April 23, 2024 by matray

The Medical Professional Liability (MPL) Association has awarded its 2024 MPL Industry Defender Award to John D. Cassidy, Tamura D. Coffey, R. Brent Cooper, Louis “Duke” DeHaas, and Selina Hunt. This award is presented annually to defense attorneys in recognition of their exceptional and outstanding lifelong contributions to defending physicians, other healthcare professionals, and institutions while supporting medical professional liability insurers.

John D. Cassidy

Cassidy is the managing partner in the Boston law firm of Ficksman & Conley, LLP. He has represented healthcare providers since 1980 and has successfully tried more than 200 major medical malpractice cases. He also represents physicians and dentists before the Boards of Registration in Medicine and Dentistry on disciplinary and licensing matters. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. In addition, Cassidy has been invited to lecture to healthcare providers throughout Massachusetts, has served as a faculty member in programs designed to educate attorneys regarding malpractice actions, and has appeared on national public television to discuss malpractice cases.

Tamura D. Coffey

Coffey is the founder of the law firm of Coffey Law PLLC in North Carolina and is an experienced trial lawyer, specializing in the defense of complex medical malpractice litigation for more than 30 years, including birth trauma lawsuits that represent significant financial and reputational exposure. Additionally, she provides representation for matters of corporate negligence, both medical professional and physician liability, and licensing board matters. To date, Coffey has obtained a defense verdict in every case that she has litigated on behalf of Novant Health. This record has helped maintain North Carolina’s reputation as a reasonable venue for professional liability litigation. In addition, Coffey is an outstanding educator for the organizations she represents as well as the North Carolina Chapter of the American Society for Health Care Risk Managers.

R. Brent Cooper

Cooper is a shareholder with Cooper Scully in Dallas and focuses his practice on commercial litigation, insurance litigation, and appellate practice. He has more than 100 trials in state and federal courts and has argued more than 250 appeals in the intermediate and supreme courts of various states. In his 44 years of practice, he has been at the forefront of appellate law. Perhaps the biggest impact Cooper has had on healthcare professionals has been through his work with Texas Alliance for Patient Access, which was instrumental in passing comprehensive tort reform in Texas in 2003. Cooper helped draft the legislation, assisted in getting it passed, and has continued working tirelessly to preserve the legislative reforms.

Louis “Duke” DeHaas

DeHass is president and senior trial attorney at La Follette, Johnson, DeHaas, Fesler & Ames in Los Angeles. He has defended physicians, allied health specialists, and hospitals. Specifically, DeHaas has tried in excess of 350 jury trials, including over 175 medical malpractice cases. He has also tried multiple administrative hearings representing physicians before the California Medical Board. His litigation exposure consists of jury trials, arbitration, and cases venued both in state and federal courts. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Selina Hunt

Hunt is the head of practice, Legal for Avant Law Pty Ltd in Queensland and South Australia. She has specialized in defendant insurance litigation throughout her career of over two decades and, since joining Avant more than 14 years ago, her area of expertise has been in health law—solely representing medical practitioners and their practices. She leads a team of experienced solicitors and administration staff to provide outstanding legal defence and support to Avant members throughout Queensland and South Australia. As well as personally representing members in civil claims, coronial investigations and inquests, and professional conduct matters, Hunt provides advice to Avant members as part of Avant’s Medico-legal Advisory Service.

“We are pleased to honor these outstanding defense attorneys who have served as important partners with medical professional liability organizations,” said Eric R. Anderson, interim president and CEO, MPL Association. “Their successful representation of healthcare professionals and institutions embodies excellence in the claims defense field. On behalf of our members and those they insure, the MPL Association thanks these individuals for their years of dedicated work.”

April 23, 2024 by matray

The Medical Professional Liability (MPL) Association announced that Carl T. Hook, MD, will receive the 2024 Award of Excellence in Honor of Peter Sweetland. Dr. Hook is being honored for his outstanding contributions and longtime dedication to the MPL insurance community, the MPL Association and healthcare professionals. The MPL Association is the leading international organization representing the medical professional liability insurance community.

Dr. Hook, a PLICO insured since the 1980s, joined the PLICO Board of Directors in 2001, while continuing to practice full-time as an ENT physician. In 2004, when it became evident that PLICO was in severe financial difficulty, Dr. Hook answered his Board's call to be CEO & President with the charge to help save the organization. He retired from medicine, dedicated himself to learning the business of medical professional liability insurance and restored PLICO to sound financial footing. Throughout these many decades, Dr. Hook was an exceptionally active participant in first the Physician Insurers Association of America (PIAA), and then the MPL Association, having served for many years on the Membership & By-laws Committee and on the Activities Committee.

Dr. Hook is a native Oklahoman and obtained all of his education and training in his home state. He holds an undergraduate degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, an MD degree from the University of Oklahoma, and received his Otorhinolaryngology training at Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center.

“Through grit, will, and commitment, Dr. Hook turned PLICO around and positioned it for long-term success,” said MedPro Group CEO Tim Kenesey. “Dr. Hook's passion for medicine, for his policyholders, for PLICO, and for his people make him not only a great leader, but well-deserving of this Award of Excellence. And I'd add that he is also a kind, good man—a friend to colleagues and competitors alike.”

MPL Association Board Chair John H. Mize, President & CEO, SVMIC, said, “Dr. Hook is truly an exemplary member of the medical profession and of the MPL community. We are very pleased to honor him for his extraordinary commitment to the physician community, the MPL industry, and this Association. We are grateful for his remarkable dedication of time and energy over the years to support this organization.”

The award will be presented to Dr. Hook on May 9 at the MPL Association Conference held in Washington, D.C.

The MPL Association Award of Excellence in Honor of Peter Sweetland, established in 1993 by the MPL Association’s Board of Directors, was created in honor of the late Peter Sweetland, one of the Association’s chief architects and most fervent supporters. The award recognizes an individual who has provided exemplary service to the industry and to