About Us

A graduate of Saint Michael's College in Colchester, VT, Patrick started his insurance career with American International Companies in 1987, underwriting miscellaneous Professional Liability risks. In 1990, Patrick started working for Swett & Crawford in New York as the manager of their Mortgage Bankers Professional Liability program. In 1991 he joined Swett and Crawford in San Francisco as Vice President and Financial Services Manager, brokering Directors' and Officers' Liability, Professional Liability and Employment Practices Liability for both publicly traded as well as privately held companies.

Patrick is currently responsible for managing the overall operations at Socius, and he plays an active role in the development of new clients. In addition to his underwriting and brokering experience, he regularly conducts continuing education classes in D&O, E&O, EPLI and Ethics in Insurance.

Patrick is on the board of directors of the California Insurance Wholesale Association (CIWA), the executive, stamping and legislative committees of the California Surplus Line Association, the executive committee of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) Foundation and a member of the Agents and Brokers Advisory Committee (ABAC), working with the California Department of Insurance on various regulatory issues.

Chris Hook
Director of Operations
chook@sociusinsurance.com

Chris started his career in 1983 with Cigna Insurance Company as an underwriting assistant, responsible for large municipalities focusing on property & casualty, workers' compensation, errors & omissions, directors and officers liability. Following that, in 1991 he joined McGee & Thielen, a retail agency located in Sacramento, where he worked as a marketing manager and eventually broker until 1999. Then Chris joined Crouse & Associates in Sacramento, where he continued to expand his book until 2004, when he joined Socius and opened their Sacramento office. Chris specialized in large commercial and residential construction including developers, general contractors and trade contractors. He also has extensive experience with hard to place products, OL&T and property related risks including COC, inland marine and earthquake coverage. Chris is currently the Director of Operations and is located in the San Francisco Office.

Ryan Apgar
Producer/Management Liability Broker
rapgar@sociusinsurance.com

Guided by his interest in the complexities of Professional and Management Liability insurance, Ryan joined Socius following his tenure on the retail side of the industry. His prior experience working for national brokerage firms, within their aggressive sales environments, allows him to provide a greater intermediary expertise and understanding to the retailers point-of-sale. In turn, Ryan is able to bring a calculated and empathetic approach to every deal.

Obtaining the Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU) designation serving as just one example, Ryan's unrelenting drive and ability to fully immerse himself in each opportunity is clearly evident in everything he accomplishes. Such a designation provides a broadened understanding of the key management and professional liability disciplines. More specifically, Ryan’s expertise encompasses all lines of Management Liability, inclusive of D&O, EPL, Fiduciary, Crime, and all practices of Professional Liability.

Casey started his insurance career in 1996 at The CIMA Companies in Alexandria Virginia. Joined Ausco, Inc in Chicago, IL in 1998 as an EPL Underwriter where he helped develop and maintain a book of EPL business. He then joined Cooney, Rikard & Curtin, a wholesale agency, as an Associate Broker in early 1999 where he worked on maintaining a book of Management Liability business. Casey moved to California in 2000 and joined Socius in early 2001 and is currently working in the San Francisco office as a producer in the Management Liability Department.

Kirk began his insurance career in 1980 as an ocean marine underwriting trainee. After several years in marine insurance as an underwriter and then a broker, Kirk moved into commercial property & casualty brokering, where he spent the next 13 years in account management, production and product development roles. He began focusing exclusively on corporate, management and professional liability in 1997, and joined Socius in April 1998. He became a producer for Socius in January 2000.

Michael Hoy
Employment Practices Liability Coverage/Claims Services
mhoy@sociusinsurance.com

Michael Hoy has 19 years of insurance experience in underwriting and retail brokerage. He is specializing in all Management Liability lines (including Venture Capital/Private Equity, Public and Private D&O, EPL, and Technology E&O/Cyber Liability. He also has significant national law firm defense litigation experience, including securities and employment litigation. He is available to assist with limits analysis and coverage or claims issues for existing and prospective insureds.

Kevin's 19 year career began as a property and casualty agent. In 1987 Kevin moved to San Diego where he held marketing manager positions for two regional companies to develop all lines of business including Management Liability. Kevin then moved to the insurance company side as a statewide marketing manager with full underwriting authority. In January 2000 Kevin joined Socius in their Southern California office to assist in the expansion of the Management Liability department and help establish Southern California's Property and Casualty brokerage unit. Kevin has also been instrumental in developing an Intellectual Property program for Socius.

Paul is Senior Vice President, Co-Founder and Management Liability Practice Leader for Socius, located in the Walnut Creek, California office. He specializes in Directors and Officers Liability, Employment Practices Liability and Errors and Omissions Coverages; and has placed D&O coverage for over 100 IPOs, and has guided coverage design for over 300 small to mid-cap, publicly traded companies. Paul is routinely consulted as an expert source by carriers when creating new EPL, D&O and E&O coverages. He has been published in several insurance trades, and is active in PLUS, BIG I DAY, SLA, and CPCU as a member and conference speaker. Prior to founding Socius, Paul worked as a broker for Swett & Crawford, San Francisco, and prior to that at AIG, San Francisco, as a D&O, EPL and Fiduciary Liability underwriter. Paul also develops and teaches several accredited continuing education courses covering D&O, E&o and EPLI.

Gregg opened Socius' South Florida office in June of 2008. He started his career with AIG in Atlanta as an E&O underwriter. Most recently he spent six years as Vice President of American Professional Liability Underwriters, Inc. in Miami Florida.

Gregg brings over 12 years experience in Management Liability Products. He specializes in D&O, EPLI & Professional Liability with a focus on Healthcare, Financial Institutions and Real Estate related classes.

He is active in PLUS, IIASF (Independent Insurance Agents of South Florida), and the Miami Young Agents Committee. He is a graduate of Georgia State University, where he majored in Risk Management Insurance.

Miller began his insurance career in 2000, he is well-versed in management liability issues. He began his career at Philadelphia Insurance and most recently served as manager of CNA's Management Liability team for the San Francisco branch.

At Socius he serves as Director of Programs with a focus on strengthening and expanding Socius' Empower Management Liability Insurance Programs. The Empower Management Liability program provide Lloyds of London insurance syndicate coverage for small to mid-sized privately held organizations.

Miller earned his B. S. degree in Finance from Philadelphia University in 1998.

Rodney began his insurance career in 1997 at Auto-Owners Insurance Company, Inc. in Lansing, Michigan, where he was an underwriter handling Property & Casualty risks; and eventually became Underwriting Supervisor. He later took on marketing responsibilities, sales and promotions effort for a 5 county region in Illinois. Rodney joined Socius insurance to help open the Chicago office, where he focuses on Property and Casualty risks for the Midwest region. Rodney graduated from Eastern Michigan University, where he earned his B. S. in Marketing.

Eric, who launched Socius' Tampa, Florida office in 2005, specializes in management liability. He joined Socius after a successful career at CNA Specialty Lines, serving in various management positions in several offices, most recently as Assistant Vice President in its Orlando, Florida office where he managed the Specialty Lines regional operations for the South and Northeast regions. Shapiro brings extensive experience in underwriting all lines of management liability, including Public and Private Company D&O, EPLI, Fiduciary, Fidelity, Professional Liability and Medical Malpractice. Prior to working at CNA, Shapiro worked at AIG. He is a graduate of the University of South Florida, and earned his MBA from New York University.

Wright started his career at ACE in San Francisco, then moved to Bliss and Glennon where he was an account executive focusing on property. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley.

Laura comes to Socius after most recently being a parnter in the Chicago office of O'Hagan Spencer, LLC. She was the head of the insurance coverage and claims management department at O'Hagan Spencer, LLC before starting her position with Socius. She represented various domestic insurance companies as well as London- based insurers as coverage and claims management counsel. She is available to assist with limits analysis and coverage or claims issues for existing and prospective insureds.

Cynthia is an active member of PLUS, the Independent Insurance Agents of South Florida and Miami Young Agents Committee.