The following three statements appear on Jack Meligan’s LinkedIn Profile (Download jack_meligan_linkedin_962008.pdf)
Meligan Statement 1 : "Protecting the injury victim and plaintiff attorney is our only business… which means the job is done right… every time…" Jack Meligan
QUESTION? Since when does having the capability doing the job right have to do with your selection of target market?
Meligan Statement 2 "Settlement Professionals Inc. is the nations premier Plaintiff Loyal Structured Settlement Planning firm and has been for the last 23+ years". Jack Meligan
COMMENT I first met Jack Meligan in October 1995 in South Bend Indiana where we both were enrolled in the Certified Structured Settlement Consultant program. At that time he was doing defense cases for the State of Connecticut Attorney General’s office. Correct me if I’m wrong on the math, but isn’t that only 13 years ago? (Also see comments below).
Meligan Statement 3: "We ONLY work for the plaintiff and the plaintiff attorney, as opposed to many structured settlement firms who do double duty and work cases for both defense and plaintiff attorneys". Jack Meligan Linked In Profile
Quote : "From late 1988 to late 1993, I was affiliated with a national Structured Settlement firm, SFA, that was predominately a defense oriented firm. This was necessary as plaintiff specialist’s (sic) like me, were routinely denied access to the annuity markets, and suffered from an inability to fully serve tort victims. During that time period, I handled cases for defendants and plaintiffs. Fortunately, that was before exclusive rebate deals and approved annuity issuer lists became prevalent in this industry, and I never had to participate in either(to my knowledge) when working for a defendant". Jack Meligan December 2007
COMMENTS
- As Ronald Reagan Said to Jimmy Carter "There You Go Again!" Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t the difference between 1993 and 2008 only 15 years? In a business where mathematical accuracy can mean the difference of milions of dollars (see Crutchfield v. Ringler Associates, Civil Action No. 01-2720 (
E.D. La.2002)
, is THIS supposed to inspire confidence? - Who cares if its 13 years or 15 years? The relevant point is that it is NOT 23+ years! Is it really necessary for Meligan to embellish a resume by over a decade?
- Jack Meligan has admitted that he handled cases for defendants and plaintiffs. As recently as December 2007 he attempted to justify such prior work with the implication that it was OK to do so because " fortunately that was before exclusive rebate deals and approved annuity issuer lists became prevalent in this industry". This author submits that we are living in times AFTER when such exclusive rebate deals were prevalent in the industry AND THEREFORE the same rationale must hold true.
- Ironically some members of Settlement Professionals, Inc., a general agency with several offices around the country, are known to handle some defense cases.
CONCLUSION
Surely there are more important criteria for selection a structured settlement professional or settlement planner than simply who the firm markets to. As in hiring ANY expert from an economist, life care planner, medical expert, the expert’s professional credentials, knowledge, experience, gravitas and business ethics are far more critical.
POSTSCRIPT 09/10/2008
Perhaps due to the mathematical inaccuracy highlighted in this blog on 9/6/2008, Meligan’s linked in profile has been changed to no longer state that Settlement Professionals, Inc. (owned by Jack Meligan) has been the nation’s premier plaintiff loyal structured settlement planning firm for the last 23+ years. Download jack_meligan_linkedin_9102008.pdf.
Leave a Reply