Customer Service Insurance

Martha S. Kersey

217-***-**** *** Ridge Rd., Mahomet, IL 61853

********@*****.***

EXPERIENCE

Country Financial, Bloomington, IL

*/**** - */****

Claims Attorney II, Litigated Claims Department

. Managed a pending inventory of over 300 litigated and non-litigated

claims for MSI Insurance Companies and Country Financial nationwide

involving all types of policies including auto, commercial liability

and property, and custom/manuscript

. Determined coverage, selected and engaged defense counsel and coverage

counsel, drafted reservation of rights/coverage position letters,

assisted in developing litigation strategy, and determined when to

file declaratory judgment actions

. Participated in mediations and settlement conferences, established

appropriate reserves, monitored and managed defense costs and other

expenditures, drafted responses to policy limit demands in various

jurisdictions

. Specialized in coverage analysis of third party commercial liability

issues, first party property/casualty claims, and extra-contractual

issues, with an emphasis on construction defect litigation

. Provided one-on-one training and advice for company's liability

adjusters on commercial policy coverage issues and claims handling

(including preparation of reservation of rights and denial letters,

responses to time-sensitive settlement/policy limit demands, and

negotiation of settlements) in AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, IA, MN, MO, NV,

OR,WA, and WI

. Negotiated settlements of first party bad faith litigation in various

states including: California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin

. Reported to actuarial team, advised and made recommendations regarding

potential exposures and the setting of IBNR and other reserves

. Advised commercial underwriters with regard to commercial policy

language, development of policy endorsements, made recommendations

with regard to laws and exposures in certain regions and markets and

whether to make policy offerings in those markets

. Developed and presented training on the company's new commercial CPP

policy containing commercial liability form CG 00 01 (12/04) and BOP

policy containing commercial liability form BP 00 03 (7/02), and

various related endorsements

. Developed procedures and authored e-learning training programs to

bring company into compliance with Fair Claims Practices Acts in

California and Minnesota

. Participated in pilot project involving IT claims system developed for

the purpose of converting the Litigated Claims department to a

paperless environment

State Farm Insurance Companies, Decatur, IL

1/2000 - 6/2002

Claims Specialist/Attorney

. Investigated, evaluated, and negotiated complex bodily injury claims

with large exposures on auto policies and commercial liability

policies

. Provided coverage analysis and made recommendations to upper level

claims management regarding the auto policy

. Managed litigation involving auto and commercial liability policies in

5 counties in Illinois.

. Presented cases in various alternative dispute resolution forums

. Arbitrator for Arbitration Forums, Inc.

. Public Affairs Field Representative

. Certified volunteer for the State Farm Speakers Bureau, a community

outreach program

. Taught courses for the Department of Learning and Development

providing claims and customer service training for new agents and

supplemental claims training for current agents

. Performed managerial functions as assigned including: conducting

interviews, auditing claim files, acting as manager of claims office

in management's absence, evaluating and testing vendor products and

their applications to local office settings, reporting findings to

upper level management

. Implemented records retention program for local office and documented

compliance with management

Nally Haasis Jordan and Bauer, P.C., Champaign, IL

6/1998 - 1/2000

Associate Attorney

. Practice focused on insurance defense, general civil litigation,

family law and personal injury

. Tried several child custody cases to verdict

. Engaged in all aspects of discovery including the taking of expert

depositions,

. Argued procedural motions and substantive evidentiary motions

State Farm Insurance Companies, Champaign, IL

8/1988 - 6/1998

Claims Specialist/Attorney

. Investigated, evaluated, and negotiated auto claims with an emphasis

on complex bodily injury claims with large exposures

. Presented cases in various alternative dispute resolution forums

. Managed litigation and advised upper level management with regard to

litigated claims in Illinois.

. Arbitrator for Arbitration Forums, Inc.

. Public Affairs field representative

. Certified volunteer for the State Farm Speakers Bureau, a community

outreach program

. Organized volunteer initiatives and events with co-workers through

"Make a Difference Day" and "Special Olympics"

EDUCATION

University of Illinois College of Law J.D. May 1988

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign B.A., Economics and Political

Science, May 1985

BAR ADMISSIONS

State of Illinois

US District Court for the Central District of Illinois

ORGANIZATIONS

Illinois State Bar Association

Defense Research Institute

East Central Illinois Women Attorneys Association - President, 1998 -

2000

Champaign County Bar Association 1998 - 2002

. Vice President, 2000 - 2002

. Committees: ADR, Family Law, Court House

PUBLIC SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Guest Speaker: DRI - Voice of the Defense Bar - Insurance Coverage and

Practice

Symposium - New York, New York, December, 2006 - "Misery Loves Company"

Guest Speaker; ALFA International - "Bracing for the Next One" - Chicago,

Illinois, September, 2006

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