Geoffrey J. Miller
New Haven, CT ● 203-640-7803 ● Millerg02@gmail.com
Experience:
Custom House Risk Advisors, New Haven, CT
Executive Risk Management Consultant – May 2019 – Present
Head of Risk Management and Insurance: For clients that do not have a fully staffed risk management department, I will act as their outsourced Head of Risk Management, generally reporting directly to the C-suite and being involved in strategic internal decisions similar to in-house general counsel. Although I have clients in various industries, the majority are in the real estate, financial, and technology sectors.
Insurance and Risk Transfer Consultant: For clients that either have or do not need a full Head of Risk Management, I will serve as special advisor to clients’ executive team, in-house general counsel, or Head of Risk Management on matters including, contractual risk transfer, insurance claims and procurement, anti-indemnity, regulatory compliance, and cybersecurity.
Insurance Procurement: From corporate insurance, to insurance for a particular transaction, to forming captive insurance companies, to large master insurance programs with hundreds of physical assets and subsidiaries under one umbrella, I work with clients to create a holistic risk management and insurance program and present that to the market, managing broker and insurance company relationships, and leveraging competition and my volume of business to get the best possible terms and pricing for clients.
Claims and Litigation Management: My team and I handle claims reporting and litigation supervision through the life of a claim, including having regular meetings with outside or insurer-assigned counsel to supervise the process and ensure that cases are handled in the best interest of the client, not the insurer.
Cyber Risk Consulting: I work with clients to secure the right vendors and implement strategic technology and policy updates to ensure that every dollar spent on cybersecurity is maximized on the key items that are the most important items for the company’s security, investor confidence, and for cyber insurers to offer good insurance at a reasonable price. I work with insurance brokers to present the client most favorably to cyber insurers to drive competition in the market, bringing premiums down and deductibles down. This includes leading the response and recovery efforts for cybersecurity incidents like ransomware, data breaches, and funds transfer fraud.
Construction and Real Estate Transactions: I oversee insurance and risk management on approximately fifty construction and real estate transactions per year, ranging from a few million dollars to over one billion, including drafting and negotiating the risk transfer, indemnity, insurance, and contract language; negotiating municipal ground and air rights leases; reviewing contracts and insurance for effective risk transfer; and securing complex construction insurance and ongoing operational insurance programs.
Lender Compliance and Tax Credits: For any company that has debt or investors, especially real estate companies, I handle insurance and risk management compliance including obtaining insurance approvals and exceptions, negotiating terms with lenders, and demonstrating to lenders that my client’s risk management practices make them good investments. I also manage compliance for affordable housing, including HUD and low income tax credit issues, and insurance for historical buildings and historic tax credits, including negotiating terms with historic tax credit investors.
Mergers and Acquisitions: When one company buys or merges with another, their liabilities also merge. I work closely with lead M&A counsel to ensure that the risk transfer and insurance pieces of the transaction are compliant, follow the intent of the agreement, and meet the needs of both sides. This includes obtaining representation and warranty coverage, securing run-off/tail coverage to protect the final entity from unknown past liabilities, and negotiating escrow and risk transfer contract provisions.
Contracts and Contractual Risk Transfer: Whether it’s a billion dollar real estate deal, a data processing contract, a construction contract, an elevator maintenance agreement, or a rental contract for an outdoor concert, most contracts require robust risk transfer and insurance requirements sections that clearly spell out the rights and liabilities of both parties and ensures that those risks transfer to the insurance companies and don’t become anyone’s out-of-pocket expense. I will work with counsel to ensure that the indemnity language places the risk on the correct party and that the insurance requirements bind the insurers to that risk to the greatest extent possible. I will also review the relevant insurance policies and work with the policyholder to close any gaps in coverage.
Hiring and Training Staff: I work with many clients who want to create or hire for an in-house risk management team. I work with them to set up their risk management practices and insurance programs and help them build out the department, interviewing executive and associate candidates, aiding in the onboarding process, and training them to take over the role.
Saxe, Doernberger & Vita, P.C., Trumbull, CT
Attorney – May 2014 – May 2019
My transactional and litigation practice focused on construction, real estate, banking, and cyber/technology sectors
I was retained by major insurance brokers to advise on insurance legal issues and claims
I represented clients in large real estate and construction insurance cases, including structural collapse, New York Labor Law, and wrongful death claims
Contract drafting and review; including drafting custom insurance policy language and negotiating other insurance terms and conditions
Reviewing and revising corporate insurance programs and risk management strategies
Advising companies on procedures in the event of a data breach including action steps, insurance claims, and real-time guidance for security breaches
Construction Risk Management, including overseeing the contracts and insurance for all contractors on large New York construction projects and administration of the New York Labor Guard insurance program
Education:
University of Connecticut School of Law, Hartford, CT
Juris Doctor: January 2015; High Honors; Class Rank: 6/127; GPA: 3.814
Intellectual Property Law Certificate: January 2015
Awards: CALI Academic Excellence Awards in Contract Law, Cybercrime, Criminal Law & Evidence; The Aspen Law & Business Award for Excellence in the Study of Evidence Law
Connecticut Law Review: Associate Editor
Other Activities: I worked with the defense team in United States v. Auernheimer, the Third Circuit case surrounding the 2010 AT&T iPad data breach; I was a Teaching Assistant, writing and teaching curriculum for night students; Loiselle Moot Court Competitor; and contributed to the school’s legal newspaper
Thomas Edison State University, Trenton, NJ
Bachelor of Arts – Social Science (History/Psychology): June 2012, GPA: 4.0
Speaking Engagements and CLE’s Taught:
Deductibles and Dollars: Real Estate Insurance Issues for Owners, Investors, Lenders, and Their Attorneys
Florida Bankers Association & Florida Bar Association Joint Conference; Tampa, Florida, April 12, 2024
Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, and Artificial Intelligence Ethics for Lawyers and Law Firms
American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Conference; Tucson, Arizona, March 7, 2024
Data Privacy Law and Best Practices for Captives, Risk Retention Groups, and Risk Purchasing Groups
National Risk Retention Association (NRRA) Annual Conference; Chicago, Illinois, November 14, 2023
Don't be a Cautionary Tale: The Legal Ethics of Cybersecurity
American Bar Association Litigation Section Annual Conference; Atlanta, Georgia, April 20, 2023
Hostage Crisis: The Insurance & Legal Ramifications of Ransomware Attacks
American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Conference; Tucson, Arizona, March 2, 2023
Cyber Risk and Insurance for Risk Retention Groups, Risk Purchasing Groups, and Captives
National Risk Retention Association (NRRA) Annual Conference; Chicago, Illinois, November 4, 2022
Ransomware, Data Breaches, and Cyber Insurance: Representing Clients at All Stages of Cyber Risk
Women in Insurance Litigation Conference; Washington, D.C., October 13, 2022
Ransomware & Cybersecurity Attacks: Advising Clients, Litigating Liability, & Maximizing Insurance Recovery
American Bar Association Litigation Section Annual Conference; Miami, Florida, May 5, 2022
Penny for Your Data: The Ransomware Crisis and the Future of Cyber Insurance
American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Conference; Tucson, Arizona, March 5, 2022
Sweatpants and a Button-Down: The Insurance Dynamics of Remote and Restricted Workplaces
American Bar Association Virtual Insurance Coverage Seminar; New Haven, Connecticut, March 19, 2021
Insureds Breaking Bad: Insurance Coverage for Narcotics-Related Claims
American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Conference; Tucson, Arizona, March 6, 2020
The Internet of (Hackable) Things: Liability and Insurance for Smart Technology
American Bar Association Litigation Section Annual Conference; New York City, May 2, 2019
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT): Insuring the Cyber Apocalypse
American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Conference; Tucson, Arizona, February 28, 2019
The Ins and Outs of Additional Insured Coverage
Hartford County Bar Association; Hartford, Connecticut, April 26, 2018
Hot Topics in Insurance: Driverless Cars, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT)
American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Conference; Tucson, Arizona, March 2, 2018
Distinguishing Noncommercial Infringement in International Criminal Copyright Law
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); Geneva, Switzerland on May 28, 2014
Bar Admissions and Licenses:
States Bars: Connecticut; New York
Federal Bars: District of Connecticut; Southern & Eastern Districts of New York
Professional Organizations:
American Bar Association:
Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee; Data Security and Privacy Litigation Committee; Cyber Insurance Subcommittee; Corporate Counsel Committee; Construction Litigation Committee; Commercial Real Estate Transactions Group
ABA Social Media Committee: Co-Chair: 2018-2020
Connecticut Bar Association
New York State Bar Association
About Me:
I’m a father of two teenagers who somehow still like spending time with me. In my spare time, I enjoy trail running, scuba diving, skiing, carpentry, audiobooks, and all things technology.