KRISTINE TEJANO RICKARD, ESQ.
Canton, CT 06019
e-mail: **************@*****.***
Mobile 773-***-****
PROFILE
Broad legal and insurance background with more than fourteen years of
experience in insurance coverage, management, and professional liability
underwriting. An organized and confident executive with strong leadership,
oral and written communication skills and tremendous attention to detail.
Recognized for interpersonal skills and ability to effectively communicate
amongst various divisions within an organization. Ability to assess all
issues and complete projects producing focused results while adhering to
rigid deadlines.
LEGAL EXPERIENCE
XL Insurance Hartford, CT
April 2006 to present
Vice President - January 2008 to present
. Manage Private Company Management Liability and Employment Practices
Liability claims unit.
. Expanded staff from two to eleven attorneys. Directly responsible for
all training, education and mentoring.
. Confer with claim staff where they seek reserve and settlement authority
in excess of $100,000. Handle case load of more complex matters from
inception to resolution. Attend mediations and other proceedings
relevant to the matter. Oversee all coverage litigation for private
company claims. Ensure coverage counsel nationally is in compliance with
corporate litigation management guidelines.
. Prepare coverage opinions for business unit and reports for the Operating
Committee and reinsurers regarding projected losses in excess of $5
million and strategies for resolving same.
. Conceptualized, implemented and conduct weekly meetings with underwriting
staff and senior management targeted at identifying policy language
weaknesses and coverage issues for early identification of loss trends.
Advise underwriters on interpretation and application of policy
provisions.
. Assume lead role for presentations to reinsurers regarding loss trends
and their long-term financial impact on the book of business. Serve as
liaison with actuarial, underwriting and reinsurance divisions.
Claims Counsel - April 2006 to December 2007
. Analyzed, investigated, negotiated and resolved high severity and complex
public company directors and officers liability claims and employment
practices liability claims with moderate supervision, making
recommendations to senior management when necessary. Directly
responsible for case load in excess of 200 files.
. Conducted coverage analysis, damage and liability assessments, and
provided settlement rationale. Identified and reviewed each
jurisdiction's applicable statutes, rules and case law. Managed outside
counsel in various jurisdictions nationally. Prepared claim reports for
senior management for claims with settlement value in excess of $5
million. Negotiated ultimate settlement.
. Responsible for oversight of stock options backdating claims for
Commercial and Financial Institutions books of business for settlement
trends and overall financial impact to company.
. Developed training materials and trained new hires. Reviewed new hires'
initial coverage analyses.
Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold LLP Chicago, IL
September 2000 to March 2006
Attorney
. Served as national claims counsel, coverage counsel and reinsurance
counsel for a variety of insurance and reinsurance clients. Managed
lawsuits involving lawyers, directors and officers, including federal
securities claims, nationwide. Researched regulatory issues and claim
trends.
. Directed semi-annual reinsurance audit of over 900 directors and officers
liability and securities claims with total reserve recommendations in
excess of $1.2 billion. Tracked claims in Access database. Engaged in
extensive client contact, attended meetings and participated in business
development activities. Worked closely with senior partners, in-house
claims handlers and client senior management to address claim trends,
minimize policy ambiguities and make recommendations regarding
underwriting practices.
KRISTINE TEJANO RICKARD, ESQ.
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. Oversaw and managed national legal malpractice claims program, including
managing outside defense counsel, serving as claims counsel in
mediations, preparing quarterly reports regarding liability analysis,
drafting policy language in conformance with state compliance, presenting
seminars to clients regarding claim trends, and advising clients on
reinsurance matters. Directly responsible for claim settlement.
. Participated in Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Pro Bono program
representing children before the Cook County Illinois Probate Court as
Guardian Ad Litem.
Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker LLP Chicago, IL
May 1999 to July 2000
Law Clerk (offered position for full-time employment)
. Assisted in coverage analysis of directors' and officers'
and corporate liability.
. Researched issues, wrote memoranda and drafted client reports regarding
corporate liability, product liability, and employment discrimination
matters.
Bellows & Bellows P.C. Chicago, IL October
1998 to May 1999
Law Clerk
. Conducted extensive legal research and drafted legal memoranda on issues
of securities fraud, employment discrimination, and various commercial
and financial transactions.
OTHER INSURANCE EXPERIENCE
Zurich-American Insurance Group New York, NY
October 1995 to June 1997
Underwriter - Executive Assurance Directors' and Officers' Liability
Insurance
. Analyzed large public corporations for potential securities lawsuits
resulting from adverse earnings reports, corporate mergers and employment
layoffs. Transactions reviewed included public offerings, debt
restructurings, bankruptcies, reorganizations, and mergers and
acquisitions.
. Responsible for managing $11 million book of business for
the California and Chicago markets.
. Communicated directly with client senior management to evaluate business
transactions and determine liability programs.
Reliance National New York, NY
September 1993 to October 1995
Underwriter - Financial Institutions/Financial Services Professional
Liability Insurance
. Selected as one of two participants in pilot Risk Management Program.
Extensive internship involved rotations through all underwriting
divisions within the insurance company and internships with senior
management in the reinsurance, finance, marketing and operations
divisions.
. Evaluated financial performance of banks, mutual funds and insurance
companies for potential liability resulting from public filings.
Directly responsible for maintaining $6 million book of business.
EDUCATION
DePaul University College of Law Chicago, IL
Juris Doctor, June 2000
. Recipient of Student Service Award for Class of 2000
. Student Bar Association Executive Committee - Secretary;
Vice President of Special Events
. Co-founder and Vice-President of DePaul Business Law
Society
. Asian-American Law Student Appointee to Dean's Committee
for Diversity
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor of Arts in Communications, May 1993
. All Major course work in the Annenberg School for
Communications
. Vice-President of the University of Pennsylvania Student Federal Credit
Union - elected to Executive Committee of nation's largest student-run
credit union, with over $7 million in assets at the time
. Social Planning and Events Committee Co-Chair; Student
Ambassador for Admissions Office
KRISTINE TEJANO RICKARD, ESQ.
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ADMISSIONS
Connecticut State Bar, 2009, Northern District of Illinois, 2001, Illinois
State Bar, 2000 (inactive)
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS AND ARTICLES
"How Defense Counsel and EPL Claims Handlers Can Work Together to Minimize
Damages in Employment Cases," National Employment Practices Liability
Insurance ExecuSummit, Speaker (September 22, 2010)
"The Best and Worst Jurisdictions for Insurers and Policyholders,"
American Bar Association Mid-Year Meeting, Tort Trial and Insurance
Practice Section, Panelist (February 28, 2009)
"Professional Liability Insurance In The Private Equity And Venture
Capital Market," Financier Worldwide (January 2010) (co-authored with
Robert Martin and Ed Perry)
INTERESTS
Member of the Junior League of Hartford. Enjoy traveling, music and
watching professional sports.
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