Staff

Stephen L. Brown, sbrown@brownclaims.com, Owner/President, is a 1985 graduate of Louisiana State University and attended adjuster training at Southern Farm Bureau Tech in Jackson, Mississippi. He attended Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert School of Law from 1987-1990 and was admitted to the Louisiana Bar in 1990. After practicing law in the area of insurance defense for several years, he returned to Baton Rouge/Brown Claims Service, Inc. in 1992 and presently serves as Owner/President of the company and its subsidiaries. Stephen is a member of both the Louisiana State Bar Association and Baton Rouge Bar Association, and has also served as a Regional Vice-President of the National Association of Independent Insurance Adjusters. Additionally, he has served as President of the Louisiana Claims Association and as a local Board Member of the PIA (Professional Insurance Agents) of Baton Rouge. Stephen is licensed as a multi-lines adjuster in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Pat S. Brown, pbrown@brownclaims.com Founder and Vice-President graduated from Mississippi State University in 1954. He began work in the adjusting profession in 1954 with Crawford & Company and remained with them until January 1, 1963 when he purchased an interest in a local independent adjusting firm. He remained there until he left to open Pat S. Brown Claims Service, Inc. on May 1, 1967. In 1984, the company purchased and merged with the then oldest independent adjusting firm in the area (Baton Rouge Claims Service, Inc.) to become Baton Rouge/Brown Claims Service, Inc. Mr. Brown remains active in the claims business and is licensed as a multi-lines adjuster in Louisiana.

Rodney A. Magee, rmagee@brownclaims.com Vice-President of Operations/Claims Manager, is a 1990 graduate of Louisiana State University and worked as an adjuster trainee (part-time) for this firm from 1985 through 1990. Upon graduation, Rodney was hired by Crawford & Co. and completed Crawford University, in addition to obtaining an Associate in Claims designation from the Insurance Institute of America in 1994. Rodney was promoted through the Crawford system to Adjuster in Charge in 1995 after completing the Crawford Career Management School. Rodney re-joined our firm in July of 2001 and is responsible for day to day claims management in our office and is NFIP certified. Rodney is licensed as a multi-lines adjuster in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Claud Davis cdavis@brownclaims.com is a graduate of George Washington High School, Danville, Virginia, and attended Danville Tech Institute. Claud has been with our company as an adjuster since 1984 and has nearly 25 years experience in the handling of automobile, transportation, cargo and general liability claims. Claud is licensed as a multi-lines adjuster in Louisiana and specializes in transportation and cargo claims.

Gerald W. Hightower ghightower@brownclaims.com is a graduate of Northwestern State in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Gerald was with GAB for five years, handling property and casualty losses. He has also worked as a "storm trooper" handling property losses and is N.F.I.P. certified. He has been with our company since 1984 and is qualified / licensed in Louisiana to handle all lines, but specializes in large commercial and personal lines property losses.

Gerald D. Major jmajor@brownclaims.com is a 1982 graduate of Louisiana State University. He was previously employed as an adjuster for 2 1/2 years by Sentry Insurance Company and one year by Aetna Life and Casualty. Jerry received advanced liability training while with Aetna and has been with this firm as an automobile and casualty adjuster since 1988. He has over 20 years of experience in the handling of commercial self-insured accounts, automobile, general liability and worker's compensation claims, but specializes in serious and catastrophic liability claims. Jerry is licensed in Louisiana as a multi-lines adjuster.

Geraldine Champagne gchampagne@brownclaims.com is a graduate of the University of New Orleans. Prior to joining our firm, she was employed at Sentry Insurance Company and Allstate Insurance Company for 3 1/2 years where she specialized in adjusting casualty claims. She specializes in the handling of workers' compensation claims and is experienced in automobile and general liability adjusting. She has been with our firm since 1990 and holds a Louisiana multi-lines adjuster license.

Lisa D. Stanford, lstanford@brownclaims.com graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, LA in 1991. She began her career as an automobile claims adjuster in 1996 with Direct Adjusting Corporation in 1996. In 1998, Lisa joined Allstate Insurance Company as a casualty claims adjuster where she stayed until 2000. She subsequently re-joined Direct Adjusting Corporation as a senior casualty claims adjuster in 2001 and was hired by our firm in January, 2002. Lisa specializes in the handling of workers' compensation, automobile and general liability claims and is licensed in Louisiana as a multi-lines adjuster.

Leah Weber, lweber@brownclaims.com began her claims career in 1982 with Aetna Life and Casualty Insurance Company and soon thereafter with Sentry/Dairyland Insurance Company as a claims representative. In 1984, Leah went to work for Protective Adjustment Company, as a claims supervisor, supervising and adjusting auto claims on a nationwide basis until 1991 when she moved to Pacesetter Adjustment Company to assume a similar position. In 1997, Leah accepted a position as a staff claims representative in the litigation unit of Allstate Insurance Company where she stayed until joining our firm as a multi-lines claims adjuster in October of 2002. Leah's expertise is in Special Accounts and is licensed in Louisiana as a multi-lines adjuster.

Carol Smith csmith@brownclaims.com began her claims career with Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in April of 1999 and quickly advanced to become a case manager for major commercial accounts, focusing primarily on commercial trucking, transportation, and fleet losses. She joined our firm as a general and automobile liability adjuster in November of 2003. Carol's current area of expertise is in the handling of large commercial liability claims and she is licensed in Louisiana as a multi-lines adjuster.

Gayla Roberts groberts@brownclaims.com attended Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe as well as Louisiana State University in Shreveport. She began her claims career with State Farm Insurance Company in 1976 and left as a Field Claims Superintendent in 2002. She has completed 6 of 9 parts of the CPCU designation and has received an Associate in General Insurance (1983), an Associate in Claims (1986), an Associates in Management (1999), and is NFIP certified. Gayla joined our firm shortly after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and specializes in large commercial property and casualty losses. She is licensed in Louisiana, Florida, and Texas.

John Alligood jalligood@brownclaims.com attended Baton Rouge Community College and received adjuster training at Southern Farm Bureau Tech in Jackson, Mississippi. John is a native of Baton Rouge and has experience in the handling of automobile liability and general liability claims. He has been with our firm since April, 2006 and holds a Louisiana multi-lines adjuster license.

Kimberly Vega kvega@brownclaims.com graduated from Louisiana State University and began her insurance claims career as a claims representative with Progressive Security Insurance Company in April 2000, reaching the level of senior claims representative before going to work as an independent adjuster in 2003 and then claims support manager/office manager for Insurance Servicing & Adjusting Company in 2005. Kim is experienced in automobile claims adjusting and damage appraisal. She joined our firm in November, 2006 as a general and automotive liability adjuster, and is licensed in Louisiana as a multi-lines adjuster.

Brent Sample bsample@brownclaims.com attended Mississippi State University and is currently working to complete his degree. Brent began his claims career in 2005 as a property adjuster for a local independent firm following hurricane Katrina and in connection therewith, inspected a variety of commercial property damages in the greater New Orleans, LA area. He has received training in adjusting residential and commercial property losses and is well versed in the Xactimate computer estimating program. Brent joined our firm in April of 2008 and will be further trained and licensed as a multi-lines claims adjuster.

Shreveport Personnel:

Tommy Johnson tjohnson@brownclaims.com began his career in automobile repairs in 1967 and was hired by Underwriters Adjusters Company in 1977 as an appraiser where he stayed until 1986 all the while being promoted to Regional Field Supervisor of automobile, heavy equipment, and specialty appraisals. From 1986 to 1996 he owned and operated Equipment Adjusters, Inc. handling automobile, heavy equipment and specialty appraisals. He joined our Shreveport office (now closed) in 1996 and continues to enjoy an excellent reputation in the industry as a specialist in heavy equipment losses. He continues to be based out of Shreveport, but serves the entire state of Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and beyond.

Appraisers: Bayou Appraisal Service, Inc.

Doug Schaubhut dschaubhut@brownclaims.com joined our firm as automobile appraiser in May, 2006. Previously, Doug worked as an auto appraiser for Crawford & Co. for 10 years, attending schools for auto appraisal, heavy equipment, and watercraft. He also worked for 12 years as the manager of a local body shop before joining our firm.

Lafayette Personnel: Brown Claims Service of Lafayette (Lafayette, LA)

Roger Leger rleger@brownclaims.com is a 1972 graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and began his claims training with American Mutual Insurance Company in 1979. He served as a claims manager with American Mutual until 1985, at which time he took a claims position with Kincel Claims Service, Inc., where he has remained through the purchase of the Kincel claims operation by Brown Claims Service in July of 2004. He is very experienced in the handling of complex liability and litigation cases, testifying frequently in our state courts. Roger is licensed in Louisiana as a multi-lines adjuster.

Ray Tregre rtregre@brownclaims.com graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 1981 and began his claims career with Crawford & Company in 1983 where he received training in casualty and property claims adjusting. In 1993, Ray left Crawford & Co. to take a claims adjusting position with Kincel Claims Service, Inc. where he has remained through the purchase of the Kincel claims operation by Brown Claims Service in July of 2004. He is experienced in the handling of casualty and property claims and holds a Louisiana multi-lines adjuster license.

Jason Carney jcarney@brownclaims.com graduated from Louisiana Tech University and began his insurance claims career as a claims representative with Progressive Security Insurance Company in April 1999, reaching the level of senior claims specialist. Jason is experienced in the handling of automobile claims and specializes in the preparation of automotive damage appraisals. He joined our firm in October, 2008 as a general and automotive liability adjuster, and is licensed in Louisiana as a multi-lines adjuster.