Join host Ashton Kirsch for a preview of his upcoming CLM Conference presentation on negotiation strategies, featuring claims experts Amber Guenther from Alliant Insurance Services and Cortney Helfrich from Wilbur Group. This episode tackles why negotiation is the most undervalued skill in claims, applicable to everything from subrogation recoveries to defense settlements. The panel discusses practical strategies, including the 70/30 rule (listen more than you speak), how to keep emotions out of high-stakes conversations, and why building relationships beats transactional approaches every time.

The conversation covers critical industry challenges like nuclear verdict fears driving poor settlement decisions, the importance of first impressions in negotiations, and how to train adjusters to handle difficult adversaries without getting rattled. Learn why every claim deserves individual attention, how to de-escalate heated negotiations, and why practicing negotiation daily (even when buying jeans) makes you better at closing deals.

In this episode of the Subrogation Support Network, host Ashton Kirsch sits down with Donnie Vaughn, a 15-year claims professional and author of The AI Advantage in Claims, to unpack what AI actually means for claims teams—and why it’s no longer optional to understand it. Donnie breaks down AI “101” in plain language, compares major tools (beyond just ChatGPT), and explains how claims professionals can use AI to accelerate everyday work like drafting demands, improving written communications, and tightening workflows without sacrificing accuracy.

Ashton and Donnie also tackle the real-world risks: confidentiality, public-source tools, “hallucinated” outputs, and the growing challenge of deepfakes and fabricated evidence. They discuss how carriers, TPAs, and subrogation vendors can implement AI responsibly (think: internal systems, security, and human review), plus what individual adjusters can do immediately to stay competitive—starting with learning how to prompt, verify, and refine AI output.

Donnie’s book, The AI Advantage in Claims, is available here: https://a.co/d/07louEZr

Ashton Kirsch sits down with mediator and negotiation professor Lee Mendelson for a practical, subrogation-focused conversation on what actually moves cases to resolution. Lee shares how he transitioned from running a long-time subrogation practice to mediating full-time nationwide, and why subject-matter expertise matters when selecting a mediator—especially in technical and insurance-driven disputes.

They break down how strong negotiators prepare (and why most don’t), including BATNA/walkaway points, anchoring, objective criteria, and the difference between positional bargaining and interest-based problem solving. The discussion also tackles real-world mediation strategy: when early (pre-suit or early-suit) mediations make sense, what to include in mediation submissions (and what to keep confidential), how to handle difficult client/insured dynamics, and how Zoom mediations have changed participation and decision-maker access. The episode closes with actionable tips for adjusters and attorneys who want better outcomes, fewer stalemates, and a more disciplined approach to negotiation.