The Liberty Title team: Setting the bar for service, expertise and ethics

Keeping ahead of the curve in today's real estate and financial business takes many hours of hard work, a dedication to the business, and an in-depth knowledge of the industry. When Al Yorio and I launched Liberty Title Agency, LLC in 2001, we knew that it was imperative for our company to surpass our clients' expectations in terms of service, expertise, and ethics. The Liberty Title Agency Family of companies recently surpassed $50 billion in closings. Service is one key to this success - and our people make all the difference. When it comes to recruiting talent for Liberty, we are decidedly aggressive. If we identify special qualities in an individual that will help our company grow, we'll do our best to bring them on board. Such was the case with Doug Forsyth, who joined Liberty Title Agency this year as executive vice president. In the entire title insurance industry, there are perhaps a dozen or so people whose contacts are so significant that they themselves represent a market share. Doug represents a market share himself in the New York and national markets. I got to know Doug while he was at LandAmerica. I always admired the way that he worked with clients. For his part, Doug recalls a very short discussion when it became an option for him to join Liberty Title Agency. He believed the Liberty team would best be able to help him service his clients in a highly professional and timely manner. And if there is one thing that Doug appreciates from his football glory days, it is the importance of good teamwork. When Doug joined Liberty, he knew he wanted to bring Edward Klonsky, his "title expert" of choice along with him. The experienced commercial litigator and seasoned transactional real estate lawyer proved to be a winning combination for Liberty. Generally, when you're a transactional lawyer, that's what you do. If you're a litigator, you're going to court and you're arguing motions or trying cases. You don't do deals. Ed does both equally well. The 53-year-old attorney has worked at some of Manhattan's most prestigious firms. In real estate, he worked closely with Jerry Schrager, whom he describes as "one of the legends of the industry." Ed has been involved in deals worth more than a billion dollars, with clients ranging from famous hip-hop stars to high-profile developers to Fortune 100 companies. Taking each deal personally, Ed represents his clients zealously within the bounds of the law and to the best of his ability. Joining Ed among the ranks of Liberty Title Agency's highly skilled legal team is Jody Fay. As the new manager and counsel of Liberty's Westchester branch, Jody likes to handle it all. She is an attorney as well as a sales person and a manager. With more than 16 years experience in real estate and title insurance, she has been involved with both commercial and residential transactions. Although Jody knows that every transaction comes with its own nuances, she is proud to count herself as part of a team that handles the small residential purchase with the same detail and care as the multi-million dollar commercial transaction. And matching Liberty Title's superlative record of customer service comes naturally to Jody. She knows that you've always got to be in touch with the client and make sure the closing is perfect from start to finish. This is a challenge she loves to meet. Challenge is also something that Liberty's new chief financial officer, Joe Napolitano, knows about firsthand. Joe is front and center in helping Liberty navigate through some very troubled financial waters that are unsettling the country as a whole. Bringing almost two decades of title and accounting experience to the company, Joe previously was vice president and the Northeast controller for the commercial division of one of the largest underwriters in the country. It was a switch for Joe from being part of a huge operation to coming to Liberty. But he likes the "personal touch" that Liberty Title Agency offers its clients. He also appreciates Liberty's dedication to excellence and its proven track record of success. Joe believes that the company's immensely talented professionals have created an enthusiastic and first class work environment. Doug, Ed, Jody, and Joe are just some of the members of Liberty's team who will help our company weather the challenging times that lie ahead. Working together, we are constantly seeking out new services with a product mix that extends beyond title insurance to help our clients reap enormous benefits in the years ahead. And surpassing our client's expectations for service, expertise, and ethics remains at the core of all we do. Brian Madden is president and co-founder of the Liberty Title Agency, Uniondale, N.Y.