Galen M. Hair Is The Perfect Advocate For After The Storm
Who do you call when life as you know it falls apart? For many property owners in the coastal southeast, the answer is simple: Galen M. Hair. As a property insurance attorney and owner at Insurance Claim HQ, Galen helps his clients through the aftermath of some of the most stressful days of their lives. Galen has helped over 800 families rebuild their homes and businesses after natural disasters destroyed their properties.
Galen can offer much-needed compassion to his clients, because he knows how it feels to be unsure about your future. The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 attorney grew up poor in Arlington, Texas, in a household that couldn’t even afford electricity.
Determined Beginnings
Galen didn’t always know he had a knack for litigating, but he did always know he wanted a brighter future where he could make a difference, so he started working at 13-years-old. He couldn’t afford college, but his talent as a tenor singer snagged him a full music scholarship that opened doors to an education. He started his schooling at The Boston Conservatory before studying at the Royal College of Music in London and Boston University.
As Galen reached the end of his undergraduate studies, he started considering law school. Then, Hurricane Katrina hit, and Galen’s world shifted in ways that would shape his professional calling. A magnetic pull drew Galen to New Orleans. Thousands of lives had been lost and homes destroyed, and Galen wanted to help. On the ground in New Orleans, he met like-minded volunteers who were active in social justice initiatives. He joined forces with law students from across the country as part of the Student Hurricane Network. With SHN, law students helped advance social justice causes in communities impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Evaluating damaged homes in the region, doing legal research for NGOs, and fighting for the housing rights of New Orleans residents lit a fire in Galen that motivates his work today.
After graduating from law school, Galen spent time at several top-notch law firms before joining forces with a colleague to start his own firm in 2011. The firm quickly grew from their early small office to a wild success that handled cases for major corporations, but a tug toward advocacy remained on Galen’s horizon.
Fighting For What’s Right
Over the years, Galen realized he wanted to return to advocating in his work. Thinking back to his roots with the Student Hurricane Network, he considered how much the insurance claims process had changed for the worse over the years. In the aftermath of a natural disaster like Katrina, dealing with insurance claims is one more unwanted stress for homeowners who are in the midst of a painful, life-shattering crisis. The claims process lacked a human element, and went against consumers’ best interests. Galen wanted to go to bat for those consumers.
In August 2020, Galen co-founded Insurance Claim HQ with his friend and co-founder, Alexander Shunnarah. The firm focuses exclusively on property casualty insurance claims, and hit the ground running as major hurricanes ripped through Louisiana and Texas. Galen’s own home was even hit hard by Hurricane Zeta while he was trying to help storm survivors on the ground.
In its first few months, Insurance Claim HQ has represented more than 800 homeowners and 6 churches, helping them process their insurance claims and rebuild their lives. The firm is on the ground aiding in the rebuild of Southwest Louisiana, and hopes to do the same in other regions across US to help create massive systemic impact. After seeing one too many competitors put their energy into fancy business dinners and networking, Galen knew he wanted his firm to be different: a group that prides itself in its on-the-ground efforts. That’s why Insurance Claim HQ operates from a set of core values focused on doing good.
It’s All About The Big Picture
For Galen and his team, the litigation in front of the client is just step one. The firm also focuses on the case’s long-term impact on a client’s life. The key is to find a viable solution that will help the client thrive down the line, not just in the aftermath of a quick victory. Galen is rated a Super Lawyers Rising Star, and he draws on his experience in both large firms and boutique firms to offer a best of both worlds approach with a low-cost model.
Those core values make a huge impact on the people Insurance Claim HQ works with. One client, Henrietta J., calls Galen and Alexander angels. “After my house caught fire, I didn’t know where to turn,” she wrote. “They took the time. They explained everything to me.” This is the kind of compassion that Galen and Alexander hope to make more of a norm in their industry. When a client has experienced a loss or damage from floods, hurricanes, fires, or dishonest insurers, a compassionate attorney can make all the difference. When the storm has cleared, a lawyer like Galen is the advocate you want in your corner.
Galen M. Hair, Owner of Insurance Claim HQ, is a property insurance attorney operating in more than seven states including Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Georgia among others. Galen and his team have helped over 800 families rebuild their homes and businesses. He has been rated a Super Lawyers Rising Star, and voted one of National Trial Lawyers Top 100. To learn more about how Galen and his partner, Alexander Shunnarah, can help protect property from disaster, please visit: https://insuranceclaimhq.com
