10/15/2012
Credentials
Attorney—Licensed in Kansas & Missouri
Securities — Series 6 (Mutual Funds, Variable Annuities, Insurance Premiums),
Series 63 (securities solicitation)
Series 65 (Investment Advisor Representative)
Series 26 (Supervising Principal)
Producer’s License—Life, Health & Accident
Experience – Litigation – Compliance – Marketing – Product Development Management
Fidelity Security Life Insurance Company (FSL)/Forrest T. Jones & Co. (FTJ)/National Pension & Group Consultants NPGC (2005-Present)
Director of Asset Accumulation (FSL) – Managed Strategic Business Unit distributing and developing interest sensitive products: annuities (qualified and non-qualified), whole life and term life. Designed 401(k) group flexible premium deferred annuity, MV5 IRA/ROTH FPDA annuity and exceeded production quotas annually.
Director of Financial Products (FTJ) – Compliance monitoring and administrative oversight as Third-Party Administrator and common remitter for 185 employer groups’ retirement plans in Missouri. Managed agency with captive sales force marketing primarily to K-12 educators participating in 403(b) and 457(b) qualified plans. Responsibility included multi-vendor plan-level record-keeping, reporting and transaction authority.
Supervising Principal (NPGC) – Broker Dealer/Investment Advisory Firm offering mutual funds distributed through employer groups and independent channels. Assets under management grew three-fold.
Senior Counsel – FSL - For two years supervised litigation relating to numerous insurance products (life, health, excess loss, reinsurance, gap products, annuities, subrogation); provided legal opinions on coverage, negotiated and drafted insurance contracts, provided counsel and assistance to Claims, Human Resources, IT, Corporate Communications and general company operations.
Litigation Counsel – Liberty Mutual/Wausau Insurance Companies: 2000 to 2005. In-house litigator defending business-market insureds against tortious claims including products liability, personal injury, premises liability, wrongful death and workers compensation. Position entailed coverage review, litigation protocol strategies, litigation budgeting.
Litigation Associate – Niewald, Waldeck & Brown: 1998 to January 2000. Insurance defense, professional and premises liability, vehicular negligence, employment discrimination, FELA, construction litigation (mechanic’s liens), contractor actions, fraud claims, insurance liquidation, class action, aviation, defamation, municipal practice and administrative law.
Litigation Associate – Cohen McNeile Pappas & Shuttleworth: Kansas City, MO and Leawood, KS – 1996 to 1998. Insurance subrogation claims, commercial transactions, creditors’ rights, personal injury, bankruptcy and domestic areas of law. Tried approximately 50 Associate Circuit/Limited Action cases.
Law Clerk to Hon. Dale E. Saffels, United States District Court Judge - District of Kansas: 1996. Extensive legal research and analysis, drafting memoranda, orders and jury instructions on litigation ranging from torts to criminal law. Specific litigation included misappropriation of trade secrets, intentional infliction of emotional distress, Title VII actions and products liability.
Shawnee County Prosecutor’s Office - 1994 to 1995. Prosecuted and tried numerous criminal misdemeanor cases while a law student at Washburn University School of Law (three jury trials).
Adjunct Professor of Law – Washburn University School of Law: Mass Media Law – civil liability of media for defamation, public disclosure of private facts, false light, appropriation, intrusion and trespass, emotional distress, physical and economic harm and copyright violations – 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003.
Adjunct Faculty – Penn Valley Community College: Introduction to Paralegalism, Family and Media Law, Wills & Estates – The curriculum was both a certificate and associates degree program for persons to become certified paralegals. Adjunct for eight semesters.
Education
Juris Doctorate (Dean’s Honors) – Washburn University School of Law, 1995
Master of Science – Radio-TV-Film – University of Kansas, 1984 – Awarded Academic Emmy by the Academy of Arts & Sciences.
Bachelor of Arts – English – Loyola University, New Orleans, 1980 – Study Abroad: Loyola University Rome Center of Liberal Arts
Experience Prior to Law School
Press Secretary to the Alaska House of Representatives (1990-1992);
Deputy Press Secretary to the Governor of Alaska (1988-1990);
News Director and Southeast Bureau Chief for the Alaska Television Network; Television News Anchor and Reporter in Juneau, Alaska. Directed the State contract for broadcast coverage of the Legislature.
Personal
Married 28 years (Heather), two children (boy-girl twins) who are now college seniors. Proficient blues, boogie-woogie and rock-and-roll piano player. Kansas City documentary film director and author.
