How Jurors View the Insurance Industry

Begins at Thu, May 26, 2022 12:00 PM
Ends at Thu, May 26, 2022 01:00 PM

Almost all Jurors have some contact and experience with professionals, architects, engineers, lawyers, accountants and insurance professionals. What are the current opinions concerning professionals and the insurance industry? Plaintiff’s counsel focus on “empathy” at trial. If a juror perceives they could be in the same position as the plaintiff or if they see themselves as an insured whose claim is denied, it may result in a Plaintiff’s verdict. Conversely, if they view the Plaintiff or an insured as someone who is unreasonable in their expectations a defense verdict is more likely. How can you make a difference today and avoid a suit later, or create a file that increases the odds of a defense verdict in the future?

About the Speakers

Bob Berk

Bob Berk represents both plaintiffs and defendants in contract disputes, insurance coverage and bad faith, professional liability, environmental and toxic tort, construction defect, and real estate. During his 36-plus-year career, Bob has tried numerous cases to verdict. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, which requires, as a condition of membership, a minimum number of jury trials to verdict, and he has been consistently recognized as one of the top commercial litigators in Arizona.

Bob also provides ADR services. He is a member of the American Arbitration Association’s (AAA) Commercial Panel, and he serves as both a mediator and an arbitrator. Bob has served as a Judge Pro Tempore for the Maricopa County Superior Court since 2005, and, as both an advocate and neutral, has participated in and conducted hundreds of successful mediations and settlement conferences. He has ADR experience in virtually every subject area, including multi-million dollar intellectual property disputes, auto accidents, multi-party construction cases, toxic tort class actions, eight-figure insurance bad faith claims, legal malpractice claims involving multiple firms, banking disputes, and cases arising out of real estate contracts. He has also arbitrated several cases.

Don Myles

Don Myles is one of the most experienced trial lawyers in Arizona. He is a Fellow in both the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL), an Advocate member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), and a Fellow in the American Academy of Coverage Counsel (AACC). Don is a Past President of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC), Past President of the Arizona Association of Defense Counsel (AADC), and a Past President of USLAW Network. He also serves as Trial Group Leader of the firm’s Professional Liability, Bad Faith & Complex Litigation Group. In 2019 and 2020, Don was recognized by Chambers USA as a Band 1 lawyer in Insurance Law.

In his alternative dispute resolution practice, Don mediates tort claims in the areas of professional liability, insurance bad faith, coverage and general tort liability. Don has also served as an expert witness in insurance-related matters. To further his ADR experience and skill-set, Don completed advanced mediation training provided by the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law. He is available for mediations, arbitrations, appraisals and expert witness testimony.