At first glance, David Scheidemantle may appear to be your typical attorney. Somewhat imposing and meticulous in his appearance, David founded Scheidemantle Law Group, P.C. focused on insurance litigation. However, you would never realize that growing up he had every intention of having a career in music.
“I started playing piano when I was 5 and violin when I was 7,” he said. Within a few years, it was apparent that he wasn’t just good at the violin, but excellent and was eventually accepted to Juilliard as a performance major for the violin. His career choice was encouraged by his parents, who hoped that he would become a professional musician once he graduated. However, David had other plans. “When I announced to my parents my intention to go to law school, they were not happy. My father said to me, “Well, as a lawyer, you’ll never get a job.”
David graduated from Fordham University School of Law and accepted a position in a prestigious New York firm and later opened his own legal practice. For a number of years, the requirements of his career and a young family, David’s commitment to the violin waned. That changed after the events of 9/11. Realizing that playing music was a part of who he was, he began to give violin performances to groups and volunteering for nonprofits like the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus.
In 2015, David met Jessica Gunnar, VP of Personal Risk Management Department of Bolton & Company. David had amassed a number of very rare and expensive instruments and needed to insure them. Soon after the policy was in place, David took a violin bow to an instrument repair specialist. “I got a call,” he says “that there was a crack in the bow. So this bow that had been sold to us as being in excellent condition was essentially worthless.”
David contacted Jessica and they filed the claim. Due to Jessica’s relationships with the insurance carrier, she was able to make sure that David’s claim received the specialized valuation necessary. David continues “And unlike any experience I’ve ever had, I had a check for the value of the bow within two weeks. And if you ask me what the difference is, the difference is the relationship that Bolton had with the carrier.”
“Over the years, as an insurance coverage lawyer, I’ve worked with a lot of insurance brokers,” says David. “The ones I’ve been most impressed with are the ones at Bolton.”
For Jessica, it’s not just about getting more clients, but rather making sure that her clients are the right fit for her team. “We’re not just writing insurance policies for them. We’re getting to know them, their hobbies and passions, their unique assets.” But, with the right team and knowledge, you can make sure that clients get the coverage they need. As she states, “It’s wonderful to be able to craft a solution that just makes sense.”
And those ideas are music to our ears.
