US Claims Expands Executive Team as it Continues its Growth

DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- US Claims, the longest continuously operating pre-settlement funding company in the U.S., today announced several new executive appointments:  Steve Bashmakov – CEO; Sharon Levy – COO; Scott Shey – CFO; Ina Berlingeri – General Counsel; and Alex Irvin – SVP of Marketing.

US Claims' current Chief Executive Officer, James Terlizzi, will take on the newly created role of Executive Chairman and will continue to work closely with the rest of the executive team. Mr. Bashmakov takes the helm with an extensive 20+ years finance background and significant financial management, investor relations, risk management, credit analysis, and strategic planning expertise.  Steve has been with the parent company, DRB Financial Solutions, LLC, since 2015 and previously served as a Chief Financial Officer for DRB Financial Solutions and its subsidiaries.

Mr. Bashmakov commented, "Today marks another chapter in US Claims' history and I am humbled to be a part of it.  This is a 24-year-old business in a marketplace that has potential to grow substantially.  It is rare for a business that has been around for 20+ years to operate in the market where one can see such growth potential. I could not have asked for a better team and I am excited by the future and confident that we will accomplish our growth goals."

Donna Lee Jones, President of US Claims said of the appointments, "US Claims continues to demonstrate impressive growth and is having its best year ever, even with the formidable headwinds related to COVID-19.  I continue to be confident of the business' prospects going forward and expect these additions to the executive team to position the Company to continue growing for the foreseeable future. I have worked with Steve for the last five years and I am excited about the future prospects of this business under his leadership."

Sharon Levy will assume the role of Chief Operations Officer, bringing extensive experience in improving operations and business development.  Ms. Levy began her career with Peachtree Settlement Funding and, with a Certificate of Professional Achievement from the Executive Development program at Kellogg Executive Education, offers a well-rounded perspective and valuable insight. Sharon has been with the parent company, DRB Financial Solutions, LLC, since 2013.

Scott Shey, CPA, will assume the role of a Chief Financial Officer.  Mr. Shey joined DRB Financial Solutions, LLC in 2018 as head of the FP&A group. Prior to DRB Financial Solutions, Mr. Shey served as a Vice President at Morgan Stanley where he spent ten years in various roles. Mr. Shey brings in-depth knowledge and expertise in financial audits and reporting, risk management, strategic financial planning, modeling, and analysis.  He graduated from The Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. 

Ina Berlingeri will assume the role of General Counsel.  Ms. Berlingeri brings over 20 years' experience as an attorney specializing in commercial and intellectual property litigation as well as counseling in various areas of contract and commercial law. She was previously a partner at Holland & Knight, LLP and has an LLM degree from Harvard Law School, a J.D. from the University of Puerto Rico, and an A.B. from Amherst College. Ina has been with DRB Financial Solutions, LLC since 2014.

Alex Irvin will assume the role of SVP of Marketing, bringing strategic and tactical expertise including e-commerce, online marketing, branding, customer experience/acquisition/retention at scale, and reputation management.  He spent 16 years building and leading marketing and e-commerce for 1-800-PetMeds before entering the field of specialty finance.  Mr. Irvin is a contributor and speaker for several media, marketing, and advertising industry resources and his education includes a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with a Minor in Linguistics from Liberty University.

About US Claims: US Claims (www.USClaims.com) provides litigation funding for plaintiffs, attorneys and surgeries.  Its flagship offering is providing non-recourse financial support to personal injury victims, some of whom may have suffered catastrophic injuries from defective products, unsafe premises, motor vehicle accidents, and other types of accidents; this financial support provides the injured plaintiff the means to pay bills and endure the often long and arduous litigation process. In addition, US Claims provides specialized lending to personal injury law firms to help them grow their practices.

SOURCE US Claims