Staying in the Loop on Indemnity, Fidelity, and Commercial Surety
The 11th Annual Midwest Surety & Construction Claims Conference, themed “Staying in the Loop” on Indemnity, Fidelity, and Commercial Surety, will take place from July 17 to 18, 2024, at the University Club in Chicago, in “The Michigan Room” (2nd Floor). This informative and engaging event will feature renowned industry experts sharing insights on surety and construction law. We will apply for 9.0 hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) and Continuing Education (CE) credits. This conference offers attendees the chance to learn from experienced professionals, network with industry experts, and gain valuable insights into the construction industry. Don’t miss this opportunity to equip yourself with the tools to navigate surety bond claim obstacles.
The 11th Annual Midwest Surety & Construction Claims Conference kicks off with a Welcome Reception on Tuesday, July 16th at Porter Kitchen and Deck. The main program begins on Wednesday, July 17th, in the Michigan Room (2nd Floor) with breakfast at 7:45 am followed by sessions from 8:15 am to 5:00 pm, and concludes with a Post-Conference Reception at Avli on The Park. On Thursday, July 18th, the program starts with breakfast at 7:45 am and runs until 11:30 am. The event wraps up with a Post-Conference Lunch Cruise on Lake Michigan, including lunch, from 11:45 am to 3:00 pm, with transportation provided from the University Club of Chicago to Navy Pier.
Meet the conference chairs
The conference will feature industry experts who will share their wealth of knowledge on surety and construction law. The chairs are are renowned for their extensive experience in construction law, litigation, and surety claims management.
Sara Corbello, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
Sara Corbello is Senior Claims Counsel with Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company’s Surety group. Prior to joining the surety industry in 2019, Sara spent a decade in private practice representing automotive OEMs and major P&C carriers in complex product liability, construction defect, and coverage litigation. A proud Midwest native, Sara received her BS from Michigan State University (GO GREEN!) and JD from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.
Joel B. Daniel, Watt Tieder Hoffar & Fitzgerald, LLP
Joel Daniel is an attorney in Watt Tieder’s Chicago office, licensed in Illinois and Texas. He received his JD from the University of Texas School of Law, and he concentrates his practice on construction transactions and disputes, complex commercial litigation, suretyship and insurance law. His litigation and appellate practice includes disputes regarding defective design, construction delay and disruption, geotechnical and forensic investigation, differing site conditions, wrongful termination, contract interpretation, risk allocation, surety bonds, mechanics liens and insurance coverage. Joel was recognized in the 2023 and 2024 editions of Best Lawyers: One’s to Watch in America for his work in Construction Litigation and Insurance Law.
Stephanie Geer, United Fire Group
Stephanie Geer is the Vice President of Surety Claims at United Fire Group. Prior to joining UFG, she worked for Liberty Mutual Surety handling contract claims in the Southeastern United States and later managing the EMEA surety claims team. She received her Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa. Stephanie is a frequent author and presenter on topics related to surety law.
Jonathan Hahn, The Vertex Companies, LLC
Mr. Jonathan Hahn has been with VERTEX since its founding days and has worked on a great variety of projects ranging from heavy highway bridge/infrastructure to multifamily, mixed-use commercial/vertical construction including public and private schools, department of defense and green energy projects. Mr. Hahn has served many roles in the field including construction manager, on-site monitoring, owner’s representative, and project manager for completion projects. Mr. Hahn is a respected consultant in the surety claims industry and continues to be active with the FSLC Technology Committee / American Bar Association, National Bond Claims, Surety Claims Institute, and the Surety Association of Canada as well as regional events / organizations.
Event SpeakerS
- Alexander J. Brinson, Manier & Herod, P.C.
- Connor Chow, The Vertex Companies, LLC
- Megan Daily, Krebs Farley PLLC
- Stuart Detsky, Trisura Guarantee Insurance Company
- Adam Feldman, Travelers Bond & Specialty Insurance
- Gustavo Fernandez, The Vertex Companies, LLC
- Leonard Geraci, Skyward Specialty Insurance
- Sam Haagenson, The Vertex Companies, LLC
- Gisel Hernandez, The Vertex Companies, LLC
- Daniel Hurrelbrink, Crum and Forster Surety
- Shawn Kelly, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
- Ron Lachmansingh, Travelers Bond & Specialty Insurance
- Kaitlyn M. Linsner, Esq., Watt Tieder Hoffar & Fitzgerald, LLP
- David E. Mathews, Argo Surety
- John McDevitt, Liberty Mutual Surety
- Stephani Miller, Liberty Mutual Surety
- Brian C. Padove, Esq., Watt Tieder Hoffar & Fitzgerald, LLP
- Daniel D. Pentecost, Esq., Westfield Group
- Jeffrey S. Price, Manier & Herod, P.C.
- Edward Rubacha, Esq., Jennings Haug Keleher McLeod LLP
- Adrienne Shivers, MBA, M.S., CPCU, AFSB, Liberty Mutual Surety
- Jarrod W. Stone, Manier & Herod, P.C.
- Genise W. Teich, Liberty Mutual Surety
- Justin Wear, Manier & Herod, P.C.
- Christopher Wise, Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company
- Christy Zabek, Amerisure Surety
Schedule of Events:
2024 Midwest Conference Social Agenda
Tuesday, July 16th
Welcome Reception
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Porter Kitchen and Deck: 150 N. Riverside Plaza Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 781-7580
Wednesday, July 17th
Breakfast: 7:45 am – 9:00 am
Program: 8:15 am – 5:00 pm
Post-Conference Reception: 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Avli on The Park: 180 N. Field Blvd, Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 600-9997
Thursday, July 18th
Breakfast: 7:45 am – 9:00 am
Program: 8:15 am – 11:30 am
Post-Conference Lunch Cruise on Lake Michigan:11:45 am – 3:00 pm
City Experiences: 600 East Grand Avenue Chicago, IL 60611
For information on registration details please contact cschwartz@vertexeng.com and jhahn@vertexeng.com.
Sponsored by:
