Board of Directors

Louis Masry, President

Louis Masry is a settlement consultant at JMW Settlements. He has extensive industry expertise including almost three decades of Financial Planning experience and over 20 years of Settlement Planning experience. He plays an instrumental role in developing a complete financial assessment of a plaintiff's immediate and long-term financial needs. He also provides plaintiff attorneys with fee structuring options, allowing them to take advantage of the unique opportunity to defer taxation on earned fees.

Prior to his career as a settlement consultant, Louis worked as the President and CEO for Sunrise Financial Services in Westlake Village, CA, was the Vice-President for Prudential Securities, Inc. in Los Angeles, CA, worked as a Financial Advisor at Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc. in Pasadena, CA and as a Senior Floor Reporter for the New York Stock Exchange.

Louis is an affiliated member of the following organizations: Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA); Consumer Attorneys Association of California (CAOC); Consumer Attorneys Association of San Diego (CASD); Nevada Justice Association (NJA); Association of American Justice (AAJ); California Applicants Attorney Association (CAAA). Louis holds professional licenses and designations including Securities Licensed (FINRA), Series 7, and Series 63. He attended California State University, Northridge, and Los Angeles Valley College.

Brian Schachter, President-Elect

Brian Schachter is the Co-Founder of ESS Settlement Services, an affiliate of Sage Settlement Consulting. He is also a partner and a practicing plaintiff attorney at the law firm of Schachter & Levine in New York City. As a settlement consultant, Brian combines his legal background with his settlement consulting experience to assist injured plaintiffs and their attorneys in developing customized settlement solutions.

A graduate of Brooklyn Law School, Brian began his private law practice in 1995 and has received his Series 7 and Series 66 licenses. He has lectured for multiple organizations, including the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers and the Brooklyn Bar Association, and has been published on the New York Law Journal website. Brian is a former of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers, and the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. In partnership with Sage Settlement Consulting, ESS Settlement Services is a Skyline Business Partner for the New York State Trial Lawyers Association.

Josh Farmer, Treasurer

Josh Farmer is a senior settlement consultant that offers comprehensive settlement services to plaintiff law firms and their clients. He has extensive industry expertise including nearly two decades of financial planning experience and 18 years as a structured settlement specialist.
His needs-based approach to settlement planning requires dual access to both the retail financial services industry and the structured settlement industry. This provides him a unique opportunity to remain completely product unbiased when making important life-changing recommendations to his clients.
Prior to joining Sage, Josh managed a successful financial services practice with the Pollakov Financial Group in La Jolla, CA where he held his Series 6 & Series 63 designations and serviced over 220 client accounts.
Josh is a proud affiliated member of the following organizations: Consumer Attorneys Association of San Diego (CASD) Consumer Support Member, Sage Angel Foundation (Shining Light Donor), The American Association of Settlement Consultants, Board Chair for San Diego Fellowship of Christian Athletes (North County Inland).

David Vaclavik, Secretary

Colonel David Vaclavik began his settlement planning career with Millennium Settlement Consulting (now Sage Settlement Consulting) after more than 24 years of Active Duty service in the Air Force. David grew up in Arlington, Texas and received his commission from the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets ROTC program and entered the Air Force in 1994. During his career, David had the opportunity to command two squadrons as the Chief Financial Officer at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio and Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. He also led 1,500 Airmen and civilians as a Group Commander at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina where he was responsible for leading six squadrons supporting operations for the largest F-16 combat wing in the United States. David had an opportunity to serve in several staff positions during his career to include the Pentagon in Washington DC and at Central Command’s Headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. David earned his BBA from Texas A&M University in 1993 and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Chapman University in Orange, California, a Masters in Military Operational Art & Science from the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, and earned his Department of Defense Financial Management Level 3 certification in 2016.
David brings the same passion for service that he brought to our nation to injured victims and their families. You can be sure that David will lead you through the settlement process with integrity, compassion, and understanding and will ensure the settlement process is done right during a very difficult time in someone’s life. David joins his dad, John Vaclavik, and sister, Audrey Kenney, at Sage as Structured Settlement Consultants. David and his wife Gina have two children, Hannah and Caleb.

Joanna Wynes, Past President

Joanna Wynes is a Settlement Consultant with Sage Settlement Consulting. Over the past several years in the settlement planning industry, Joanna has worked on many single-event and mass tort cases. She has worked closely with individuals and families dealing with motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, wrongful birth, wrongful death, product liability, dog bite, and workers’ compensation settlements. Top attorneys rely on Joanna to provide mediation support, help claimants understand their options and prepare customized settlement plans.

A Baltimore native, Joanna graduated magna cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law, where she was in the top two percent of her class. Following graduation, Joanna worked at several prominent Philadelphia law firms, representing clients involved in medical malpractice, defective product, and motor vehicle accident torts. She achieved seven- and eight-figure settlements and verdicts on behalf of her clients.

After returning to Baltimore, Joanna transitioned to the settlement industry as a Medicare Set-Aside consultant. She learned the nuances of the Medicare Secondary Payer Act and gained a deeper understanding of the financial implications faced by injured individuals with ongoing medical needs.

Through her professional career and the experience of growing up with a disabled parent, Joanna deeply understands and empathizes with the emotional, medical, and financial needs of injured individuals and their families. She knows that settlement funds need to last as long as possible. Without appropriate guidance, individuals risk losing government benefit eligibility, being taken advantage of financially, and spending the settlement funds too quickly. Joanna’s compassionate yet pragmatic approach to settlement planning helps claimants maximize their settlements and create long-lasting financial security.

Marcy Espinosa Hanson 

Marcy Espinosa Hanson joined the Forge Consulting team in 2014 after gaining experience from industry leaders such as The St. Regis, Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Horwath HTL Consulting, and MassMutual. Throughout her time at Forge Consulting, she has developed her proficiency in constructing personalized financial plans for plaintiffs and attorneys. These plans include financial tools such as structured settlements, traditional annuities, wealth management, and trust services to address a wide range of financial planning solutions. With her extensive experience and knowledge, Marcy was appointed as the Director of Planning for Forge Consulting, where she works alongside the Settlement Planning team to oversee all the moving pieces and ensure a seamless and successful execution for clients. Marcy serves on The Forge Companies’ Operating Committee, is a member of the Advocacy Wealth Management’s Investment Committee, and is a member of the Advocacy Trust’s Risk Oversight Committee.

Marcy obtained a dual Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance and hospitality administration from Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University, where she was recognized on the Dean’s list for her academic excellence. She diversified her education by studying in New Zealand, Fiji, and Oxford University in the United Kingdom. To further expand her knowledge in financial planning, Marcy has completed the Investment Banking Institution coursework, obtained her Life and Accident insurance license, and her Series 65. Marcy resides in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and fur baby, Amigo. Besides enjoying traveling, Marcy and her husband enjoy playing golf, tennis, corn hole, and anything else that allows for healthy banter.

Cassie Barkett

Cassie Barkett is a 20-year trial lawyer who specialized in complex catastrophic injuries and wrongful death cases arising from motor vehicle accidents, boating accidents, dangerous premises and products, industrial accidents, and medical malpractice. Early in her career she assisted with some of the most high-profile criminal defense cases in Oklahoma, including United States v. Carol Howe, State of Oklahoma v. Daniel Fears and State of Oklahoma v. Donald Thompson. 
For the past 6 years Cassie has continued her representation of people who are injured as a Settlement Consultant. From 2018-2019 Cassie Served as Marketing Specialist and Vice President of Business Development for Structured Financial Associates, Inc. Cassie currently serves Arcadia Settlements Group as Associate General Counsel and a member of the Business Development Team.
From 2005-2011, Cassie served a 6-year Governor appointed term on the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission, serving as both Secretary and Vice- Chair of the Commission. She served as President of the Junior League of Tulsa from 2010-2011 and is the first woman President of the Tulsa Country Club (serving 2020-2021).

Tanis Kelly

Tanis Kelly is a settlement consultant who partners with leading law firms to develop customized settlement solutions for injured claimants. As a former litigation attorney, Tanis knows what drives a successful settlement resolution. Her thorough knowledge of government benefits, structured settlements, and trusts, along with her access to top industry experts in lien resolution, Medicare Set-Asides, and mass tort administration create a well-rounded and efficient method for resolving claims. Tanis has the unique ability to help attorneys and claimants navigate the court system to ensure compromise petitions are approved expeditiously. A frequent speaker for multiple trial lawyer associations, Tanis has published articles in Plaintiff Magazine and The Trial Lawyer. Her steadfast work contributed to Sage being named the Best Structured Settlement Broker in California by The Recorder (2018, 2019).

Tanis holds a B.A. from The University of Colorado Boulder and a J.D. from U.C. Hastings College of the Law, where she graduated cum laude. She proudly supports San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Alameda Contra Costa Trial Lawyers Association, Western Trial Lawyers, and Consumer Attorneys of California, among other consumer advocacy and trial attorney organizations. Tanis lives in San Francisco with her husband and their three young children. Outside of work, she plays hide and seek, reads (primarily Dr. Seuss) and changes far too many diapers. She also enjoys cheering on the Warriors, hitting the mountains to ski, and playing golf and tennis.

Audrey Kenney

Audrey has close to twenty years of experience in the structured settlement industry. She began her settlement consulting career in 2004 with The James Street Group and then with Millennium Settlements and now with Sage.

Audrey served on the NSSTA Education Committee and earned her Certified Structured Settlement Consultant (CSSC) designation in 2017.  She currently serves on the Education Committee for AASC.

Audrey has been a speaker at both NSSTA and AASC conferences and has presented on a variety of topics including Ethics, Non-Qualified Structured Settlements, Market-Based Structured Settlements, and Special Needs Planning. She has spoken at state trial lawyer association seminars and has written articles about structured settlements and attorney fee structures that have been published in several state trial lawyer association publications.

The structured settlement industry is deeply rooted in Audrey’s family. Her father, John Vaclavik, introduced her to the industry and has been her mentor. Her brother, David Vaclavik, recently joined the industry after a 20+ year career in the U.S. Air Force. In 2022 Audrey’s daughter, Brooke, graduated from law school and is now working for a personal injury firm.