Speakers

Ms. Booth successfully represents clients in jury trials, court trials, administrative hearings, and arbitrations throughout California.  She concentrates on the transportation industry, representing trucking companies, freight forwarders, and brokers regarding freight claims, fee disputes, environmental and safety compliance, casualty claims, and employment disputes, including misclassification disputes.  Ms. Booth prepares the unique documents required by the industry, including bills of lading, shipping agreements, lease agreements, and warehouse agreements.  She provides advice on compliance with California environmental and labor laws, and prepares handbooks for employers.  Ms. Booth is the President of the Transportation Lawyers Association and is a member of the California State Bar, and the Conference of Freight Counsel.  Ms. Booth served for many years as a member of the Board of Directors of the California Trucking Association.  Ms. Booth received her BA degree in Economics from California State University, Northridge in 1983, and her Juris Doctorate degree from Southwestern University School of Law in 1986. 

As a principal attorney at the Kitch firm, Tim Groustra understands that litigation is a business problem — and he manages litigation with the primary goal of solving that problem. Groustra has created a comprehensive Trucking Defense Playbook — a best-practices compendium that allows him to maximize efficiencies while presenting the best defense.
 
Groustra is actively involved in a number of transportation-related businesses. He serves as:

• Manager of the trucking and No-Fault litigation practice groups for the Kitch firm.
• Team leader for the Rapid Response Team, an on-scene motor vehicle accident investigation loss mitigation service.
• Chief Operations Officer for Report Anyplace, LLC, a company that seeks to reduce risk and improve underwriting of risk potential in the trucking space.
• General Counsel for Energy Independence Systems, LLC, which provides comprehensive solutions for the conversion of small- and medium-sized fleets from petroleum-based fuels to the economical, clean, domestic, and abundant natural gas.
• Co-Chair of the Transportation Lawyers Association's Chicago Regional Seminar (2014 - present)

 
He also manages other complex litigation matters, including breach of contract, fraud/misrepresentation, and insurance matters.
 
Groustra is licensed to practice law in Michigan and Arkansas, as well as the U.S. District Courts of Eastern and Western Michigan, U.S. District Court of Arkansas, and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
 
Professional Memberships:
 

• Michigan Bar Association
• Arkansas Bar Association
• Transportation Lawyers Association
• Transportation Loss Prevention and Security Association
• Trucking Industry Defense Association
• DRI (Trucking Section)
• Michigan Trucking Association
• International Association of Defense Counsel

 
He is AV® Peer Review Rated by LexisNexis/Martindale Hubbell. The AV Peer Review Rating is the highest rating awarded. It attests to a lawyer’s legal ability and professional ethics, and reflects the confidential opinions of the Bar and the Judiciary.
 
Groustra received his J.D. from the University of Detroit School of Law and earned his B.A. in History and Spanish from Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts. He has studied abroad in England and Spain and is fluent in Spanish. Groustra is also a competitive sailor and has raced in several World and National Championship races.

Matt handles cases in transportation, logistics, and maritime law, commercial collections, and regulatory compliance law. He has represented clients involved in all aspects of domestic and international transportation including motor carriers, freight forwarders, brokers of motor carriers, intermodal marketing companies and shippers’ agents, ocean transportation intermediaries (OTIs), and shippers.
 
Matt represents businesses and individuals in employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful discharge claims under Title VII, the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”).
 
Matt also represents private companies on ordinary and complex business matters, with an emphasis on assisting buyers and sellers in asset-purchase agreements and private stock transfers. As part of his transactional practice, he has assisted medical professionals in preparing and negotiating asset sales and seller-financed purchases and has represented transportation brokers and motor carriers in transferring operations in a manner that complies with Federal law.
 

Stephen M. Uthoff, an AV® rated attorney by Martindale Hubbell, with over 25 years of experience of representing clients in all aspects of the intermodal transportation of cargo, established THE UTHOFF LAW CORPORATION in 2006.
 
EDUCATION
University of Southern California Gould School of Law

• Juris Doctor degree, May 11, 1989
• Hale Moot Court Honors Program, Fall 1987

 
University of Southern California

• Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, May 9, 1986
• Awarded University Scholarship for Outstanding Students

 
 RECOGNITION

• A.V.® rated by Martindale-Hubbell
• Proctor in Admiralty, Maritime Law Association of the United States

 
PRIOR EXPERIENCE
Coniglio & Uthoff, a Professional Law Corporation – Long Beach, California 1990-2006
Chase, Rotchford, Drukker & Bogust – Los Angeles, California 1989-1990
 
COURT ADMISSIONS

• State of California
• United States Supreme Court
• United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
• United States District Court for the Central, Northern, Southern and Eastern Districts of California
• United States District Court for the District of Colorado
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
• United States Court of International Trade
• Federal Maritime Commission

 
MEMBERSHIPS

• Maritime Law Association, Proctor in Admiralty
• Transportation Lawyers Association, ADR Committee Co-Chair
• Long Beach Bar Association, Admiralty Section Executive Committee Member

Eric’s principal area of practice is civil litigation and transportation law.  He has served as lead trial counsel in litigation and arbitration proceedings involving business and commercial litigation, cargo claims, collections, contract, personal injury, arbitration, ERISA, employment, health care and product’s liability.  He also has served as an arbitrator in hearings as a panel member and chair in a wide variety of matters.  Eric has a “AV Preeminent” rating by Martindale-Hubbell and has been designated a Texas Super Lawyer, 2009 – 2017 (Thomson Reuters).  An honor bestowed on only 5% of the attorneys in Texas.
 
Eric served as in-house counsel to a multi-billion dollar, international corporation for almost 15 years prior to joining Lorance & Thompson.  At Lorance & Thompson, Eric serves on the Management Committee and co-chairs the Transportation Practice Group.
 
Eric has experience representing carriers in all modes of transportation.  He has assisted his clients in Canada, Mexico, Europe, Central America, South America and the Pacific Rim, and has advised his clients on all aspects of international and domestic transportation.
 
Eric is a member of the Commercial, Employment and Transportation Panels of Neutrals for the American Arbitration Association.  Eric also serves as an arbitrator for FINRA (formerly NASD) and a member of the Houston Maritime Arbitration Association.  The Transportation Lawyers Association has named Eric as Co-Chair of the ADR Committee.  Eric formerly provided Expert Commentary for Lexis/Nexis (a Mathew Bender company) on transportation issues.

Mr. Lane founded the firm in 1997, and has over 40 years of experience in various fields of insurance defense and coverage, construction, admiralty and maritime, trucking, environment defense, and commercial litigation. He also has extensive trial and appellate experience in a wide range of cases in all state and federal courts in New York and New Jersey.
 
Mr. Lane earned his undergraduate degree at Virginia Military Institute and his J.D. at Washington & Lee School of Law.  He limits his practice to Transportation, Construction, General Insurance, and Complex Commercial Law and Litigation. Mr. Lane’s legal expertise carries through in all areas of transportation law and litigation, including admiralty and maritime law, and motor carrier law and litigation, for more than 40 years, representing ship owners, non-vessel owning common carriers (NVOCCs) stevedoring companies, intermodal equipment providers, motor carriers, transportation brokers, freight forwarders, and their insurers. This practice has included personal injury and death, cargo loss and damage claims, ship collisions, groundings, environmental spills, and complex commercial litigation, in all federal and state courts, and before federal agencies such as the U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Aviation Administration, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Mr. Lane is a frequent contributor to transportation publications and speaks regularly at annual meetings of transportation associations.
 
He also represents Architects, Engineers, and Contractors in a variety of construction and construction-related claims, including complex and high-exposure claims, for more than twenty years. These include bodily injury and death claims, building collapses, delay claims, design deficiency and other claims, against Architects, and against Civil, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, and Environmental Engineers, as well as defense of construction sureties.
 
Included throughout Mr. Lane’s practice is the representation of insurers and their insureds in general insurance claims and litigation, including professional and product liability claims, general liability, and the representation of insurers in complex coverage and reinsurance litigation.
 
Mr. Lane is an arbitrator and mediator for the Transportation ADR Council, and as a Commercial Panel Arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. 

Lauren is an experienced civil defense litigator who concentrates her practice in all areas of commercial transportation, premises liability, product liability, animal liability and condominium law. She represents both businesses and individuals in cases involving catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death. In addition to defending transportation industry clients in personal injury litigation, Lauren performs risk assessments and advises her clients on best practices, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements.
 
Lauren is a member of Litchfield Cavo’s rapid response team. She provides clients with same-day rapid response to catastrophic loss and works with investigators and qualified experts following catastrophic events. Lauren has proved invaluable in reducing exposure, obtaining early claim resolution when warranted and avoiding spoliation claims.
 
Lauren has successfully tried numerous cases to verdict and has conducted multiple arbitrations in her career. She has achieved success in the courtroom, and positive resolutions of cases through mediation, arbitration, settlement negotiations and dispositive motion practice.

Arun Thomas is lead counsel for FedEx Ground where he has also served as senior counsel and senior attorney. Previous experience includes partner at Eckert Seamans and associate at Kirkaptrick and Lockhart. Mr. Thomas also served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He received his JD from Georgetown University Law Center in 1996. He has a BA in economics and financial management from The Catholic University of America.

Mr. Brejcha focuses his practice on civil litigation, predominantly representing for-hire and private motor carriers, brokers and freight-forwarders. William D. Brejcha, a former partner with the firm, has counseled members of the transportation industry for over 40 years. Mr. Brejcha served as Defense Counsel and Chief Defense Counsel with the U.S. Army, 101st Airborne Division from 1974 to 1977 and continued his military service with the Illinois Army National Guard, retiring from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1994. Mr. Brejcha was a regular contributor to and Editor of the Illinois State Bar Association's Public Utilities and Transportation Law section Newsletter from 1992  to 2016 and was Chair of that Section in both 1995-96 and 2000-01. He has served as Transportation Counsel to the Illinois Transportation Association (ITA) and was a regular columnist in both  the ITA's Illinois Truck News magazine and the Transportation Intermediaries Association magazine Professional Broker.  Mr. Brejcha is also a court certified Mediator in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.  Mr. Brejcha was named as a Leading Lawyer in the field of Transportation Law by other practicing Chicago area attorneys in 2016 and 2017.

Rob was born in Stockton, California. He graduated in 1985, cum laude, from the University of Dallas with a BA, majoring in politics. In 1988, he was admitted to the Illinois bar after earning his law degree, and a master’s degree in political theory, both with honors, from Loyola University of Chicago. Prior to his civil experience, Rob served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a prosecutor and staff counsel. Since then, Rob has regularly practiced before Illinois State and Federal Courts, as well as in the Federal District Courts in Indiana and Wisconsin. He is one of the founding shareholders of Marwedel, Minichello & Reeb, P.C., established in 1997, a firm specializing in maritime and transportation law. During his career, Rob has been active in various professional and service organizations, including the Propeller Club, Port of Chicago (President, 2000-2002); the Illinois State Bar Association; the Maritime Law Association of the United States (Proctor; Nominating Committee, 2010); the Transportation Lawyers Association; and the Intermodal Association of North America. Mr. Reeb is a civil trial lawyer with experience in maritime and transportation law, including intermodal cargo losses; personal injury defense under the Jones Act and LHWCA; transportation intermediaries (freight forwarders, NVOCCs and customs brokers); industrial equipment transportation; major trucking accidents; marine and inland marine insurance, including hull, P & I, open marine cargo insurance and motor truck cargo legal liability; and domestic and international air carriage. He also advises clients and handles litigation in matters involving personal injury defense (premises liability and products liability) and commercial law.

Chip Campbell is the director of liability claims and assistant general counsel at Old Dominion Freight Line in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. He has been with Old Dominion for three years. Prior to that he was a Partner at Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP for 13 years. Chip received his JD from Campbell University, Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in 2003 and a BA in history from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Chris Burruss is the President of Blockchain in Transport Alliance in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He previously served as president of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance Standards Council. Prior service includes leadership of several transportation-related associations – President of Truckload Carriers Association for 10 years and Tennessee Trucking Association for four years and vice president of the Missouri Trucking Association for six years. Burruss received his education from Lincoln University in Missouri.

Neal Roese is a globally recognized theorist and expert in the psychology of judgment and decision-making. His research examines basic cognitive processes underlying choice, focusing on how people think about decision options, make predictions about the future, and revise understandings of the past. He is the SC Johnson Chair in Global Marketing and Professor of Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and is jointly appointed as Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University. He teaches MBA, PhD, and executive education audiences about the psychology of decision making, consumer behavior, and brand strategy. Trained as a social psychologist, Professor Roese has published over 80 scholarly articles on research exploring biases in memory and judgment, emotion, consumer behavior, and legal decision making. His research has appeared in the leading scholarly journals of social psychology and marketing, including the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Psychological Bulletin, Perspectives on Psychological Science, Journal of Consumer Research, and Journal of Consumer Psychology. He is widely recognized as a leading expert on hindsight bias, counterfactual thinking, and the emotion of regret, and his 2005 book If Only summarized research and insights from the scholarly study of emotion and decision bias. Earlier, his 1995 book, What Might Have Been: The Social Psychology of Counterfactual Thinking, co-edited with James Olson, set the agenda for years of research on counterfactual thinking. Over two decades, his research has been supported by federal grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Mental Health, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Canada). A former Associate Editor of the journal, Social Cognition, Professor Roese regularly performs panel and external assessments for the National Science Foundation, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Canada), and the Israel Science Foundation. Professor Roese currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Management, Psychology and Marketing, Psychological Inquiry, and Social Cognition. Professor Roese is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, and was an Associate of the Center for Advanced Study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In addition to his scholarly research, Professor Roese has served as a consultant and expert witness on legal cases involving intellectual property rights and hindsight bias. His insights have received wide media coverage; recent appearances include CBS News, NPR, New York Times, Guardian, Chicago Tribune, and the Harvard Business Review. Professor Roese received his Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Western Ontario (Canada).

William Toles is recognized by Martindale-Hubbell as an AV Preeminent-rated attorney. William is a trial lawyer with extensive experience handling high exposure litigation. After trying more than 75 jury trials as an Assistant Dallas City Attorney, Mr. Toles joined another Dallas-area law firm in 1998 as a senior litigator and was later named partner prior to coming to FSSV in 2012. He has handled more than 45 civil trials to a successful conclusion and jury verdict. Mr. Toles has trial experience throughout the state of Texas in tort litigation ranging from simple negligence cases to more complex premises liability, DTPA, commercial and contractual dispute matters. Mr. Toles is active in his church and community. He is a member of the Steward Board of Christian Chapel CME Church. Mr. Toles has previously served as a United Way Grant Panel Member and Chairman, and he was a member of the Leadership Dallas Class of 2012 and a Class Advisor for the Leadership Dallas Class of 2013. William is actively involved with Leadershape. He has previously served as a cluster facilitator at a national session, and a co-lead facilitator at the University of Texas (Austin) and The Ohio State University. Additionally, he has served as a Big Brother through the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District. Mr. Toles is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars and was one of three course directors for the 2011 Advanced Personal Injury Course CLE, hosted by the State Bar of Texas. He is a trustee of Washington and Lee University. He is also a former member of the Washington and Lee Alumni Board. He currently serves as a Class Agent for his law school class, former President of the Law Council at the Washington and Lee School of Law (2014-2015) and former Chair of the Washington and Lee Law Annual Fund (2013-2014).

Michael is admitted to practice in Missouri and Kansas, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. Michael’s practice focuses on representing clients in the transportation industry. He defends trucking companies and their drivers against personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits.  He provides counsel and advice to transportation industry clients on compliance with federal law, safety programs, liability prevention and contract and employment issues. In addition to his transportation practice, Michael has litigated and defended clients against personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits involving premise liability, product liability and general negligence allegations. Michael also represents clients in matters concerning insurance coverage, employment rights, property disputes and business disputes.

Erik Ekvall graduated from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1985. He moved to Dallas and began his insurance defense litigation practice, defending numerous first-party cases against insurance carriers in areas such as breach of contract, violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practice Act and Insurance Code, and breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing. Many of these cases arose out of claims that the carrier had denied based upon arson or fraud, and virtually all involved exposure significantly in excess of the carrier’s policy limits. Erik subsequently joined the Dallas firm of Page & Addison, P.C. in October, 1990, where he headed that firm’s insurance defense section, handling general liability, employment and workers’ compensation litigation within Texas and supervising and directing the handling of insurance defense litigation throughout the country on behalf of Club Corporation International. Erik continued to practice primarily in the area of insurance law, particularly property, personal injury, transportation and first-party insurance defense litigation until he joined with Rick Byrne in founding Ekvall & Byrne, L.L.P. in June, 1999.

Current Employment Position: Partner
Areas of Practice: Transportation, Contracts, Commercial Litigation, Bankruptcy
Bar Admissions - Tennessee, 1973; District of Columbia, 1973; Virginia, 1991
Education - Duke University (A. B. 1970); Vanderbilt University (J. D. 1973)
Professional Associations and Memberships

• Association for Transportation Law, Logistics and Policy
• Transportation Lawyers Association (recipient of the TLA 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award)
• Conference of Freight Counsel
• Delta Nu Alpha
• Intermodal Association of North America (IANA)

 
Books

• Rules of the Road: A Practical Guide to Legal Issues in Truck Transportation (2016)
• Protecting Motor Carrier Interests in Contracts (2nd Ed. 2003)
• The Business of Transportation by Darren Prokop (Praeger Publishers, 2014) - Chapter 6 written by Henry E. Seaton entitled “Contracting, Negotiations and Legal Issues in Transportation”

William Bierman is a member of Price, Meese, Shulman & D’Arminio, PC. Bill leads a unique Transportation Law Group and has been actively engaged in the practice of transportation law for more than forty years. Recently Bill was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Transportation Lawyers Association at its annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. 
 
Bill concentrates his practice in the areas of transportation law and litigation, personal injury and cargo claim defense litigation; commercial litigation, transportation agreements, transportation real estate sales, purchases, leasing and tax appeals, environmental law, mergers and acquisitions and administrative law.
 
Bill is the long time Executive Director of the Transportation Loss Prevention and Security Association (TLP&SA), an industry trade group which acts as a spokesman for claims and security interests. He was Former Chairman of the Conference of Freight Counsel, a group made up of the foremost transportation attorneys in North America. In 1997, Bill was presented with the Chairman’s Award by the Transportation Loss Prevention and Security Council of the American Trucking Association for his outstanding contribution to the industry.
 
Bill serves on the Advisory Board of The Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Country-Wide Insurance Company and he represents the New Jersey Motor Truck Association.
 
Bill is a graduate of Rutgers University (B.A. 1964) and both Rutgers University School of Law (J.D. 1967) and the New York University School of Law (L.L.M. 1970). He served as an adjunct professor of law at the William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey from 1978-1981. He is admitted to practice in New Jersey and the federal courts of New Jersey and New York as well as before U.S. Supreme Court, various Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal and Federal District Courts throughout the United States.

Mr. Bochicchio is the managing partner of R&B’s Pittsburgh office and heads its Pittsburgh workers’ compensation department. Mr. Bochicchio started his legal career at the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office where he tried numerous cases. He has devoted his practice primarily to the area of workers’ compensation litigation since 1990. Mr. Bochicchio is experienced in establishing return to work programs and litigating coverage issues. He frequently consults employers on how to reduce their workers’ compensation liability exposure.
 
Mr. Bochicchio frequently speaks at seminars on workers’ compensation matters, and has been listed in the “Who’s Who Among American Lawyers” and “Best Lawyers” in American Consumer Guide.  He has worked on numerous local, state and national political campaigns.  Mr. Bochicchio is also fluent in Italian.
 
Mr. Bochicchio has been named a "Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" by Super Lawyers magazine. This is a distinction awarded to only the top 5% of lawyers in Pennsylvania.
 
Education:

• Duquesne University School of Law, J.D., 1987, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Duquesne University, M.A. History, summa cum laude, 1984
• Duquesne University, B.A. History, summa cum laude, 1984

Admissions:

• Pennsylvania,  1987
• U.S. District Court, Western District of PA, 1987

Memberships:

• Transportation Lawyer Association

Allegheny County Bar Association

Matthew W. Daus' practice focuses on transportation law, counseling clients on a broad range of matters including regulatory compliance, strategic planning, procurement, litigation, regulatory due diligence, expert witness testimony and reports, administrative law and public policy. Within this area Mr. Daus coordinates representation on a wide array of legal needs and services representing ground transportation, technology and related businesses and government entities. Mr. Daus also practices in the area of employment law, advising employers concerning the hiring and discharge of employees, employment discrimination laws and general personnel and policy matters.
 
Before joining Windels Marx to lead and chair its Transportation practice, Mr. Daus served as Commissioner and Chairman of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission ("TLC") for eight and one half years, appointed by Mayors Giuliani, Bloomberg and the New York City Council. Prior to his tenure as the TLC's longest serving Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Daus served as General Counsel to the Commission and Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs since 1998, and before that, as Special Counsel to the TLC Chair - supervising over 75 lawyers and Administrative Law Judges. Mr. Daus also served as General Counsel to the New York City Community Development Agency (now the Department of Youth and Community Development), Special Counsel to the New York City Trade Waste Commission (now the Business Integrity Commission), and as a Prosecutor for the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
 
Mr. Daus serves as a Distinguished Lecturer with the United States Department of Transportation's University Transportation Research Center ("UTRC") at The City College of New York, of the City University of New York (CUNY). In addition to conducting research and organizing symposia, he lectured graduate students at CUNY on sustainable transportation, transportation history and policy, multi-modal transportation technology, for-hire ground transportation regulation and policy, and business law. Mr. Daus speaks internationally on a broad range of transportation topics and has been recognized as an expert in transportation technology and regulation before courts, administrative and legislative tribunals, both domestic and abroad.
 
Mr. Daus continues to serve, since 2009, as pro bono President of the International Association of Transportation Regulators ("IATR"), a non-profit educational and advocacy organization comprised of government transportation commissioners and regulators from around the world.
 
Mr. Daus served as a Commissioner of the New York City Civil Service Commission from 2010 through 2013, an independent quasi-judicial agency that hears and decides employee candidate, disciplinary, and involuntary medical leave appeals under the New York State Civil Service Law, appointed by Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Council. Additionally, he served on the New York State Bar Association's Committee on Civil Rights from 2010 through 2013, and currently serves on the Committee on Government Ethics for the Association of the Bar of the City of New York City.
 
Mr. Daus served as a Member of the NYC Mayor's Inaugural Committee in 2013. He also served on NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio's transition, as a member of the Sub-Committee for the Environment, Resiliency, Public Space, Transportation and Infrastructure, where he assisted in the selection of commissioners for various city agencies including the NYC Department of Transportation, the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission, the Mayor's Offices of Long-Term Planning & Sustainability and Emergency Management, and the NYC Departments of Environmental Protection, Parks, and Sanitation.
 
Mr. Daus served as a member of several non-profit boards, including: over eight years as a Board Member of NYC & Co. (the City's tourism, marketing, convention and visitors bureau); President and Board Chair of Community Understanding for Racial and Ethnic Equality ("CURE"); Co-Chairman of the Board of the Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation; and Board member of Big Apple Greeter, the 2011 World Police and Fire Games, and Brooklyn Dreams Charter School.

Mr. Ira J. Goldstein serves as an Executive Director of New York Black Car Operators' Injury Compensation Fund, Inc. Prior to joining the Black Car Fund, Mr. Goldstein served as Chief of Staff for most of his nine plus years at the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. Mr. Goldstein has enjoyed a distinguished and varied career leading up to his successful tenure in government. Among his most challenging roles were time spent as the general counsel and chief compliance officer for a Wall Street brokerage firm, where he specialized in representing start-up broker/dealers in getting NASD approval. At Touro School of Law, he was the Managing Editor of the Law Review and founded the Environmental Law Society. Mr. Goldstein began his legal career with a real estate litigation firm and also handled many general practice issues, experience which served him well in his starting role as a staff attorney and executive director of the TLC's Consumer Relations Division, prior to his elevation to Chief of Staff. Mr. Goldstein's educational career was marked by numerous awards and honors from his alma mater, including Touro's Public Interest Law Fellowship, the Special Service Award, and the American Jurisprudence Award. Going further back in time, Mr. Goldstein had an equally distinguished undergraduate career, serving as the founding president of the Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity, SUNY Buffalo Chapter. Mr. Goldstein received his highest honor to date, that of the New York City Department of Information, Telecommunications & Technology's (DoITT) highly prestigious Demonstrated Excellent in Project Management Award, a part of DoITT's 2007 Excellence in Technology Awards Program. In June 2010, Mr. Goldstein received the Award for Outstanding Community Service from the New York State Broadcasters Association and the New York State Amber Alert Partners in recognition of his role in introducing Amber Alerts into the New York City Taxi Fleet. Mr. Goldstein received a Masters of Law in Banking, Corporate and Finance Law from Fordham University School of Law, as well as a Juris Doctor from Touro School of Law.

Shari is a native Chicagoan. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. She received her law degree, with Honors, from DePaul University College of Law in 1986. Shari was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1986, and is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. During her career, Shari has been active in various professional and service organizations, including the Maritime Law Association of the United States, the National Marine Lenders Association, the Recreational Boating and Marine Lending Network of Attorneys, the Illinois Bankers Association, the National Association of Women Business Owners, the Annual Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Moot Court Competition, and the Propeller Club of the United States, Port of Chicago (Secretary, 2003-2006). Shari is a civil litigation attorney. She practices extensively in the areas of admiralty and maritime law, transportation law, and commercial law. Shari’s maritime and transportation law practice includes diverse areas such as the defense of Jones Act, LHWCA, and personal injury; the acquisition and sale of marine assets; ship mortgages and vessel repossession and foreclosure; marine contracts; shipyard disputes; vessel registration and documentation; arrest and attachment of vessels and cargo; cargo loss and damage; tug and tow; limitation of liability actions; maritime liens; and marina operator’s liability. She represents barge lines, cruise lines, marine terminal operators, vessel tour operators, boating clubs; charterers, freight forwarders, NVOCCs, common carriers, banks, and non-bank lenders, companies and individuals acquiring and selling marine assets. Shari’s practice in commercial law includes the resolution of business and commercial disputes, contracts, toxic torts, and the defense of personal injury, products liability and property matters.

Areas of Practice - Commercial Litigation, General Civil Litigation, Warehousemen’s Law, Commercial Collections, Traffic Tickets / Overweight Violations, Traffic Accidents, Household Goods, Employment Litigation
 
Bar Admissions – Virginia, 2009, District of Columbia, 2010, Maryland, 2010
 
Education
American University, Washington D.C. (B.A. Political Science & History 2003)
George Mason University School of Law (J.D. 2008)
 
Professional Associations and Memberships

• Transportation Lawyers Association
• Maryland Motor Truck Association
• Virginia State Bar
• Fairfax County Bar Association
• Conference of Freight Counsel
• Maryland State Bar Association

Daniel Sbanotto is the director of legal and risk at Transplace where he has also served as associate counsel. Previous experience includes director of legal affairs at ER Assist and faculty at the University of Arkansas School of Law. Mr. Sbanotto received his JD from the University of Arkansas School of Law, Fayetteville and a bachelor’s degree from University of Central Arkansas.

Joe DiPaola is national director at U.S. Marine Insurance Group in Sanford, Florida. Prior to that he serviced as account executive officer at Travelers Insurance and as product manager at The Hartford in property and Marine claims. He received a law degree from Trinity College-Hartford.

Samuel Rizzitelli joined Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) as transportation product lead in 2015. He was previously the vice president/director of inland marine transportation for the Travelers Companies, Inc. Prior to Travelers, he held several senior positions with The Hartford, Property and Casualty based in Connecticut. Sam obtained his JD from Quinnipac University School of Law and a BA from Sacred Heart University.

Jaclyne Reive is a Toronto-based corporate, commercial and regulatory lawyer at Miller Thomson LLP. Jaclyne has acted for a wide range of clients across the transportation, logistics and supply chain industries, including road and ocean carriers, passenger vessel operators, load brokers, logistics providers, warehouse operators and other freight intermediaries. She also advises to manufacturers, importers, exporters, shippers, distributors and growers. Jaclyne’s practice focuses on a wide variety of regulatory compliance issues, including federal and/or provincial laws regarding food safety, cannabis and pharmaceuticals, privacy, customs, marine and the transportation of dangerous goods. She has also provided advice with respect to mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, and private equity financings and has experience negotiating a wide range of commercial agreements for these industries. Jaclyne is a member of the Canadian Transport Lawyers Association, the Toronto Transportation Club, and the Women's International Shipping and Trading Association.

Mary Foster joined the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law faculty in 2014 as a Lecturer. From 2004 to 2014, she was an Adjunct Professor of Legal Ethics at Northwestern. She has also taught Legal Ethics at other local law schools. She is currently Counsel for the Review Board at the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission and was formerly a Senior Counsel at the ARDC with over 15 years of experience investigating and prosecuting Illinois lawyers for ethical misconduct.
 

Jeffrey Boesger is a Commercial Transportation Expert at Robson Forensic with over twenty-five years of experience in trucking, distribution, transportation management, trucking and warehousing safety, regulatory compliance, and professional tractor-trailer operation. As an expert witness consultant, Jeff applies his knowledge and experience to the investigation of trucking, warehousing, and freight delivery related accidents, injuries, and cargo claims.

Jeff began his career as a Professional Truck Driver in 1992. In 1994, he began a career with a nationwide food distribution firm that would provide hands-on and managerial experience covering all facets of trucking operations, from delivery driver to eventually becoming the Director of Transportation and Safety. Throughout his tenure, Jeff was responsible for all aspects of the firm’s Safety and Compliance Programs that included: FMCSR, OSHA, and EPA regulatory compliance, and developing and managing training and safety programs for delivery drivers and warehouse workers.

Jeff remains active in the transportation industry and maintains his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). He has completed an assortment of training relevant to driver and warehouse safety, hazardous materials transportation, and incident response.

Gordon McAuley is Of Counsel to Williams & Gumbiner LLP in San Rafael (Bay Area) California, and has been a transportation lawyer for 37 years. An author of more than 50 published transportation and mediation articles, he is a Past President of the Transportation Lawyers Association, and former Chair of its Freight Claims Committee. He received his mediator certification in 1996, and has been a federal district court panel mediator since 1999. Gordon has served as a mediator in more than 125 cases involving transportation, personal injury, real estate, and commercial disputes, and now specializes as a Transportation Mediator traveling throughout the nation to assist parties in settling their disputes.
  
Gordon also represents clients in drafting commercial contracts, and in business litigation. He previously was an equity partner with the major San Francisco law firm Hanson Bridgett where he was head of its Transportation and Logistics Practice Group. He is A-V rated by Martindale-Hubbell, has been selected over many years as a Northern California Super Lawyer, and is listed in Best Lawyers in America in the Transportation category. 
 
Gordon earned a Philosophy degree from U.C. Berkeley and J.D. from the Univ. of San Francisco Law School. He also was an air traffic controller in Europe with the U.S. Air Force, and is a licensed private pilot.

Katy Beth Carr is a shareholder in the Florence, Alabama office of Carr Allison where her practice focuses on litigation in the areas of transportation, employment, professional liability, and workers’ compensation. Katy Beth defends companies throughout north Alabama and Tennessee in litigated matters. She is a member of Carr Allison’s accident response GO TEAM, working catastrophic accident investigations for various transportation clients.

Katy Beth is admitted to practice in all state courts in Alabama and Tennessee. She is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, as well as the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of Tennessee.

Katy Beth earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Birmingham-Southern College, receiving a distinction in Leadership Studies. She earned her Juris Doctor from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University (AL).

In addition to her legal work, Katy Beth is actively involved in the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association and locally with the Lauderdale County Bar Association and the Junior League of the Shoals. She serves on the Board of Directors, District I for ADLA’s Young Lawyers’ Section.