Edward J. “Ned” Currie, Jr., a shareholder at Currie Johnson Griffin Gaines & Myers, PA, was selected to be a founding member of the Board of Regents of the American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel. Mr. Currie also serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the newly formed organization, which was created by leading lawyers in the United States and Canada to improve the quality of the practice of insurance law.
The College focuses on the creative, ethical, and efficient adjudication of disputes between policyholders and insurers over insurance coverage as well as extracontractual damages, which are a form of punitive damages awarded against an insurer in claims alleging bad faith or unfair claims-handling practices. Its members represent the interests of both insurers and policyholders.
The College’s mission includes educating all sectors involved in insurance disputes — including the judiciary, legal and insurance professionals, and businesses— on critical topics such as best practices in policy formation and claims handling, developing trends in insurance law, and bad faith. Another important component is the drive to increase civility and professionalism in the field. The College believes improved relations between insurer and policyholder counsel will result in better representation for all clients. It will engage in a wide variety of activities, including seminars and the sharing of scholarship, in order to promote these goals.
“The time seemed right to bring together the finest lawyers from the United States and Canada, who represent some of the best minds practicing in a wide range of legal and insurance disciplines,” said Thomas F. Segalla, president of the College. “While our goals include providing education for the bench and bar as well as the insurance industry, we believe it’s the dialogue among our diverse members that will lead to creative resolutions and improved representation for all parties in a dispute.”
Mr. Currie has practiced law in Jackson, Mississippi for thirty-six years. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel and was selected 2012 Lawyer of the Year for Insurance Law by Best Lawyers.
Currie, Johnson, Griffin, Gaines and Myers specializes in litigating civil matters for defendants throughout the state of Mississippi. The firm maintains offices in Jackson and Biloxi.
