Speakers

Steve represents both large and small corporations and individuals, as self-insureds and as insureds on behalf of insurance companies. Steve’s practice focuses on the defense of insureds and self-insureds with concentration in tort defense in all areas of construction litigation, transportation litigation, construction injury, construction defect litigation and insurance defense. Litigation experience extends throughout the State of Illinois. Steve serves as an on-call emergency on-site presence for catastrophic injuries and accident investigations, available 24 hours a day. Responsibilities include management of files and oversight of associates from initial filing through resolution; establishing and implementing all phases of preparation from initial investigation and strategy for complicated and complex litigation.

In addition, Steve is a member of the Defense Research Institute, Transportation Lawyers Association and the Trucking Industry Defense Association. Steve has written, published and given presentations on numerous topics involving litigation. He is a guest lecturer to the Denver University, Strum College of Law, Transportation Business Law Course, where he presents on the topic of defense of liability claims. He also assists faculty in the review and grading of course academic papers written by course participants.

After 20+ in private law practice, Justin joined England Logistics ("EL") as VP Legal & Risk. Justin oversees all legal and risk matters for EL and serves as a member of EL's Executive Team. Justin is an active member of Transportation Lawyers Assoc. ("TLA") and Conference of Freight Council ("CFC") and has served on TLA's Exec. Committee and as Vice-Chair of TLA's Logistics & E-Commerce Committee. Justin also serves on several committees of Transportation Intermediaries Assoc. ("TIA") and regularly presents at TIA and TLA conferences. Justin is licensed to practice law in Utah and in several federal district courts throughout the United States.
 

Bill is a partner in the Pittsburgh office of Cipriani & Werner, P.C. and he is the co-chair of the firm’s Transportation Law Practice Group.  For more than 20 years, he has concentrated his practice in civil litigation, focusing on transportation law (with an emphasis on catastrophic trucking cases), construction defect claims, and products liability cases (with a focus on automotive, fire, and toxic exposure claims).
Prior to joining Cipriani & Werner, Bill served as regional counsel for a Fortune 500 Corporation's defense of toxic exposure cases in ten western states.  In that capacity, he managed litigation strategy, local counsel, discovery and experts for hundreds of cases.
Bill served in the U.S. Army Reserve since he enlisted as a private in 1987 until he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the JAG Corps in 2019.  Bill has received the highest rating of AV® Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. 
He is a regular speaker and panelist for a variety of legal and industry professional organizations, and is an active member of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC), the Defense Research Institute (DRI), the Pennsylvania Defense Institute (PDI), the Transportation Lawyers Association (TLA), the Canadian Transportation Lawyers Association (CTLA) and the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA).  From 2017 to 2019, he served on TLA's Executive Committee.  He also served as co-chair of TLA's Casualty Litigation Committee and currently serves as chair of its Motor Carrier Committee.  He is also a member of the American, Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations.
Mr. Pentecost is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Western, Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, the District of New Jersey, and the Northern District of Ohio.  He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Mr. Pentecost is originally from Massachusetts, and he attended Providence College in Rhode Island.  In 1992, he graduated with a major in accounting. After moving to Pittsburgh, Mr. Pentecost graduated summa cum laude from Duquesne University School of Law in 1996.  He was first in his class and a member of the Duquesne Law Review.
 
 

Jeff is a partner and principal at Lewis Johs Avallone Aviles, LLP in New York.  Jeff’s practice focuses on the defense and trial of catastrophic losses in the trucking and transportation industry.  He also handles matters involving high exposure construction accidents, construction defect, defamation, claimed product defects as well as those matters stemming from municipal and premises liability, medical and dental malpractice, nursing home liability and vehicular negligence.
 
Jeff is co-chair of the firm’s transportation group and a member of Lewis Johs’ Catastrophic Loss Response Team.  He acts as advisory counsel to companies involved in the transportation industry, either directly or through their insurance carriers.
 
Jeff started his career as Assistant District Attorney where he handled all phases of criminal prosecution.  He considers himself privileged to have tried jury cases for over thirty years.

Matthew D. Austin, Esq. is the owner of the boutique management-side labor law firm Austin Legal, LLC. His firm represents companies against labor unions through union avoidance, collective bargaining, decertification, election campaigns, unfair labor practice charges, and NLRB matters. Matt's clientele truly spans the entire United States. Airports are his second home and he (unfortunately) has become adept at mastering the art of sleeping on redeye flights.
 
He is a life-long resident of Ohio, graduated from THE Ohio State University and the University of Dayton School of Law, is admitted to the Ohio Supreme Court, the Ohio Northern and Southern District Courts, as well as the Sixth Circuit and D.C. Circuit Appellate Courts.
 
Matt holds leadership positions in several bar and trade associations that benefit the legal and transportation communities.
 

Mr. Barber routinely defends motor carrier clients in claims involving serious tractor trailer accidents, advises on Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations compliance, and is a member of the Firm's 24-Hour Emergency Response Team. He also handles cases involving construction disputes, electric utility line contact/electrocution claims, general liability claims and commercial litigation.

Mr. Barber's approach to litigation differentiates him from other lawyers. He provides his clients with an immediate evaluation of each matter as if a trial were imminent. This early evaluation process allows clients to make better informed decisions for the remaining arc of the case. If litigation is necessary, the client can focus on aggressive, narrowly-targeted measures that result in a much more predictable and manageable result. Mr. Barber's approach informs every step of the discovery and trial preparation process.

A major focus of Mr. Barber's practice is insurance coverage, and he has become a trusted advisor to his clients on a broad range of insurance coverage and bad faith matters. Mr. Barber brings 35 years of experience evaluating and litigating insurance policies. Many of these cases involved catastrophic losses. He has handled cases involving virtually every type of insurance policy form, from "occurrence" type forms, including commercial general liability, commercial property, trucking and auto, to "claims made" forms, including Directors and Officers and Errors and Omissions. Mr. Barber has also developed specialized knowledge of the various types of cyber insurance policies. Through the years, he has assisted both policy holders and insurers in cases spanning a wide range of industries and professions, including commercial property, construction, trucking, commercial auto, cyber liability (breach and malpractice), directors and officers liability, professional errors and omissions, insurance bad faith (first and third party), primary/excess disputes, and reinsurance.

Mr. Barber also has considerable experience in electric utility litigation and has written extensively about the topic. He is national coordinating counsel for a major insurance company on all its catastrophic electric line contact cases. He has advised electric cooperatives and their insurers in cases all over the United States, and routinely handles rapid response scene investigations for his clients.

Dr. Robert Barth was named a Fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology for “significant contributions to the science and profession of neuropsychology”. The American Medical Association (AMA) has listed Dr. Barth among its “internationally recognized expert authors”. His work for the AMA included contributing to the Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, and the Guides to the Evaluation of Disease and Injury Causation. His professional activities have included a focus on:
 
• Brain injury (e.g., Created continuing medical education programs addressing brain injury for the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Mayo Clinic, American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, etc.)
 
• Causation Analysis (e.g., Created publications/continuing education programs for the AMA, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Bar Association, National Association of Workers' Compensation Judiciary, etc.)
 
• Chronic pain (e.g., Created publications/continuing education programs for the AMA, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the National Association of Workers' Compensation Judiciary, etc.)
 
• Mental illness (e.g., Led the mental illness chapter for each edition of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Disease and Injury Causation)
 
• Disability evaluation (e.g., “Recognized [by the American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians] as an expert in the fields of medicine related to disability evaluation and disability consultation”)
 
• Impairment rating (e.g. Final reviewer for the AMA’s impairment rating methods for pain, brain injury, and mental illness)
 
His education included post-doctoral fellowship training in the Harvard Medical School program at Massachusetts General Hospital, after pre-doctoral internship training in that same program.
 

William D. Bierman is a senior partner in the law firm of Price, Meese, Shulman & D’Arminio, P.C. in New Jersey and New York where he leads a unique Transportation Law Group. He 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 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.

Sara Candioto currently serves as VP of Legal for SIRVA Worldwide Relocation. In her role, she provides transportation and regulatory oversight for SIRVA's household good motor carriers, North American Van Lines and Allied Van Lines, as well as employment law oversight for SIRVA's global workforce. Prior to SIRVA, she was an employment attorney at Littler for 17 years. Sara received her JD from Notre Dame and her bachelor of arts from the University of Richmond.
 

Chris helps his clients navigate and solve legal problems. He primarily defends injury and business claims and advises on regulatory and compliance issues.

Chris has the capability to address a wide array of claims and legal issues, including complex commercial motor vehicle accidents, products liability claims, professional liability claims, issues involving unmanned aircraft systems (drones), autonomous vehicles, transportation contract drafting and review, insurance coverage disputes, employer intentional tort claims, regulatory compliance under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, specialty insurance defense, premises liability, passenger claims against airlines, products liability, legal malpractice, claims against real estate agents, claims against insurance agents, Carmack Amendment claims, appeals, Federal Aviation Act compliance, maritime law, construction defects, oil and gas disputes, and real property tax valuation.

His clients are primarily in the following industries: transportation, retail, aviation, oil & gas, energy, manufacturing and distribution, real estate, and emerging technologies.

In addition, Chris serves on Roetzel's Emergency Response Team to immediately address issues that may arise as a result of catastrophic injury events, industrial accidents, fires, and other catastrophes.

Tom Curtis, Area Vice President, joined Gallagher (previously The Presidio Group) in 2004 to pursue his passion of managing risk for clients in the transportation industry, which has always been very important to him. The arsenal of tools and expertise that Gallagher offers, allows him to help his clients in this ever-changing environment.
 
Tom is a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and a Certified Risk Manager (CRM), allowing him to expertly and strategically assist his clients in managing their total cost of risk by introducing traditional, surplus, and nontraditional (Group Captive) markets based on each client’s specific needs. Tom enjoys working with each and every client and considers himself fortunate to have built relationships with them.
 
Prior to joining Gallagher, Tom studied at the University of Utah and graduated with Bachelors of Science in Finance. He then started and grew a business, ultimately selling it in 2000 to a fortune 500 company. Tom’s desire had always been to get into the insurance industry, and in 2004 he did just that.
 
Tom and his wife of 33 years have four incredible children, three daughters and one son. Several are in the medical industry and one an RPA for the Air Force. When Tom is not taking care of his clients, he enjoys traveling and spending quality time with his family, playing and laughing together.
 

Patrick E. Foppe is a member of Lashly & Baer, P.C. and practices throughout Missouri and Illinois. He frequently handles claims involving complex commercial motor vehicle accidents, cargo disputes, transportation-related contract disputes, premises liability, products liability, wrongful death and general negligence. Also, he advises insurance companies on a wide variety of insurance coverage issues and handles declaratory judgment and bad faith actions. In addition, he advises transportation companies regarding compliance issues with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. He leads rapid response investigations to serious accidents as a part of Lashly & Baer’s Rapid Response Team.
 
Patrick serves as Co-Chair of the Transportation Lawyers Association’s Membership and Regulatory Committees. He also serves on Defense Research Institute, Inc.’s Trucking Law Committee’s Steering Committee and is Chair of Publications. Patrick has an “AV Preeminent” Peer Rating™ with Martindale-Hubbell^®.  He has received numerous awards for his pro bono work, community service, and professional accomplishments. Patrick is also a regular author and is an invited speaker by many industry groups. Patrick and his wife Kate have seven children.
 

David Hall devotes his practice substantially to the defense of motor carriers and their drivers in casualty litigation. He has litigated cases throughout the continental United States in his roles as national and regional counsel. In addition, David handles professional liability, product liability, insurance defense and toxic tort matters.

David has vast experience with all aspects of commercial motor vehicle litigation, including the tactics employed by those who prosecute claims against the trucking industry and related experts. He leads an aggressive, strategic team of transportation attorneys known for their creative, efficient and effective defense of their clients.

David’s clients include companies with private fleets; an array of commercial motor carriers; specialty contractors; and major casualty liability insurance companies specializing in truck insurance products. David, who launched and oversaw his former firm’s 24-hour motor carrier emergency response team, now serves as the primary contact for Wilson Elser’s national 24-hour Emergency Response Team in the state of Alabama. 
 
 

David’s legal career began as an Honors Attorney with the U.S. Postal Service General Counsel’s office, where he reviewed contracts, advised procurement officials, and litigated disputes.  Entering private practice, he advised companies on issues arising under civilian and defense agency contracts, including matters of contract administration, performance, and compliance.

Soon enough, word got around that David was familiar with the Postal Service’s unique contracting environment, which is exempt from many federal procurement laws and has its own purchasing rules.  Sought after by companies doing business with USPS or looking to do so, he has represented hundreds of clients, ranging from sole proprietors to Fortune 100 companies.  He has worked with clients in many industries, including transportation and logistics, manufacturing, information technology, automotive, real estate and construction, materials handling, and robotics.

David’s government contracts practice has a wide berth. Clients have sought his advice on the bidding and award process, protests, contract administration, contract interpretation, subcontracting, compliance, contract changes, claims, payment issues, investigations, due diligence, audits, terminations, Freedom of Information Act requests, and suspension and debarment.  He also has extensive experience assisting clients facing contract fraud investigations and False Claims Act claims.

Negotiated resolutions often produce the best outcomes for clients, so David seeks to find common ground and common-sense solutions.   But when necessary, David is an active litigator, having represented clients in various forums, including:  U.S. District Court, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the Postal Service Board of Contract Appeals (PSBCA), the USPS Supplier Disagreement Resolution Official (SDRO), and the General Accountability Office (GAO).  He also provides training courses on contracting and compliance matters.

David is known for compiling an annual list of the Top 150 USPS contractors, which he has done for the past 20 years.  He frequently presents seminars and writes articles on government contracting topics.  David has also served as Association Attorney for the National Star Route Mail Contractors Association, whose members hold HCR and CDS contracts for the transportation and delivery of mail.   He is author of the Thomson Reuters Briefing Paper, “Contracting with the U.S. Postal Service,” and often quoted in the media on postal contracting matters. For a collection of David’s materials relating to U.S. Postal Service contracts, please visit https://www.postalcontractor.com/.

Sharon Johnson is an accomplished Multi-Department C-Level Executive.  As the Chief Legal Officer at MODE Global, LLC, the 5th largest Freight Brokerage in the United States, she is responsible for overseeing the legal affairs and policies of a $2.8B company, and serves as Board Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer. She’s also previously served as Chief People officer, head of Marketing and head of Facilities. She is a founding member of MODE’s Diversity & Inclusion Program, as well as its ESG Program. With both a JD and MBA, as well as direct operating experience, she is uniquely positioned to serve as a business savvy advisor who collaborates to shape discussions around both legal and operational matters.
 

Stephani Johnson is a trial lawyer who has handled multimillion-dollar cases involving catastrophic injuries for more than 25 years. Stephani frequently assists in pre-suit liability investigations and determination of causation at ground level – joining the firm’s Emergency Response Team to investigate accidents and catastrophic events immediately after they occur. Stephani enjoys a well-earned reputation for defending high-exposure personal injury claims for a wide array of clients, including retailers, apartment complexes, trucking companies, hospitals and universities. Stephani prides herself on being a “practical” attorney who gets the best results for her clients in the most efficient manner possible. 

Stephani has experience in medical malpractice, wrongful death, premises and products liability, trucking, HOA, non-subscriber and first-party insurance litigation defense. She handled numerous trials in the area of family law earlier in her career. This diversity of experience gives Stephani the confidence and skills to combine aggressive representation with personal attention, enabling her to advocate for her clients on any type of legal case. Clients appreciate her candor, her efficiency and her proactive approach. Stephani is an active participant in the Texas Minority Counsel Program, a client development, networking and CLE event for diverse attorneys in Texas. 

Stephani understands that not every case will or should go to trial. Her input from early case evaluation allows her clients to determine whether a case should be aggressively defended through trial or resolved through creative settlement options. She prides herself on being proactive and giving each case her focused attention from the moment it comes through the door, providing the framework to build a successful defense. 

Stephani frequently is asked to speak to professional organizations, including before professional associations, hospital systems, case managers, quality managers, risk management departments, third-party administrators, carriers and legal colleagues.

Kenderick Jordan, Associate - Marwedel, Minichello & Reeb, P.C. (Chicago); BS in Marine Engineering and Shipyard Management, United States Merchant Marine Academy (2010); JD, Indiana University - Indianapolis (2019); Illinois Supreme Court, US District Courts for Eastern District Michigan, Eastern District Wisconsin, Northern District Illinois, US Appeals Court for the Seventh Circuit; member of TLA and Maritime Law Association of the United States - Secretary of the Young Lawyers Committee; US Coast Guard First Assistant Engineer license for diesel vessels, unlimited horsepower, Third Assistant Engineer license for steam and gas turbine vessels, unlimited horsepower.
 

Josh Jubelirer is Vice President & Associate General Counsel for Echo Global Logistics, a Fortune 1000 3PL, providing transportation management services throughout the world.  As Associate General Counsel, Josh oversees all of Echo’s legal functions as well as carrier compliance and truckload claims.  In his role, Josh advises all levels of management regarding risks and opportunities facing the company with an emphasis on providing practical responses for quick execution.  Before joining Echo, Josh was an accomplished trial attorney in Seyfarth Shaw’s litigation practice group. 
 

Michael Judy knows that a strong relationship with his client is the key to success. When Michael represents a client, he focuses on more than just handling the matter at hand. He concentrates on how his actions will impact his client’s longterm goals. Whether he’s defending a trucking company in a catastrophic personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, counseling transportation industry clients on key aspects of their business or advising clients on risk management policies and procedures, Michael knows that a strong relationship with his clients and a unified pursuit of his clients’ interests will lead to a more successful result.

At heart, Michael is a litigator. He represents companies and insurers in the transportation, retail and hospitality industries at the local, regional and national levels.

As a member of Dysart Taylor’s rapid response team, Michael coordinates defense and investigation activities in transportation accidents, obtaining valuable information that significantly reduces litigation exposure for clients. In addition, he consults with clients in the implementation of risk management procedures, which help reduce their exposure to future litigation. Michael also routinely conducts presentations and leads roundtable discussions with his clients on deposition to assist his clients to reduce their exposure in personal injury claims across the country.

John has practiced litigation for more than four decades, representing his clients in admiralty, transportation, construction, product liability, insurance, and business law. He served as a military lawyer in the U.S. Coast Guard and as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, before entering private practice in New York and New Jersey, serving in leadership capacities in law firms in both states.  John is admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, in the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, and Eastern Districts of New York and the District of New Jersey, and in the Second and Third U.S. Courts of Appeals.

In 1997, John formed the Law Offices of John C. Lane (the Lane Law Firm), continuing in his fields of practice in the state and federal trial and appellate courts of New York and New Jersey, including the Second and Third U.S. Courts of Appeals. John’s practice now emphasizes admiralty, transportation, trucking defense, insurance, and business litigation. John is also an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and an arbitrator and mediator for the Transportation ADR Council of the Transportation Lawyers Association. He also serves as a mediator for the Superior Court of New Jersey.

Active in professional associations, John is a member of the Transportation Lawyers Association, the Trucking Industry Defense Association, the Conference of Freight Counsel, and the Defense Research Institute. He is a Proctor in Admiralty and a lifetime member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States and is a member of The American, New York State, and New Jersey State Bar Associations, and the Virginia State Bar, where he is also licensed to practice law.  John has authored numerous articles on transportation and arbitration law for The Transportation Lawyer, and has served as a speaker for both the Transportation Lawyers Association and the Trucking Industry Defense Association.

John remains active in the VMI Alumni Association, having served on its Board of Directors and as president of the Northern New Jersey Alumni Chapter. He is also active as an Elder in the First Presbyterian Church of Sparta, New Jersey.

John is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, and earned his Juris Doctor degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law (serving on the Law Review), both located in Lexington, Virginia.
 

Joelle Nelson is a partner in ‎the Houston office  of Lewis ‎Brisbois and Vice-Chair of the National ‎General Liability  Practice. She  ‎has successfully handled a ‎wide  variety of claims ‎related to transportation,  ‎which includes bus,  trucking, ‎TNC, and dram shop  related ‎accidents; catastrophic injury; ‎construction and construction ‎defect  claims; products ‎liability defenses ranging  ‎from horizontal auger boring ‎machines to common ‎household products;  ‎premises liability claims on ‎behalf of small  businesses ‎to large national retailers; ‎hospitality  litigation ‎regarding both premises and ‎food safety  matters;  oil and ‎gas;  as well as ‎environmental and ‎environmental clean-up  ‎litigation, which  includes all ‎phases. Ms.  Nelson ‎empowers her clients  with a steadfast ‎commitment to each  and ‎every  case, offers ‎straightforward strategies ‎that provides guidance ‎through the legal process, ‎and engages in diligent  ‎preparation,  while ‎recognizing and taking ‎advantage of any and all ‎opportunities that arise.‎
 

Focus of Practice:
 
Admiralty & Maritime Law
Inland Transportation & Third Party Logistics
Large Loss Subrogation
Insurance Defense
Insurance Coverage
Commercial Litigation
Arbitrations
Trials and Appeals
 
Educational Background:
Roger Williams University School of Law
Juris Doctor, 2015, cum laude
 
Salve Regina University
B.A. International Studies, 2009, magna cum laude
 
Admitted to Practice:
New Jersey (2017)
New York (2016)
Massachusetts (2015)
United States District Court, Southern District of New York
United States District Court, Eastern District of New York
United States District Court, District of New Jersey
United States District Court, District of Massachusetts
United States District Court, District of Colorado
 
Professional Affiliations:
Connecticut Maritime Association
Maritime Law Association of the United States
New York State Bar Association
Women's International Shipping & Trading Association
 

Jason works in the area of casualty defense, with an emphasis on transportation litigation, including the defense of cargo loss under the Carmack Amendment. He also has extensive experience defending construction and premises liability matters. Jason’s practice includes trial work in State and Federal courts, the Illinois Court of Claims, and hearings at private mediation and arbitration. His practice also includes insurance coverage litigation in State and Federal courts, with an emphasis on coverage disputes arising from construction and transportation related losses.
 

As General Counsel at Nolan Transportation Group, Coby oversees all legal, risk, and compliance matters, including corporate law, commercial transactions, governance, regulatory issues, claims and insurance, intellectual property, M&A, and litigation. He also manages outside legal experts in litigation and transactional matters. Prior to joining NTG, Coby spent 10 years as in-house counsel at North America's largest truckload motor carrier, Knight-Swift Transportation. Coby joined TLA in 2016 and serves as Co-chair of the Corporate Counsel Committee.
 

Dustin is a skilled litigator who practices in the Norfolk, Virginia office of Vandeventer Black, LLP.  Dustin finds creative solutions for his clients in Virginia state and federal courts.  He excels in using the depth and breadth of his knowledge to achieve cost-effective resolution of disputes.  Some of the nation’s most successful companies have trusted him to represent their interests throughout Virginia, at the Fourth Circuit, and at the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Because of his representation of marine terminals, trucking companies, railroads, transportation suppliers, and an airport, Dustin appreciates the complexities of intermodal transportation.  His membership and participation in the Hampton Roads Global Commerce Council, the Transportation Lawyers Association, the Maritime Law Association, the Southeast Admiralty Law Institute, the Virginia Maritime Association, and the Virginia Bar Association Transportation Law Section allow him to keep abreast of the current legal landscape and other changes in the transportation industry.  He has authored articles in the “The Transportation Lawyer” and the “Maritime & International Trade Guide.”

Both Virginia-based small businesses and some of the nation’s largest companies have relied upon Dustin’s advice to resolve commercial disputes.  He has an aptitude for understanding the business realities of a conflict and seeking creative resolutions in lieu of prolonged litigation.  But when litigation is the only choice, Dustin has the experience to bring the case to verdict, through appeal, and beyond.

Working with some of the nation’s largest firms and companies as a key resource for cases in the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), Dustin has appeared in more than 50 cases covering a wide variety of topics including patent, antitrust, maritime, employment, and contract matters.  He has also provided advice in countless other cases for which he has not entered an appearance.  As the editor of www.edvanorfolk.com, a blog dedicated to studying and monitoring the actions of the EDVA’s District Court in Norfolk, he is well-prepared to advise counsel throughout the country on how to file, prosecute, and try cases in the “Rocket Docket.”  He also serves on the Board of the Tidewater Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. 

Dustin earned his B.A. in Political Science from Duke University and his J.D. from Vanderbilt University.

Greg Reed is the Executive Director of the National Star Route Mail Contractors Association (NSRMCA), one of the oldest transportation trade associations in the United States. It is comprised of transportation companies, including some of the largest trucking companies in the U.S., that contract with the United States Postal Service to move mail and parcels throughout the country. As Executive Director, Greg advocates for the interests of its members with the Postal Service, provides regulatory guidance to members at the state and federal levels, and works with the Postal Service to implement new contracting practices. Prior to joining NSRMCA, Greg was outside litigation and regulatory counsel to the Owner-Operator Independent Contactors Association. He began his legal career representing small businesses in state and federal court in challenges to onerous, anti-competitive laws.
 

Jameson Rice is a partner with Holland & Knight, based in their Tampa office (and for the last year, his home office).  He is principally a transactional and regulatory attorney, with a practice focused primarily in the areas of road, rail and intermodal transportation and logistics.  He is chairman of the Rail Committee for TLA. He also leads the Transportation Sector of Holland & Knight's Blockchain Initiative.  Law360 named him a Transportation Rising Star for 2020.  
 
 

Brooke Riggs currently serves as national counsel with the law firm, Frilot LLC, based in New Orleans. Prior to joining the practice of law she conducted complex placement and coverage audits in a broad range of industry segments in a compliance role with a global insurance brokerage. In this role she passed all testing and coursework requirements to become a licensed Producer/Broker in all lines of insurance (California non-renewed). Brooke also has several years’ claims experience as a senior claims adjuster with a national insurance company. Brooke is a graduate of Tulane University Law School and the University of California at Berkeley.
 
Brooke has extensive experience in the transportation and logistics industry, litigating cases on behalf of freight brokers and forwarders nationwide both in state and federal courts. Brooke has analyzed countless shipper contracts and has helped numerous 3PL’s navigate the challenges of the liability associated with them and the risks that they pose in litigation.
 

Daniel is a transportation attorney with more than five years of in-house legal experience. He is currently the Director of Legal and Risk at Transplace, in Lowell, Arkansas, a leading provider of transportation management services and logistics technology where he is responsible for contracting, leases, litigation management, risk mitigation, and insurance management across the company. Prior to Transplace, he worked as the director of legal affairs for ER Assist, a software development company focused on emergency grant management. Mr. Sbanotto earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Central Arkansas and his J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law where he contributed to the Arkansas Real Estate Review and was a five semester Dean’s list recipient. He is currently an active member in the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, Conference of Freight Counsel, and Transportation Lawyers Association.

Henry E. Seaton is a graduate of Duke University and Vanderbilt School of Law. He has practiced law for 46 years with the Law Office of Seaton & Husk, LP in the Washington D.C. area representing motor carriers and brokers. The firm specializes in freight claims, freight charge collection, contracting issues, carrier representation before the FMCSA and bankruptcy issues.
 
He serves as counsel for the National Association of Small Trucking Companies, the Air & Expedited Motor Carriers Association, The Expedite Alliance of North America, the Tennessee Motor Coach Association, the American Home Furnishings Alliance and the Auto Haulers Association of America.
 
Mr. Seaton is a member of the Conference of Freight Counsel. He also serves as Co-Chair of the Transportation Lawyers Association Federal Regulations Committee and is a frequent speaker and lecturer regarding cargo claims, freight charges, contracting and risk/insurance issues affecting carriers and brokers.
 
Mr. Seaton published Rules of the Road: A Practical Guide to Legal Issues in Truck Transportation (2016) which is available for purchase at www.transportationlaw.net. In 2014, Mr. Seaton was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Transportation Lawyers Association.
 

Joseph Spinola is a former Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Nassau County. He has extensive experience litigating and presiding over a wide array of civil disputes including complex personal injury, medical malpractice, products liability, business, employment, labor law, premises liability, insurance coverage, and financial matters.
 
Since leaving the bench in 2010, Spinola has become a full time mediator and one of the most popular and successful mediators in New York. He has been voted the #1 Mediator in the U.S. by lawyers in the National Law Journal for four consecutive years (2018-2021). He was also voted the #1 Mediator in New York by lawyers in the New York Law Journal survey for a record five years in a row.
 
Judge Spinola has 35+ years experience as a litigator and judge. He also has the unique perspective of trying cases as a defense attorney, plaintiff’s attorney, and judge – which gives him the ability to understand all sides and aspects of the cases he mediates.
 

Lisa Stephenson is a Vice President and General Counsel of CRST International, Inc. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Lisa’s role is focused in the areas of transportation and logistics, employment and agency law, corporate transactional work, real estate matters, regulatory law, and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining CRST, Lisa was in private practice with Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman. She also served as a federal law clerk in the Northern and Southern districts of Iowa. Lisa practiced primarily in employment and labor law, as well as commercial litigation. Lisa earned her bachelor’s degree (magna cum laude, with honors) from Mt. Mercy College in 1995 and graduated (with distinction) from the University Of Iowa College Of Law in 1998.

Mr. Stratton has been a United States Department of Transport (USDOT) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Agency (FMCSA) Expert since retiring from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency in 2018. Mr. Stratton was USDOT/FMCSA/CVSA certified Level I – V Inspector, Safety Auditor and Compliance Investigator for the Alabama Department of Public Safety/Alabama State Troopers for twelve years.   He also led the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA)/Alabama State Troopers USDOT/FMCSA Compliance Program in Alabama in 2018. Mr. Stratton currently, performs mock DOT audit evaluations and represents clients during DOT audit events. He also provides expert guidance to clients and performs DOT compliance and safety related expert work for insurers, counselors, and other interested parties.
 
Since 2018, Mr. Stratton has used his nearly 30 years of experience in law enforcement to serve as a trusted provider of support, guidance, and training to the transportation industry regarding safety and compliance matters related to the application and enforcement of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs), and state commercial vehicle safety laws.
 
Mr. Stratton has been awarded multiple awards such as Alabama Troop “B” Total Traffic Enforcement Award (drug arrests, hazardous arrests, DUI arrests, and commercial vehicle arrests), Alabama Troop “C” Top Traffic Enforcement Award, Alabama Retail Association’s Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award,  Alabama Troop “E” Most Hazardous and Non-Hazardous arrests for the year, and Certificate of Appreciation from USDOT/FMCSA as the Group Leader for the PMSB Crash Statistics Subgroup. Mr. Stratton has completed hundreds of New Entrant Safety Audits, Compliance Investigations, Enforcement Cases, and post-accident investigations while assigned to Alabama’s Motor Carrier Safety Unit.
 
His  Professional  Organization  Appointments  stretches  across  various  industry  related  Committees, which include Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), Crash Data and Investigation Standards Committee, Driver-Traffic Enforcement Committee, Enforcement and Industry Modernization Committee, Passenger Carrier Committee, and Policy and Regulatory Affairs Committee. Mr. Stratton received his B.S. in Forensic Science from the Jacksonville State University.   He is a member of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) .
 

Al is a partner in Burr & Forman’s Birmingham, Alabama office. He serves clients on a broad range of legal issues affecting the transportation, maritime, logistics and manufacturing industries. He regularly represents Class I and short-line railroads in suits brought under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act, FRSA whistleblower claims, trespasser injuries, property damage claims, and other third-party injuries. He is admitted to practice in the state bars of Alabama and Georgia and currently serves as the President of the Young Lawyers Section in Birmingham. When he is not drafting legal briefs or responding to accidents, Al and his wife Liz are typically chasing around their two young sons (both under 2) or pulling for the Crimson Tide.
 

As a seasoned and highly regarded trial attorney, William has successfully tried more than 60 civil jury trials to verdict. In addition, his trial experience throughout Texas includes tort litigation, ranging from negligence and transportation matters to more complex premises liability, Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA), commercial and contractual dispute litigation. He has been selected by D Magazine as one of the “Best Lawyers in Dallas” since 2016.

On top of his thriving legal practice, William is the Secretary/President Elect of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) Dallas Chapter, and a member of the ABOTA National Executive Committee. He is also a member of the International Society of Barristers (ISOB). Memberships for ABOTA and ISOB are both by invitation only, and involve a rigorous screening process that takes into consideration each lawyer’s ability, experience, accomplishments and ethical standards as assessed by trial lawyers and judges.

William also serves on the Board of Directors for the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association and is a member of the Salesmanship Club of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas Chairman’s Task Force. Actively involved in his church, he has been a member of the Steward Board for more than 15 years.

Having earned both his J.D. and B.A. from Washington & Lee University, William remains active within the school. Currently, he serves as a member of the Washington & Lee University Board of Trustees and as a class agent for his law school class. He is a former member of the Washington & Lee Alumni Board, former President of the Law Council and former Chair of the Washington & Lee Law Annual Fund.
 
 

Heather concentrates her practice in employment litigation and general business counseling. She represents employers in both federal and state court involving claims under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), covenants not to compete and wage claims.
Heather represents employers in proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Indiana Civil Rights Commission. She also counsels employers on litigation avoidance.
Additionally, Heather provides training programs for clients & human resources professionals including the following topics:

• Navigating the Legal Issues Employers Face With Social Networking
• Demystifying Covenants Not to Compete
• Recruiting/Hiring for the Discriminating Employer
• Maintaining a Harassment Free Workplace
• Investigating Employee Conduct
• Harassment and Discrimination in the Classroom
• Practical Tips to Reduce Risks in Interviewing, Firing and Handling Workplace Issues
• The Essentials of Recruiting and Hiring
• Preventing Harassment in the Workplace
• Investigating and Documenting the Worker’s Compensation Injury
• The Family and Medical Leave Act
• Investigating Employee Misconduct and Disciplining and Discharging an Employee
• Common and Costly Mistakes Employers Make in Paying Their Workforce
• Retaliation: A New Frontier
• Diversity: Understanding and Appreciating our Differences
• Practical Tips for Conducting Performance Reviews and Coaching

Heather also served for several years as Member-in-Charge of Frost Brown Todd’s Indianapolis office.
 

As General Counsel, Charlene leads the legal team and oversees all legal matters for the company, including compliance, franchising, corporate governance, acquisitions, employment practices, contract management, intellectual property, insurance, 3PL brokerage and freight. Prior to joining the team in 2017, she was a partner with an AmLaw 100 law firm and acted as WWEX outside counsel for more than 10 years. Charlene has been a frequent speaker and written on numerous topics for the International Franchise Association and American Bar Association. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Trinity University and a Juris Doctor from Baylor University.