WorkCompAcademy E-Learning

Rene Thomas Folse, J.D., Ph.D. received his Juris Doctor in 1974, Masters in Clinical Psychology in 1984 and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 1987. He is licensed as both an attorney at law and psychologist in California. He was the senior partner of one of Southern California's most reputable law firms, Miller & Folse, in 1974. Mr. Folse has focused his attention on the management of workers' compensation psychiatric claims. Mr. Folse has acted as a Judge Pro Tem with the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board, and has been a Qualified Medical Evaluator, and he holds a Self Insured Administrators Certificate. He has been appointed to numerous faculty and teaching positions and has co-authored a leading treatise discussing psychological injury claims. In addition to his many other accomplishments, Mr. Folse is a highly sought after speaker.

David W. O'Brien, a member of the California and New Hampshire bars, received his Bachelor of Education from Plymouth State University in 1950 and the degree of Doctor of Law from the University of San Francisco in 1960. He is admitted to the U.S. District Courts, Districts of New Hampshire and California. He is also a member of the American Bar Association. He is a Retired Workers' Compensation Administrative Law Judge (WCALJ) and has been an Administrative Law Judge with the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and a Deputy Commissioner of Corporations for the State of California. He has served as a Senior Counsel for the State Compensation Insurance Fund and also devoted many years to the private practice of law as both a defense and plaintiff attorney. He serves as an expert witness in civil cases and is a Certified Administrator for Self-Insurance Plans.

John B. Floyd is the Senior Partner of Floyd, Skeren Manukian Langevin, and he is a Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation. He has devoted many years in the workers' compensation field representing insurance companies, self-insureds, municipalities and employers in 132a claims and serious and willful actions. He has served as an Arbitrator, Mediator, and Judge Pro Tem, as well as being an expert witness in bad faith claims and is a Certified Self Insured Administrator. Mr. Floyd is involved in numerous committees, including California Chamber of Commerce Amicus Committee, State Bar Workers Compensation Executive Committee and the Employers Fraud Task Force. Mr. Floyd helped publish Retired Judge David W. O'Brien treaties on California Workers' Compensation Claims and Benefits, California Unemployment and Disability Compensation Programs and the pamphlet entitled California Workers' Compensation Insurance Employee Rights and Responsibilities.

Amanda A. Manukian has been with the Law Office of Floyd Skeren Manukian Langevin, LLP since 2003. She is currently the Managing Partner of the Pasadena Office and the Managing Attorney of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU). She also served as the Fraud Liaison with State Compensation in 2002 and part of 2003. Prior to her time with State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF), she worked with the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office from 1998 to 2002. She started as a law clerk in the Appeals and Writs Division, SIU working on numerous Appellate Briefs before California Appellate Courts. Subsequent to that, she was a certified senior law clerk conducting preliminary Hearings and co-chairing misdemeanor Trails at Central Trial in Downtown Los Angeles. Over the last two years of her tenure with the District Attorney Office, she co-chaired in death penalty evidentiary Hearings and assisted with appellate work defending various fraud convictions.

Suzanne Honor-Vangerov began her workers' compensation career as a claims adjuster for the State Compensation Insurance Fund and then transitioned into a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. In 1994 Ms. Honor-Vangerov moved into the position of Information and Assistance Officer for the Van Nuys District Office of the Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC). She held various positions of increasing responsibility within the DWC culminating in becoming the Manager of the DWC Medical Unit. As the Medical Unit Manager she oversaw the Qualified Medical Evaluator, Spinal Surgery Second Opinion, Medical Provider Network, and Utilization Review programs. She is considered to be an expert in medical billing and fee schedule issues. Ms. Honor-Vangerov brings an extensive amount of experience to the workers' compensation community.