Dan O'Brien is partner in the firm's Cleveland office. His practice focuses on  Risk and Claims Management. 

His five major areas of concentration are in Workers' Compensation, Unemployment Compensation, Alternative Risk Transfer Methods, Establishment of Best Practices Claims Management Programs and the impact of workers' and unemployment costs in a Merger or Acquisition.

He has over 30 years of experience representing employers before the Industrial Commission of Ohio and the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (OBWC).

He has worked with over 80 organizations in obtaining qualified self-insured workers' compensation programs in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Dan's experience includes being the lead consultant on a two year study of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) in 1995 and 1996. This study and subsequent program recommendations led to the establishment of a professional risk management function within the GCRTA.

Dan has conducted audits of national workers' compensation programs representing the insurance industry, employers, associations and venture capital groups. These audits have included overviews of claims management, reserving practices, settlement practices and litigation management.

Dan has established national "best practices" formats for employers and insurers.

In addition, he works with clients in the areas of safety compliance with a focus on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and OSHA compliance issues.

Honors & Awards

• Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (2015 – 2021)
• Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America - Workers' Compensation Law - Employers (2020)

Professional Activities

• Featured Speaker on Risk Management and Workers' Compensation for: The Institute for International Research
• Northeast Ohio Society of Safety Professionals
• Self-Insurers Group of Ohio
• The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Bar Association
• The Cleveland Builder's Exchange
• Printers Association of Ohio
• The Solid Waste Association of North America (Buckeye Chapter)

News

Seminars & Speaking Engagements

• “The Injured Worker:  Practical Workers’ Compensation Approaches for Leaves of Absence”
  5.21.15
• "Bringing your ‘A’ game: How to make your company best in class in contractor, vendor and supplier qualification and certification”
  EH&S Magazine’s "America's Safest Companies" Seminar
  10.28.14
• “The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on workers’ compensation"
  Advanced Workers' Compensation Seminar
  10.23.14
• "Pay it forward and other Bureau of Workers' Compensation changes in 2014 and beyond”
  Ohio Chamber of Commerce HR Academy
  6.25.14
• “If a Stripper is Not an Independent Contractor, Who Is?”
  4.29.14

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