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Letter from the Editor

Our Web site redesign continues with some exciting updates for listees. Our attorney, adjuster and expert service provider pages have all been refreshed with a new look that makes the selection process easier for the key decision makers who rely on Best's Directories to locate experienced, recommended insurance professionals. For more details, see our Important A.M. Best Announcements section below. Other important changes will be coming in the future, so stay connected with BestConnect for updates on new enhancements.
 
Please also note that we have included a complimentary link to our Best's RegulatoryWeek. We hope that you will find this publication useful. As always, we welcome your feedback and for this Edition you can provide this through our BestConnect subscriber survey below.
 
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Best regards,
John Czuba
John Czuba
Editor, Best's Directories of Recommended Insurance Attorneys and Adjusters
Unique Content - This Issue Only!
Regulatory Week

Complimentary Issue of RegulatoryWeek for BestConnect Subscribers!

 
We invite you to enjoy a free edition of RegulatoryWeek brought to you by BestWeek and A.M. Best. We hope you find this sample informative and useful.
 
RegulatoryWeek is a supplement to BestWeek that offers a wrap-up of weekly insurance-related regulatory and compliance news.
In the Press

Each quarter, "In the Press" brings you the most important press releases, announcements, and achievements from Directories listees.

Personnel Changes

Title Firm Location/Date/Firm Name
(Evansville, IN) January 3, 2011
(Evansville, IN) March 11, 2011
(Jacksonville, FL) March 23, 2011
(Evansville, IN) May 5, 2011

Awards/Recognitions/Nominations

Title Firm Location/Date/Firm Name
(Evansville, IN) February 22, 2011
(Millburn, NJ) March 23, 2011
(Evansville, IN) April 27, 2011
(Evansville, IN) May 3, 2011
(Columbia, SC) May 5, 2011
(Omaha, NE) May 20, 2011
(Omaha, NE) May 25, 2011

Seminars/Conferences

Title Firm Location/Date/Firm Name
(Columbia, SC) April 27, 2011

Firm News

Title Firm Location/Date/Firm Name
(Columbia, SC) March 1, 2011

Resource Notifications

Title Firm Location/Date/Firm Name
(Oceanside, NY) April 15, 2011

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For the Record

"For the Record" showcases the latest articles from current Directories listees.

Title of Article Author/Firm
William F. Cunningham to Speak at ACI
William F. Cunningham
Jon E. Brightmire
Richard Van Bruggen, P.E., D.WRE
Ross Rudolph
 

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Legally Speaking

Each quarter, "Legally Speaking" highlights the newest Insurance Law Podcasts from A.M. Best. If you enjoy the Podcasts below, be sure to visit our archives for other Podcasts you may have missed.

Monday, June 6, 2011
Attorneys Fred Karlinsky and Katie Webb from the law firm of Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate, P.A. with offices in Fort Lauderdale and Tallahassee, Fla., discuss the recently passed Senate Bill 408 in Florida and its impact on the property/ casualty insurance industry in the state.
 
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Attorney Renee DeMoss from the law firm of GableGotwals in Tulsa, Oklahoma on the elimination of joint and several liability in tort cases.
 
Attorney Dan Raab from the Daniel W. Raab, P.A. firm in Miami on a limitations of liability case under Montreal Protocol.
 
Attorney Tim Thornton on Patent Litigation and Advertising Injury
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Attorney Tim Thornton from the law firm of Nelsen, Thompson, Pegue & Thornton in Los Angeles on coverage for claims involving patent litigation and advertising injury, and the impact on the insurance industry.
 
Attorney Dale Hightower on Ten Commandments to Avoid Premises Liability Suits
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Attorney Dale Hightower from the firm of Hightower & Partners P.A. authors the "Ten Commandments to Avoid Premises Liability Suits." His essay pertains to restaurants and other businesses. He explains how this impacts the insurance industry.

Sign up now to have new Insurance Law Podcasts sent directly to you.

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In Brief

"In Brief" highlights important insurance industry news from A.M. Best's award-winning news publications. Access to full stories may require a subscription to the publication.

Title of Article Article Date
May 2, 2011
May 2, 2011
Fla. Legislature Passes Commercial Property/Casualty Deregulation Bill
May 2, 2011
Japan's Nonlife Nonlife Sector Records 847 Billion Yen in Quake Claims June 1, 2011
Illinois Legislature Revives, Approves Workers' Comp Reform June 1, 2011
Regulation at Top of Agenda as UK Risk Managers Prepare to Meet June 2, 2011
Calif. Assembly Approves Bill Expanding Commissioner's Rate Rejection Authority

June 2, 2011

US Jobs Report: Insurance Industry Posts Uptick as National Employment Holds Steady
June 3, 2011
Rising Bodily Injury Claims Push Combined Ratios Higher in U.K. Commercial Motor Market
June 6, 2011
American Integrity CEO Says Florida Property Market Is as Unstable as 1992
June 6, 2011
A.M. Best AVP: Illinois Workers' Comp Reform May Not Resolve Judicial Woes
June 6, 2011

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It's the Law

The Law Digest is a summary of the insurance laws for each state and the Canadian provinces. Our aim is to provide a reference source that covers some of the general insurance principles in leading case decisions.

The State Law Digests for Alaska, Missouri, and Wyoming have both been recently updated by:
To see the full list of updates, click below.
 

We would like to welcome our new revisors:

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Notable Listings

Here you'll find both new listings for the quarter and a mention of those who have reached a milestone with Best's Directories.

New Listing Listings

Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys

Bryant Barnes Beckstedt & Blair, LLP Christiansted, St. Croix, VI
McKay, Cauthen, Settana & Stubley, P.A. Columbia, SC
Montgomery, Kolodny, Amatuzio & Dusbabek, L.L.P. Denver, CO
Raymond & Bennett LLC Glastonbury, CT
Law Office of Jay L. Seibert, P.C. Beverly, MA
Sucre Arias & Reyes Panama City, Republic of Panama
Bluff & Associates Phoenix, AZ
Trombley Kfoury, P.A. Barrington, NH

Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Adjusters

AutoClaims Direct Carlsbad, CA
KKR Solutions White House, TN
Montana Claims Service of Miles City, Inc. Miles City, MT
Worley Catastrophe Response LLC Hammond, LA

Best's Directory of Recommended Expert Service Providers

Neil Diamonds Ridgewood, NJ
Insurance Administrative Solutions Largo, FL
Northwest Insurance Consultants, Inc. Lake Oswego, OR

Notable Listing Anniversaries

Congratulations to the following listees with Major Anniversaries with Best's Directories this quarter:

Years Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys Location
50
 
Los Angeles, CA

Medina, OH

25
 
 
 
Birmingham, AL
 
Great Falls, MT
 
Vineland, NJ
 
Pittsburgh, PA
10
 
 
 
 

St. Louis, MO

Augusta, ME
 
New Orleans, LA
 
Columbus, OH
 
Montreal, QC

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Recent and Upcoming A.M. Best Webinars

A.M. Best produces innovative online presentations that connect you with industry leaders and provide the opportunity to learn first-hand about the trends and developments facing insurance today. Don't miss any of our exciting upcoming webinars!

Thursday, July 7, 2011
2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
A panel of experienced independent insurance adjusters, an insurer who specializes in adjuster-liability coverage and an insurance claims executive will discuss the ins and outs of adjusting catastrophe claims in a special webinar. Claims professionals who respond to catastrophe claims face a host of challenges, including the need to respond to claims on short notice, to work long hours and cover a large volume of assignments accurately. They also face new challenges as a host of plaintiff-oriented law firms have begun targeting claims firms and claims personnel individually by filing widespread lawsuits aimed at reopening settled catastrophe-related claims.
 
The webinar is presented as streaming video. Attendees can submit questions in advance during registration or email questions to news@ambest.com during the live event.
 
 
Thursday, May 5, 2011
2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
Property/Casualty insurers looking for greater control and quicker turnaround in claims payments are increasingly embracing electronic-payment methods. A panel of experts will review the state of past and current electronic payment implementations, and emerging electronic payment solutions for settling claims payments.
 
Sponsored by: Wright Express.
 
To see our full webinar schedule, or to register to attend a session, click here.

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Upcoming Insurance Industry Trade Shows, Conventions, and Events

View the latest schedule for up-to-date information on insurance industry events that A.M. Best is attending.

Meeting Name / Association

Event Date

Location

Canadian Risk and Insurance Management Society (CRIMS)

September 18-21, 2011

Ottawa, ON

Society of Insurance Research (SIR) October 16-19, 2011

Long Beach, CA

Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) October 19-21, 2011

Toronto, ON

Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society (CPCU) October 22-25, 2011

Las Vegas, NV

Defense Research Institute (DRI) October 26-30, 2011

Washington, D.C.

Search A.M. Best's Directory of Meetings and Conventions.

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Important A.M. Best Announcements
Best's Directories of Insurance Professionals has a new look!
 
The Best's Directories Web site redesign has been launched! Our recent enhancements put the focus on the information you need to find the "Best" insurance professionals. These improvements include:
  • New homepage layout that makes searching and updating easier
  • Convenient tabs that quickly take readers to the Directories, BestConnect, Recent News, Podcast Archive, and the most up-to-date Digest of Insurance Laws
  • New side menu that focuses on specific Directory related information
  • Improved access for listees to login and update their listings
  • Downloadable listings available as pdf files
Future enhancements will include improved search options and easier to read search results.
 
We invite you to check back with the Best's Directories of Insurance Professionals Web site often to stay informed as additional enhancements are released. We hope you find these enhancements useful and we welcome any comments or suggestions at directories.group@ambest.com.
 
 
Know a Potential Listee? Interested in Listing?
Contact directories.group@ambest.com with the firm name, contact person and mailing information, as well as your name and contact information.
 
We're Here to Help!

For comments, suggestions, or questions regarding the Directories e-newsletter or our site, contact us at: directoriesnewsletters@ambest.com.

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