This year marks 25 years at Lawyers Mutual for Senior Claims Attorney Mark Scruggs. During that time, Mark has helped countless lawyers navigate some of the most stressful moments of their professional lives – potential claims, grievances, and complex ethical issues. Known for his calm counsel and deep experience, Mark has also spent years traveling across North Carolina teaching CLEs and helping lawyers prevent problems before they begin.

We sat down with Mark to reflect on his career, what he has learned about the practice of law, and what continues to motivate him after a quarter century with Lawyers Mutual.

Mark’s Path to Lawyers Mutual

Take us back 25 years. What led you to Lawyers Mutual?
Before joining Lawyers Mutual, I practiced insurance defense litigation for about 14 years. Over time, I realized that litigation simply wasn’t for me and that I wanted to do something different.

Did you always see yourself working in claims?
In some ways, yes. Before I went to law school, I worked as an insurance adjuster for six years, so the role wasn’t entirely new to me.

What stands out from your first year at Lawyers Mutual?
One thing I remember clearly is that when 5:15 p.m. rolled around, the office emptied out. That was new to me coming from private practice.

How has the claims landscape changed over the past 25 years?
The practice of law has become less collegial in many ways, and clients seem more willing to complain about their lawyers than they were years ago.

What He Loves About the Work

After this long, what still excites you about coming to work?
Learning new things and helping our insureds get through what is often a very rough day.

What do you find most rewarding about being a Senior Claims Attorney?
Experience helps you recognize when an insured has a serious problem – and when they don’t. In many cases, I’m able to reassure them that things aren’t as bad as they fear.

Are there particular issues you especially enjoy working through?
Civil procedure issues and ethical issues are always interesting to me.

What keeps the work fresh after all these years?
You regularly encounter problems you’ve never seen before. Not a week goes by when I don’t find myself saying, “Well, that’s a new one.”

What makes Lawyers Mutual different?
I can’t speak for other carriers, but I know we help our insureds in many ways. We help them identify issues before they become claims. We counsel them on ethical questions before they become grievances. We focus heavily on claim prevention, and when a defense is needed, we work with some of the best lawyers in North Carolina and beyond. Our level of service is very high.

Helping Lawyers in Crisis

Much of your work involves talking with lawyers during some of their most stressful moments. What mindset do you bring to those conversations?
Experience helps me calm an insured’s fears. I usually have a good sense of what is a significant problem and what is not – what can be fixed and what cannot. Some insureds have even told me I’m a good therapist, which is amusing because I’ve never really thought of myself as a particularly calm person.

What do lawyers most need to hear when they’re facing a potential claim?
They need to know that Lawyers Mutual will have their back. We will help fix the issue if possible. If it can’t be fixed, we will work to resolve the claim if it has merit.

What’s one aspect of the claims process lawyers often misunderstand?
Some lawyers don’t realize just how much we can help them before a claim is ever asserted.

Have you seen examples where your team made a real difference for an insured?
The emails and notes we receive after matters are resolved say a lot. Our insureds are genuinely grateful. All of the claims attorneys here have practiced law ourselves, so we understand the pressures lawyers face. We don’t judge – we know that any lawyer can make a mistake.

What have you learned about lawyers through this work?
One thing I’ve noticed is that lawyers who spend their careers in the courtroom gain a whole new appreciation for how stressful litigation can be when they find themselves as a defendant in a lawsuit.

What advice would you give lawyers facing their first claim?
Call us immediately. We will help.

Teaching Leads to Relationships

You regularly teach CLEs across the state. What do you enjoy most about those opportunities?
Meeting our insureds, talking about the types of claims we see, and helping lawyers understand how to prevent them. It has also helped me improve my public speaking.

How does teaching complement your claims work?
If I do my job well on the speaking circuit, ideally, we’ll have fewer claims to handle.

What do you learn from the lawyers you meet when you’re speaking?
How appreciative they are for the work we try to do as their insurer.

How important are personal relationships in your role?
Very important. If a lawyer has met one of us in person, they’re often much more comfortable calling when they have a problem.

Perspective After 25 Years

What has kept you at Lawyers Mutual for 25 years?
The satisfaction of helping lawyers and the constant intellectual challenge of the work. I also believe Lawyers Mutual is a very good employer. I have great relationships with my colleagues, and I genuinely enjoy working with them.

What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
Receiving the North Carolina State Bar’s John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award in 2019. My colleagues at Lawyers Mutual nominated me, and that meant a great deal to me.

What do you hope lawyers think of when they hear your name?
If I’ve helped them over the years, I hope they remember that in a positive way.

What preventive advice would you give every lawyer in North Carolina?
Document important conversations with your clients in writing. Many claims could have been prevented if lawyers had clearly documented discussions, decisions, and advice. Without that documentation, disputes often become a “he said, she said” situation – and the lawyer rarely benefits from that.

What still excites you about the next chapter of your work here?
Honestly, I’m happy continuing to do what I’m doing. I’m more fulfilled doing this job than doing anything else.

A Few Personal Notes

What might surprise people about you?
I’ve been a runner for more than 50 years. I still regularly run races ranging from 10Ks to half-marathons. I’m not particularly fast, but I finish – and I don’t take for granted that my body still allows me to run.

How do you recharge outside of work?
Running, weight training, playing with my boxer dog Lottie, and spending time with my wife of 44 years and our daughter.

In one sentence, how would you describe your 25 years at Lawyers Mutual?
More than I could have ever hoped for.