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(Philadelphia, PA) — Chartwell continues to strengthen its national workers’ compensation practice with the addition of Kerry Nero as a Partner, bringing decades of experience advising employers, managing claims portfolios, and guiding organizations through the full lifecycle of workers’ compensation matters in Massachusetts.
Kerry joins Chartwell with a background that blends sophisticated litigation skills with hands-on operational leadership. She has spent much of her career advising large employers and self-insured entities, appearing regularly before the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents, and serving as a strategic partner to stakeholders managing high-exposure claims and regulatory demands.
Prior to joining Chartwell, Kerry played a central role in leading a self-insured workers’ compensation program covering approximately 18,000 employees. In that capacity, she oversaw claims administration, litigation strategy, settlement evaluation, and compliance while managing a multidisciplinary team spanning legal, claims, payroll, and vendor payment functions. She regularly represented employers at conciliations, conferences, hearings, mediations, and appeals, and was responsible for assessing exposure and negotiating complex lump sum settlements.
In addition to her litigation and advisory work, Kerry brings significant operational experience to her practice. She led large-scale initiatives to modernize claims management and vendor payment systems, transitioned offices to paperless operations through comprehensive digitization efforts, and implemented process improvements designed to increase efficiency, accountability, and consistency across claims handling.
Earlier in her career, Kerry maintained a high-volume workers’ compensation defense practice, representing insurers, self-insured entities, and third-party administrators. Her experience includes drafting motions and appellate briefs, conducting depositions of expert medical witnesses, protecting third-party recoveries under Massachusetts law, and delivering client training on practice before the Department of Industrial Accidents.
Kerry’s legal background also includes experience in real estate transactions and disability-related matters. She is licensed as a Massachusetts real estate broker, adding a practical perspective to her understanding of property-related issues and client counseling.
“Kerry’s experience spans every dimension of workers’ compensation, from litigation and settlement strategy to program oversight and operational transformation,” said Chartwell Partner Lisa Cavallaro. “She understands not only how claims are litigated, but how they are managed, funded, and resolved at scale. That perspective is invaluable to our clients.”
Kerry earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Boston College Law School and her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Political Science from the College of the Holy Cross. She has been admitted to practice in Massachusetts since 1995 and is a member of the Boston Bar Association.
About Chartwell Law
Chartwell Law is a nationally ranked law firm with over 300 attorneys across nearly 40 offices throughout the country. Our attorneys advise and defend our clients in complex, multi-party cases involving insurance coverage, bad faith, and reinsurance; construction defect and site accidents; automobile and trucking accidents; trucking and transportation law; retail, entertainment, and hospitality matters; employment law; workers’ compensation; first-party property; creditors’ rights; and maritime law, among various other facets of general civil and commercial litigation. Fostering a collaborative approach to legal services, we maintain a national presence, while providing a boutique experience to our clients.
To learn more, please visit www.chartwelllaw.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
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