WSHB’s Sam McDermott will be speaking at CLM’s Orange County Chapter Education and Networking Event on Thursday, April 25, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. Located at The Wine Artist in Lake Forest, McDermott will be discussing the use and applicability of structured settlements as a method of assisting in resolving claims and how IRS Code Section 104(a) excludes structured settlements from gross income that provides tax-free periodic payments to bridge a settlement gap when taxes reduce the total recovery.

“Structured settlements can be strategically employed by the defense counsel in resolving complex matters, particularly those with high exposure,” said McDermott. “This presentation will provide valuable practice pointers for the general counsel, claim professional, risk manager and attorney looking for additional tools to employ when approaching case resolution.” McDermott further explained that the impact of structured settlements impact all types of claims including auto, general liability, construction, premises and product liability, medical malpractice and personal injury claims. The presentation will provide tools for evaluation, an identification of claimants’ needs and a mechanism to facilitate settlement negotiations.

Sam McDermott is the managing partner of WSHB’s Orange County office. McDermott has tackled numerous cases on both state and federal levels regarding tort, environmental issues, and complex construction. He has represented some of the nation’s largest construction contractors and residential builders in litigation involving construction payment disputes, delay damages, onsite injuries, workplace regulations, construction defects, prevailing wage claims, design professional liability, engineering professional liability and construction quality issues. An accomplished trial lawyer, Sam has been rated as an AV Preeminent Lawyer by Martindale Hubbell.