2016 40 Under 40 Yearbook: Benjamin “B.J.” Joplin, 44

Then: Attorney, Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP
Now: President, Gibson & Associates Professional Claims Management Inc.

What’s the connection between Lloyd’s of London and Springfield? B.J. Joplin.

Since leaving the law field after his 2004 selection to the 40 Under 40, Joplin moved to Gibson & Associates Professional Claims Management Inc. as a claims adjuster and third-party administrator.

“Since I joined, we have transitioned such that almost all of our work is now Lloyd’s-based,” Joplin says of the self-regulating specialist insurance market founded in 1680 in Britain. “We are essentially a contract claims department for Lloyd’s, managing property and casualty claims – whether it is a fire, break-in or some kind of injury.”

A former litigator, Joplin still can flash his attorney skills should claims issues arise. He worked in litigation for what’s now Husch Blackwell LLP.

Something that hasn’t changed is the perception of the law industry, he says. In his 2004 profile, Joplin said, “Many people perceive lawyers as expenses rather than assets. Most do not understand that a good attorney involved from the outset can help avoid problems and is much less expensive than bringing one in to fix what is wrong.”

How about even a little shift in thinking?

“Not at all,” he says.