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About Us
The Team at LegalEASE
Our most valuable resource is our team. Our people are what makes us great. Meet a few of our team members that you may come in contact with when working with us.
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Robert L. Heston, Jr
President and Chief Executive Officer
Robert L. Heston, Jr., President and CEO of the Legal Access Companies, believes in challenging the status quo in providing legal benefits to employees in the Voluntary Benefits market. Using lawyers has always been difficult for middle income Americans. Revolutionizing how employees interact with, and understand, lawyers and the American Legal System, has been Mr. Heston’s passion in his 38-year term with Legal Access.
Mr. Heston assumed responsibility for the Legal Access Companies in 1983 and has built a series of companies into one of the largest legal plan employee benefits companies in the U.S. He has been a pioneer on many fronts of the industry, including completely changing the access infrastructure for employees to connect with Network Attorneys in the Plan. This proprietary network management infrastructure has completely changed the direct access connectivity to Network Lawyers resulting in a system that analyzes the compatibility of the attorney and lawyer based on a unique assessment of choices and preferences espoused by the client before they select their Network Attorney.
Mr. Heston has also been responsible for innovation on all levels of law firm network development and for establishing a revolutionary Network Lawyer provider model that Legal Access utilizes to exceed customer service and quality assurance at all service levels in its legal plans. Worldwide, client-driven service excellence and integrated legal plan service delivery strategies are the passion of everyone who works at the Legal Access Companies.
Mr. Heston graduated from Rutgers College in 1978 and the University of Dayton School of Law (having finished his third year of law school at Loyola of Los Angeles Law School) in 1981. Mr. Heston was a published member of the Law Review of both law schools. He is an attorney licensed to practice law in Texas and California and has almost four (4) decades of experience in legal plan and law firm management and client representation. He has been admitted to the Supreme Courts of the States of Texas and California and to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas and the Central District of California. He is a member of the American Prepaid Legal Services Institute and a Member of the Law Practice Management Section of the American Bar Association. Throughout his career he has been a speaker to both attorney and insurance producer audiences advocating the benefits of quality in legal plans.
Mr. Heston is passionate about what he does, whether it is serving on various law practice committees of the American Bar Association or speaking to both attorneys and insurance producer audiences advocating the benefits of achieving quality in employee legal plan benefits. As an advocate for the American employee’s right to quality legal services, he has authored numerous articles on the so-called science of compatibility between lawyers and clients, understanding legal plan shortcomings and how to increase access to lawyers. Two of Mr. Heston’s most recent white papers are “What is Involved in the Work of Finding an Attorney,” and “Diversity and Inclusion: Why BIPOC Employees May Not be Accumulating Wealth and Protecting Their Families.” These are in addition to many white papers written by Mr. Heston, which can be found at RobertHeston.com.
Mr. Heston has a keen interest in coaching youth in basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer. Starting with coaching his children for 33 seasons, he moved in establishing and coaching a group of gang affected youth in a volunteer organization called Houston: reVision. He serves on the board of Houston reVision, and is active in various leadership roles in his church. He is in the process of editing and publishing two books.
Tracy Lalasz
Chief Strategy Officer
Ms. Lalasz began her career with Legal Access Plans in 1994 as a Customer Service Representative and has since served in every area of company operations. She was appointed Vice President of Operations in 1999 and promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2011. In her current role as Chief Strategy Officer, Ms. Lalasz is responsible for the company's long-term planning and strategic partnerships.
She has overseen the design and implementation of the company’s proprietary customer service platform and built business processes to manage the rapid growth in its fully insured voluntary legal plan market. Ms. Lalasz was responsible for the integration of the two companies after Legal Access acquired LegalEASE in 2003 and has overseen every aspect of the insurance product operations.
Ms. Lalasz holds a B.S. in Economics and an Executive M.B.A., both from the University of Houston.
Barrett Canon
Chief Information Officer
Barrett joined the Legal Access | LegalEASE team in 2001. Barrett leads the Information Technology team and oversees the planning and implementation of all custom software, hardware and security systems. Barrett has over thirty years of experience in software development, networking & information security and is currently leveraging that expertise at Legal Access Plans to reliably deliver services and respond to the needs of its clients.
Barrett began his career at UPS (United Parcel Service), where he designed applications for the company's first Intranet before becoming a consultant with their Professional Services Group. During his tenure there, he practiced in the Industrial Engineering, Finance and Accounting and Compliance departments, and represented the Southwest US Region as its top technologist.
Barrett Canon holds a BBA from the University of Houston with a specialization in Management Information Systems.
Jason Krouse, JD
Chief Revenue Officer
Jason is the Chief Revenue Officer with LegalEASE and the Legal Access Companies. In his current role, his responsibilities include managing the LegalEase sales team, developing strategies to hit annual goals, uncovering new verticals to drive revenue, hiring, training and maintaining the leading sales team in the market. He also works closely with the LegalEase important broker/consultant partners in developing strategies to exceed client needs and goals.
Experience
Prior to joining Legal Access Companies, Jason was the Senior Vice President, National Sales Manager with AON’s Voluntary Benefits and Enrollment Solutions division. At Aon, Jason managed the national Large Market Sales, Small Market Sales, Solution Architect and Sales Analyst team. Jason was instrumental in managing the sales integration of Univers Workplace Solutions into Aon’s national Healthcare Practice. Jason’s sales team consistently led all of AON’s Healthcare practice in annual revenue growth while developing new cross sales programs to drive this growth.
Expertise
Jason’s expertise includes benefit communication, employee engagement and the strategy and marketing of voluntary benefits. He is a well accomplished industry writer and speaker. Jason is also an internal thought leader around Healthcare Reform and the impacts of reform on the communication and enrollment marketplace.
Education
Jason holds a Jurist Doctor Degree (JD) focused on healthcare and corporate law from Nova Southeastern Shepard Broad Law School and a Bachelor of Science (BS) from Florida Atlantic University.
Jason is a Past President of the Mass Marketing Insurance Institute and Voluntary Benefits Association.
In 2010, Jason was named the Voluntary Person of the Year by both Risk Insurance and HR Magazine.
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Courtney Moser
Corporate Counsel
As Legal Access Plans’ Corporate Counsel, Courtney oversees the legal, regulatory, and compliance needs for all departments of the organization. She also acts as a liaison with the network providers who serve Legal Access Plans’ members. Courtney began her career in the insurance industry working for an international insurance company where she gained extensive experience in providing exceptional customer service, analyzing and processing claims, and conducting special investigations. She brings a full understanding of – and deep respect for – members experiencing legal issues. Courtney feels privileged to work with Legal Access Plans in furtherance of their mission to improve the lives of their members and she aligns her genuine care for others with her role as an executive leader.
Prior to joining Legal Access Plans in 2016, Courtney worked as counsel at a Houston-based firm specializing in insurance litigation. She has bachelor's degrees in both English and Business Administration from the University of Florida. She went on to earn her juris doctorate from South Texas College of Law – Houston.
Courtney is a member of the Texas State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. She is passionate about animal welfare causes and volunteers as an advocate for the Texas Humane Legislation Network. She supports several local animal rescue organizations and is also a proud supporter of various Veterans organizations. Additionally, Courtney is passionate about education and mentorship. She has coached the South Texas College of Law – Houston Negotiation Team since 2013, leading the team to multiple regional competition wins and competing at the invitation-only American Bar Association National Negotiation Competition.
Art Kasabian
Senior Vice President of Sales – West Coast Region
Art joined the LegalEase team in 2022. He brings over 25 years of voluntary benefits experience to the team.
Arts is responsible for market development and the procurement and maintenance of brokerage relationships in the Western Territories.
Mark Torrison
Senior Vice President, Worksite Sales
Mr. Torrison commenced his career with Legal Access Plans in 2006. He has over 30 years in the group and voluntary insurance marketplace with particular experience in voluntary benefits. Mr. Torrison is responsible for managing the Broker Service Teams, which interface with brokers and their clients, public or private, and ensure that all broker needs are studied, analyzed and incorporated into the implementation phase of the Company’s legal plans.
He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Business and Communication. He holds a Life/Health License, Legal Insurance license and is a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist.
Outside the office, and yes also inside the office, Mark is a HUGE Greenbay Packers fan- to the extent that the Sales and Business Development Team is sometimes referred to as the G-force.
Jerry Turjanica
Vice President, National Sales
Jerry joined the LegalEASE team in 2015 and brings 6 years of experience selling Legal Plans and over 30 years in the group and voluntary insurance marketplace. Jerry is responsible for selling new legal plans through brokers and their clients. He is experienced working with brokers and clients of all sizes and will ensure that all broker needs are considered when implementing a legal plan.
Jerry holds a Business Degree and an MBA from Youngstown State University. He also holds a Property and Casualty License.
Outside the office, Jerry spent many years coaching youth sports including baseball, softball, soccer, basketball and volleyball. Now, he enjoys golfing, bowling, attending College and Pro sporting events, and spending time with his family and friends. Jerry resides in Mason, Ohio with his wife and 3 children.
Kai Dawes
Senior VP Sales, Engagement Firms and Strategic Partnerships
Kai joined the LegalEASE team in 2021. He has over 20 years of experience within the insurance industry with focused expertise within the group and voluntary insurance marketplace. Kai is responsible for the market development and sales of our national engagement firms and key strategic partners.
Prior to joining LegalEASE, Kai had a successful career at UNUM Group spanning two decades. Kai began his career as a Sales Consultant focusing on Group Disability and Group Life Insurance. At that time, he provided sales support in the New York City market. As the company recognized Kai as a dynamic self-starter, as well as a highly motivated individual with strong leadership skills, he earned regional responsibilities. Kai quickly advanced to the position of National Client Group Senior Executive with responsibilities for the region’s major accounts. As a sales leader, Kai’s goal-oriented strategic thinking skills allowed him to grow his markets from $12M to over $22M in sales in 4 years. He received coveted awards in recognition of his achievements as a 2 time “Voluntary Benefits Specialist of the Year.” Kai’s emotional intelligence is a foundational pillar of his strength in team building and talent development.
He earned his BS degree from Albright College, majoring in International Business and Marketing.
Charlie Jacquo
Director of Operations, Network Management
Ms. Jacquo started her career with Legal Access Plans in 2003 as a Member Service Specialist then transitioned from Provider Specialist to Marketing and Sales and then finally to Network Director of the LegalEASE attorney network.
As Network Management Director Ms. Jacquo maintains a robust national network of attorneys for legal plan members while adhering to the highest quality of legal representation and service. Overall management of network relations includes overseeing network development and attorney recruitment from application to approval, developing and maintaining positive network provider relationships and facilitating plan member access to the network. Ms. Jacquo serves as a knowledge and resource expert regarding the most complex issues impacting provider and member satisfaction from research to resolution.
She holds a BBA in Business Management and a BS in Political Science with a minor in International Studies from the University of Houston. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi, the Oldest and Largest Professional Co-ed Business Fraternity focused on professional development.
She has two pups that reside with her in sunny Los Angeles where she also holds a Real Estate Agent License.
Colby Verrett
Director of Customer Engagement & Innovation, Diversity Manager
As Director of Customer Engagement & Innovation, Colby is primarily responsible for the strategic execution of engagement campaigns with key clients. Colby is passionate about supporting members and helping them reach their goals, utilizing his over 20 years of experience in customer service, project management, customer experience design and account management.
In his previous organization, Colby helped architect employee resource groups and DEI programming that focused on creating a more inclusive workplace. Colby will be bringing that same expertise to LegalEASE, in both in our product offerings as well as for our employees.
Gia Arana
Director of Member Services
Gia joined LegalEASE after an extensive career in the hospitality industry. She attended Les Roches International School of Hotel Management in Switzerland, followed by a 16-year career in hotels. She has worked in luxury hotels from Barcelona, Spain to Las Vegas, Nevada. She held many roles in VIP management. Her most recent role was as the Director of Operations at the St. Regis Houston where she managed 6 departments with 100+ employees in a 5-Star luxury setting.
Gia has joined LegalEASE as the Director of Member Services. Gia is incredibly passionate about service and enjoys bringing 5-Star service to all of our members.
Ashley Fitts
Director of Human Resources
Ashley joined the Legal Access Plans | LegalEASE team in November 2021 as Human Resources Manager. After graduating high school, Ashley attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she studied Human Resources. In 2011 she began her Human Resources career in the healthcare industry but quickly moved into the hospitality industry where she oversaw HR for over 11 restaurants and managed 2,000 employees nationwide.
Ashley brings 10 years of HR industry experience to the LegalEASE team. Prior to joining Legal Access Plans, she spent a year as an HR consultant but ultimately chose to rejoin the corporate world because she enjoys working among a diverse group of professionals that are committed to growing in their careers.
In her short time at Legal Access Plans, Ashley has been a vital force in leading the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives for the LegalEASE team.
Ashley is an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Joy Gardner
Director of Administration
Joy joined LegalEASE, a LEGAL ACCESS Company in 2016 as the Manager of the Member Services Department. With 16 years of experience in customer experience and management, Joy lead the Member Services Team by teambuilding and motivating the team to reach their full potential. Joy has attended Loyola University, and is currently attending the University of Houston to pursue a degree in business management.
Joy is now the Director of the Administration Department, focusing on the onboarding, enrollment, and fulfillment success of our valued members. Joy's team is also responsible for Premium Reconciliation.
Outside of the office, Joy enjoys serving others in the community through her volunteer work with Star of Hope, Shriner’s Hospital and many other organizations and mentor programs.
Jim Beideck
Director of Client Development
Jim joined LegalEASE, a LEGAL ACCESS Company in 2014 as Account Executive and has now transitioned to Director of Client Development. He has over 20 years of experience with building relationships with clients. Today, Jim leads the account management team in strategic service delivery, ensuring each client's employees are receiving the maximum benefit from the Legal Plan.
Jim received his MBA at the Bauer School of Business at the University of Houston. He is also a huge baseball fanatic and a Houston Astros fan.
Jackie Heston
Human Resources Generalist
Jackie graduated from Louisiana State University in 2021 with a degree in Management from the E.J. Ourso College of Business. She began her career at LegalEASE through the Manager in Training program that same year. In 2022, she discovered her passion for Human Resources and has since grown into her current role as a Human Resources Generalist. Jackie also earned her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification, further solidifying her expertise in the field. In addition to her HR responsibilities, she serves as the Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Coordinator, ensuring organizational resilience and preparedness.