News & Insights

Kelly Johnson, IAAI-CFI, NAFI-CFEI, CVFI, CFII, Senior Fire Consultant, and Travis Wells, PE, Principal Engineer, are participating in panel discussions at CLM 2025, the Claims and Litigation Management (CLM) Alliance annual conference, April 9–11, 2025, in Grapevine, Texas. View the full agenda and register here.

Kelly Johnson is participating in the session Up in Smoke: Emerging Trends in Multi-story Wood Structures, exploring the complexities of fire losses in wood-frame buildings. The panel discussion will highlight risk factors, inspection techniques, and the application of NFPA 241 standards—offering practical guidance on subrogation opportunities and determining origin and cause.

Travis Wells is part of a roundtable on Expert Witness Strategies: Tactical Approaches for Maximum Impact, focusing on how claims professionals, litigation managers, and experts can align on selecting and preparing expert witnesses. The session will cover team-building strategies, courtroom preparedness, and tactical planning for complex cases.

Session Details

Up in Smoke: Emerging Trends in Multi-story Wood Structures

April 10, 10:00-11:00 a.m. CT
Kelly Johnson, IAAI-CFI, NAFI-CFEI, CVFI, CFII, Senior Fire Consultant, Salas O’Brien
Taylor Davis, Attorney, Clyde & Co
Douglas Dick, VP, Client Success/Technical Lead, Crawford & Company
Ryan Evans, Senior Project Manager, DBI Construction Consultants, LLC
Joe Patten, Vice President, Property Claims, Sompo International Insurance

Expert Witness Strategies: Tactical Approaches for Maximum Impact

April 10, 3:30-4:30 p.m. CT
Travis Wells, PE, Principal Engineer, Salas O’Brien
Jay Hamad, Attorney, Kennedys
Samara Landis, AVP-Liability Complex Claims Manager, MSIG USA
Trina Hall, Chief Claims Officer, SVP, Utica National Insurance Group

About CLM

The CLM annual conference brings together leaders in claims and litigation management for high-impact education, networking, and collaboration. With tailored sessions and forward-looking insights, it’s a key event for professionals shaping the future of the industry. For more information visit the event website.

About Salas O’Brien

Salas O’Brien is an employee-owned engineering and technical services firm focused on advancing the human experience through the built environment. Our team is engineered for impact, helping clients achieve critical goals, advancing our team members through growth and opportunity, and operating at the center of important global issues, including sustainability and decarbonization. We are a top firm as ranked by Engineering News-Record and Consulting-Specifying Engineer, and we have appeared for over a decade on the Inc. 5000 list of North America’s fastest-growing private companies.

For more details or to set up an interview, please contact Stacy Lake, Director of Corporate Communications.