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J. Eric Peterson, JD, MBA

Insurance & Risk Management Consultant
The Insurance Archaeologist™

Curriculum Vitae

Current

  • Litigation and Claims Management
  • Insurance Bad Faith
  • Risk Management Consulting
  • Captive Insurance Management
  • Legal Research
  • Insurance Policy Review

Licenses/Certifications

  • Property and Casualty Insurance Producer/Broker – Various states, including but not limited to, Arizona, Ohio, Wyoming, South Carolina and Tennessee. Last active license 2013.
  • Adjuster – Lines of Authority – Property and Casualty – Various states, including but not limited to, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming. Last active license 2022.
  • Certified Risk Manager

Areas of Expertise

Bad Faith
Insurance Policy Coverage Opinions
Claims Handling
Third Party Administrator Standards
General Liability Policies
Captive Insurance Management
Agent & Broker Standards and Practices
Litigation Management
Unfair Claims and Settlement Practices
Risk Management Standards
Directors & Officers Liability
Sexual Misconduct Cases
Errors and Omissions

Education

Juris Doctor – Cumberland School of Law, Samford University – Birmingham, AL – 2011

Masters of Business Administration, Global Business Management – Tempe, AZ – 2000

Certificate in Risk Management – Tempe, AZ – 1994

Bachelors of Science, Business Management – California Lutheran University – Thousand Oaks, CA – 1992

Associates Degree – Arizona State University – Tempe, AZ – 1990

Associations/Volunteer Work

Williamson County C.A.S.A (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for Williamson County, TN Juvenile Court.  Volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children.

Literacy Council of Williamson County – Volunteer instructor of ESL (English as a second language) for advanced English – Franklin, TN.

Former Member of the Men’s Art Council, Phoenix Art Museum.

Expert Witness Trial and Deposistion Case List 

Jane Doe v. US Swimming, Missouri Valley Swimming, Lexington/AIG et al.  Case 0516-CV-23636, Jackson County Circuit Court, Kansas City, Missouri.

Ethan’s Glenn Community Association, Inc. v. USI Southwest, Inc.  Case No. 2019-15843 – 281st Judicial District, Harris County, TX.

William G. West, Trustee of Paula Douglass v. USI Southwest, Inc., et al.  Case No. 2019-60723 – District Court 270th Judicial District, Harris County, TX (2021-2022)

Spencer Jackson v. SPC Leasing, et al. Opinion Only – No suit filed to date.

Arizona Broadway Theater v. Glendale Insurance, et al.  Superior Court, County of Maricopa Case No. – CV 2020-010495.

Experience

Expert Witness Partners, PLLC – 2019-Current – Nashville, TN and Phoenix, AZ

Partner.  Providing Expert Witness and Risk Management Consulting services as “The Insurance Archaeologist ™”.

Sedgwick – Nashville, TN

Litigation Manager and Claims Team Lead for Sedgwick.  Responsible for accounts including but not limited to, USA Cycling, Office Depot, Coca-Cola and FedEx Supply.  Third party administrator handling exposures for product liability, general liability, commercial truck and auto liability, catastrophic bodily injury claims.  Monitor legal precedents and claims handling requirements/best practices for all 50 states.  Research and ensure compliance of specialized risk management programs and instructions drafted for individual clients.

Norseman Consulting Group, Inc., – Nashville, TN
Director of Trinity American Insurance, a Delaware Captive Insurance Company, providing re-insurance for captive insurance carriers.

Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc., – Brentwood, TN

On-Site vendor assigned to Tractor Supply Company corporate headquarters in Brentwood, TN as Senior Resolution Manager heading a team of adjusters responsible for the general liability claims against all Tractor Supply Company retail locations. Responsibilities included liability coverage analysis, review of commercial property lease agreements for all non-owned retail locations, attendance at all mediation and trial proceedings on behalf of TSC. Liability policy review and providing written recommendations of coverage applicability. Supervising the set-up, investigation and establishment of over 200 bodily injury and property damage claims maintaining nearly a 100% closure rate.

Risk Management Services, Inc., – Tempe, AZ

In charge of the claims and litigation for all RMS Clients. Assisted in the development of custom risk management solutions for individual clients, including identifying specific risks and drafting custom insurance policies and litigation management programs to mitigate exposures and reduce legal defense expenses.

Directors and Officers Liability policy review and claims handling.

Coordinate and assist with yearly claims and actuarial reviews, audits and reports.

Managed construction defects litigation for commercial property developer Desert Troon Company.

Implemented and managed loss control and risk management procedures that resulted in the dramatic reduction of catastrophic bodily injury claims, reducing high deductible payouts thereby preserving the client’s loss reserves and contributing substantially to portfolio growth.

Over 20 years-experience in litigation management for USA Swimming, (Amateur and Olympic Level, USA Swimming is the National Governing Body sanctioned by the U.S. Olympic Committee under authority of the Federal Ted Stevens Amateur Athletic Act). Cases involved property damage, catastrophic bodily injury, sexual misconduct, Federal Anti-Trust and Directors and Officers Liability.

Peak Insurance Group, Inc., – Phoenix, AZ

Established specialized risk management programs for clients with unique and difficult risks.  Provided industry specific, specialized programs for multiple clients including setting up and implementing litigation management programs. Licensed field adjuster for Peak Insurance Group.  Responsible for vetting various business affiliations and employee hires including due diligence and background checks.

Anderson Law Offices – Jacksonville, FL

Assigned by Jardine Matheson North America (for whom Anderson Law was lead trial counsel) to assist in the defense of several clients. Responsibilities included legal research and trial preparation for Board Certified Trial Attorney. Duties also included investigations, deposition prep, expert witness identification and vetting.

Jardine Matheson North America- Phoenix, AZ

Brokered new commercial insurance accounts and serviced books of business for Account Executives. Introduction to claims management for self-insured clients. Licensed property and casualty insurance producer and adjuster.

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Robert E. Underdown, AINS, SIA, AIC, ARM, CFLC

Insurance & Risk Management Consultant
The Insurance Archaeologist™

Curriculum Vitae

Current Practices:

  • Insurance & Risk Management Consultant
  • Expert Witness Insurance & Risk Management
  • Nationwide Practice

Licenses:

  • Casualty Producer
  • Property Producer
  • Accident/Health Producer
  • Life Producer

Areas of Expertise:

>Agent/Broker Standards
Bad Faith Claims Issues
Broker Compensation
Claims Handling
Coverage Opinions
General Liability Policies
Insurance Industry Standards
Life Insurance Suitability Opinions
Risk Management Standards
Third Party Claims Standards
Tort Litigation Management
Workers’ Compensation

Education:

Bachelor of Science, Arizona State University, Arizona

Professional Training:

Associate in General Insurance (AINS), Insurance Institute of America

Senior Insurance Adjuster (SIA), General Adjustment Bureau

Associate in Claims Diploma (AIC), Insurance Institute of America

Associate in Risk Management Diploma (ARM), Insurance Institute of America

Speaker for PRIMA Conference – Tucson, Arizona

Speaker for Downtown Soroptimist Club

Speaker for Maricopa County Purchasing Agents Forum

Professional Affiliations:

Board Member, Arizona Chapter Forensic Expert Witness Association (FEWA)

Past President, Arizona Chapter Forensic Expert Witness Association (FEWA)

Past President, Arizona Chapter Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS)

Past Board Member, San Diego Chapter Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS)

Member, Arizona Chapter Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS)

Member, American Association of Insurance Managements Consultants (AAIMCo)

Member, Forensic & Litigation Support Steering Committee Arizona Society of CPA’s

Experience:

Life Insurance Sales & Marketing, Applied Strategies & Counsel, Scottsdale, Arizona

  • Marketed individual and Trust-Owned Life Insurance

Structured Settlements Specialist, Structured Financial Associates, Scottsdale, Arizona

  • Marketed structured settlements nationwide

Director of Risk Management, Rural/Metro Corporation, Scottsdale, Arizona

  • Managed $20 Million Risk Management program
  • Completed due diligence on 60 acquisitions in 48 months
  • Negotiated annual stop loss for Group Medical & Disability

Assistant Vice-President, Imperial Corporation, San Diego, California

  • Managed special insurance for $2 Billion loan portfolio
  • Implemented Risk Management program for 60 branch offices
  • Risk Manager and Assistant corporate agency head

Risk Management and Employee Benefits Manager, City of Escondido, California

  • Implemented Risk Management program
  • Completed self-funded health insurance, saving $750,000
  • Reported to Finance Director

Risk Management Administrator, City of Phoenix, Arizona

  • Implemented citywide Risk Management program
  • Reorganized insurance to a competitive bid process
  • Reported to Finance Director

Risk Management and Employee Benefits Manager, Smitty’s Super Value Stores

  • Implemented Risk Management function
  • Reported to President of company
  • Self-insured workers’ compensation, saving $1 Million

Claims Supervisor, Aetna Cravens-Dargan Insurance Company, Phoenix, Arizona

  • Supervised statewide liability claims accounts

Insurance Claims Adjuster, General Adjustment Bureau, Arizona and California

  • Branch Claims Manager, El Centro, CA
  • Insurance Claims Supervisor, Phoenix, AZ
  • Field Claims Adjuster, Phoenix, AZ

Equitable Life of Iowa, Phoenix, Arizona

  • Life Insurance Sales

Other Professional Activities:

Speaker for BoomersAZ for search engine optimization

Speaker for Arizona CPA Society Risk Management Seminar Board

Board Member and Consultant to Arizona Artist Guild

Consultant Business Volunteers for the Arts

Wrote, Produced and Narrated – Rural/Metro Corporate Safety Video

Presented Corporate Risk Training – Orlando, Florida

Presented Corporate Risk Training – Tucson, Arizona

Presented Corporate Risk Training – Columbus, Ohio

Presented Corporate Risk Training – Rochester, New York

Compiled and Edited – Rural/Metro Corporate Safety Manual

Speaker for PRIMA Conference – Tucson, Arizona