Past Presenters

Partner, Zelle LLP

Richard (Dick) Urquhart is a seasoned litigator specializing in catastrophe coverage, builder’s risk coverage, business interruption and subrogation. Prior to practicing law, Dick worked as an engineer in the energy industry, and he has been a licensed professional engineer for over 35 years. This background offers his clients a unique perspective on their complex major losses.  When refineries, chemical plants, power plants, pipelines or industrial facilities experience an explosion, fire or other major disaster, one of the first calls insurers often make is to Dick.

Dick represents domestic and international clients and routinely provides advice to international insurance markets.  He is a frequent lecturer for insurance clients in the U.S. and Europe.  Dick is a Senior Partner in the Zelle Dallas office.  He holds law licenses in Texas, Oklahoma, New York, Washington, and Colorado state courts, and is admitted to many federal courts throughout the U.S.  Above all, Dick is a trial lawyer who successfully litigates and arbitrates high dollar disputes for his clients.

Head of Energy, Charles Taylor Adjusting

Charles Klehr recently joined Charles Taylor Adjusting as the Managing Director of the US Energy group. For over 30 years, Chuck has handled complex and technical energy claims involving power generation, oil & gas, specialty chemical, steel, paper, and glass mills, mining & construction, and renewable energy sources including wind farms and hydroelectric plants, in the U.S. and internationally. He has held senior leadership and management roles with several insurance carriers, including serving as SVP of Energy & Construction with Aspen Insurance, Global Head of Energy Claims with Zurich, SVP, Global Head of Energy Claims for Liberty International Underwriters, Director of Power Generation – Underwriting with Zurich, and Manager, EGA Energy Team with CIGNA. He also has vast experience handling builders’ risk and EAR claims. Chuck holds an engineering degree from Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy (B.S.M.E.), and received his M.B.A. from Drexel University.

Forensic Accountant, Magnan Graizzaro and Associates CPAs, LLC

Louis has over six years of experience in providing forensic accounting and investigative litigation services since joining MG&A, working on both property and marine claims related to the review and analysis of commercial financial damages for contingent business interruption, time element (BI/Extra Expense), inventory and property damage losses. His experience, now in a Senior Manager role, includes work performed for both domestic and international engagements related to renewable power generation (i.e. wind/hydro), petro-chemical, marine services, manufacturing (industrial, cement, steel, food, beverage and other product), large and small retail and hospitality businesses, service and shipping industries. He also provides support for various litigation services for attorneys, law firms and other parties related to damage claims assessments, alternative dispute resolutions and accounting-related interrogatories, while also playing key roles in the support of expert witnesses in preparing document requests for discovery purposes and presenting findings subsequent to analyzing business records.

Prior to joining MG&A, he worked for four years as a financial reporting associate in the Global Real Assets division of J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Therein, he was responsible for the review and approval of actual and budgeted financial reporting of retail, office and industrial assets for various investment funds, performed due diligence for property acquisitions / dispositions and directed the department’s quarterly reporting submission to a third-party research firm. Louis previously worked for two years at Deloitte & Touche, LLP where he started his career as an audit professional in the financial services sector, being part of a large audit team during the S-1 filing (IPO) for a large, international private equity firm.

Education
Villanova University, Bachelor of Science in Accounting

Senior Scientist, UFA Ventures, Inc.

Geochemist and Energy scientist, speaker and author Dr. James Conca is Senior Scientist for UFA Ventures, Inc. in the Tri-Cities, Washington, a Trustee of the Herbert M. Parker Foundation, an Adjunct Professor at Washington State University in the School of the Environment, an Affiliate Scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory and a Science Contributor to Forbes on energy and nuclear issues. Conca obtained a Ph.D. in Geochemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1985, a Masters in Planetary Science in 1981, and a Bachelors in Geology and Biochemistry from Brown University in 1979.

Vice President of Energy Claims, AIG in the Americas

John Roberts is a Vice President of Energy claims for AIG in the Americas.

John started his career as a chartered structural/civil engineer and became a chartered loss adjuster after specializing in structural failures in the UK for the insurance industry.

After 6 years as the president of an international loss adjusting practice in Argentina, John has spent the last 14 years in Houston, Texas working for AIG.

Director of Energy, DeSimone Consulting Engineers

Mr. Ladroga is an Electrical Power Systems and Power Transformer expert and has authored numerous papers and presentations.

With over 28 years of professional experience as an electrical power systems engineer, Mr. Ladroga has earned extensive experience in analysis, design, testing risk assessment, and forensic investigations of a large variety of projects involving electrical power systems.

He provides expert witness and consulting services for the Legal and Insurance Industries, along with the Electric Power Industry, Oil & Gas, Smelting & Foundries and Chemical Industries.

Mr. Ladroga earned his B.S.E.E. (Distinction) with a concentration in Power Systems from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He is licensed in numerous states and has worked on projects throughout the United States and over 50 countries worldwide. He is the creator of numerous electrical power systems training programs and has taught students from all over the world.

Mr. Ladroga has designed electrical substations to 500 KV.  He has also performed electrical system design for power generation facilities, including nuclear, fossil fuels, and hydro; for large scale microwave telecommunications systems; large scale wastewater treatment systems; aluminum and steel ore smelting facilities; petrochemical drillings sites and refineries; pulp and paper manufacturing; mining; industrial; communications; healthcare; universities; and high-rise buildings.