Christine E. Westberg Dorn

Biography

Having previously spent nearly a decade working in-house for insurance companies, Christine brings unique perspective and experience to the cases she handles. She specializes in workers’ compensation, general liability, and insurance defense. Prior to entering private practice, Christine was employed as in-house counsel for Liberty Mutual Insurance, where she defended matters of all levels of exposure, from nuisance value to well over seven figures in Iowa and Nebraska. Christine prides herself on pursuing aggressive defense while maintaining professional and cordial relationships with her opposition. Her clients consistently praise her exceptional customer service, frequent communication, and quality legal counsel.

Christine received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Iowa. She is a graduate of Drake University Law School, where she gained practical litigation experience as a member of the Drake Legal Clinic. In addition to active bar memberships in both Iowa and Nebraska, Christine is also admitted in Georgia (inactive) and Connecticut. She is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, the Nebraska State Bar Association, the Iowa Defense Counsel Association, the Nebraska Defense Counsel Association, the DRI, the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, and the Iowa Association of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. Christine is frequently asked to present on topics related to workers’ compensation and litigation.

Christine is a native of the Des Moines, Iowa area, but has made Omaha her home since 2013. In her free time, she enjoys food, travel, visiting friends, and spending time with her husband and their two Jack Russell Terriers.

Education

• Drake University Law School, Des Moines, Iowa
  • 2007
• University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
  • 2004

Professional Associations

• Iowa State Bar Association
• Iowa Defense Counsel Association
• Iowa Association of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
• Nebraska State Bar Association
• Nebraska Defense Counsel Association
• DRI
• Claims and Litigation Management Alliance

Honors

• Liberty Mutual Insurance Spotlight award – 2019
• Liberty Mutual Insurance Bravo award – 2017

Representative Cases

• Cody Holman v. Headwaters, Inc., 2017, Christine successfully defended a denial of workers’ compensation benefits and Claimant was awarded nothing at trial.
• Gavin Cowan v. Iowa Steel & Wire, 2018, Christine successfully defended a denial of benefits and obtained a defense verdict whereby Claimant received no workers’ compensation benefits. Claimant appealed, and the defense verdict was upheld by the Commissioner on appeal.
• Brenda Moreno v. Cooperative Resources International, 2019, Claimant filed claims for two alleged injuries. Christine successfully defended against any further benefits owed on one injury and limited the award of benefits for the second injury, then pursued an appeal which further mitigated her client’s exposure by pressuring Claimant to settle, foreclosing Claimant’s entitlement to ongoing benefits and future medical care and saving her clients tens of thousands of dollars.
• Arionna Lawson v. Wendy’s, 2022, At trial, Christine successfully defended the denial of a psychological injury arising out of an event where Claimant’s co-workers made fun of her, allegedly causing her to experience mental anguish and nightmares.
• Brent Lange v. C.R. England, 2022, Claimant alleged that his worsening cardiac condition was related to his sedentary work as a truck driver, and his cardiologist agreed. Christine successfully defended the denial of the claim as unrelated to work. Claimant appealed, and after consideration of the parties’ appeal briefs, the denial was upheld on appeal.

Classes & Seminars

• What the Books Don’t Tell You: Frequently Overlooked Investigative Tactics in Litigation; CLM Workers’ Compensation and Retail, Restaurant and Hospitality Conference, 05/19/2022
• Workers’ Compensation Trends; Cincinnati CPCU Society, 05/12/2022
• This Job is Making Me Anxious: Mental Health Workers’ Compensation Claims; CLM Workers’ Compensation and Retail, Restaurant and Hospitality Conference, 05/14/2022
• Leveraging Diversity – The Competitive Edge; CLM Midwest Conference, 06/23/2016