amuse ourselves until dinner is ready. This year the games came to a halt when we lost the super ball somewhere on the floor of Harry's Italian. I suspect that an annoyed restaurant employee found the ball and hide it on us. In case you're interested, the person who was shooting the super ball had to wear the goggles for safety reasons (of course, that wasn't the real reason; I just wanted to inject some extra ridiculousness into the proceedings and the goggles were hard to pass up at the dollar store...)

The point of it all, however, is that we have a fairly close-knit community in professional lines and it's something that we don't always take time to reflect upon or appreciate. I've never worked in investment banking or accounting or consulting, but my guess is that people in many other professions don't enjoy the camaraderie that we may take for granted. It's something to think about as this decade ends and the next is about to begin.

I'm going to leave you with a few more photos from last night, but first I'd like to mention that next week I'm going to post some thoughts on things that I've learned in our industry over the past decade. If you have any thoughts or lessons that you'd like to contribute, please e-mail me at LG727@aol.com. I can attribute your thoughts or post them anonymously, just let me know what you'd prefer (but if they're good I'll probably take credit for them either way...)

George Blume (PIA), Ray Santiago (Chartis) and Ron Borys (Aon) compete in the "2009 Holiday Party Worst Picture Pose Contest." It was a three-way tie although a few of the judges were impressed by Ron's redeye (the photographer was clearly not to blame) and George's feigned look of sleep/boredom.

Black and white is this year's hot fashion look according to those in the know. Here Julia Roberts (played by Leslie Hinck of the Loews Corporation/CNA) and Beyonce (portrayed by Chartis' Shelby Robinson) display the trendy outfits that they recently picked up at ~~K-Mart~~ the Giorgio Armani store.

And you thought the phrase "beer goggles" was just a figure of speech! Mike Kambos shows off his winnings from the "Look Like a Scary 1940's Aviator" contest. As a holiday gift to him, I won't disclose Mike's employer in case he's interested in keeping his job in this depressed economy. Oops, did I say Mike Kambos? I meant to say that his is a picture of Charles Lindbergh's grandson, Charlie Lindbergh IV. Please note that the goggles prevent redeye. Only $1.00 at a dollar store near you!

Some people actually wanted their picture on this blog! Pictured are the lovely Sandy Nalewajk, Anne Jaggassar and Gina (she only goes by one name since that's all I know.) "Sex and the City" has just found their new cast, you go girls!

Ron Fiamma (left, of Chartis) reacts to being told that he would be denied access to the LG Blog on www.plusblog.org. Relax Ron, we were only kidding! Also pictured are Anthony Yanni of Everest National (he's no relation to the singer Yanni) and the Loews Corporation's Leslie Hinck (no relation to would-be assassin John Hinckley so don't think that she shortened her name to avoid that connection; she didn't.)

Thanks for reading my blog and for supporting PLUS in general. Please accept my wishes for a happy, healthy and successful 2010.

Insurance Innovation: An Oxymoron?

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:39:43 GMT

During the 2009 PLUS International Conference in Chicago, we hosted a panel titled "Insurance Innovation: An Oxymoron?"

In this interview with session panelist Leib Dodell of ThinkRisk, Insurance Journal asks a few additional questions to whether innovation can couple with insurance and financial services.

Taking Risks and CEO Compensation...What is the Correlation?

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:37:24 GMT

This Fox Business interview with Attorney Robert Profusek discusses what correlation, if any, exists between executive pay and banking risk.

The LG Blog: Thoughts At The End of A Decade

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:05:43 GMT

Pull up a chair kids, I want to tell you a story.

We sold Y2K insurance in 1999 when I worked at AIG. It seems like last month. As I recall, Y2K insurance was available as either a stand-alone policy or as an endorsement to a standard D&O form. We tried to scare potential purchasers into buying with a number of doomsday-like predictions from third party "experts." I remember that one so-called expert thought that the computer malfunctions would be so pervasive that "We'll still be feeling the effects of Y2K 50 years from now." Supposedly, if you owned a BMW there was a good chance that you wouldn't be able to start your car because the key contained a computer chip.

I think we sold a grand total of two policies in the Financial Institutions Group at National Union. I won't embarrass anybody by identifying the purchasers (mainly because I can't remember, otherwise I'm not against embarrassing people...) As we all know, the anticipated problems were virtually non-existent.

It's hard to believe that all of those things occurred ten years ago. Time flies whether you're having fun on not (I am, for the most part, having fun, not that you asked...)

Given that we're about to draw the curtain on another decade (yikes, can it really be?!) I thought I'd pause to reflect a bit on some of the things that have happened in the insurance industry, at least the professional lines corner of it, in the last ten years. Here, in no particular order, are my thoughts. I'm also throwing in some not-necessarily-relevant photos since my people tell me that blogs with photos get much higher reader satisfaction ratings and I'm all about ratings and clicks, as you may have gathered by now. Anyone with their own "people" would feel this way, so don't blame me. Anyway, here we go, so strap in:

· The so-called Class of 2001 companies, start-ups all, have fared surprisingly (to me) well and are actually, for the most part, thriving quite nicely. Arch, AWAC, Axis and Endurance jump immediately to mind. Ironshore, Class of '06, is also doing quite well and Everest National has a nice talent pool going for it;

· Consolidation within the industry, especially in the last year or two, hasn't occurred at the torrid pace that many observers expected;

· AIG, always a juggernaut and, certainly, at one time the industry's most respected company, seemed surprisingly vulnerable for a time in 2008, and then, perhaps surprisingly, it has seemed most resilient;

· None of the many financial crises and scandals during the decade (and there were many) delivered the industry-crippling losses that a lot of observers expected;

· The magnitude and frequency of such scandals, however, seemed to far exceed anyone's expectations;

· I know a guy who saved his employer $15 million by turning down the fidelity bond submission on Bernard Madoff's investment advisory firm (if you can call it that) because he felt that one person, Madoff, had too much control over the company and it "just didn't feel right." I won't tell you his name (he doesn't need a job) but it reinforces, to some extent, the value of good old-fashioned experience and intuition in our industry. Don't underestimate it;

· Phil Voluck of the Kaufman Dolowich law firm is a very colorful character who does a lot for the industry. I poked fun at him in the past so I thought I should set the record straight;

· I've mentioned this before, but it is well-worth repeating: Cara LaTorre and John Vanasco of Aon New York are organizing a cocktail party (beer, wine and premium drinks) on Thursday, January 14th from 6 - 9 pm at the Public House, 140 East 41st Street in Manhattan. All net proceeds will be used to create "comfort packs" for children undergoing radiation treatment at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx. This is being done in the name of Carolyn Sullivan, the precious 9-year old daughter of Pete (Aon New York) and Jeanne Sullivan who passed away in September after a courageous battle with cancer. Tickets are $60 in advance or $65 at the door. For more information, or to buy your tickets, please contact Cara at charity11410@yahoo.com or call 212.441.2372. You can also call John at 212.441.2281. This is an open party and you are encouraged to spread the word to as many people as possible (if a certain threshold of attendees is met, the bar will close to the public that night and hold only this event.) Raffle tickets will be sold at the event. The great prizes include golf foursomes, a delicious dinner and other terrific items. To read about Carolyn and her wonderful life, please go to www.caringbridge.org/visit/carolynsullivan This is for a great cause and promises to be a very enjoyable night for all so please make every effort to attend. And please spread the word (e.g. send this blog posting to all your friends) and feel free to bring a pal or five. Everyone associated with this event thanks you deeply. And if you're lucky, your photo may even appear on my blog posting about the party! Please, contain your glee (I also take bribes to not post photos...);

· Cynics will periodically say, mostly during a soft market, that the market cycles are dead in the insurance business and the soft market is here to stay, permanently. Then it hardens again and everyone denies ever saying that;

· PLUS has enjoyed great success in this decade (and, again, I'm not just saying that because they set me up with this blog platform) thanks, in large part, to very strong leadership at both the national level (Derek Hazeltine and his team) and regional levels (too many people to mention.) As many of you know, the 2009 International Conference in November attracted a record number of registrants, over 1,900 (many of you didn't even know that "registrants" was a word.) That's fairly remarkable considering current economic conditions. A valuable PLUS trivia fact: the PLUS logo contains three stars because PLUS's founder, Angelo Gioia (who started the organization in 1987), has three sons. He told me so himself. He's a very innovative guy. Also, Bill Gates's dad (yes, that Bill Gates) did the legal work to incorporate PLUS. It's true;

· Karma in action: a certain attorney general, who saw a scandal where many saw none, was ousted from office by a scandal. Everyone saw that one however, on the cover of the New York Post;

· One of the most impressive industry success stories of the decade: the growth of Advisen. It's become indispensible to many in the industry. Business Insurance, National Underwriter, and The Insurance Insider, to name three, are great industry publications, but Advisen is a daily tool (make your own pun off that one...) Tom Ruggieri and his team have really hit a homerun;

· Insurance coverage and defense law firms seem to have proliferated in this decade. Ten years ago, Wilson, Elser, (WEMED), D'Amato & Lynch (I'm an alum), Mendes & Mount and a few other firms seemed to dominate the field (and all still vibrant players) but now there are a bunch more firms that do excellent jobs, as well as large, old-line law firms who have soiled their hands by entering the field. I guess it's a reflection of the industry's growth;

This is a photo of John Kerns of Beecher Carlson and Sheila Small (risk manager of Verizon and, yes, she can hear you now -- she's heard that one before) at the Beecher Carlson holiday party. The guy in the background is developing a bald spot, but it's not too bad yet.

Professional lines underwriting will always need an intangible element in the underwriting, at least for large accounts;

· That "Donate Your Car for Kids" commercial that constantly plays on the radio (coincidentally, as I type) is really annoying. The kid mispronounces the word "donate," listen closely next time (he says "duh nate") and it makes me want to do the opposite and donate my car to senior citizens (by the way, I investigated and the proceeds go to a school in Texas);

· One good thing that came out of the Bernie Madoff scandal: I got to meet Nobel Prize Winner Elie Wiesel at a breakfast seminar on the Madoff scam. I only spoke to him briefly but he is an extremely impressive man, he exudes dignity and class. You should read his book Night;

· When this decade began, nobody had even the slightest idea to offer terrorism insurance in the U.S. Sadly, that changed;

· I don't care what anyone says, and I think most people in the industry are with me on this: Hank Greenberg's legacy will be that he was one of the greatest leaders in the history of this industry, a true genius;

· The Statesman Dinner has turned into one of the most enjoyable nights in the industry each year (unless you're the honoree or someone else skewered on stage) (Bailey & McCarrick: please don't skewer me for saying that);

· I don't think too many people mourn the passing of the black-tie C&S Dinner at the Waldorf, but the general decline of the first Wednesday in December as a massive social and networking night for the industry is sad, we've lost something;

· People hired purely as "ringers" for the company softball or basketball team generally turn out to be inferior employees and teammates;

· It seems like insurance is proliferating as a major at colleges around the country (see, e.g. the ad on the PLUS website seeking an insurance professor at the University of Montana). More and more people are entering the industry intentionally, can you believe it?!;

· ACE and Aon have really made hay this decade (However, I think I got into Aon's grill and prompted the change of their stock symbol from AOC to AON; you'd know this if you read The Book);

· Marsh, while suffering some serious talent drain (no, not losing me) (or even Tom Zach for that matter), has managed to keep a very talented core of people at senior levels. It's a good company to work for;

· Wholesalers (particularly ARC, Socius and AmWins) throw the best parties in the industry;

· Someone could easily make a show similar to "Madmen" about the insurance industry, the problem is, no insurance insider would want to write a tell-all;

· The so-called "Gen Re" trial was a travesty, as were the sentences, really;

· I think I can hear the PLUS Webmaster changing the locks as I type (Scott Billey does an excellent job);

· Insurance needs a single national regulator who can see what every company is doing in every state. It will simplify and streamline everything for all interested parties;

· All those golf outings and other charity events in our industry are worthwhile and they do make a difference, so please keep attending and supporting. Some of my favorites are: the Santiago Golf Outing, the St. Thomas Charity Classic, the Marsh FINPRO 9-11 Charity Golf Outing (ran for five years and was discontinued) and one which I can't think of right now, so if you call to say that I forgot to mention yours, I'll say that was it;

· This is a picture, taken at the Jersey Shore, of last weekend's snowstorm. Just wanted to give you an idea of what I shoveled. Quite a workout;

· September 11th is a scar that will never fully heal;

· Many people who originally thought that they were only in this industry temporarily live in very nice houses. And they have just-as-nice weekend houses and phat bank accounts;

· A Word to the Wise (and I don't have many): If you're under 25, you should seriously consider becoming a fidelity underwriter, they will be in high demand soon. If you're over 25, it's still not a bad idea, I just inserted that age limitation to get your attention;

· The popular press does not like the insurance industry. Get used to it;

· At some point during this past decade "finite risk" went from being a hot, "license-to-print-money" product to being a four-letter word;

· If you work in the D&O field, don't miss the February PLUS Conference in New York unless you have a really good excuse (like your company won't pay to fly you here; if it's only a subway ride away, go to the reception at least, it's a great networking event...);

· 2001 was definitely the industry's worst year of the decade. 2009 feels like it was next worst (I didn't consult the actuarial charts on that, I just went with the gut);

· Here's a picture of someone in our industry, a friend of mine, totally missing the ball (known as "whiffing" for you non-golfers) on an actual swing (no, not a warm up swing, I promise you.) I won't identify him because he'd be quite angry, but maybe you can figure it out if you look closely. The picture is from 2004. This decade felt somewhat like a whiff at times, don't you think? Maybe that was just a stretch to justify posting this photo...;

· Your best friend, neighbor and, possibly, spouse, don't really understand what you do for a living. And if you closely read most insurance industry analyst's reports, you'll realize that they don't really know our business either;

· Pound-for-pound, the most fun people to be around in our industry work in London ("pound" pun not intended there, but I'll take it);

· Everybody wants the middle-market business now;

· If you don't know about, and respect, the people and companies who built professional lines into what it is, you should make a point to learn (and I'm actually not just referring to my book, even though you think I am; just talk to an old-timer);

· One of the best ways to lose a client is to look at your Blackberry in a meeting;

· Still, nobody knows what to call this decade that is passing: the aughts, the "oh oh's," or whatever. Time will sort it out;

· I notice that I mentioned the other two of the Big Three brokers but not Willis. They are good too. The Bermuda office is a textbook example of how to run a successful operation;

· I thought Chubb would get bought long ago, great name, great infrastructure and plenty of talent. But what do I know?;

· I ran D&O units at AIG and ACE and still can't tell you why it takes so long to issue a Fortune 1000 D&O policy, it's some kind of unanswerable mystery. If you ever find a genie in a lamp on the beach, that's the one question you should ask him;

· We have a lot of good people in this industry and at times I think we take that for granted;

So there they are, some of my random ramblings at the end of this decade. Here's hoping that the next ten years are better than the previous ten.

If you haven't already, this is probably a good time to reflect on all of the good people and things in your life at the end of this decade, as well as to pause and remember the friends and colleagues who entered this decade with us but didn't make it to the end. I'm sure we are richer for having known them.

I wish you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season and a wonderful 2010.

I will leave you with a holiday photo of Sophie the Blog Dog, who also wishes you all the best:

Consultant's Errors and Omissions - Mercer's Little Alaska Problem

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:09:57 GMT

Although it has received little coverage lately, a bombshell of a lawsuit inching its way through the superior court of Alaska has revealed the financial strain visited on state workers there and promises to have ramifications for public pensions across the country.

The Alaska Retirement Management Board, a state agency, filed the suit in 2007 against Mercer, the human resources consulting firm. The lawsuit says that Mercer’s mistakes hindered the ability of Alaska’s retirement system to meet its obligations to former public employees.

Mercer, the agency contends, made multiple errors as the state’s actuarial consultant when it estimated the amounts that two of the state’s retirement plans needed to set aside for health care and pension benefits. The agency seeks damages of $2.8 billion.

Read the full story here on the New York Times website.

Annual Judicial Hellhole List

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:28:30 GMT

Usually, I don't post lists. But, when anyone releases a list called the "Judicial Hellhole List", I figure that I should probably at least give them a mention.

The American Tort Reform Association released its list yesterday, and congratulations to South Florida for being #1.

The list, which contains areas that have reputations for uneven justice, also included West Virginia; Cook County, Illinois; Atlantic County, NJ; New Mexico appellate courts; and New York City.

Read the full story, including other "hellhole" spots, here on the National Underwriter website.

Case Settlement News

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:52:06 GMT

It seems like all of the articles I'm seeing today are describing settlements. Here is what's making news:

Washington DC agrees to $8.25 Million dollar settlement for protest arrests.

The group's lawyers say police encircled the park during a protest of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Officers then arrested demonstrators, tourists and others without warning. The plaintiffs allege some were bound for 24 hours.

Albertson's to pay $8.9 Million in Colorado Bias Suits.

The Albertson's LLC grocery chain will pay $8.9 million to 168 black and Hispanic workers who said they were subjected to racial taunts and a graffiti-laced restroom depicting lynchings and swastikas, federal officials said Tuesday.

The money is part of a settlement agreement between Albertson's and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which represented the workers in three lawsuits involving the company's warehouse distribution center in suburban Denver.

University of Phoenix settles False Claims Act lawsuit for $67.5 Million.

This case began as a whistleblower action filed in the Eastern District of California under the False Claims Act, which permits private citizens to bring lawsuits for fraud on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. Whistleblowers Mary Hendow and Julie Behn, two former University of Phoenix employees, alleged that the university accepted federal student financial aid while in violation of statutory and regulatory provisions prohibiting post-secondary schools from paying admissions counselors certain forms of incentive-based compensation tied to the number of students recruited. Though the United States did not intervene in this action, the Government provided support and assistance to the whistleblowers at many stages of the case, including filing friend-of-the-court briefs when the case was on appeal to the Ninth Circuit. The two whistleblowers will receive $19 million from the settlement.

2010 PLUS International Conference RFP Now Available

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:18:21 GMT

PLUS is now accepting Requests for Proposals for the 2010 PLUS International Conference taking place November 10-12 in San Antonio, Texas.

Any member wishing to submit proposals for panels at the International Conference may do so by filling out the interactive form located under the Material tab here on the PLUS Website.

Please refer to the instructions included in the RFP and note that all completed RFP's must be returned to PLUS by 5:00 p.m. CST on February 1, 2010 to be eligible for consideration.

We look forward to your participation as we plan another outstanding Conference.

The LG Blog: Beecher Carlson Holiday Party Recap

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:48:12 GMT

Last night Beecher Carlson held its annual holiday party for clients and underwriters in its Times Square offices. Your Citizen Blogger cannot hit all of the holiday parties, nor does he want to (especially since he's not invited to most...) but since he was at the Beecher party, he figured "Why not post a blog?" The people at the party answered that question with a lot of reasons as to why no blog entry should be posted ("I don't want you taking a picture of me, especially with a Blackberry camera phone, get a real camera!") but, of course, your Citizen Blogger paid no heed... I just hope PLUS Executive Director Derek Hazeltine and PLUS Webmaster Scott Billey don't pull my blogging privleges for over-use (nah, they're excellent guys, they won't....hopefully....)

Before we delve into the photos, here is a bit of background on Beecher Carlson, excerpted from you-know-which-insurance-book that I will, once again, not reference specifically nor provide ordering information for:

* * *

Beecher Carlson: Founded in 1981 by Bill Beacher and Tim Carlson, this brokerage (originally known as “Beacher + Carlson before being re-branded as “Beecher Carlson”) started out as a retail broker, captive manager and reinsurance and risk management consultant. American Reinsurance bought the firm in 1989 to assist its reinsurance clients with, among other things, technical analysis and captive management (although about 65% of its revenues came from insurance brokerage.) In September of 2003, Am Re was close to selling Beecher Carlson to a major broker when former Hobbs CEO Tom Golub, who had been retained by an investment group as a consultant on the deal, got the idea to spur a management buyout. Along with his friend and former colleague Doug MacGinnitie, Tom convinced Beecher Carlson management to execute his plan (the investment group that had originally retained Tom was fine with it as well.) Since that time Beecher Carlson has been busy expanding its various practices, including professional lines brokerage. Employing a lean and mean structure that requires revenues to outpace expenses, Beecher is building quite a franchise for itself. The company picks its spots prudently and has won some major accounts from its bigger rivals.

* * *

Ok, without further adieu (if you considered that to be "adieu" at all...), here are the pix:

Ray O'Byrne of Endurance, Pat Logan of XL and Dave Conca of TimeWarner (he would only guarantee that he'd be at the party sometime between 2 and 6 pm) mug it up for the camera. Pat is one of the industry's foremost Fidelity experts and really classes up this otherwise questionable photo!

Betty Shepherd and Brian "Flynnie" Flynn of RLI show how much fun insurance can be.

Is is just me or does Bill Morris of TransReCo look like a younger, wider-faced Hank Greenberg? Paul Brophy of W.R. Berkeley joins Bill in a chuckle over new state filing regulations in North Dakota.

ACE USA's Courtney Coletti pretends to be showing off a picture of her three gorgeous kids (Cameron, Addison and John) when, in fact, she's trying to impress the crowd with her 5-carat cubit zirconium ring. Courtney doesn't believe in wasting money on diamonds and thinks all women should go the CZ route! (she will, I'm sure, whomp me upside the head the next time she sees me...)

Jeff Cohen, the real brains behind Advisen, stops in to visit with another happy customer (lesson here: big supporters of my book get treated preferentially in my blog postings!)

We could probably show a triple feature on the three foreheads in this photo (too bad drive-in movies are extinct!) Wearing their hair high-and-tight are Jeff Lattmann (Beecher), John Kerns (Beecher) and Mark Reilly (CNA). Jeff is having his Shore house demolished and rebuilt. After he reads this caption, I'm sure I will be passed over for an invite to the housewarming party. Too bad, because I hear they're showing outdoor movies.

Andre O'Reggio (Beecher), Lara Bruzzese (Chartis), John Kerns (Beecher) and Jolie Small (Beecher) strike a classic insurance party pose (uncomfortably rigid with a forced smile) for the photographer who kept badgering them into letting him take their picture. They only agreed because they knew this photo would never be seen by anyone.

Vitaly Pisetsky (not the one you probably went to school with, it's a very common name) of Freedom Specialty, Kim Fine of Shippan Partners and Andre O'Reggio of Beecher flash a smile for the camera. Not pictured: Keith Riccio of Freedom Specialty who is back in the office handicapping the 2010 Kentucky Derby.

Steve Walsh of W.R. Berkeley and Jeff Lattmann (what a handsome guy; maybe it's not too late to salvage my housewarming invite..) of Beecher are oblivious to the fact that Bill Morris, in the background, has just witnessed a shooting. Either that or the wine ran out. This photo, with its stunning contrast of joy and depair, has been entered in the National Press Association's Office Party Photos Contest. Not pictured: John Benedetto of W.R. Berkeley. John discoverd a wrinkle in his shirt and had to head home directly from the office (John: you know I wouldn't pass up a cheap shot like that!)

And, finally, in keeping with the holiday spirit, a picture of Anne Anderson's (of Integro) two dogs dressed up in their finest festive gear. Anne didn't tell me what her dog's names were so I'll just assume one is named Tom and the other is named Zach. Enjoy!

On another note:

Cara LaTorre and John Vanasco of Aon New York are organizing a cocktail party (beer, wine and premium drinks) on Thursday, January 14th from 6 - 9 pm at the Public House, 140 East 41st Street in Manhattan. All net proceeds will be used to create "comfort packs" for children undergoing radiation treatment at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx. This is being done in the name of Carolyn Sullivan, the precious 9-year old daughter of Pete (Aon New York) and Jeanne Sullivan who passed away in September after a courageous battle with cancer. Tickets are $60 in advance or $65 at the door. For more information, or to buy your tickets, please contact Cara at charity11410@yahoo.com or call 212.441.2372. You can also call John at 212.441.2281. This is an open party and you are encouraged to spread the word to as many people as possible (if a certain threshold of attendees is met, the bar will close to the public that night and hold only this event.)

To read about Carolyn and her wonderful life, please go to www.caringbridge.org/visit/carolynsullivan

This is for a great cause and promises to be a very enjoyable night for all so please make every effort to attend. And please spread the word and feel free to bring a friend or five.

Also, a reminder that the PLUS Eastern Chapter Networking Reception will be held next Tuesday, December 15th at Pound & Pence (55 Liberty St.; corner of Liberty and Nassau) from 6 - 8 pm. Appetizers and drinks will be served. You do not need to be a PLUS member to attend. The admission fee is $60 for members and $75 for non-members. If you should have any questions, you can call PLUS at (952) 746-2580.

Thanks much.

2010 PLUS D&O Symposium Registration Open

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:22:35 GMT

The LG Blog: The Insurance Oscars - C&S Night

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:59:54 GMT

I'm back again with some party photos and my almost-totally-made-up -and-inane captions (that should be a sufficient disclaimer to shield me from lawsuits, no?) But, before I get to that frivolity, I want to mention a very worthy charity fundraiser.

Cara LaTorre and John Vanasco of Aon New York are organizing a cocktail party (beer, wine and premium drinks) on Thursday, January 14th from 6 - 9 pm at the Public House, 140 East 41st Street in Manhattan. All net proceeds will be used to create "comfort packs" for children undergoing radiation treatment at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx. This is being done in the name of Carolyn Sullivan, the precious 9-year old daughter of Pete (Aon New York) and Jeanne Sullivan who passed away in September after a courageous battle with cancer. Tickets are $60 in advance or $65 at the door. For more information, or to buy your tickets, please contact Cara at charity11410@yahoo.com or call 212.441.2372. You can also call John at 212.441.2281. This is an open party and you are encouraged to spread the word to as many people as possible (if a certain threshold of attendees is met the bar will close to the public that night and hold only this event.)

To read about Carolyn and her wonderful life, please go to www.caringbridge.org/visit/carolynsullivan

This is for a great cause and promises to be a very enjoyable night for all so please make every effort to attend. And feel free to bring a friend or five.

Speaking of enjoyable nights, many of you, but probably not all, are familiar with the industry tradition of the first Wednesday of each December. This is commonly referred to as "C&S Night." The tradition started sometime long ago. A Google search turned up nothing on the history of the C&S dinner or even the Casualty & Surety Society itself so, since nobody seems to know much about it, I'll arbitrarily say it started in 1954. Sounds good. It was a black-tie dinner held at the Waldorf Astoria (I think they discontinued the actual dinner in 2001 or thereabouts) for, generally speaking, the more prominent people in the industry (and, often times, those filling in for the more prominent; yours truly attended the black-tie affair once, in 1998 or so.) Many companies would host cocktail parties in various suites of the Waldorf before the actual C&S Dinner and people jockeyed for invitations to these. Afterwards various companies would host their own dinners in ballrooms and at restaurants around the city to celebrate (what, exactly, they were celebrating, nobody was sure, maybe just the closing of another accident year in the insurance industry...)

So C&S Night became what I used to call "the single most fun night in the industry each year." I'm not sure if it's good form to put your own words into quotes but I'm going with that.... Anyway, now that the actual C&S dinner has been discontinued, and things in general on the insurance social scene are being scaled back -- or discontinued totally -- I think that my pronouncement no longer holds true. I'd say that currently (for professional lines anyway) that the most enjoyable night of the year would be one of the nights of the PLUS International Conference (especially when it's well-chronicled by a blogger...) But C&S Night lives on (some might say "limps on" half-heartedly) and, I'm glad to say, that one bright light hasn't dimmed on the first Wednesday in December: the ARC Party. It's been called "the single best insurance party of the year" in one prominent insurance book (I forget which one...) and it continues to hold that title. Hosted by the incomparable Chris Cavallaro (that ought to get my invitation renewed for another year...) and his ARC colleagues, it's a great event where collegiality reigns. ARC, as you probably know, is one of the premiere wholesale brokerages in the U.S. So here, my friends, with no further bloviation, are some photos from this year's party which was held on Wednesday, December 2, 2009.

This is a photo of the lovely Dana Cavallaro and her ~~grandfather~~ father, Chris (did I just cost myself next year's invite?) As you can see, Chris's wife must be very attractive because Dana's looks did not come from dad (although he's a great guy!)

Pictured are George Blume (PIA), Kevin Donohue (CNA) and Kevin Finn (Hanover), three of the giants of Fidelity underwriting. These three are the youngest Fidelity underwriters in the industry (by ten years). Free career advice: young underwriters would be smart to learn Fidelity, everyone with expertise will be retiring soon.

No folks, a GQ model party was not being held next door to the ARC party. This is Brian Hickey (PIA), Pete McKeegan (Rockhill; don't worry, nobody else has heard of it either) and Ray Santiago (~~AIG~~ ~~AIU Holdings~~ Chartis). Brian's eyes did not get caught in a flash bulb mishap, he's using his Death Stare on an insured who filed a claim last month. The three are celebrating their recent induction into the industry's "$100 Million Club." No, that's not premium booked, it's expense accounts run-up (just kidding, lighten up Francis...)

Leslie Hink (CNA), Joe Vaccaro (ARC), John Semeraro (ARC) and Jane Kornesczuck (Great American) (she gave me her card or I'd have no chance at spelling that) pose for the camera. In the best tradition of the industry, Joe is clutching a CNA umbrella. The overcoat is from Zurich North America. His shirt has a Travelers logo. That's an Arch tie. The suit was given to him by Chubb. The hair is his own (not everyone in the industry can say that...)

Peter ~~Taub's Grandfather~~ Taub of (Noah's) ARC and Kevin Guillet (PIA) strike a pose shortly after a heated debate over the new actuarial rules for IBNR accounting. I enjoy giving Peter guff about his gray hair because it draws attention away from my own (notice how I'm not in any of these pictures?) And, yes, the "strikethrough" feature is my new toy.

Jen O'Neil and Karen Parker (I forget their employers but if it's that important to you Google them) share a moment of comraderie while trying their best to each look like they weren't eating that desert on the table in front of them. Jen has a fork concealed in her right hand and Karen has chocolate under her fingernails.

Steve Barbal and The Other Jim Donovan (PIA) yukk it up with Judy "No Relation to George" Biancardi and Kathleen Ray (both formerly PIA and now with Hiscox) as everyone pretends to not be arguing over who wrote those losses at PIA. The photographer's guess is that none of these people are happy with the way they look in this photo. Tough.

Courtney Burns (Everest National), Andy Peterson (Zurich), Harris "Charlie" Tsangaris (NFP and FETA) and Sally Gregor (Everest National) discuss where they went wrong in their respective career choices. Andy, who I've always felt has been one of my closest friends, recently assumed a new role at Zurich that puts him in charge of the tickets for Zurich's luxury box at Madison Square Garden. He knows that those names I called him when he worked for me at AIG were all in jest and that I'd rip up all of those reviews if I could. Can't wait to see you in the luxury box Andy!

One of the industry's best brokers, Stan "The Man" Quirk (ARC) is seen here with Ken Schmaltz, owner of the prominent S&A Events company which does a fine job in running many insurance industry parties, golf outings and other events. Stan had to leave the party shortly after this photo was snapped because he had just placed the fleet coverage for Tiger Woods and needed to rush to the office to file a claim. Even the insurance industry gets into the act with Tiger Woods jokes!

George Blume (PIA) and Sandy "Wack" Nalewajk (Chartis) celebrate Sandy's recent induction into the "Executive Assistants Hall of Fame." George was also recently inducted into the "Get Your Arm Around All the Pretty Women at Insurance Parties" Hall of Fame. As you'd suspect, there are a lot of members.

Here's my very good friend Andy Peterson of Zurich again. I didn't have much chance to speak with him but we'll catch up at the Garden. Next to Andy are Shelby Robinson (Chartis) who, many people don't know, serves as Beyonce's double in many films and videos (that's a compliment Shel!), Coutney Burns of Evererest National and Leslie Hink of CNA. Andy was recently inducted into the "Gets Into Photos With Pretty Girls at Insurance Parties" Hall of Fame in Tampa, FL (you know why it's there...)

Joe Vaccaro (still with ARC as in the previous photo, pay attention...) and Peter ~~Taub's Great Grandfather~~ Taub laugh it up at the thought of not being in the office. Not pictured: Craig Thorsen (ARC) who was back at the office doing everyone's work for them (that may be my funniest line of the blog!) ~~Craig is a great guy.~~ Yes, I know I'm overusing the strikeout feature.

And, as regular readers of the LG Blog have come to expect, here is our mandatory photo of Sophie the Blog Dog. She's all decked out in her Christmas gear (sorry, dogs aren't PC.)

Not to be outdone, Sophie's older brother Jake gets into the act. His eyes clearly say, "I don't really want to be photographed in this ridiculous ear thing. I hope it doesn't appear on a blog." Jake is much more docile than his younger sibling (everyone is.)

So that's it. I hope you enjoyed this citizen blogger's attempt at chronicling some of the revelry of the ARC Party (and I hope you weren't offended, it's all in good fun -- for me.) All of the people pictured are excellent representatives of the insurance industry otherwise I wouldn't have taken their photos (sorry to those who were excluded....) Other insurance industry parties were held elsewhere on that night (Axis, for example, held a bash on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange) but I did not attend since, technically, I was not invited (word is, however, that the White House Party Crashers made it in...) Adios until next time kids.

AIG execs, pay czar in showdown over salary

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:55:06 GMT

According to the Wall Street Journal, the ongoing fracas between Kenneth Feinberg (the government's compensation czar and speaker at the 2010 PLUS D&O Symposium) and AIG has lead five high ranking executives threatening to quit if their compensation is cut significantly.

Read the quick blurb here on the StarTribune website.

Hard Drive Lost By Health Net Not Encoded; Held Personal Data

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:26:45 GMT

The external hard drive lost by Health Net, which contained customers' personal information, was not encoded and could be read by commercially available software, the state attorney general said today.

The hard drive was apparently stolen in May from Health Net's Shelton facility, rather than simply misplaced, Richard Blumenthal said. It contained personal medical and financial information of as many as 1.5 million customers in the Northeast dating back to 2002, including 446,000 in Connecticut.

But the hard drive might not have been stolen for the information. Laptops were also stolen from the Shelton facility sometime before the hard drive was taken.

Health Net reported those findings to Blumenthal as part of Blumenthal's ongoing investigation of the loss, which happened in May but was not reported publicly until last month. The new findings are based on an investigation prepared privately for Health Net.

Read the full article here in the Hartford Currant.

The Supreme Case Against Sarbanes-Oxley

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:08:57 GMT

The most powerful czar in Washington will receive some long-overdue scrutiny today when the Supreme Court hears a challenge to the constitutionality of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB).

This board, created by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, regulates the auditors of publicly-traded firms. The members are hired by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and, say the plaintiffs in Free Enterprise Fund v. PCAOB, do not answer to the president. This violates the Constitution's "appointments clause," according to which senior executive-branch officials should be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

Yet Sarbanes-Oxley, or Sarbox, itself should be subject to scrutiny. New research suggests that the costs of this legislation far outweigh its benefits to the investing public.

Read the full story here on the Wall Street Journal website.

2010 PLUS D&O Sponsorship Opportunities

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:36:10 GMT

Insurance / Risk Management Instructor Needed

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:24:32 GMT

PLUS Supported Initiative at University of Montana

The University of Montana School of Business Administration is recruiting a full-time
adjunct instructor to design and teach a series of courses in insurance/risk management beginning in the fall 2010 semester.

Position requires an advanced degree in either law or finance, recent relevant work experience with insuring professional liability at the national level. University teaching experience preferred. Applicant will be required to develop four university courses in insurance, with an emphasis in professional liability insurance, as well as select executive education training courses to be delivered at a distance to professionals.

Please click here for a full description and application procedures.

Review of applications will begin immediately; position will remain open until December
18, 2009. Finalists will be subject to a criminal background investigation. This position
announcement can be made available in alternative formats upon request. AA/EOE.

Supreme Court to Decide Reach of Securities Law Outside U.S.

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:21:23 GMT

The Supreme Court said Monday it would decide when U.S. laws against securities fraud apply to transnational securities dealings, specifically involving a case about a shareholder lawsuit against National Australia Bank Ltd and its former U.S. mortgage unit.

The justices agreed to review a ruling by a U.S. appeals court in New York that upheld the dismissal of the lawsuit after two large write-downs in 2001 related to the bank's unit, HomeSide Lending Inc.

The appeals court ruled U.S. courts did not have jurisdiction to decide the lawsuit because the key allegations at the heart of the fraud occurred outside the United States.

Read the full story here on the Insurance Journal Website.

More Than 400 Participate in MMSEA/Secondary Payer Act Webinar

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:10:51 GMT

More than 400 people participated in the November 23, 2009 MMSEA Webinar preseted by PLUS and Advisen.

If you would like to download the slides, glossary or view a recording of the webinar, please follow this link:

http://corner.advisen.com/webinar_mmsea_payer_act.html

During the webinar, articles were mentioned by two of the presenters.

To see the CMS documentation referenced by Mark Popolizio, please click this link:

http://www.nuquestbridgepointe.com/news/uploads/september_2009_settlement_news.pdf

To see articles written by Kathryn Bucher and attorneys at Wiley Rein on Section 111, please click here:

http://www.wileyrein.com/practices.cfm?sp=overview&id=170&pid=23

The LG Blog: 9-11 Trial Doesn't Belong in NYC

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:35:05 GMT

The good people at PLUS afforded me the opportunity to blog about the 2009 PLUS International Conference on this website in mid-November. I had fun doing it, and I hope that some of you enjoyed reading my postings. This may be hard to believe, but not only did PLUS not pull the plug on my blogging before the conference was over (despite 7-2 Vegas odds that it would), but I was actually offered continued use of this forum to post my opinions, updates on industry happenings, etc. For this, I thank the senior managers of PLUS once again. Hopefully I will not disappoint (I don't want to know the Vegas line on that one.)

I probably won’t post very frequently, but the issue of conducting the September 11th terrorist trial in downtown Manhattan has raised my ire and moved me to write. I should note that if you’ll look around this blog site, you’ll see disclaimers stating that the opinions expressed by the bloggers are their own and not those of PLUS. I’d like to reaffirm – and emphasize – that point. If you disagree with my thoughts, I’d invite you to post a reply, but please don’t attribute my views to the PLUS organization or any of its managers. In fact, I believe PLUS strengthened their disclaimers once they gave me the keys to the blog kingdom (well, not really, but I won’t be surprised if it happens…)

You may question the relevance of the 9-11 trial to the insurance industry and the appropriateness of this topic appearing on the PLUS blog site. But, then again, you may realize that the connections are deep.

Our industry had the second-highest number of 9-11 fatalities of any business sector (Marsh and Aon alone accounted for almost 500 deaths.) The human toll of September 11, 2001 on the insurance world was incalculable. In my opinion, it dwarfed, in comparison, even that day’s catastrophic financial consequences. And, of course, our industry is tethered to this issue because many insurance companies are headquartered in Manhattan and/or have a significant presence here, so their employees will be in close proximity to the proceedings, like it or not.

I strongly believe that this trial does not belong in New York City. My reasons are manifold but, in the interest of (relative) brevity, I will lay out only a few.

First, there is no logical basis to give these despicable defendants such a high-profile forum as New York City to spew their anti-American views. This city is the world’s biggest and brightest media stage. The terrorists didn’t elect to attack the Sears Tower in Chicago or the Transamerica Building in San Francisco for a reason: they are not in the world’s media and financial capital. The cowards behind the 9-11 attacks may have been able to decide the high-profile location of their atrocities, but we shouldn’t allow those choices to dictate the venue of their prosecutions. Reporters will turn out in droves no matter where this trial occurs, but it will greatly reduce the public relations value of the proceedings to the terrorists’ cause (whatever that may be) if they are forced to defend themselves in Topeka or Cheyenne or, better yet, Guantanamo Bay. It’s plainly evident that these defendants much prefer to conduct their rants on the big stage of New York City. What attention seeker wouldn’t?

My second reason is more emotional, but no less compelling.

I don’t know much about U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, but minimal research shows that he grew up in East Elmhurst, Queens and attended Columbia University and Columbia Law School. So he certainly has a flavor of New York City and, most likely, still has roots here. Whether he was in Manhattan on September 11, 2001 I don’t know, but, of course, it’s irrelevant; the pain and devastation of that day was, and still is, felt nationwide, and I’m sure he experienced it like all other Americans.

I was downtown working for AIG on September 11^th and for about 30 minutes I feared that I might lose my life from inhaling the mammoth cloud of smoke that mushroomed from the North Tower’s collapse. Someone near me yelled in the bedlam that the smoke “might be poison.” In the year that followed I cried frequently when thinking of lost friends and colleagues and our shattered American way of life. I’m sure many of you did too. And, I’m certain, people who lost close relatives broke down much more frequently, and intensely, than I did. It’s a horrible emotional scar for every American, but particularly so for the people who inhabit Manhattan island for all or part of every day. Why do we need to rip open those never-to-heal scabs by conducting such a high-profile, in-your-face trial in this city? Do the survivors deserve to have this bright-light reminder of that worst of all days directed squarely into their eyes eight years later? It will be a long, drawn out torture session. The Band-Aid will be pulled back slowly and painfully, but it will never fully come away.

Below is an excerpt from a book I wrote last year about professional lines insurance. This, I assure you, is not a thinly-veiled commercial for the book (I’m not good with the thin veil, I’m more of a club-over-the-head type of guy….) In fact, I’m not even going to mention its name or how to order it. But I would like to share this:

* * *

My friend Dennis and I met twenty five years ago, when we were both in college. He came to live for a summer with the Campaniles, close family friends of ours who live down the block from my childhood home at the Jersey Shore. A Virginia native, Dennis was interning for the summer with Kidder, Peabody on Wall Street. He is now Father Dennis, a Catholic priest in the New York Archdiocese. One of Father Dennis’s good friends, Father George, was an auxiliary chaplain with the New York City Fire Department in September of 2001. He was summoned to the World Trade Center shortly after the first plane hit on the morning of September 11^th. That day, I was told, marked the first time in the history of the New York City Fire Department that all 30 auxiliary chaplains were summoned to a single fire. They gathered at St. Peter’s Church on Barclay Street, about two blocks north of the burning towers.

Father George said that virtually every fire truck racing to the World Trade Center stopped at St. Peter’s so that the crews could confess their sins (the majority of NYC firefighters are Roman Catholic) before charging into the flaming buildings. The commanders admonished their subordinates to skip confession because of the magnitude and urgency of the situation, but the rank-and-file firefighters paid no heed. These men forced almost every truck to stop at the St. Peter’s on what would be the final fire call for most of them. Father George sensed that these brave men did not necessarily foresee the Twin Towers collapsing, but they knew that they would very likely lose their lives saving others and they wanted to square up with God first. So many firefighters stopped for this final holy sacrament – despite the unprecedented importance of their mission – that the priests had to absolve them of their sins en masse as they jumped off the trucks. There was no time for individual confessions. These courageous public servants knew that they were going to die, and yet they pressed onward to discharge their duties. In the face of the fiercest fires anyone had ever seen, they had no thoughts of their own safety, only of saving others. Ironically, St. Peter is believed to usher the deceased through the Gates of Heaven. Perhaps on September 11, 2001 his work began for 343 firefighters at a church bearing his name.

* * *

The majority of those 343 courageous firefighters lived in, or near, New York City (note: the same is true, of course, of the law enforcement officers, emergency medical technicians and many civilian heroes who died at the World Trade Center.) If it were possible to poll those 343 brave souls on whether they’d like the architects of their murders to be tried in New York City, in plain sight of their still-grieving loved ones, my guess is that the vote would be 343 – 0 against creating such an emotional ordeal for the survivors. Don’t we owe those heroes and their memory something?

Third, no matter how much the government assures us to the contrary, conducting the trial in Manhattan will pose an increased security risk to a local population that has already suffered enough terrorist mayhem. People who live and/or work in Manhattan are, visibly or not, continually on edge to some extent with respect to the prospect of additional terrorist attacks. Why does our federal government choose to needlessly exacerbate that anxiety? The trial is currently projected to last at least a year. That's quite a while for this ordeal to drag on -- and it may very well go longer.

The rationale for holding this trial in New York City really escapes me. These cowards were not here when their crimes occurred. And their evil also wrought destruction in Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania, although, admittedly, not as much. The planes that did this destruction took off from Boston, Virginia (Dulles Airport) and Newark. The so-called “Shoe Bomber’s” flight took off from Boston and the Justice Department decided to hold his trial in that city. Where is the logical consistency with the current decision? Mr. Holder has publicly stated that the proper venue for a trial of the terrorists behind the USS Cole attack would be a military tribunal because they attacked a U.S. military target. Was not the Pentagon a U.S. military target?

Is there a political agenda behind this decision to conduct the trial in New York City? It seems to be the ineluctable conclusion. The 9-11 atrocities were acts of war against our government; the victims were not known to, or specifically intended targets of, their killers. Since when are war criminals, particularly those who committed their acts (i.e. the planning) overseas, tried in the civilian courts of Manhattan? This, it seems to me, is an unprecedented act of stupidity and political grandstanding.

Many would say that the American justice system is the fairest on earth (I agree) and that these defendants deserve an even-handed and open trial, such as would, theoretically, be conducted in New York. But is that really possible? Any juror who was living or working in New York City at that time, and even in just more recent years, will have a difficult time being truly independent and fair. I can tell you that if I learned that any of these defendants so much as helped a conspirator find an outlet to plug in their laptop during the planning stages, I would be quick to hand down the severest punishment allowed.

The father of Todd Beamer, the civilian hero who helped force down United Airlines Flight 93 in a Pennsylvania field at the cost of his life, is fervently opposed to holding this trial in New York City. He recently attended a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that reviewed the issue of the trial’s location. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704888404574547681569546414.html), David Beamer said that it was disconcerting to see how the divergence of opinion was drawn squarely along party lines, with Democrats favoring the administration’s decision and Republicans opposing it, although not as vigorously as he’d have liked. The wishes of the victims’ families, he felt, were not sufficiently considered. Unfortunately, that is not surprising.

This administration poked an insensitive finger in the eyes of all New Yorkers when it orchestrated a boneheaded fly-over photo op for Air Force One earlier this year. Is there really a need to follow up on the callous stupidity of that act with this punch in the gut? Hasn’t New York suffered enough?

* * *

If you want to weigh in on this issue with the Department of Justice, its website says that you can send an e-mail to AskDOJ@usdoj.gov. In the “re” line you should make it clear that you’re writing to Attorney General Eric Holder about the 9-11 trial. If you’re so moved, please pass this information along to your friends as well.

Insurance / Risk Management Instructor Needed

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:53:46 GMT

PLUS Supported Initiative at University of Montana

Send a cover letter and resume to Amber Dudley (amber.dudley@business.umt.edu.)

2009 PLUS Conference - Article Recaps

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:29:27 GMT

National Underwriter has posted a series of articles based on some of the educational sessions from the 2009 PLUS International Conference.

Did D&O Fuel the Credit Crisis? Find out here in this recap article of the session titled Executive Compensation, Corporate Governance, Global Warming: The Heat is On.

Also, there were two articles that came out of the session titled The Credit Crunch - What's Crime Got to Do With It?. You can read them here:

Crime Policies, Bonds, Seen Slim Cover for Ponzi, Mortgage Scams

Madoff's Insurance Broker Gives New Details of His Coverage

For all of the presentations, please visit the following page of the PLUS Website (and click on the Material tab):

2009 PLUS International Conference

Thanks to Larry G

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:13:35 GMT

Welcome back from the PLUS 2009 Conference. Wow! I hope all of you share the sentiments of our official-unofficial blogger, Larry Goanos, that it was one of our best ever.

Speaking of LG (author of Claims Made and Reported), wasn’t it fun to see how he spiced up our blog-space with his wit and photos on the road and during the Conference. Sophie, the blog-dog, was particularly fetching.

It was also fun to see all the name-dropping. All you had to do was buy LG a lunch. By my count, he had 11 lunches in 3 days.

We were going to buy him lunch, too, but we since he already mentioned a number of us by name it saved us the $1 we would have spent on him at MacDonald’s or Burger King for the burger du jour.

I know LG was too shy to mention his book (Claims Made and Reported) or to give you information about how to order it (go to www.sixthandspringbooks.com and click on “New Releases”). The book is full of fun backroom stories and anecdotes from the world of professional liability.

Our blog-master, Scott, did some quick analytics on Larry’s posts. We averaged around 900 visits on a daily basis originating from 24 different countries.

So, other than shameless plugs for his book (Claims Made and Reported), we owe Larry a sincere thank you for relating his experiences from the road, working hard at the Foundation’s Conference Cause event at the Food Depository, posting 2009 Conference photos and sharing his sense of humor (notice I didn’t use the adjective “good”) as he blogged away for an entire week. Thanks Larry!

Insurance and Economic Recovery

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:56:19 GMT

Fresh off of his presentation to a standing room only crowd at the PLUS International Conference, Dr. Robert Hartwig, CPCU, discusses Property Casualty Insurance and the economic recovery with Insurance Journal.

LG's Guide to the 2009 PLUS International Conference

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:33:36 GMT

Ok, if you think that my trip out to Chicago last week was boring, the trip home surpassed it on the snooze-o-meter by a mile (or 900.) I even followed a busload of cheerleaders for five hours but had no luck; their bus didn’t break down once. Those dollar-store nails that I kept sprinkling in front of their tires were clearly defective. Oh well…

You might remember that on the drive out I ragged on Indiana for having the slogan “Childhood Home of Lincoln” on its welcoming sign. Well, curiously, on the way into Indiana from the other direction, Illinois, it says “Crossroads of America.” What’s up with that? Did they do a study that indicated that people are more interested in Lincoln when coming from the East and more interested in entering a “crossroads” when entering from the West? Plus, it’s curious that they call it a “crossroads” since it’s not the geographic center of the country (a shout out to Lebanon, Kansas for that.) Why Indiana claims to be the “crossroads,” I have no idea, but if you do, feel free to respond. I assume that it’s just reflective of a dearth of other distinctions for the Hoosier State (and what is a Hoosier? I just checked; it’s an official designation – or demonym – for the people of Indiana. They don’t call themselves Indianaians or the like, they are all Hoosiers.)

But I shouldn’t be so hard on Indiana; it is, after all, home to the Recreational Vehicle/Motor Home Hall of Fame. And nothing I say can take that away from them. I was actually going to pull off the exit in Elkhart to get a photo of the RV/MH HOF but it didn’t seem worth it and you’d be disappointed by the photo, I’m sure. I passed it on Friday at about 2 pm and the parking lot was desolate. Not a Hoosier in sight. These are tough times for the RV/MH Hall of Fame folks. Send along a check if you can.

Here’s a photo of my drive through Indiana:

Now here’s a photo of my drive through Ohio:

Strikingly similar, no? I’d show you one of Pennsylvania but it would be identical. In short, not much to see. ZZZZzzzzzz. Here is a photo of one of the best things along the 900-mile route, an Ohio rest area:

These babies have a circular design and are conducive to fast and efficient rest stops. These are probably the best in the United States. Indiana has rest stops that make you think you’ve pulled into Goober’s filling station back in Mayberry. You half expect Floyd the Barber to greet you from a rocking chair as you walk in. But other than that Indiana’s great.

Another observation: the Pittsburgh area has an inordinate number of hockey games broadcast on the radio on a Friday night. I thought I was in Canada. My friend Dan O’Connell, who doesn’t feel that he’s been mentioned enough in these blog postings, is from Pittsburgh, so if the “comment” feature is working again I’ll expect him to weigh in on why Pittsburghers like their hockey so much. And the rest areas from the Ohio border to Pittsburgh? Fuggeddaboutit. They’re frequented by people who look like they just got out of the hoosegow or are on their way back in. Scary, yes. Generally, other than in Ohio, the towns along my journey didn’t know from good rest areas.

So that’s about it, I wanted to wrap up before Monday morning, a week from when the journey began. I hope you enjoyed my little blogging adventure; I’m thinking of continuing something on blogger.com but haven’t really decided yet. Which reminds me to give a shout out to Kevin LaCroix of the most excellent D&O Diary blog (www.dandodiary.com) He writes a very informative and useful blog (unlike this one) and, unbelievably, was able to post an insightful entry during the thick of the conference (which he attended.) Kudos to Kevin. I strongly recommend that you check out his blog if you are at all interested in the professional lines corner of the industry.

In case you haven't see it, my final posting on the actual conference proceedings themselves, which was posted just before this entry, appears below and contains some closing-night party pix (always a crowd favorite.)

So that’s it folks, time to turn out the lights on the PLUS 2009 International Conference. My thanks again to the PLUS people for their indulgence and to all the people (and states…) who I mentioned in the blog and may have good-naturedly skewered – it’s all in good fun, don’t sue! As they say, “Any publicity is good publicity.” Now please go forth and prosper.

LG's Guide to the 2009 PLUS International Conference

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:27:54 GMT

I’m back on the East Coast now, looking at the PLUS 2009 International Conference in the rearview mirror. I will make two shorter posts; this one about Thursday’s evening’s networking proceedings (again, read: parties) and the other about my drive back from Chicago to the East Coast. This is the networking event post.

Before I proceed, I should point out that a website technical glitch has prevented people from posting comments for the last few days. I’m not sure when it will be fixed, but hopefully soon. I thank those who e-mailed me to apprise me of this issue (these people would’ve, of course, posted positive comments about the blog had they been able…)

There were a number of late-night parties this year, including the ever-popular and somewhat-secretive Socius party. You had to receive a wristband in person at the conference in order to attend (yes, I did get one, thank you Pat and Paul.) As mentioned in a previous post, a group of nine law firms sponsored a party at the Lucky Strike bowling alley on Thursday night. That was a rocking good time. Other Thursday parties not previously mentioned were thrown by Great American, Freedom Specialty, Guy Carpenter and W.R. Berkeley. Your diligent blogger could not attend them all, but I gave it the old insurance try. This is like the old college try but with less energy and persistence.

Here are some pictures from the night’s proceedings:

Joe O’Neil (left), prominent Boston attorney and Jon Whitcomb (right), prominent Connecticut attorney and Don Draper-look alike, stop for the paparazzi, or, more accurately, the bloggarazzi, in a hotel lobby. Thank goodness for Spell Check or I wouldn’t have had a shot at spelling “paparazzi” correctly. The guy in the middle wishes to remain annonymous (largely because I can't remember his name...)

The note in my Blackberry says that this is Larry Nelson and Janice. I’m not sure if that means that Janice is married to Larry (and, hence, Janice Nelson) or just that she didn’t want to give me her last name. I’m sure many people out there know the correct story and the others don’t care.

Matt Breetz of Kentucky, also known as "Kentucka Matt" (far right), boasts of having seen England Dan & John Ford Coley concerts in seven nations and 42 states before England Dan died this Spring. Matt can sing “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” in three languages. Invite him to your karaoke night for some real fun!

This photo appeared in a previous blog but I needed to update the caption. Dan McMahon is, in fact, a very worthy successor to Tom Wilson, Sr. at Wilson, Elser (I forgot about those excellent Yankee tickets WEMED has.) And who needs Halle Berry in a photo when you have these three stars of WEMED?

Pandering for more blog ratings, here’s another photo of my sister’s dog Sophie. Isn’t she cute? Tell everyone you know to log in to see her. Thank you.

Trying to top Phil Voluck and his “get” of President Bill Clinton, Elaine “The Litigation Train” Lenahan of Thompson Coe in Dallas (she’s undefeated in 143 trials) (I just made that up but it sounds good and she bought a lot of copies of my book so I owe her...) poses with her friend George Clooney who appeared at the Lucky Strike party for her. Clooney was in Chicago to film the “Oceans 23” movie which will be hitting theatres in 2019.

Richard Minor, seen here in a photo that he clearly didn’t want posted, plans to open a concession stand at next year’s conference to sell t-shirts that say “I Survived PLUS 2010.” Assuming, of course, that he survives PLUS 2010.

All kidding aside, just for a moment, and I although I am the official PLUS blogger (to the extent that they let me post on the PLUS Blog website anyway; nobody ever actually said that I was “official” but I ran with it…), I must say that this was the biggest, and probably the best, PLUS International Conference ever. Turnout was tremendous, the sessions were informative and timely, and people were as engaged in the proceedings as I’ve ever seen in my ten PLUS Conferences or so.

A large number of individuals were responsible for the success of the 2009 Conference and its various components, but I’d like to single out those who I personally know played a big role in one way or another (alphabetically): Dan Auslander, David Bell, Scott Billey, Diane Dukes, Derek Hazeltine, Dan Jenney, Jeff Lattmann, Phil Voluck and David Williams. I know I’m forgetting people on the Conference 2009 committee, and others who were instrumental in helping out, but I don’t have their names on hand. However, I’m sure that many PLUS members know who those people are and saw what a great job they did.

So that’s the wrap up of the actual conference itself, the road trip wrap-up to follow shortly. I hope you’ve enjoyed this blogging experience as much as I have (I may be available to blog for your event if you’re interested, have your people contact mine…) and I hope to see you all again next year at the 2010 Conference.

LG's Guide to the 2009 PLUS International Conference

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:34:47 GMT

Well kidz, the conference is rapidly drawing to a close and LG needs to hit the road soon for the long drive home to the East Coast (others have followed LG's lead and are renting cars to drive home because of expected airport delays accompanying the noreaster that is hitting in the northeast.) It's been another wonderful PLUS International Conference and, as usual, the folks at PLUS did a great job on all fronts (especially with their wise decision to make me the official blogger!)

I will post a final wrap-up note later in the weekend, or on Monday at the latest (with some more photos), so please be sure to check back. You can also read all of the prior posts and still respond with your own comments so don't be shy about expressing your opinion (as long as it agrees with mine!

Have a great weekend everyone and a good trip home.

LG's Guide to the 2009 PLUS International Conference

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:35:09 GMT

"Oh no LG, you can't be posting a blog mid-stream into the final night of parties, that's not possible."

Well, think again Bluto because it is, in fact, possible. And happening before your very eyes...

LG here, your citizen blogger, posting on the run after having attended some most excellent parties in order to feed your voracious desire to know what's happening at the Conference 2009.

Here are some pix to fill you in, dear non-attendee reader:

This is a photo of Dion Cominos, managing partner of Gordon & Rees (San Francisco HQ), and a senior member of FETA, with his arm around Nancy L. McCoy of the Basham Parker law firm of Walnut Creek, CA. We're not sure why a competitor would be at Dion's party but we're sure that his wife will get to the bottom of it.

Here Patty Fitzgerald, also a FETA member, finds herself roped into a hug by Dion. Patty was searching for the ladies room when she mistakenly walked into the Gordon & Rees party. Dion's baby blue tie was cut from his senior prom tuxedo, very ecologically correct move. Bravo Dion!

Dan McMahon, the new managing partner of Wilson Elser (and a questionable successor to Tom Wilson, Sr., who still has his fastball by all accounts) is pictured with Theresa Marangas (of the Albany office) and Ben Heller of the Chicago office. Dan is still smarting from Charlie Weiss's poor stewardship of his Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Ben proclaimed earlier this evening that he would like to buy stock in LG (honest, ask him...) and, therefore, he wins the "Lawyer of the Year" award from the LG blog (that's resume fodder if I ever saw it.) Noticeably absent from this photo: Tom Wilson, Sr. (our favorite Wilson next to his great wife Eileen), Alex Betke (of the Albany office and a big LG blog fan) and Halle Berry.

Mark Reilly and Lisa Ledo of CNA are shown enjoying the most excellent CNA party aboard a boat that didn't move, on the river next to the Sheraton. Dan Auslander (who I hope will mention my blog tomorrow while doing the introductions at the last session) also hosted this great party. Mark is a Villanova grad and big fan of the Wildcat hoops team which has been picked anywhere from 3rd thru 8th in preseason national polls. I know you don't care, but I do, so pipe down.

Tom Wilson, Jr. (the apple fell far from the tree on this one, sorry folks...), Scott Schaffer (great lawyer and great guy and part-time "Claims Made & Reported" editor), and Ryan Turner (who should've been a partner long ago and will probably leave WEMED if they don't make him one shortly after this blog is posted: Ryan: you can just mail me a $100 check, I don't need the cash that you promised me) are pictured at the WEMED party. Still noticeably absent: Alex Betke and Halle Berry.

Teri White and Sandra Ramos helped organize the CNA party and never expected to be in a big-time insurance blog. They still aren't.

OK kidz, I have to get back out there to fulfill my citizen journalist duties. This is a great PLUS conference, perhaps the best ever, and if you're not here this year you'd better get yourself to San Antonio next year, it promises to be awesome.

More to come from later in the evening....

LG's Guide to the 2009 PLUS International Conference

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:02:06 GMT

Another blog posting hot on the heels of the previous…welcome, my friends, to the serious part of the blogosphere. We are real bloggers here, not just occasional not-that-into-it bloggers. I’m as prolific as that great former baseball player, Wade Bloggs. The bad puns just keep coming…

I was remiss in pointing out that absent from our lunch (as depicted in the prior posting) was Robert Romero, a highly-decorated attorney from the San Francisco office of Hinshaw & Culbertson. Robert was stuck in an arbitration in San Diego and couldn’t break away. He was disappointed, he said, because the entire proceeding was rather arbitrary (actually, he’s not that witty, I just came up with that one…) Also missing from this PLUS Conference is attorney Chris Betke of CoughlinBetke in Boston. Chris is a great lawyer but takes his job too seriously and would rather stay in Boston doing legal work for clients than party his brains out in Chicago. Party pooper.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR LG BLOG READERS: And, best of all, this is true, not BS. The consortium of law firms which is hosting a party at the Lucky Strike bowling lanes tonight (it’s in the same building at the Embassy Suites Hotel, just a block down the hill from the Sheraton) @ 9:30 (until whenever) has said that anyone who shows up and says that they are a friend of Larry’s can enter the party. This is not bovine excrement, they actually said this. Now the rub is, of course, that not too many people are reading this, and even fewer still will actually show up, but there will be free food and drink and bowling, what could be better? For Matt Breetz of Kentucka it’ll feel like he’s back at his wedding reception! (I had to get one more cheap shot in at Matt, he’s an easy target and I couldn’t resist…)

There are a lot of parties going on tonight and LG is going to try to hit a representative cross-sample for blogging purposes. As a big-time insurance blogger, LG will take the liberty of referring to himself in the third person from time-to-time. Big time bloggers are like that.

Tonight I will try to take pictures with actual women in them (they all seem to run the other way when the see me coming…) Among the parties are:

- Gordon & Rees (the inimitable Dion Cominos presiding over the festivities; he’s inimitable because nobody would want to imitate him…);

- Wilson, Elser (hosted by Tom Wilson, Sr. and sub-hosted by Tom, Jr. and, luckily, Dave Wilson won’t be there…);

- C.N.A. is having a party on a boat next to the Sheraton (but it’s booked solid so not even mentioning my name will get you in…);

- Freedom Specialty is having a party at a bar with only 2 fewer large hi-def flat screen TVs than they have in their offices;

- Great American is throwing a shindig at Sullivan’s Steakhouse;

- The Harmonie (don’t ask me about that weird spelling) Group is having a harmonious get-together in the Sheraton hosted by the incomparable Jim Brown. Jim is one of the best lunch-golf-dinner hosts in the industry and you should go out of your way to say hello to him. He’s always being sought out by…nobody! There’s the aforementioned Lucky Strike party (seriously, show up and use my name, I’d love to flood the place with tons of people who they weren’t expecting, just for laughs…); and

- The ever-popular Socius afterhours party. As in years past, Socius has kept the location secret and I assume they’ll be telling people today. I’m sure I’ll be high on their list of invitees….or maybe not. The special guest at the Socius (which means “partner” as you would have learned if you bought and read my stinkin’ book; www.sixthandspringbooks.com) party will be Jon Gosselin. At least that’s the rumor. And Kate Gosselin will be at the Lucky Strike party according to a rumor that I just fabricated. Feel free to spread it. Oh, and the Balloon Boy will float in and land on the C.N.A. boat. It’s all good.

Breaking newz: Andy Dorman, I’ve just been told by my peeps, has been dubbed “Big Joe Mooney” because he looks like a larger version of Joe. It’s a horrible thought. I guess regular Joe Mooney is now “Little Joe Mooney.” This is the kind of breaking and hard-hitting news that you can expect from this blog.

Here's a picture of Jason "The Hawk" Hawkins after recently trying a new hair rejuvenation product:

Don’t forget that you can check the blog from your PDA. In the old days nobody liked PDA, but now everyone has one.

A shout out to FETA, the Federation of EthnicGreek Trade Associations. FETA is a slapdash (I used the nice version of the word there) association of Greek American (and those who would like to be) insurance professionals and lawyers who formed this charitable entity to do various good works. To date, FETA has volunteered over 45,600 man-and-woman hours of time and contributed over $5.7 million to various causes. Wait, that’s not exactly true. Actually, it just generates a lot of inane e-mails, many of which aren’t being written because I’m busy with this blog at the moment.

Everyone remembers that there’s an insurance conference going on, correct? Let’s get out there and hit those sessions! Oh, and here's a photo of my sister's dog Sophie from a few months ago. Blog ratings apparently go way up when pictures of cute dogs are shown. Plus, my sister will appreciate it and since I'm using her car for this trip I thought it would generate some goodwill.

Catch you on the flip side folks (that an old CB radio sign off for those not cool enough to have ever owned a CB radio….) Another posting later today or tomorrow to wrap things up. It’s been real….and don’t be shy about posting comments (or clicking in frequently!)

LG's Guide to the 2009 PLUS International Conference

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:46:55 GMT

Surprisingly, I was invited to a free lunch today by a group of blog-publicity-hungry lawyers so I thought I'd mention them since they are all excellent attorneys who know how to pick a lunch partner. Frances O'Meara and Marie Colmey of Hinshaw & Culbertson, Elaine Lenahan and Shawn Phelan of Thompson Coe and Matt Breetz of The Native American Legal Project (just kidding, the firm is actually Stites & Harbison but he does a lot of Native American Casino legal work...) all exhibited excellent judgment in inviting me to lunch. Below Elaine (a big purchaser of "Claims Made & Reported" by the way) and Matt cozy up for a photo that should in no way be misconstrued by their spouses. Seriously.

And here's a photo of Frances O'Meara and Shawn Phelan, also not to be misconstrued:

Probably the best part of attending PLUS without an employer is not having the need to doctor up receipts like everyone else is doing like crazy. Easy for me to drop the dime on others now that I am a free agent.

The sessions today were all excellent and the speakers did a terrific job. Jason Hawkins of Aon was especially good in his session, he clearly took a lot of time to prepare. Here's a photo of Jason:

That was not at the session, that was in a bar. He was preparing for the session here, clearly. Reprints of this photo are available at www.hawkphotos.com.

Another posting coming shortly, stay tuned.