The Defense Never Rests

How do you get people excited about a career in claims? For many of us, the response is – that's easy, claims ARE exciting. But for those who work in claims the career trajectory and potential opportunities are obvious. However, for those on the outside, that may not be as apparent. Insurance still carries a bit of that old school stigma with it and from the conversations I am having – there is a collective agreement that we need to work to change that image! And we talk about this week on the Defense Never Rests with Louis Pippin who is the Chief Claims Officer at Venbrook Group with many many years of claims experience under his belt. We chatted about his pain points which includes attracting (and keeping) talent. Because let's face it, the insurance industry isn't going anywhere and we need people to not only work in it, but stay here for the long haul. We need our future leaders. That's not all Louis has to say….we talk about investigating fraud, technology headaches and industry changes…to name a few. How do you think we attract and keep young talent in the insurance industry?

How do you turn negative experiences around to positive ones? In the moment, when something really bad happens it can be extraordinarily difficult to see the light at the end of a very dark tunnel. Sometimes it can seem downright impossible. This week's guest on the Defense Never Rests, Aliza Shatzman shares her personal experience clerking out of law school. And that it was nothing close to what she expected. In fact, it was quite the opposite. It was by every definition of the word a hostile work environment. Something no one at her law school had prepared her for. This experience demolished her dreams – ones she had worked extremely hard to reach. But it was her next steps that really stand out. Rather than dwelling on the turn her legal career had taken, she channeled her energy into launching the Legal Accountability Project, a nonprofit with the goal of ensuring law clerks have positive clerkship experiences. But also pushing law schools to be transparent about its student's clerkship experiences. Something she would have benefited from in her own experiences. Tune in to hear Aliza's story of taking a bag of lemons and making a batch of lemonade.

For more information visit https://www.legalaccountabilityproject.org/

Are you thinking about the potential appeal and appellate issues when you are assessing a claim? Many of us are very accustomed to working up a file in preparation for trial. But the thought of an appeal is secondary. And why wouldn't it be. But today we are here to talk about that all too important appellate process. We are joined by M.C. Sungaila who is an accomplished appellate attorney who started her career as a trial lawyer. Her experience as a trial attorney certainly taught her a few things. One important take away: She did not like it! She much preferred the appellate process. Pulling on her background in poetry, she preferred the careful thought and analysis that goes into drafting a brief. Not only that, but along the way she launched her own podcast, The Portia Project, where she speaks to female judges and lawyers about their professional experiences. All while gaining their insight and perspective on the appellate process. What a valuable resource! Have you checked out her podcast yet?

In this episode of The Defense Never Rests podcast, we are joined by guest Winter Wheeler. Tune in to hear her peel back the curtain to take a look into her personal life as a hard working mother of 4, and the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of mediation.

Do you ever feel the need that you must do it all? I know for me personally, I definitely have that struggle. As a mom, wife, lawyer, etc…there is a constant tug to be everything. To show up for the kid stuff, to eat right, exercise, be on top of everything at work…you name it. But some wise woman once told me you cannot be excellent at everything all of the time. I find the need to remind myself of that all the time and maybe ask for help! This week on the Defense Never Rests we are joined at Tamika Newson who shares her journey with this balancing act we all seem to struggle with to some degree. From when she was a green attorney and letting the partners know she was pregnant to the challenges she faced building her practice all while showing up for her family. How did she do it? She is not too proud to admit that her mom was a huge help! Taking that help makes all the difference. She even does it now in her current role managing litigation worldwide. Now she has to lean on and trust her local counsel to know these international jurisdictions and provide sound advice as to how to proceed. Do you accept help when you need it?

How has your intellectual curiosity leveled up your career? This week's guest on The Defense Never Rests, Zac Henderson is an individual with deep curiosity to learn new things. This curiosity does not allow Zac to stay still for long. He is always looking to learn and explore new things. Which has launched his career forward. Now as the Head of Legal and Data Protection for a start- up, Levels , each day he is faced with issues that he may have never encountered before. For Zac this fits his personality like a glove. He loves to dive in when faced with a new topic. In fact it was one of his favorite aspects of private practice. The difference in his current role is he sometimes needs to hold back on the deep dive to conserve his resources. That can take some adjusting. Do you enjoy the deep dive when faced with a distinct legal issue?

In this throwback episode host Meghan Henry is joined by returning guest Shari Belitz as well as Christopher Dickerson. NYC residents Chris and Shari work for the city of New York. Driven by his passion for the Big Apple, Chris defends the city that never sleeps as a public entity. Tune in to hear the implications of defending a public entity vs. a smaller, private one.

Let's face it. Change can be scary. And not everybody feels comfortable rocking the proverbial "boat." But change can also be exciting and fulfilling, especially after spending decades building a career in the legal and insurance industries. On this week's episode of The Defense Never Rests, we had the chance to speak with Donna MacConnell, the Managing Director of Claims for IMA Financial Group, who shares her journey through becoming a lawyer and then landing as a leader in the insurance industry. Donna is clearly not afraid to embrace the changes that she sees in the industry, and instead, uses them to her advantage. Even if that means NFT insurance certificates! Join us for a great discussion that will remind you to never stop evolving in your career, even when that means taking risks and rising to the challenge.