Insurance Broker Negligence: Trends and Defense Strategies

Diana Casieri

Diana is a Divisional Assistant Vice President at Great American Custom Insurance Services, where she manages the E&O Claims team.  In her role, Diana manages claims against insurance agents/brokers, real estate brokers, and other miscellaneous professionals.  Diana has been with Great American since January 2015. 

Prior to joining Great American, Diana worked as Claims Counsel/Claims Specialist at Zurich American Insurance Company for approximately 10 years.  In her role at Zurich, Diana handled complex claims in the areas of D&O and Construction Professional Liability/Architects & Engineers claims.  Prior to joining Zurich, Diana worked as a Litigation Associate at law firms in New York City, including the insurance defense litigation firm of Ohrenstein & Brown.  Diana also served as a law clerk for Judge Peter Paul Olszewski of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. 

Diana earned a B.A. in Political Science from Queens College in New York, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.  Diana also received a Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University School of Law, where she served as an Articles & Notes Editor on the St. John’s Law Review. Diana is also admitted to practice law in New York.    

Andy Dorman

Andy is an accomplished trial attorney who has represented clients for more than 25 years in complex commercial and professional liability disputes, with a particular emphasis on legal and accountant professional liability, directors and officers liability, securities litigation, and employment-related disputes. He serves as the Chair of Reminger’s Legal Professional Liability, Financial Services Professional Liability and Miscellaneous Professional Liability Practice groups.

Andy is a frequent presenter to members of the insurance industry, the bar, and the financial services and real estate industries. He is a Past President of Professional Liability Attorney Network and is a member of the Professional Lines Underwriting Society, and other legal and bar associations.

Sean Needham

For more than a decade, Sean has focused his practice on the defense of professionals including attorneys, accountants, broker-dealers, individual stock brokers, investment advisors, insurance agents, and ERISA plan fiduciaries throughout the United States.  

He has litigated in the state and federal courts of Ohio, California, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, and regularly counsels clients on actions before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of Labor, and state departments of securities and/or insurance.

Mary Prugh is currently retired but spent 33 years in the insurance industry working for both carriers and agencies.  Mary was Claims Director for Agent’s E&O claims at Fireman’s Fund.  Afterwards, she worked with Assurance Agency as Director of Client Advocacy.  In that role, Mary assisted agency clients in ensuring that carriers handled claims to the clients’ best advantage including gaining coverage when denied.  While at Assurance, she also oversaw the agency’s E&O claims and worked with the agents on strategies to avoid E&O matters.  Recently, Mary retired from AmTrust North America.  At the time of her retirement, she was Vice President of Specialty Claims which included admitted and E&S Agent’s E&O coverage.  Mary has a BS in Business Administration with a minor in Pre-Law/Political Science.  She also has her CPCU, ARM, AIC, and SLCA.