Vertex is an Emerald Sponsor of the 2026 Fidelity and Surety Law Midwinter Conference on January 21–23, 2026 at the JW Marriott, Washington, DC. Hosted by the American Bar Association’s Fidelity and Surety Law Committee (FSLC), the conference brings together industry leaders to examine emerging risks, legal developments, and evolving challenges across construction, surety, and fidelity.
VERTEX will return this year as a sponsor, exhibitor, and contributor to the program, with several senior leaders participating as panel speakers.
VERTEX Speakers at FSLC Midwinter 2026
VERTEX leaders will speak across four sessions during this year’s conference, listed below in chronological order.
Thursday, January 22, 2026
1:45–2:30 PM — Beneath the Surface: Differing Site Conditions on Mega Projects
Speaker: James Granstra, PSP, PMP, CCIFP, MBA, Managing Director
This session will examine how differing site conditions create heightened risk on mega projects, focusing on risk allocation under the law, recent legal developments, and best practices for managing and mitigating DSC-related exposure.
2:30–3:15 PM — Scheduling and Accounting Practices for Mega Project Success
Speaker: Jeff Katz, PE, PSP, CCM, CCA, Senior Managing Director
This panel will explore the role of project controls on mega projects, addressing scheduling fundamentals, schedule updates, technology, and accounting practices such as cost structuring, joint ventures, cost tracking, and documentation for damages claims.
Friday, January 23, 2026
9:20–10:05 AM — Investigating the Mega-Claim: Identifying and Building Defenses
Speaker: Mark Degenaars, LEED, GA, Chief Operating Officer
This session will focus on the early stages of mega-project claim investigations, including evaluating surety exposure, coordinating with co-sureties, assessing financial health, identifying potential defenses, and documenting claims to support defensible outcomes.
1:40–2:25 PM — The Surety’s Completion of a Mega-Project
Speaker: William McConnell, PE, JD, MSCE, MBA, Chairman of the Board
This panel will examine how sureties evaluate completion options on mega projects, considering financial, technical, and organizational factors that will influence completion decisions and shape the surety’s ultimate course of action.
VERTEX Attendees
In addition to our featured speakers, VERTEX team members attending the conference will participate in discussions on construction risk, surety exposure, project delivery, and complex claim dynamics.
- Frank Benway – Senior Managing Director
- Zach Bradshaw, PE, CEP, PSP – Senior Managing Director
- Nick Deeley – Managing Director
- Janet Doherty, PE – Director
- Jonathan Hahn – Senior Director
- Tatum Rhyne – Consultant
Supporting Surety and Construction Professionals Through Complex Matters
As a trusted partner to carriers, attorneys, contractors, and project stakeholders, VERTEX provides industry-leading expertise in surety claims consulting, construction risk evaluation, project advisory, delay and damages analysis, and dispute resolution.
From navigating mega-project claims to addressing real-time project challenges, our multidisciplinary teams deliver clarity, technical insight, and defensible analysis across all phases of construction and surety matters.
If you are attending the Midwinter Conference and would like to connect with our team or discuss how VERTEX can support your project or claims needs, we welcome the opportunity to speak with you.
To view the full agenda and event details, visit the official 2026 ABA FSLC Midwinter Conference website.
To learn more about VERTEX’s Forensic and Surety Claims Consulting services or to speak with an expert, call 888.298.5162 or submit an inquiry here.
The Author
Bill McConnell
PE, JD, MSCE, MBA
Chairman of the Board
Bill McConnell is a co-founder and Chairman of The Vertex Companies, LLC. Bill is a top expert witness for construction disputes as he has testified nearly 250 times, most notably for quantum/damages, scheduling, allocation, termination, and standard of care opinions. As the Chairman of VERTEX, Bill sets the strategy for VERTEX’s future.
The Author
Mark Degenaars
LEED GA
Chief Operating Officer, The Vertex Companies, LLC
Mark Degenaars has over 20 years of project management, facility management, private/public development, and construction experience. As COO at VERTEX, his primary focus is the VERTEX's operating strategy.
The Author
James Granstra
PSP, PMP, CCIFP, MBA
Managing Director, Commercial Damages & Investigation
James Granstra is a Managing Director in the Austin office of VERTEX. James assists companies and their legal counsel avoid and resolve business disputes. James is experienced in critical path method (“CPM”) delay analysis and analysis of economic damages in the construction and government contract industries. He has analyzed contractor and owner claims arising from delays, productivity loss, disruption, force majeure events, payment disputes, and environmental impacts.
The Author
Frank Benway
Senior Managing Director, Claims, Disputes and Forensics
As Senior Managing Director, Frank Benway manages the surety consulting and completion contracting practice across the east coast. He has over 15 years of construction management experience on some of the most complex projects nationwide.
The Author
Alex Belooussov
Managing Consultant, Claims, Disputes & Forensics
Alex Belooussov has 8+ years of experience in surety consulting and project management, with a background in federal projects worldwide. He specializes in surety claims, cost and schedule analysis, and project completion support.
The Author
Jeff Katz
PE, PSP, CCM, CCA
Senior Managing Director, Commercial Damages & Investigation
Jeff Katz is a Senior Managing Director of VERTEX who leads VERTEX’s contract claims practice. Mr. Katz is a professional engineer who has been retained as an expert or consultant on large files across North America.
The Author
Zachary Bradshaw
PE, CEP, PSP
Senior Managing Director, Claims, Disputes and Forensics
As a Senior Managing Director with VERTEX Litigation Support, Zachary Bradshaw has assisted in preparing over one hundred fifty construction defect, insurance, and delay claims.
The Author
Nick Deeley
Managing Director, Surety
Nick Deeley is a construction professional with over 15 years of experience and knowledge in project planning, environmental review, project management, owner representation, construction contract administration, construction consulting, claims investigations, and general construction.
The Author
Janet Doherty
PE
Director, Surety
Janet Doherty is a Director at VERTEX. She earned a B.S in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois and is a licensed civil engineer.
The Author
Jonathan Hahn
Senior Director, Surety
Jonathan Hahn 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.
The Author
Tatum Rhyne
Consultant, Surety
Tatum Rhyne, an ABET-accredited Mechanical Engineering graduate, is a Consultant at VERTEX specializing in Surety and Construction Defect. Experience in project management and handling diverse responsibilities.