Defending Uncooperative or Missing Insureds: Avoiding Ethical Pitfalls and Protecting the Client's Interests

Ms. Frantz is a Partner at Freeman Mathis & Gary's Chicago office and is Vice-Chair of the firm's Midwest Coverage practice team. She practices in the areas of insurance coverage and civil litigation. Ms. Frantz advises and represents insurers in a variety of third-party and first-party insurance coverage matters arising under commercial general liability policies, professional liability, auto, property, and umbrella policies. She assists clients throughout the life of their claims, including evaluating coverage and risk transfer issues, preparing coverage analyses, drafting reservation of rights and coverage position letters, and pursuing declaratory judgment actions. Ms. Frantz also defends clients in a variety of civil litigation matters including construction accidents and defects, premises liability, and transportation negligence, in state and federal jurisdictions throughout Illinois. She handles all phases of litigation and has tried multiple cases to verdict. Ms. Frantz has also represented clients in appeals and currently serves as the Insurance Law Committee Chair for the Illinois Defense Counsel.

Ms. Nicol is a respected insurance coverage litigator, representing first and third-party insurers across a wide range of commercial and personal lines. She provides sage advice from the claim adjustment phase through ensuing litigation in both state and federal trial and appellate courts. Ms. Nicol's chief talent lies in making complex matters simple to understand and persuading her audience to favor her client’s position. In addition to decades of success in the trial courts on behalf of her clients, she has successfully argued insurance cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Ms. Nicol's is currently serving her third elected term on the State Bar of Texas Insurance Council, the governing body of the Insurance Law Section.  She has chaired the Council’s Outreach Committee with the goal of growing the Section as a one-stop resource for Texas insurance lawyers. Ms. Nicol's is also serving her second term as Co-Chair of the Advertising and Intellectual Property Sub-Committee of the American Bar Association’s Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee. She has served as a moderator and speaker at CLE conferences on insurance and has contributed content to ABA publications as well as the Texas Insurance Journal.