Ocean Marine Insurance / Maritime Coverages Consultants: 3

Gulf Coast Risk Management (GCRM) provides research, analysis, and advice to commerce, industry, government and individuals, property managers, and general contractors regarding Insurance Placement, Interpretation, and Recommended Contractual Insurance Requirements, while explaining the relationship and alignment with indemnity and insurance provisions. 

GCRM operates COIs R Us, a certificate of insurance (COI) compliance and tracking company. COIs R Us compares the contractual obligations of a lease agreement with the COI. COIs R Us processes thousands of COIs for landlords and general contractors for compliance annually.

Business Consultant Services

Certificate of Insurance Tracking - No More Excel

Scott S. Margraves, CIC, has over 32 years of Commercial Property and Casualty Insurance experience. He is the Principal Consultant and Founder of GCRM.  Mr. Margraves is well-versed in the placement of insurance policies from an insured's perspective. As a front-line producer, he weathered five major hurricanes, three “five-hundred-year floods” and multiple catastrophic fire claims. 

Agency roles include insurance broker, claims supervisor, agency partner, and risk manager. He is Past President of the Independent Insurance Agents of Houston, Past Vice Chairmen of IIAT IMPACT Region 10, Member of Insurance Academy, and Lifetime Committeemen for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Mr. Margraves started his second career as a full-time consultant in 2021. He is an insurance industry expert that brings extensive experience in all aspects of property casualty insurance interpretation, policy forms, claims, safety programs, HR coordination and contract integration.

View Scott S. Margraves' Expert Witness Profile.

Jim Leatzow has 46 years of "hands-on" practical, property / casualty insurance agency experience. Leatzow has literally worn "every hat there is to wear in the P/C insurance business. He provides expert & arbitration services nationally & internationally with no charge for travel time. He is articulate, efficient & equally comfortable within the U.S. & in foreign venues. His experience includes:

• 46 years national Property/Casualty insurance industry experience
• 30 years national, Property/Casualty insurance Agency Owner
• 23 years national, Property/Casualty Managing General Agent (MGA)
• 20 years national, Third Party Administrator (TPA) insurance claim adjuster
• 26 years Reinsurance experience & Company Founder/President
• 17 years Certified insurance Arbitrator (U.S. / U.K. / Bermuda) 
• 55 years Licensed Pilot with Commercial, Instrument, Multi & Seaplane Ratings 
• Still licensed in Illinois (46 years) & Wisconsin (38 years) 
• Licensed in all states for 20-25 years until 2005 (agency sold)
• Rule 26 Report specialization on complex cases 
• Bad Faith Expert qualified nationally 
• History of representing plaintiff & defense equally
• No charge for travel time "coast to coast"

Leatzow's specialties include: Agent-Broker-MGA standards of care / Bad Faith / Coverage / Agent-Broker E&O Claims / Agent-Broker custom & practice / Professional (E&O) Liability / Claims Adjusting Standard of Care / Claims-made coverage / Surplus Lines issues / Underwriting / Licensing / Property / General Liability /Aviation Insurance

Prof. William J. Warfel, PhD, CPCU, CLU, specializes in Insurance and Risk Management. Currently on faculty at Indiana State University, his subjects have included Property / Liability Insurance, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Introduction to Risk and Insurance, Commercial Liability Insurance, and Insurance Seminars. 

Dr. Warfel is widely published in applied, professional journals. He has formally agreed to make a presentation concerning the “Application of the Separation of Insureds Condition” to the Indianapolis Bar Association as part of its Continuing Education Program (Winter Symposium, Indianapolis Bar Association, Insurance Coverage Section) for its members on December 9, 2021.

Dr. Warfel is a Member of the Board of Directors Overseeing the Development and Use of a Monetary Investment Software Tracking System for the purpose of holding contractors and subcontractors connected to construction projects accountable, and protecting the insurable interest of banks who finance these construction projects.  He has also participated as a panelist in a plenary session sponsored by the United Campus Ministries, and the
Indiana State University Center for Economic Education. The title of this session was, “Healthcare Reform: Industry Implications, Insurance Complications, and the Economics of it All.”

Insurance Industry Studies:

• Commissioned by the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC), to prepare an Issues Analysis paper concerning legislative expansion of policyholder remedies for first party bad faith. Prf. Warfel's role was to present the legal landscape concerning first-party bad faith law across the United States.
• Commissioned by Networks Financial Institute at Indiana State University to draft a working paper concerning issues related to insurance regulatory reform.
• Commissioned by the Coalition for Quality, Affordable Housing to conduct a study concerning why reliance on litigation to resolve disputes relating to alleged construction defects has contributed to a price/availability problem with respect to contractors liability insurance in California.
• Completed a faculty internship with Safeco Insurance Companies, the purpose of which was to examine the response of state legislatures to disruption in property insurance markets that occurs in the aftermath of a natural disaster, and examine the need for federal reinsurance.
• Commissioned by State Farm Fire and Casualty Insurance Company to conduct a study concerning the impact of natural disasters on insurers and the insurance marketplace.

View Dr. William Warfel's Expert Witness Profile.