Robert Byars Email & Phone Number

Scottsdale, Arizona

Assistant General Counsel provides claim department support with defense strategy, complex commercial coverage questions, good faith claim investigation practices, and Best practices. Provides compliance advice for the creation and revision of policy forms. Provides guidance to the highest levels of commercial claim leadership. Provides extensive training and counsel in construction defect litigation. Provides the enterprise expertise in casualty, property, business auto, workers compensation and inland marine.

Columbus, Ohio Area

For four years I volunteered as a mediator facilitating the negotiation of disputes within the Franklin County judicial system programs.

Provided legal assistance to insurance industry for the resolution of complex insurance claims. Acted as a consultant for RAMCO Architects & Engineers litigated claims across the United States. Resolved professional liability claims for other insurers as defense counsel.

California Department of Housing and Community Development Prepared loan documents and escrow instructions for Multifamily Housing Program closings and EHAP CD (emergency housing for the homeless). Represented the CDVA in court, in Examinations Under Oath, at appraisal, arbitration and mediation, and in administrative law courts regarding disputes involving Insurance, Employment, and Real Property Law. Prepared instructions for departmental personnel for promulgation of regulations in support of department programs and compliance with Adminstrative Procedures Act. Conducted real property litigation, unlawful detainer actions and argued motions for relief from the automatic stay to recover Cal Vet property. Prepare opinions regarding the legality of current or proposed activities. Acted as database administrator for the Amicus© database system, maintaining the system, and completing system upgrades.

Managed claim office for the Northwest Region of the Magna Carta Companies (A part of Public Mutual Insurance Group). Oversaw staff and outside adjusters. Designed and prepared custom reports for claim management and underwriting.

Concord, California

Created training programs and acted as technical oversight for front-line adjusters within the branches, particularly with respect to large, complex claims; assigned more and larger claims than any other adjuster in the Kemper system over a period of ten years. $750,000 personal discretionary authority. Negotiated and properly settled, larger, more complex insurance claims. Wrote manuscripted endorsements to allow limitations in coverage to meet both the underwriting intent and insureds' expectations for several Western Division Underwriting offices. Created and presented training courses for insurance adjustment, loss measurement of all kinds, property policy forms and interpretation, policy analysis and application of policy terms to facts found in investigation. Developed cases for subrogation and equitable contribution. These resulted in several large recoveries.