The Directors
The three founding partners: Shawn Malik, James Giffen and Shawn Burnett bring over 60 years of combined experience handling large, complex losses for both National and International Insurers.
Shawn Malik, BBA, CIP,
Director, Executive General Adjuster (EGA)
Shawn.Malik@mgbclaims.com | Mobile: +1 (416) 524•7089 | LinkedIn
Shawn has been an adjuster since 1992. His extensive experience throughout North America and the Caribbean involves catastrophic losses as a result of; the Quebec Ice Storm, 9/11, Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, Ike & Gustav. Examples of these assignments include; buildings that surround the World Trade Center, a casino in the lower Mississippi region and a mine in the Dominican Republic.
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Shawn has previously held the position of Vice President at a multinational adjusting company. Shawn is an Executive General Adjuster specializing in commercial, industrial and resource claims. He has broad experience in the following areas:
- Mining
- Telecommunications
- Course of Construction
- Wrap Up Liability
- Specie Risks
- Fidelity
- Boiler & Machinery
Examples of these types of files include:
- Loss of gold in a refinery
- $9.0 million rubber recycling plant fire
- $4.0 million rock burst damages in a copper mine
- $3.0 million curtain wall damage to an office tower in Toronto
- $3.0 million theft of cash in the millions by a service provider from owners of ATMs
- $1.2 million collapse of a hopper in a lead refinery
- $2.0 million generator explosion due to manufacturing defect
- $1.2 million fire in a paper recycling plant
- $2.5 million watermain break and subsequent water damage to an auto parts manufacturer
Along with a Business Degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, Shawn has his Chartered Insurance Professional designation from the Insurance Institute of Ontario. Education:
- Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) | Insurance Institute of Canada
- Honours Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) | Wilfrid Laurier University
James Giffen, BA, CIP, CFE, CFEI,
Director, Executive General Adjuster (EGA)
James.Giffen@mgbclaims.com | Mobile: +1 (416) 727•4927 | LinkedIn
James has been a loss adjuster since 1987. He was previously the Director of Technical Services Canada for a multinational adjusting company. In addition to his Bachelors of Arts Degree from the University of Western Ontario he holds the following Professional designations; Chartered Insurance Professional, Associate of the Insurance Institute of Canada, Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator, Certified Fraud Examiner.
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Areas of Expertise:
- Commercial/Industrial Property
- Product Liability
- Professional Liability
- Medical Malpractice
- Cyber Risk
- Lessor’s Contingent & False Pretense
- Builder’s Risk
- Wrap Up Liability
- Jeweller/Furrier Block
- Fidelity
James has also successfully completed the following courses/seminars, as well as undertaking numerous industry presentations as an expert in his field:
- The Appraisal Process under The Insurance Act, February 2010
- CICMA/CIAA joint conference – Little Loss – Big Loss, February 2009
- Claims handling procedures to hospital groups, June 2008
- Jeweller Block Claims presentation to Canadian Jewellers Association, September 2006
- Stated amount Co-insurance Issues, February 2005
- Large Loss claims handling procedures for the Property Management Industry, June 2004
- Canadian National Advanced Fire, Arson & Explosion, October 2003
- Fire investigating training seminar on NFPA 921, September 1999
- Advanced Arson Investigation Techniques Training Course, March 1996
- Fire Investigation Training Seminar, May 1995
- Electrical Fire & Investigations Seminar, February 1995
- Canadian Fraud Symposium, April 1994
James is a member and/or sits on the Executive of the following organizations:
- Ontario Insurance Adjusters Association
- Canadian Independent Adjusters Association
- The Insurance Institute of Ontario
- International Association of Special Investigations Units
- International Association of Arson Investigators
- Member of The Certified Fraud Examiners Association
- National Association of Fire Investigators
- Member of Certified Fire and Explosion Investigators Association
Commercial Loss Examples:
- $10 million vehicle conversion loss, Toronto ON
- $15 million fire at broadcast facility, Ottawa ON
- $16 million fire at shopping plaza, Aylmer QC
- $4.5 million fire meat packing plant, Paisley ON
- $4 million Product Liability loss at hotel, Avon, Colorado
- $3.5 million Wrap-up Liability water damage claim to downtown office building construction project.
- $2 million racetrack fire
- $1.5 million – lighting/sound equipment theft
- $1.5 million health centre total loss fire, Manitoulin Island
- $1.2 million arson fire at east Asian department store resulting in arrest and conviction of owner for arson and fraud
- Liability investigation into $800,000 abandoned warehouse fire which resulted in fatality to a transient
- $700,000 hotel total loss fire, North Bay, ON
- Numerous fidelity bond losses ranging in submitted claims of up to $500,000, as well as a wide range of liability claims handling experiences
- $350,000 fire to major Canadian television and radio production facility
- $200,000 total loss of manufacturing warehouse
- $100,000 equipment loss to film production studio
- Numerous course of Construction/Builder’s Risk losses Testified at criminal trial with regard to arson fire
Shawn Burnett, BA, CFEI,
Director, Executive General Adjuster (EGA)
Shawn.Burnett@mgbclaims.com | Mobile: +1 (416) 817•6313 | LinkedIn
Shawn has been an adjuster since 1995. He has gained extensive expertise in major Commercial and Industrial property, Boiler & Machinery, Arson, Builders’ Risk, Course of Construction, Wrap Up Liability and Jeweler/Furrier Block claims. Most recently Shawn was a partner in an insurance Emergency/Restoration Contracting company. This experience has provided invaluable knowledge in construction, associated laws, and building codes which has served well in the adjusting field.
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Shawn began his career with a national adjusting firm that was later acquired by a multinational adjusting company and working in Global Technical Services Division as a Senior General Adjuster. Beyond having a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, Shawn has successfully completed the following Industry related courses:
- Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator – NAFI
- Certificate of Achievement – BI&I Introduction to ASME Section VIII Div.1 – July 2003
- Certificate of Achievement – BI&I Repairs & Alterations to Boilers & Pressure Vessels – July 2003
- Certificate of Achievement – BI&I ASME Section IX Welding Qualifications – July 2003
- Petroleum Industry Training Service (PITS) Introduction to Oil & Gas Production and Equipment-Nisku Facilities – December 2004
- Petroleum Industry Training Service (PITS) Drilling The First Look – October 2004
- Federal Law Enforcement Training Centre Glynco, Georgia, USA
- Advanced Arson For Profit Training October 2001
Shawn is also a member of the following organizations:
- OIAA
- CIAA
- International Association of Arson Investigators
- Canadian Association of Fire Investigators
- Affiliate member of the American Society Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
He has also authored the following articles:
- Do Boiler & Machinery Insurers Pay Water Damage Claims? published in Without Prejudice [2005]
- The Adjusters Role in Subrogation Claims, published in Claims Canada [April/May 2012]
Shawn has handled the following Commercial Losses:
- $20 million flax seed production mill fire, Manitoba
- $8 million salt mine collapse, Goderich,ON
- $1.5 million total loss church fire, Mississauga, ON
- $1 million content theft claim for defunct airline, working with trustee in bankruptcy, Toronto, ON
- $3 million power generator breakdown, Rhode Island
- $2.5 million total loss fire in prominent grocery store, Hagersville, ON
- $750,000 course of construction loss for hotel/casino, Niagara Falls, ON
- $500,000 electrical failure in high voltage capacitor, Markham, ON
- $500,000 impact damage claim to hydrogen fuel cell unit, San Antonio, TX
- Many losses involving equipment breakdown of chiller units, transformers, buss ducts and electrical switchgear ranging in value from $100,000 – $500,000
- $600,000 fire in large confectionary manufacturing facility, Hamilton, ON
- $500,000 consequential damage claim for frozen food manufacturer, Toronto, ON