The Monson Law Firm attended the Baton Rouge Chapter of Independent Insurance Agent’s Fall Social at Drusilla Catering. Pictured are Trish Bump with Foremost Insurance Group and Ann’Lee Earles, CISR, CPIA with The Monson Law Firm. Click here to view pictures!
The Monson Law Firm attended the North Shore Chapter of Professional Insurance Agents of Louisiana’s lunch meeting at Keith Young’s in Madisonville. A special thank you to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff, Randy Smith, for coming to speak today! Pictured are Ann’Lee Earles, CISR, CPIA, Sheriff Randy Smith and Matthew Monson, Esq. Click here to view pictures!
For the third time, The Monson Law Firm was successful in limiting the fees sought by Nader “Anthony” Odeh for his deposition testimony. During Odeh’s deposition in the case of Doris Kelly vs. Lighthouse Property Insurance Corporation, Mr. Odeh walked out of his deposition due to a dispute over his fees. Prior to the deposition, Odeh sought $450.00 per hour with a $1,500.00 minimum. However, in open Court on April 20, 2017, the Honorable Kern A. Reese limited Mr. Odeh’s fees to $150.00 per hour.
This is the third time that The Monson Law Firm has successfully limited Odeh’s fees based on his qualifications. As stated by the Honorable Joseph C. Wilkinson, Jr. in the case of Marquette vs. SFIC:
Considering the paucity of educational background and the shallowness of relevant experience reflected in Odeh’s curriculum vitae, including no evidence that he has ever been recognized as an expert in any federal court….I find that Odeh is appropriately compensated for Rule 26(b)(4) purposes at the low end of the approval range; specifically, $150.00 per hour for time actively spent in providing his deposition testimony.
Likewise, in the case of Christopher Dickerson v. Lighthouse Property Insurance Corporation, the Honorable Wilson Fields limited Odeh’s fees to $150.00 per hour in an April 26, 2016 hearing.
Copies of the Court’s Judgments can be found here: Doris Kelly Judgment , Marquette v SFIC, and Dickerson v Lighthouse.
The Monson Law Firm attended The Insurance Professionals of Greater New Orleans’ September dinner meeting at Five Happiness. Thank you to Jamee Steele with the Tatman Group for being our guest speaker this month and giving us a legislative update! For more information on the Tatman Group go to: www.tatmangroup.com. Click here to view pictures!
The Monson Law Firm attended the South Louisiana Chapter of The Risk Management Society’s September lunch meeting in New Orleans at Ralph’s on the Park. Pictured are Rhonda Coffee with CorVel Corporation, Ann’Lee Earles with The Monson Law Firm and Elizabeth Felder with CorVel Corporation. Click here to view pictures!
The Monson Law Firm attended the Honorable Order of The Blue Goose of Louisiana’s September dinner meeting at Two Tony’s in New Orleans. Pictured is our Marketing Director, Ann’Lee Earles, CISR, CPIA and Bill Moulton with Moulton Adjusting Company. Click here to view pictures!
Attorneys Matthew Monson, Blake Lusk and Laura Abel teamed up to win a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment in the case of Doris Kelly v. Lighthouse Property Insurance Corporation, currently pending in Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans. In the Judgment signed by the Court on May 15, 2017, the Honorable Kern A. Reese dismissed the plaintiff’s bad faith claims based on contents and additional living expense. The Court found that Lighthouse acted in good faith in its handling of these portions of plaintiff’s claim. A copy of the Court’s Order can be found Here.
Plaintiff is represented by two law firms, LaHatte Law, LLC and Scott, Vicknair, Hair & Checki, LLC.
Matthew Monson, Esq. taught a 3 hour Ethics: Rules and Responsibilities class on Wednesday for the Baton Rouge Chapter of Professional Insurance Agents of Louisiana. Thank you to everyone who attended the class we hope you enjoyed it! For more information on becoming a member of the PIA of Louisiana please click here: www.piaoflouisiana.com. Click here to view pictures!
The Monson Law Firm is attending the International Association of Special Investigation Units 2017 Seminar & Expo at the Sheraton Hotel in New Orleans. This week’s seminar brings together the world’s leading SIU professionals at the forefront of detecting, investigating and deterring insurance fraud. As the largest seminar in the field, IASIU 2017 offers more than 40 workshops, on topics including auto issues, property issues, medical fraud, major case/ring investigations, technology, worker’s compensation and international issues. ISIAU was founded in 1984 by a group of insurance industry fraud investigators with a mission to combat insurance fraud and to support legislation that acts as a deterrent to the crime of insurance fraud. For more information you can visit www.iasiu.org. Click here to view pictures!
The Monson Law Firm attended the Baton Rouge Chapter of Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Louisiana’s September lunch meeting at Juban’s Restaurant in Baton Rouge. Our guest speaker was LSU Gymnastic Coach D-D Breaux. D-D is entering her 40th season as the mastermind of the LSU gymnastics program. 2016 was the best season in school history as LSU finished second in the nation! Click here to view pictures!
The Monson Law Firm attended the New Orleans Chapter of Professional Insurance Agent’s September lunch meeting at Impastato’s in Metairie. Our guest speaker was the Executive Director of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute, Stephen Reuther! For more information on the NORLI go to http://norli.org/. Click here to view pictures!
The Monson Law Firm would like to wish everyone a Happy Labor Day! Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Colossians 3:24
The Monson Law Firm attended The Insurance Professionals of Greater New Orleans August Dinner meeting at Augie’s in Harahan. It was a member’s only meeting this month to discuss the budget for the upcoming year. Pictured are TIPOGNO Board Members Brittany Stoudt with Emergency Restoration, Courtney Donato with Forest Insurance Facilities, Amber Townsend and Chad Harrington with Hull & Company. Click here to view pictures!
Please join The Monson Law Firm by praying for all those affected by Hurricane Harvey, including our Houston office staff members. “When you go through deep waters I will be with you.” Isaiah 43:2 Click here to view pictures!
The Monson Law Firm attended the Young Agents Conference at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi. We enjoyed seeing our industry friends at the opening reception on Friday evening. Pictured are Debbie Harrington with Americas Insurance Company, Ann’Lee Earles, CISR, CPIA with The Monson Law Firm, Debbie Lee with Americas Insurance Company and Leeann Manalla with SageSure Insurance Managers. Click here to view pictures!
Matthew Monson, Esq. taught two 3 hour Ethics: Rules and Responsibilities classes on Wednesday for Pathfinder LL&D in Houston, Texas. We would like to thank everyone who attended to the Ethics classes, we hope you enjoyed them! Pathfinder LL&D has been a Houston based independent insurance agency since 1913 with branch offices in Austin and San Antonio. They work with more than 55 insurance companies around the world. For more information you can visit their website at www.pathfinderlld.com. Pictured are Scott West, CEO, Matthew Monson, Esq., Jonathan Marshall, CFO, Marjorie Salazar, Esq. with The Monson Law Firm’s Texas office and Wes Kurtz, COO. Click here to view pictures!
The Monson Law Firm, in support of its client, Southern Fidelity Insurance Company (“SFIC”), obtained Consent Orders of discipline against Gurtler Bros. Consultants, Inc. and Frederich Gurtler, P.E. before the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. In 2015, these parties prepared a hail inspection report to rebut the findings of SFIC’s expert. While Mr. Gurtler signed the report, he did not affix his seal thereto. Our complaint, prepared by attorney Blake Lusk, triggered an investigation which revealed that other Gurtler reports issued between January 2012 and December 2016 also lacked Mr. Gurtler’s professional seal, in violation of Louisiana law. Instead of fighting the complaint at a hearing, both Mr. Gurtler and Gurtler Bros. Consultants, Inc. signed Consent Orders of discipline and paid $4,135.70 in fines and administrative costs. The Monson Law Firm enjoys working with clients who are committed to fighting illegal practices. Copies of the Consent Orders can be found here. Frederich Gurtler Consent Order Gurtler Bros Consent Order
The Monson Law Firm is celebrating today’s solar eclipse with Moon Pies. Click here to view pictures!
