Addition of Attorney Julie Cwik bolsters firm’s underwriting counsel services
Proper Title, LLC, a full-service title insurance agency serving the residential and commercial real estate industry, announced today the expansion of its title services through three new hires: Julie Cwik as senior underwriting counsel, Jan O’Hara as escrow manager in Northwest Indiana and Kristi Greer as processor in Northwest Indiana.
“The real estate market continues to be competitive, so it’s more imperative than ever that we have the team in place to meet our clients’ needs and guide them through all aspects of title insurance and the underwriting process,” said Brent Fielder, executive vice president of business development for Proper Title. “And as we continue our growth trajectory as a company, these new hires will only add to the solid foundation we are building on as we expand and open new offices.”
As senior underwriting counsel, Cwik will be assuming the responsibilities of Proper Title’s Charity Murow, who has been promoted to senior underwriting manager and counsel. Murow will manage the underwriting team and focus on commercial transactions.
“Julie has spent the last 17 years of her impressive career as a practicing attorney with a law firm focused on residential real estate, which makes her an amazing addition to our Chicagoland team,” said Kathy Kwak, chief operating officer of Proper Title. “She has been on all sides of residential real estate transactions professionally, and in fact she was also a client of Proper Title before joining our firm – so she’ll truly be able to put herself in our clients’ shoes and help them navigate this particular aspect of their real estate needs.”
Before joining Proper Title, Cwik was a partner with Morreale Brady Malone & Cwik, P.C., in Glen Ellyn, Ill. She joined the law firm as an associate attorney in 2005 and became a partner in 2016. Licensed in both Illinois and Pennsylvania, she earned her Juris Doctor from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago and also holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.
O’Hara joins Proper Title with more than 40 years of industry experience. As escrow manager, she will be the lead closer for Proper Title’s Valparaiso, Ind., office and also serve as closing manager for the Northwest Indiana team. Previously, she held positions as an escrow closer with Meridian Title Corporation in Valparaiso and Fidelity National Title Insurance Company in Portage, Ind., and was also a real estate broker associate with ReMax. A licensed real estate broker in both Illinois and Indiana, O’Hara attended Ball State University in Muncie, Ind.
Greer is also joining the Northwest Indiana team, where she will use her communication and organizational skills to support staff and clients as a processor. She has previous industry experience as a customer service coordinator/processor for Greater Indiana Title Company in Merrillville, Ind., and has also held administrative roles with School City of Whiting in Whiting, Ind., and worked in property management for Chicago-area apartment communities.
“Having just expanded into Northwest Indiana earlier this year, we’re so pleased to continue tapping into that region’s talent pool with terrific hires like Jan and Kristi,” said Fielder. “They both offer not only the professional skill set, but also a level of experience, that make them a great fit for the Proper Title team.”
In January 2022, Proper Title announced the opening of its first office outside of Illinois in Schererville, Ind. One month later, Proper Title added a second location in Northwest Indiana in Valparaiso, which marks the title insurance agency’s 14th closing location.
About Proper Title, LLC:
Chicago-based Proper Title, LLC, is a full-service title insurance agency serving the residential and commercial real estate industries. Since its founding in 2013, Proper Title has substantially grown its transaction volume in just a few years with its commitment to servicing the needs of its clients and was named Fidelity National Finance Family of Companies #1 Issuing Agent in Illinois for 2021. The firm has earned the “Rising Star / Excellence in Action” award by FNF for the past six years in a row and was awarded Crain’s Chicago Business “Best Places to Work” in 2019 and 2020. Proper Title was also named one of Forbes America’s Best Startup Employers of 2021 and received the WFG National Title Insurance Company 2021 Wow Award. Proper Title earned REjournals’ “Title Company of the Year” award in 2022. For more information, visit propertitle.com.
