Event Information:

• Fri

  06

  Apr

  2018

  Legal Year in Review

  9:00 amWorcester, MA

  8 am  Registration and Breakfast

  9 am Conference

  The Law Year in Review

  This presentation will focus on recent regulatory changes and legal cases that impact the lines of business handled by the Life, Health and Disability Claim Communities.

  Speaker-Chris Collins

  Christopher Collins ("Chris") joined Mirick O'Connell in October 2015 as a member of the Life, Health, Disability and ERISA Litigation Group.  Chris is known both locally and nationally for his extensive experience in litigating first party bad faith matters and insurance cases governed by ERISA.  He has managed numerous class action matters involving Securities, 401(k), False Claim Act, Retained Asset Accounts, and many dealings with insurance and ERISA-related issues.  Prior to joining the Firm, Chris was Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Unum US. In that role, he provided counsel and managed all of the legal resources serving Unum's largest business sector.  During his tenure at the company, he helped to lead the legal department through both acquisitions and mergers and was a key participant in working to solve significant regulatory challenges facing the company in the early 2000's.

  Chris' practice focuses on life and health insurance matters with a concentration on disability income insurance and will assist the Firm in client development both locally and nationally.  He will also continue to serve the community in a broad array of philanthropic activities.

  Throughout his career, Chris has been a frequent speaker and panelist at numerous industry conferences.  In 2013, he was the keynote speaker at the Definitive Disability Conference ("DDC").  In addition, he has participated at forums and events sponsored by the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Worcester.

  WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CLAIM-RELATED DECISIONS END UP IN LITIGATION?

  This panel presentation will offer a legal perspective concerning claim-related decisions and will discuss the typical evolution of a lawsuit and how claim representatives may be involved and/or consulted in the context of such litigation.

  This session will also offer an overview of the discovery process, including how internal claim documentation may end up in the hands of a plaintiff's lawyer and best practices for depositions.

  Takeaways: Attendees will gain a sense of what litigation over a claim denial looks like and will gain insight on how their actions and file documents could end up before a court.

  Joseph M. Hamilton

  Joe is a Partner at Mirick O'Connell and Chair of the Firm's Litigation Group as well as the Life, Health, Disability and ERISA Litigation Group. He concentrates his practice in life, health and disability insurance defense, and ERISA. Mr. Hamilton serves as counsel for numerous life, health and disability insurers and self-insureds at all levels of state and federal courts throughout Massachusetts. Mr. Hamilton's representation includes the full spectrum of issues arising from both individual and group coverage, under both state and federal law, including ERISA. Mr. Hamilton is a member of the Employee Benefits, Life Insurance Law, and Health and Disability Insurance Law Committees of the American Bar Association; the Life, Health and Disability Committee of the Defense Research Institute; The Association of Life Insurance Counsel; and the New England Claims Association. Mr. Hamilton is a past Chair of the ABA's Life Insurance Law Committee; and a Vice-Chair of the ABA's Health and Disability Law Committee. Mr. Hamilton regularly writes and speaks on issues related to life, health and disability litigation. Mr. Hamilton received his B.S., magna cum laude, and J.D. from Boston College.

  Debra A. Conner    

  Vice President, Life & Disability Claims

  Ms. Conner is the Vice President of Life & Disability Benefits for Sun Life Financial with current oversight of the Short Term (including Absence Management) and Long Term Disability claims departments, Worksite Claims as well as Life and Life Waiver benefits. She has in excess of twenty years of experience in the insurance industry, specifically in the life, health and disability product lines for employer sponsored plans, voluntary and individual products.  She has worked in various capacities in the insurance industry including claims (medical, stop loss, LTD, STD, Life and Life Waiver and individual disability) contract and product development and state and federal compliance. As in-house counsel for 10 years she was involved in litigation management, including trial testimony, as well as compliance and regulatory matters and joint venture arrangements.

  She began her career at Sun Life in 2003. Throughout her career she has worked for Phoenix Insurance, Allmerica Financial, Massachusetts Casualty (then a subsidiary of Sun Life of Canada), Hartford Life Insurance Company and GE Financial.

  She is Past- President of the New England Claim Association and Past-president and founder of the New England Anti-Fraud Association. Over the years she has spoken at industry meetings on the topics of fraud, claims management, staffing and organizational development and various legal topics.

  She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (B.A.) and was awarded her Juris Doctor from Western New England University School of Law in Springfield, MA. She is admitted to the practice of law in the state of Connecticut.

  Robert Dubiel

  Bob has more than 40 years of Group, Association and IDI Claims Experience with The Hartford Life Insurance Companies, Unum Group and MetLife. He is currently a LTD Unit Leader in MetLife’s Bloomfield, CT National Account Office. Additionally, he holds an ALHC designation, is Treasurer of the International Claims Association (ICA), co-chair of the ICA Disability Committee, a member of the ICA Marketing/Membership Committee and a member of the ICA Board of Directors. Bob received his undergraduate degree from LeMoyne College in Syracuse NY.

  Kristina H. Allaire

  Kristina H. Allaire is currently an Assistant Vice President in the individual disability benefits center at Unum Group in Worcester. Prior to joining the benefits center Tina was  inhouse counsel at Unum Group where she managed both ERISA and non-ERISA litigation involving STD, LTD and IDI policies throughout  the United States.  Prior to joining Unum Group, she was an associate at the law firm, Mirick O’Connell where she concentrated her practice in the defense of life, health and disability cases in Massachusetts and Connecticut.  Tina is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York as well as the First, Second and Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.

   

  Beechwood Hotel

  363 Plantation St

  Worcester, MA 01605

  508-453-1112

  $189 discounted room rate if booked before  3/21/18.  Group Name: New England Claims Association.

  ONLINE REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED, please contact treasurer, Danielle_Brennan@glic.com for additional registration availability