BestConnect Linking Expert Insight with
Insurance Industry
Decision-Makers
 
+ Expand All Sections     - Collapse All Sections

2014 Print Edition of Best's Directories to be Released!

We are pleased to announce the upcoming release of the 2014 edition of Best's Directories of Recommended Insurance Attorneys and Adjusters, which will be mailed during the second week of January. If you do not receive your complimentary copy by the end of January, please contact us at (908) 439-2200, ext. 5571, or directories.group@ambest.com. Let us know if you would like to order a complimentary set of directories.


Best's Briefing
(+)
(-)
A complimentary special report for our valued subscribers.
 
 
 
Since health insurance exchanges opened on October 1, it has become apparent that carriers' participation varies greatly across the United States. Some states have more than ten insurance companies offering exchange products, many states have only two or three carriers participating and some have only one.
 
If you would like to view other reports, visit our Member Center to register.

Member Spotlight
(+)
(-)
"Member Spotlight" puts the focus on Directory listees who have participated in groundbreaking cases or developed innovative strategies and important thought leadership that affect the insurance industry.
We are pleased to feature Julie I. Fershtman in this Edition's Member Spotlight. Julie is a Shareholder with Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC, in Lansing,
Michigan. A lawyer for 27 years, her practice focuses on business litigation, insurance defense, insurance coverage and equine law. Julie recently participated in the A.M. Best Insurance Law Podcast "Insurance Liability in Animal Livestock and Equine Coverage," where she discussed animal livestock and equine liability and insurance coverage matters as well as a recent coverage determination by the Federal Courts in Illinois.
 
Ms. Fershtman's work is sometimes national in scope, and she has tried cases before juries in four states. She is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013 and 2014 for business litigation and insurance law. She has written more than 250 articles and three books. Her speaking engagements span 28 states. Michigan Lawyer's Weekly named her a "Leader in the Law." Michigan Super Lawyers® has listed her in every issue since 2008 and has named her one of "Michigan's Top 25 Women in Business Law" and one of the "Top 50 Women Lawyers in Michigan." Active in the bar, she is a past president of the 53,000-member State Bar of Michigan and a graduate of Emory College and Emory Law School.
 

If you know of a firm or individual who has made notable or significant achievements in the insurance industry and would like to make a nomination, visit our "Member Spotlight" FAQ page for additional information or fill out our "Member Spotlight" Nomination Form. Nominations are accepted year-round.


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

Community Showcase
(+)
(-)
"Community Showcase" is a forum for highlighting significant contributions that current Best's Directories listees have made in their communities. Contributions may include pro bono cases, community outreach projects, volunteer work or charity efforts.
 
Luks Santaniello's Daniel Santaniello Competed in Magna Legal Services "Chopped" Contest to Benefit the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

Boca Raton, FL — Daniel Santaniello, Managing Partner at Luks, Santaniello, Petrillo & Jones is one of four trial attorneys from across the country who competed against each other in Magna Legal Services' version of the television show "Chopped." These trial litigators battled each other in a mock trial setting to present their best case to a panel of judges. After each phase of the trial, the judges voted to 'CHOP' one lawyer from the competition, leaving one ultimate champion at the end. The audience and a panel of judges made up of claims executives and in-house counsel provided real-time feedback on the effectiveness of the presentations via Magna's handheld audience response system. As part of the event, $5,000 was donated to CHOP (The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). The attorneys competed for a portion of that amount to be donated in their respective law firm's name. Read more about this "innovative approach to fundraising" that benefits children.
 

"Community Showcase" is a forum for highlighting significant contributions that current Best's Directories listees have made in their communities. Contributions may include pro bono cases, community outreach projects, volunteer work or charity efforts.

Do you know of a firm or individual who has made a difference in their community? Visit our "Community Showcase" FAQ page to learn more about this feature or complete our "Community Showcase" Nomination Form. Nominations are accepted year-round.


For the Record For the Record
(+)
(-)
"For the Record" showcases the latest articles from current Directories listees.
Title of Article Author/Firm
Insurance decision-makers now seek resources from external partners to create and bring insurance products to market and then sell, service and drive them toward profitability. Strategic alliances have become increasingly important over the past two decades as insurance carriers have begun to specialize in specific product types.
Arnold Henkel and Victor Castellanos
Largo, FL
Few insurers offer coverage for fracking, and those that do offer little guidance for insureds on what is actually covered. The simple explanation for the lack of guidance is that coverage for fracking has rarely been litigated. One pending case gives us a glimpse of some of the main coverage issues.
Michael M. Salem, Esq.
Los Angeles, CA
Originally published in  Westlaw Journal, November 27, 2013
Articles incude: "A Party has Died - What Now?" by Dorsey C. Miller, III; "Avoiding An Inconsistent Verdict Once Liability Has Been Admitted" by Marlo Bodach, Esq. and Anthony Petrillo; "Conditional Payments: When Can CMS Demand Payment?" By Rey Alvarez, WC Managing Attorney
Edited by Maria Donnelly, CR & Daniel J. Santaniello, Esq.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Update on Insurance, Construction Defect, and Commercial Auto Law in Texas and Louisiana
 
New Orleans, LA

Legally Speaking Legally Speaking
(+)
(-)
Each quarter, "Legally Speaking" highlights the newest Insurance Law Podcasts from A.M. Best.
To listen to a podcast, please click on the podcast title. A new window containing an audio player will open. At the end of the podcast, please close the audio player window to return to your BestConnect newsletter. If you enjoy the podcasts below, be sure to visit our archive for other podcasts you may have missed.
Posted: Tue, 10 Dec 2013
Attorney Michael Salem from the law firm of Nelsen, Thompson, Pegue & Thornton, A.P.C. in Los Angeles, California discusses emerging issues in insurance for fracking and application of EPLE or Energy Pollution Liability Extension endorsement.

Posted: Tue, 19 Nov 2013
Attorney Eric Harrison from the law firm Methfessel & Werbel in Edison, New Jersey discusses aspects related to bullying and insurance coverage and litigation.

Posted: Tue, 05 Nov 2013
Attorney Julie Fershtman from the law firm of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, P.C. in Farmington Hills, Michigan, discusses animal livestock and equine liability and insurance coverage matters along with a recent coverage determination by the Federal Courts in Illinois.
 
Sign up now to have new Insurance Law Podcasts sent directly to you.
 

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

A severe humanitarian crisis is gripping the Philippines after the passage of Super Typhoon Haiyan, but insured losses are expected to be minimal because of the country's low non-life insurance penetration -- significantly less than 1% of gross domestic product.
November 18, 2013
As driverless car technology becomes a reality, Progressive Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer Glenn Renwick said he's excited about the insights his usage-based insurance technology will provide for figuring out an insurer's role in cars of the future.

November 14, 2013

As President Barack Obama announced insurance companies will be allowed to keep people on health insurance plans that do not meet the Affordable Care Act's minimum essential benefit requirements for another year, representatives of the health insurance industry and state regulators warned that the new rules could set off disruptions in the marketplace.

November 14, 2013


It's the Law It's the Law
(+)
(-)
The Insurance Law Digest is a summary of the insurance laws for each U.S. state and Canadian province. Our aim is to provide a reference source that covers some of the general insurance principles in leading case decisions.

Legal Precedents Impacting the Insurance Industry within the Past Year:

Digest Revisor
As of the New Year (2014), the Insurance Amendment Act is expected to be in force. This will result in significant changes to aspects of the insurance regime, particularly for the restricted licensing for incidental sellers of insurance.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
 
In Maximus, Inc. v. Twin City Fire Ins. Co., 856 F. Supp. 2d 797, it was found that an excess policy can be triggered where a settlement with a primary policy was made at less than policy limits. Evaluating potential exposure for actions being refiled after a nonsuit has been impacted by McKinney v. Va. Surgical Assocs., P.C., 284 Va. 455, 732 S.E.2d 27 (2012). Here, a court defined "cause of action" as the set of operative facts giving rise to a right of action, which is important in evaluating what claims can be filed after a nonsuit.
Fairfax, Virginia
 
Effective June 15, 2013, Insurance Law §3213-A requires life insurance companies to collect data regarding their insured and annuity owners and regularly compare the data to the Social Security Administration's Master Death File or another comparable public record. Effective April 1, 2013 New York State Department of Financial Services issued new No-Fault Regulations that are designed to help speed up the claims process and reduce the number of claims that remain tolled indefinitely.
New York, New York
 
Minimum liability limits for auto insurance have been increased to $25,000 per person and $50,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage on policies issued or renewed after December 22, 2013. R.C.4509.01. The statute of limitations for breach of a written contract has been reduced from 15 years to 8 years, unless otherwise specified in the contract. R.C. 2305.06. The change to the statute of limitations will be helpful to insurers in cases where the contract does not already have a shorter limitation of action clause.
Cleveland, Ohio

The following Digests have also been recently updated:

Arizona Gust Rosenfeld P.L.C. of Phoenix
Colorado Bloom, Murr, Accomazzo & Siler, PC of Denver
Georgia Drew Eckl & Farnham, LLP of Atlanta
Idaho Elam & Burke, P.A. of Boise
Kentucky Landrum & Shouse LLP of Lexington
Massachusetts Lyne, Woodworth & Evarts LLP of Boston
Mississippi Wells Marble & Hurst, PLLC of Jackson
Nevada Thorndal, Armstrong, Delk, Balkenbush & Eisinger of Las Vegas
New Jersey Hardin, Kundla, McKeon & Poletto, P.A. of Springfield
New Mexico Butt, Thornton & Baehr, P.C. of Albuquerque
North Dakota Crowley Fleck PLLP of Bismarck
Utah Plant, Christensen & Kanell, P.C. of Salt Lake City
West Virginia Steptoe & Johnson PLLC of Bridgeport
Wyoming Buchhammer & Kehl, P.C. of Cheyenne
New Brunswick Canty Lutz Delaquis Grant of St. John

To see the full list of updates, click below.


Notable Listings Notable Listings
(+)
(-)
We are pleased to welcome the following new listees this quarter, and to recognize those who have reached a milestone with Best's Directories.

New Listings

Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys

Corpus Christi, TX
Whitefish, MT
Denver, CO
Albuquerque, NM
Needham, MA
Florham Park, NJ
Charleston, SC
Boston, MA
Youngstown, OH
Aiken, SC
Edmond, OK
Cape Girardeau, MO
Amherst, OH
Santa Ana, CA
Boca Raton, FL
Fargo, ND
Louisville, KY
Dothan, AL
Boston, MA
Littleton, CO
Denver, CO
Minneapolis, MN

Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Adjusters

Best's Directory of Recommended Expert Service Providers

Gary L. Bethune & Associates, P.C. - Collections and Subrogation Experts
BHK Associates, Inc. - Consultants
Caspian Construction Services, LLC - Construction Consultants
CLM Engineering Associates, LLC - Premises Liability Experts
Enservio - Insurance Experts
Interisk Limited - Insurance Experts
Miami Valley Environmental Services, Inc. - Environmental Consultants
MP Construction & Consulting - Construction Consultants
O'Rourke & Company - Economic Consultants
Silver McGee, LLC - Construction Consultants
Weymouth, MA
Mandeville, LA
Bloomington, MN
Phoenix, AZ
Dana Point, CA
Cleveland, OH
Stamford, CT
Needham, MA
Newport Beach, CA
Camas, WA
Pittsburgh, PA
 
Dayton, OH
Sacramento, CA
Burlingame, CA
Garnerville, NY

Best's Directory of Third Party Administrators

Best's Directory of Insurance Auditors

Fort Washington, PA
 

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
75 Martin & Seibert, L.C. Martinsburg, WV
25
Houston, TX
Chicago, IL
Warren, NJ
Dallas, TX
Chicago, IL
Redwood City, CA
Salt Lake City, UT
Bala Cynwyd, PA
Seattle, WA
10
San Juan, PR
Ridgeland, MS
Covington, LA
Milwaukee, WI
Dallas, TX
San Diego, CA
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, VI
Brooklyn, NY
Miami, FL
Dallas, TX
San Diego, CA
Chicago, IL
Salt Lake City, UT
Harrisburg, PA
Las Vegas, NV
Eau Claire, WI
Seattle, WA
Buffalo, NY
Savannah, GA
Spartanburg, SC
Columbus, OH
Huntsville, AL
Portland, ME
Los Angeles, CA
Years Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Adjusters Location
10
Little Rock, AR
Puyallup, WA
Ventura, CA
Hamilton, AL
Years Best's Directory of Recommended Expert Service Providers Location
25 Campos & Stratis, Certified Public Accountants Teaneck, NJ

 

Webinars
(+)
(-)
A.M. Best produces innovative online presentations that connect you with industry leaders and provide the opportunity to learn firsthand about trends and developments facing insurance today.

Click on a title to open the video of your choice. At the end of the webinar, simply close the video player to return to the BestConnect newsletter.

Analysts and industry participants review the impact of regulatory and market changes on the U.S. health insurance sector. Topics include industry trends, government programs and rating activity.
 
How do you measure the impact of a data breach on a company? What is the impact to the company's bottom line, its reputation and overall market perception? A panel of experts explore how cyber breaches present multidimensional exposures and how to best assess the risk and mitigate those exposures in today's environment.

 


Don't miss any of the upcoming webinars! View our full webinar schedule, or register to attend a session.


Tradeshow/Events Upcoming Insurance Industry Trade Shows, Conventions, and Events
(+)
(-)
View the latest schedule for up-to-date information on insurance industry events from the Meetings & Conventions database.

Meeting Name / Association

Event Date

Location

Summit Professional Networks
December 17 - 18, 2013 New York, NY
Windstorm Insurance Network, Inc.
January 27 - 30, 2014 Orlando, FL
2014 WCRI Annual Issues & Research Conference
Workers' Compensation Research Institute (WCRI)
March 12 - 13, 2014 Boston, MA
RIMS 2014 Annual Conference & Exhibition
Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS)
April 27 - May 27, 2014 Denver, CO