PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Between 1966 and 1994, I was employed by Johnson & Higgins("J&H"), which, during that time was one of the largest  insurance brokers in the world.  In 1997, J&H was acquired by Marsh & McLennan. 

At J&H, I served as an Account Representative, Executive Vice President and Principal.  My duties in those positions included placing insurance policies for J&H clients in both the domestic and world wide insurance markets, as well as managing insurance programs, (including property, liability, and executive risk coverage) for a number of J&H clients, particularly  those in the large and, or difficult risk classes, i.e. chemicals, asbestos manufacturers, gas appliance controls manufacturers and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

 I also served as a senior  technical representative and market relations specialist . In that capacity, I reviewed insurance placements made by J&H nationally, including placements made in the domestic and world wide casualty markets.  In addition, I served on several national committees which were concerned with the placement, interpretation and marketing of liability insurance policies.  Part of this job was heading the J&H negotiating team on certain extra-large liability claims.

I have given numerous speeches on product liability coverage to industry groups in the pharmaceutical insurance business, the propane controls business and to chemical insurance underwriters.  I advised J&H on the adopted policy language at the beginning of the Bermuda liability market.

My expert witness testimony includes opinions on policy language (standard occurrence and occurrences first reported versus claims made insurance), standards of applicability of underwriting information (1960s versus 2003), applicability of pollution exclusions and availability of insurance for asbestos producers , and  manufacturers of products containing asbestos, with regard to allocation of limits.

In 1994, I retired from J&H and formed my own risk management consulting company,   Ed Graziano & Associates, which advises commercial clients on various aspects of their insurance programs, including the nature and extent of coverage, policy exclusions and risk transfer issues.  My firm provides commercial insurance broker, and consulting services primarily to chemical companies which operate manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe and Asia and sell products to customers worldwide.    

My firm also has provided insurance consulting services to companies in the concrete pipe business, the paperboard business and a broker of machinery for the textile industry.