Our History

In the fall of 1976, Bill Mangelsdorf brokered the initial structured settlement for our firm. The injured party accepted periodic payments funded by American General Life Insurance Company.

The following spring, Bill and T.V. Mangelsdorf had appointments with nine casualty claim offices in New York City to introduce them to the concept of structured settlements and as they say “the rest is history”.

Pam Davidson worked along side Bill and T.V. in developing the initial letters and proposals introducing clients to the idea of structuring their settlement. She became an owner of Mangelsdorf, Lewis & Davidson, Inc. d/b/a The Mangelsdorf Companies in 1991 when the company was re-formed.

Richard A. “Dick” Lewis joined the firm in 1983 bringing the legal expertise required in assisting clients with proper wording for settlement agreements and educating them with the new idea (at the time) of assigning the obligation to make the periodic payments to a third party to take on the ownership of the annuity contract. Dick became an owner in 1991.

In 1979, with the structured concept readily gaining acceptance, Melissa S. Parsons joined the firm to assist with the caseload along with Lisa J. Bloodgood in 1981, Joseph H. Bornstein in 1986 and Catherine Cacy in 1988. Their depth of knowledge and experience, a hallmark of our firm, is attributed to their continued loyalty to this day.

The company moved to our present location in 1982. We opened a Chicago office in 1986 and added our first affiliate in 1999.  We continue to service clients across the United States and have locations coast to coast.

Convinced that a structured settlement is a “win-win” for the injured party and the defendant, The Mangelsdorf Companies and their affiliates has historically strived to maximize the claim dollars available.  Our direct contracts, giving us access to the entire marketplace offering annuities and trusts to fund the settlement of these claims, allows for the most beneficial plan design and recovery.