MEET THE COMMITTEE

Jeremy consults for professional businesses, regularly advising firms focused on law, finance, and tax. He brings practical experience in technical concepts and implementation. Among other projects, he helped create trust structures that reduce tax, law firm engagements that reduce malpractice premiums, and investments that reduce risk.

Marketing complex arrangements requires an understanding of the details, the audience, and direct ways to show added value. For over 10 years Jeremy has “marketed through education” to lawyers, advisors, and financial institutions, specializing in compliance and strategy.

Paul Isaac, Jr. is the Director of Operations of Paramount Settlement Planning and President of the Society of Settlement Planners. He has extensive experience in settlement planning across a wide range if issues.

Paul regularly advises plaintiffs and plaintiff counsel on financial and lien issues at settlement, and regularly contributes to industry discussions as a thought leader.

I earned my doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Georgia State University in 2001. In 1993, I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Scranton. I’m licensed in the states of New Jersey & Pennsylvania, currently practicing in Easton, PA.

I received extensive experience and training in psychotherapy. Since becoming licensed in 2003, I have continued to advance my psychotherapy skills through the study of acceptance & commitment therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and more recently sex/couple therapy. I am a certified sex therapist (CST) through AASECT.

Shahrad Milanfar is the founder of the Milanfar Law Firm in Oakland, California. He represents plaintiffs in catastrophic injury, police brutality and civil rights, product liability, nursing home abuse, and truck accident cases. Over a career spanning more than 26 years, he has tried numerous complex cases and obtained significant recoveries for injured clients and their families. His $32 million elder abuse verdict was recognized as the largest such verdict in California in 2023.

In addition to his litigation practice, Shahrad serves as a mediator with over 120 successful mediations in product liability, personal injury, business, and property disputes. His experience on both sides of the mediation table allows him to evaluate cases from multiple perspectives and develop practical strategies for his clients.

Patrick Hindert has been a leader in the structured settlement industry for over 40 years. At Independent Life, Patrick is responsible for New Business Development, including new products, new clients and new markets. Patrick also represents Independent Life within multiple national professional associations.

Before joining Independent Life, Patrick served as President of a national structured settlement intermediary that he owned and managed for 22 years.

Patrick co-authors a legal treatise utilized by the National Structured Settlements Trade Association (NSSTA) and the Society of Settlement Planners (SSP) in their certification programs. He also authors Independent Life’s blog “The Chronicle” and is a frequent speaker at national structured settlement conferences.

Kurt Zaner is a Colorado trial lawyer known for securing record-setting verdicts and representing victims in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases. His courtroom work has produced multiple multi-million-dollar verdicts, including landmark premises liability and personal injury cases. Above all, Kurt enjoys the challenge of standing up for people that seemingly have the odds overwhelmingly stacked against them.
Kurt is also active in the Trial Lawyer community, both locally and nationally. He has served on the Boards of both the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association of Justice for nearly ten years.

Kurt is frequently invited to speak across the country on novel legal strategies and methods that he has developed – techniques that have resulted in unprecedented successful results for his clients. He has been a regular speaker for the American Association of Justice and Trial Lawyers University as well as The National Trial Lawyers’ national trial seminars.

Genie Harrison is a top employment and women’s rights lawyer in Los Angeles. She is widely recognized as a fierce advocate for victims of all forms of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.

With over 30 years of experience, she has obtained significant compensation for her clients, including 9-, 8-, and numerous 7-figure results. The systemic change she has created benefits thousands who will never know her name, but whose lives are better as a result of her work.

Genie gives back each year by teaching litigation and trial skills to other lawyers through her volunteer work on boards and committees of various trial lawyer organizations, and through publishing articles locally and nationally. Besides publishing articles for leading attorney resources, Genie has been a monthly columnist for Ms. Magazine.

In January 2021, she became President of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles – the fifth female president of the organization in its 72nd Anniversary year. She has served on the Board of Governors since 2008 and has co-chaired then chaired CAALA’s Education Committee and its Annual Las Vegas Convention for three years.

Rick has built a distinguished legal career, specializing in various areas of personal injury law, including wrongful death, tractor-trailer crashes, oil field work-related injuries, and medical malpractice. His commitment extends beyond the courtroom, as evidenced by his active involvement in civic duties and leadership roles in several organizations. Rick has held significant positions in Rotary International, the Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Hispanic National Bar Association. His dedication to justice is further highlighted by his tenure as the former Chair of the Minority Caucus for the American Association for Justice and his ongoing role as a member of the AAJ Executive Committee.

During his fourteen years in legal practice, Rick has achieved remarkable success, including involvement in settlements and verdicts exceeding $10 million. A notable accomplishment in his career was obtaining the largest medical malpractice verdict in New Mexico’s history, with a jury award of $73.2 million. Rick’s achievements and contributions to the legal field, combined with his commitment to community and justice, make him a distinguished figure in his profession. Licensed to practice in Texas and New Mexico, Rick has handled cases nationwide.

John Darer is a Structured Settlement Expert, Registered Settlement Planner, Certified Financial Transitionist/Sudden Money® transition advisor (one of only 2 settlement experts with this professional designation), financial blogger, deep listener, communicator, thought leader, problem solver and industry watchdog who provides comprehensive settlement solutions for all types of claims and litigation as part of a community of practice.

With a broad credentials and experience John has unique capability to serve you. Services include comprehensive pre/post settlement planning for injured persons, working with clients in transition, people who have special needs, and milestone life events like retirement, structured MSAs, annuity, alternate recovery management solutions and NY CPLR 50A /50B Judgment calculations, life care plan analysis, pricing/projections. Strategic assistance at mediation, settlement conferences & settlement negotiation.

Kelley is a trial lawyer and sits on the AAJ Board of Governors. She specializes in the representation of those who have been catastrophically injured from the negligence of others. She has tried numerous cases in state and federal court, helping secure tens of millions of dollars for clients.
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During high school she learned firsthand what it’s like to be a plaintiff, filing a product liability suit for a defective seat belt design. She then went on to graduate law school and help those who have been wrongfully and catastrophically injured. Outside the courtroom she launched the Wheel2Ride campaign, focused on education and policy in accessibility for Transportation Network Providers, and serves as the Director of Law and Advocacy for SPINALpedia.com.

Greg Maxwell is an attorney, Certified Financial Planner, and settlement planner with Amicus Settlement Planners, LLC. He is also a partner in the law firm Amicus Law Firm and co-founded Amicus Settlement Planners in 2006. His practice specializes in special-needs planning, government benefits planning, financial planning for settling plaintiffs, and income tax planning for attorneys.
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He is a past president and board member of the Society of Settlement Planners, a national organization advocating for plaintiff’s rights in the settlement planning process.
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Greg is a member of the American Association for Justice, the Utah Association for Justice, the Financial Planning Association, and the American Bar Association. Greg is a 2003 graduate of the Texas Tech University School of Law.

Sandra Jones partners with insurance industry clients to address and resolve legal and regulatory challenges, as well as coverage and claims disputes that may be impeding their businesses.

She advises insurance industry clients on pre-litigation and litigation matters stemming from accusations of bad faith policy lapses and disputes, claims issues, coverage matters and regulatory issues. She often handles complex interpleader matters and compliance-related issues, including policy administration, rescissions and other coverage disputes. Sandy also represents insurance companies in individual and class actions at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts nationwide.

Chris Bua is a plaintiff-only settlement consultant based in Jacksonville, Florida. He works directly with trial lawyers and their clients on maximizing their settlement recovery through holistic planning inclusive of annuities, trusts, and market-based solutions. Since 2008, Chris has played a role in the creation of over $2 billion in structured settlements, spanning thousands of cases.

Chris graduated from the University of Florida in 2004 with a business degree and graduated from law school in 2007. He began his career in the structured settlement industry soon after and has since developed a unique skill set across multiple roles and organizations. He is currently serving a 3rd-term as board member of the Society of Settlement Planners and is a nationally respected expert in structured settlements.

Prior to forming Bua Settlements, Chris was the Senior Vice President of Sales at Independent Life, where he oversaw sales and operations for the company’s first $800 million in structured settlements, created and hosted the popular podcast, “Settlement Nation,” and took the lead in rolling out the company's innovative index-linked structured settlement annuity, iStructure.

Natalie’s clinical career was exclusively dedicated to intrapartum nursing (labor and delivery), with the last four years focused on maternal-fetal medicine. She has collaborated with renowned experts on multidisciplinary teams at internationally recognized Level IV regional perinatal healthcare centers across the nation  assisting with over 5,000 deliveries during her career. These centers specialize in the medical and surgical care of high-risk patients, managing the most complex and critically ill maternity cases.

Since 2021, Natalie has diligently worked behind the scenes as a legal nurse consultant (LNC), contributing her expertise to various areas of the medical field, including malpractice and personal injury cases involving motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), and spinal cord injuries. As the lead legal nurse consultant at Trongeau & Co., she focuses on the most complex obstetric medical malpractice and birth injury cases.

Natalie is proud to be a member of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC). As of 2024, she will begin her fourth year as a member on the AALNC Content Planning and Education Committee. She is also an active member of the Bay Area of Northern California and Pacific Northwest  Chapters.

John V. Cattie, Jr. was born in Philadelphia, PA and grew up outside Charlotte, NC. John graduated from Charlotte Latin School and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies with a focus on Political Science as well as a minor in History. After graduation he attended Villanova University and received his JD/MBA.

After joining Garretson Resolution Group (GRG), he returned to the private practice of law and opened Cattie, PLLC. Today, John is the Managing Member of Cattie & Gonzalez, PLLC. He has become a nationally known author and speaker, experienced in all components of MSA law and procedure.

Allan M. Foeckler, a Milwaukee accident lawyer carved out a name for himself throughout the courtrooms of Wisconsin through a detail-oriented approach to personal injury law that has resulted in countless successful settlements and verdicts.

Allan is a member of several legal organizations throughout Wisconsin, including the Milwaukee Chapter of the American Constitution Society, the Wisconsin Judicial Council, the Milwaukee Young Lawyers Association, and the Wisconsin Association for Justice.