Claims People: Brush Claims, Allianz, Coffey Law Firm

Brush Claims, an independent claims management company based in Georgetown, Texas, has appointed Clay Rising as chief claims officer.

Rising will work closely with insurance carriers while overseeing the company’s global claims organization, the company said in a press release. He will be responsible for all aspects of executive claims management, service and administration.

Rising brings a unique perspective on insurance after having worked for his father’s independently owned agency throughout high school and leading multiple independent adjusting catastrophe teams, Brush said. He will work with President and Chief Operating Officer Troy Stewart to roll out of the firm’s proprietary technology, the company said.

Rising’s was previously vice president of claims for Kin Insurance, national large loss manager at Progressive Insurance (formerly ASI) and large loss commercial property adjuster at Travelers. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in corporate finance, risk management and insurance from Georgia State University.

Allianz Commercial has promoted Eibhlin Swan to a newly created role as head of claims customer delivery after merging its claims operations with its supply and experts team.

The outgoing head of claims operations, Graham Stait, will be moving to a regional manager role in February, the insurer said in a press release.

Eibhlin has been responsible for overseeing supplier services, claims investigations and motor engineers. She is tasked with aligning the operations area, responsible for people and digital capabilities, with the supply and experts team, to enhance collaboration and deliver streamlined service to brokers and customers, the company said.

Eibhlin joined Allianz is 2012 as a management trainee graduate and has held a number of leadership roles since then. As a branch manager in Maidstone, England, she led delivery to small and mid-sized enterprises and=technical strategy. In 2021, she joined the claims management committee as head of supply and experts, with a focus on digitalization and strategy.

Eibhlin will report to Chief Claims Officer Graham Gibson.

Coffey Modica O’Meara Capowski, an insurance defense law firm headquartered in White Plains, New York, has added four partners to the practice: Michael Mezzacappa, Lawrence Luppi, Vince Avery, and Glen Feinberg.

In less than 18 months, CMOC has grown from three founding partners in White Plains to 45 attorneys in eight offices across the Northeast, the company said in a press release.

Mezzacappa and Luppi will handle high-exposure, catastrophic personal injury and property damage cases. Avery will strengthen the law firm’s employment and management liability practice. Feinberg will focus on defending sensitive, high-value cases, including those related to the Child Victims Act.

Mezzacappa’s practice has focused on explosions and fires. He has litigated and tried some of the most notable fire and explosion, product liability, premises liability, and construction accident cases in New York, CMOC said.

Luppi specializes in general liability matters, inducing high-exposure premises liability and New York Labor Law cases and wrongful death claims. He is admitted to state bars in New York, California and Texas.

Avery has focused his employment law practice on hospitality and home healthcare, working closely with in-house counsel and business owners to mitigate litigation, CPOC said.

Feinberg is a former Manhattan assistant district attorney. He represents educational, childcare, healthcare and religious institutions in general liability, employment, and malpractice claims.