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.

Fredric has over a decade of experience representing transportation companies, including both carriers and intermediaries, regionally and nationwide on casualty/accident and commercial litigation matters, including cargo/freight claims, collections/contract disputes, FMCSA and state regulatory compliance and permitting matters, and insurance coverage cases. In these litigation matters, Fredric has tried multiple cases to verdicts before juries and handled appeals for transportation clients. 

Having handled complex litigation matters, Fredric has recognized that having a good game plan in advance is the best way to avoid costly lawsuits. Knowing this, he enjoys assisting with general business matters that transportation companies face every day, such as independent contractor leasing issues, complex workers compensation scenarios, regulatory compliance and safety issues, and contracting with customers and vendors. By working with clients on these issues as they manage their companies, Fredric hopes to help lay the groundwork to stay out of litigation or to be well positioned to defend it when it arises. 

Before starting in private practice, Fredric served as a law clerk to the Honorable Dennis W. Shedd, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Honorable Henry F. Floyd, U.S. District Judge, District of South Carolina. 
 

Melissa T. Richardson is a Member of Walters Richardson, PLLC, which is a civil defense firm that has offices strategically placed in order to serve its clients in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Tennessee.  She is a 2004 summa cum laude graduate of Centre College and a 2007 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law.  Mrs. Richardson is admitted to practice in Kentucky's state and federal courts.  She has been a member of TLA since January 2017 and has served as the Young Lawyers Committee Chairperson for several years and has helped plan the 2021 annual conference.  Mrs. Richardson is a trial attorney at heart, having tried over twenty cases to verdict before a jury in various locales both inside and outside of Kentucky.  Mrs. Richardson also has a personal fondness to the trucking industry in particular as her father drove a truck for himself for many years during her childhood.  The summers always allowed for some fun road trips as a result.
 

Eric understands the business, regulatory, environmental and economic challenges facing companies today; he spent 18 years serving as general counsel in the transportation industry, during which time he was also president of an international transportation operating division. As a former corporate officer and general counsel, Eric was involved in determining the strategic direction of companies, managing legal matters, reviewing and drafting employment policies and documents, and reviewing and drafting commercial contracts. His experience includes mergers and acquisitions, international and domestic commercial real estate, corporate compliance and governance, employment law, intellectual property and international licensing and authorized representative agreements.
Eric’s focus as a member of FBT’s Mobility & Transportation industry team is on mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactions and general corporate and regulatory matters. Eric also assists in defending clients in commercial litigation, employment issues, personal injury matters and liability issues.
Eric is also President of Transaction Expeditors (TE), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Frost Brown Todd. TE is a strategic technology & innovation company with deep experience in the insurance, transportation and mergers & acquisition verticals. TE offers AI-enabled contract review and redlining solutions that help companies do more with less. TE makes contract review easier and helps companies close deals faster utilizing people, process & technology.

Mark Barber is a shareholder in the Atlanta office of Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC. Mark has been practicing transportation law for over 35 years. During that time, he has handled cases throughout the southeastern U.S. for motor carriers, logistics companies, shippers, brokers, and trucking insurers. In his litigation practice, Mark is responsible for all aspects of the truck accident case, including the on-scene rapid response investigation, litigation, discovery, trial, and appeal. In addition to handling accident cases, Mark also handles cargo and insurance coverage cases. Mark has tried numerous cases to verdict, has mediated several hundred more to resolution, and has been involved in numerous appeals involving tort, transportation, and insurance coverage issues.

Senior Vice President, Lytx, General Counsel
 
Shelley is responsible for Lytx’s legal, legislative affairs, and regulatory compliance matters and also serves as corporate secretary and chief privacy officer.  Lytx is a leading provider of fleet video telematics and compliance solutions. Lytx harnesses the power of video and data to enable fleets to improve safety, efficiency, and productivity. We’re trusted by more than 4,000 fleets that log billions of miles worldwide each year, contributing to a vast and ever-growing database of driving data we use to refine the accuracy and effectiveness of our solutions. Our clients can realize significant returns on investment by lowering operating and insurance costs. Most of all, we strive to save lives—on our roads and in our communities, every day.
 
Shelley has over two decades of legal experience and has served in numerous leadership roles. Prior to joining Lytx in 2011, she practiced corporate and transactional law both at SAIC and a national law firm, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, public and private financing, joint ventures, licensing arrangements, and corporate governance matters. Shelley received a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from University of Michigan Law School.

Commissioner Carl Bentzel was nominated by President Trump on June 12, 2019, to a term expiring on June 30, 2024. The United States Senate confirmed his nomination on November 21, 2019, and he was sworn into office on December 9, 2019.

Prior to his appointment at the Federal Maritime Commission, Commissioner Bentzel created and established a consulting services company where he represented clients on regulatory and legislative issues within the areas of transportation, energy and other areas of federal regulatory oversight. From 2004-2014, Commissioner Bentzel served as Vice President and head of the federal advocacy division of a full-scale public relations firm, the DCI Group.

Prior to working in the private sector, Mr. Bentzel served the public sector for ten years as a Senate professional committee staffer including, most recently, as Senior Democratic Counsel of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation. He moved to his role in the Senate after spending four years on the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee where he served as Counsel for Maritime Policy.

Commissioner Bentzel’s primary areas of responsibility on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation were issues on maritime transportation; rail, surface and pipeline transportation; energy transportation and hazardous materials; and homeland security in these areas.  While working in the Senate, Commissioner Bentzel served as one of the principals in crafting the Maritime Security Act of 1996, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998, and in 2002, after the attacks on 9/11, the requirements mandated for maritime security through the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002.  He also dealt with matters impacting economic regulation of rail and surface industries before the Surface Transportation Board, and a variety of energy related regulatory issues.

For his efforts in developing and negotiating passage of Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, Commissioner Bentzel was awarded the Coast Guard’s Medal for Meritorious Public Service and the Maritime Security Council’s Man of the Year award.  Mr. Bentzel is also the author of the chapter on Port Security within McGraw-Hill’s Handbook on Homeland Security.

Commissioner Bentzel earned his Bachelor of Arts from St. Lawrence University, his Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama, and his Master of Laws from the Admiralty Law Institute, Tulane University.

Steve Block is a Shareholder at Lane Powell PC in Seattle. He has over 35 years of litigation experience as a trial, transactional and regulatory lawyer admitted to practice in state and federal courts of Washington, New York, Alaska and Colorado. His transportation and logistics experience extends to all modes (domestic and international maritime, trucking, aviation and railroad). It includes cargo litigation, international trade and border security law, defense of personal injury claims, employment, insurance coverage, and general commercial disputes. Steve represents transportation companies in regulatory matters before various state and local government agencies.
Steve received a J.D. from American University Washington College of Law; an LL.M. in Admiralty from Tulane Law School; an M.A. in Russian Studies from Middlebury College; a certificate from the Pushkin Institute in Moscow, Russia; and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina. He is admitted to practice in Washington, Alaska, New York and the District of Columbia, as well as the U. S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Washington, the District of Alaska, the District of Colorado, and the Southern District of New York; the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. Court of International Trade.
Steve served as the national president of the Association of Transportation Law Professionals in 2005-2006, as well as the president of its Puget Sound Chapter in 1999-2000. He is a Proctor in Admiralty member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States. In addition to his articles for ForwarderLaw, Steve is co-editor of the Motor Column of Association of Transportation Law Professionals Highlights Blog and a frequent contributor to The Transportation Lawyer, published by the Transportation Lawyers Association.

Jeff Cox is a partner of the Virginia based law firm of Seaton & Husk, LP which specializes in representing motor carriers, brokers and other transportation entities. He has been representing clients in the field of transportation law for over thirteen years. Jeff handles issues such as: freight claims, freight charge collection, contracting issues, citation defense, carrier representation before the FMCSA and bankruptcy issues. He is licensed to practice law in Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., the Federal Courts of each, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. He is a member of the Transportation Lawyers Association, Conference of Freight Counsel and the Maryland Motor Truck Association. Jeff is a graduate of The American University (B.A. 2003) and the George Mason School of Law (J.D. 2008).

Brian Del Gatto is the founder and regional managing partner of Wilson Elser’s Phoenix, Arizona, office, and the former New England Region managing partner. Brian also has served as a member of the firm-wide Executive Committee.

As a key member of the firm’s Transportation, Cargo & Logistics practice, Brian’s core emphasis is on assisting surface transportation providers or users with all of their legal needs. Brian and his team handle such claims and cases in New York, Connecticut and many other U.S. jurisdictions, including numerous matters relating to the needs of Canadian clients. Brian also has significant experience in product liability and toxic tort matters, as well as general corporate litigation. He has successfully tried many high-exposure cases to favorable outcomes and has a number of reported appellate decisions.

Brian helps to oversee the firm’s 24/7 emergency response team for catastrophic events and is a trusted advisor to many major insurers and self-insureds as their regional counsel or point of contact/alliance counsel for their litigation needs. Understanding that each matter is extraordinarily important – even life changing – to the client, Brian gives them equal attention and strives for a resolution that will have the least impact on the client’s business.

Brian plays a unique role for a number of Canadian insurers and self-insured clients, serving as their relationship/ alliance point of contact with the firm and coordinating all of their matters with other Wilson Elser offices or affiliate counsel as needed. Such matters encompass the full scope of these clients’ legal needs throughout the United States.

Steve is a Member of Clark Hill Strasburger’s San Antonio office where he actively represents clients throughout the State of Texas.  Steve’s practice focuses on assisting motor carriers, transportation brokers, and other transportation related businesses in pre-litigation advice, litigation, and trial work.  Steve enjoys working with transportation clients to resolve issues related to cargo claims, freight charges, commercial disputes and accidents of all kinds.   

As an active member of the Transportation legal community, Steve regularly participates or speaks at various conferences sponsored by the Transportation Lawyers Association, Conference of Freight Counsel, and the Texas Trucking Association.  Steve is also a Past President of the San Antonio Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and a current Board Member of the San Antonio Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation.   

Steve obtained his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and his Juris Doctorate from St. Mary’s University School of Law graduating Summa Cum Laude.  In addition to honing his transportation law skills, Steve enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, playing tennis, and watching the SMU Mustangs (and Texas Longhorns) play football. 

Bill is a senior partner with Vandeventer Black and has served as the firm’s General Counsel since 2014. Prior to becoming General Counsel, he concentrated his practice in public contracts, ship repair, construction law and maritime law. He also represented clients in government investigations & enforcement matters.
Bill received a B.S. with high distinction in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia in 1970 and a J.D. from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William & Mary in 1978. He served as the Associate Editor of the William & Mary Law Review.
Bill is licensed to practice in both state and federal courts in Virginia and state court in Hawaii.
Prior to his legal career, Bill worked as a Chemical Engineer and served twenty years of active duty in the United States Coast Guard. He retired from the Coast Guard in 1990 and joined Vandeventer Black.

Mr. John Drake serves as vice president for supply chain policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In this role, Mr. Drake serves as the primary spokesperson and is responsible for representing the business community before Congress, the administration, and the public on supply chain, customs, logistics, and security issues impacting the business community.  

Mr. Drake spent nearly 10 years on Capitol Hill, including as a professional staff member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Transportation and Infrastructure committees. He also served for five years at the U.S. Department of Transportation, including holding leadership positions at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Office of the Secretary, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Before working at the Chamber, Mr. Drake was a senior manager for public policy at Amazon. Mr. Drake holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of California, Santa Cruz. 

Dr. Ashley (Al) Dunn was hired in December 2006 and is a Senior Mechanical Engineer in
the S-E-A Columbus, Ohio, office. Al’s commercial vehicle expertise includes accident
reconstruction, vehicle dynamics, brake systems, braking and stability evaluations (via testing
and computer modeling), and ABS system performance.
 
Dr. Dunn spent six years at the Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) of the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA sponsored Dr. Dunn’s Ph.D.
research in Mechanical Engineering (received from The Ohio State University (OSU) in 2003),
focusing on vehicle dynamics. Dr. Dunn received his Master’s Degree from OSU in 1999. Prior
to attending the OSU Graduate School, Al worked for 10 years at Michelin Tire’s Research and
Development facility as a test engineer/test driver and product development engineer. Al
received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the North Carolina
State University in 1986.
 
Dr. Dunn’s other relevant interests and experiences include 10 years in racing and on-track
driving instruction. Al has ridden motorcycles (on-road and off-road) since childhood, and
currently rides a 1995 BMW R1100RS sport-touring motorcycle. He is a member of the Society
of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
 

Megan M. Early-Soppa is a Partner at Moseley Marcinak Law Group. She graduated from Wofford College in 2008 with a B.S. in Intercultural Studies and Spanish. She received her law degree from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA in 2012. She is admitted to practice in Louisiana (2012), South Carolina (2013), and Georgia (2020), as well as a number of federal courts across the country. Megan serves on a number of boards including the Hispanic Alliance where she currently serves as the Secretary and Euphoria Greenville, as the vice-chairwoman/chair-elect. She has been Named to The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch, Commercial Litigation (2021), GSA Business Report Inaugural Upstate Class of Forty under 40 (2020), Greenville Business Magazine’s Legal Elite, Personal Injury (2020), Named to Greenville Business Magazine's Legal Elite, Business Litigation (2018) and Named to National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 (2018). When Megan isn't working, she enjoys drinking wine, traveling with her husband, and powerlifting! 

Executive Advisor; Western Express, Inc. , Nashville, TN.
 
Clarence Easterday is the Executive Advisor for Western Express, Inc., a Nashville, Tennessee based transportation Company. Western Express provides irregular route common carrier service for van, flatbed and over-dimensional freight. Western Express also provides dedicated services for customers across the United States. Clarence graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1978. He started his professional career as a US Army Field Artillery Officer. He started his transportation career with Schneider National Carriers in 1984 and joined Western Express in 2002.  He served as the Senior Vice President for Western Express, Inc. for several years before semi-retiring in November 2020 and assuming his role as Executive Advisor. Mr. Easterday’s responsibilities at Western Express included supervision of safety programs, insurance program design and purchasing, claims and some human resource functions. Upon assuming his duties as Executive Advisor he works closely with defense counsel in case preparation/ strategy and is active in the mediation process. He is also a Rule 31 Listed Mediator in the State of Tennessee.

Dr. Eichaker's doctoral research focus involved using biomechanics and epidemiology techniques to analyze patterns of injury mechanisms and outcomes from car crash databases and trauma registries (e.g. Crash Injury Research Engineering Network (CIREN)). The goal of her dissertation research was to find ways to mitigate injuries by altering impact scenarios.
 
The alterations may be carried out by semi-autonomous vehicle behaviors, or altered occupant seating patterns. Dr. Eichaker has experience assisting in setting up sled tests involving child restraint systems (CRS), as well as community outreach and education events about CRS safety. She completed her Ph.D. in the summer of 2017. Her mentor was John Bolte IV, PhD.
 

Jonathan M. Epstein is a partner in the Washington D.C. office of Holland & Knight LLP.   

His aviation practice focuses on assisting clients in business aircraft transactions and the related structuring of business aircraft operations. He also represents commuter and charter air carriers on regulatory matters before the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT).  His commercial and regulatory experience includes: 

• Representing individuals and companies in the purchase and sale of business aircraft, and advising clients on how to structure aircraft transactions for tax planning purposes, loan documentation, and FAA regulatory compliance. 

• Advising clients in the structuring of private and corporate aircraft operations, including negotiating and drafting leases, charter management, joint ownership, time sharing, interchange, and pilot services agreements. 

• Helping clients with navigation alternative structures to whole aircraft ownership, including fractional and membership programs. 

• Assisting aviation clients, including airlines and aircraft leasing companies, on U.S. economic sanctions, export control, customs, anti-money laundering, and anti-corruption issues associated with the import, export, and leasing of commercial aircraft.  

• Representing aviation clients before the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and the State Department Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) on export and sanctions related investigations, voluntary disclosures, response to subpoenas, and licensing matters. 

• Assisting aerospace companies, airlines, and aircraft leasing companies on customer due diligence in aircraft transactions and in developing tailored compliance programs. 
  
  ​After serving as an officer in the U.S. Navy, Mr. Epstein received his law degree cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was editor in chief of the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics.  He received his bachelor's degree magna cum laude from Hamilton College.  Mr. Epstein is the past chairman of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Regulatory Issues Advisory Group.  

Ashianna Esmail is Vice President & General Counsel of Flexport, Inc. At Flexport, Ashianna is Executive Sponsor of the Company’s Pride Alliance employee resource group and active in the company’s global humanitarian aid and environmental sustainability efforts through Flexport.org. Prior to joining Flexport, Ashianna was Director, Product & Regulatory Legal at PayPal, where she was focused on PayPal’s Xoom product and its mission of financial inclusion and democratizing financial services for people all over the world. Prior to Paypal and Xoom, Ashianna was an associate in private practice focused on corporate transactions including securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity transactions. She also represented public and private companies in connection with securities laws compliance and general corporate matters. Ashianna previously served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Emily C. Hewitt of the United States Court of Federal Claims, and also practiced in the General Counsel’s office of Telecom Development Company of Afghanistan, Ltd. (Roshan) in Kabul, Afghanistan. She received her JD from the University of Michigan Law School and her BA at the University of California at Berkeley. Ashianna is committed to furthering Flexport’s mission of making global trade easier and more accessible for everyone. 

Wendy brings nearly 30 years of experience and leadership to Openforce, focused on developing and delivering technology-driven business services and solutions, providing outstanding client service, and driving profitable revenue growth. Within Openforce, she drives the mission of the organization to connect independent contractors and the companies that need them through a best-in-class technology ecosystem for contingent workforces.
 
Outside of Openforce, Wendy sits on the Board of Directors for the Alliance of Technology and Women and is active with Women in Trucking and sits on the Board of Directors with the National Home Delivery Association.
 
Prior to Openforce, Wendy spent 25 years in technology companies and most recently was the COO at InfinityHR, which she helped position for acquisition by Arcoro in 2018. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and an MBA from Grand Canyon State University and is a certified master trainer with the Miller Heiman Group.

BAIRHILTY, P.C. – Houston, Texas (formerly CHALKER BAIR)  

1990 – Present – Shareholder since February 2003 – representing clients in personal injury and insurance defense, construction law, transportation law, handling negligence, products liability, premises defects, employment law, commercial litigation, construction defects, deceptive trade practices, wrongful death & survivorship, and other tort actions; particular expertise in cases involving the trucking industry and currently represents some of the largest trucking companies in the nation; expertise in complex, catastrophic and high-exposure cases. AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Texas Super Lawyer.  

EDUCATION  

SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE OF LAW – Houston, Texas ; 1987 – Awarded Doctor of Jurisprudence  

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON – Houston, Texas ; 1981 – Awarded Bachelor of Arts in Communications  

LICENSED OR ADMITTED TO PRACTICE United States District Court, Southern District of Texas  
United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas  
United States District Court, Western District of Texas  
United States District Court, Northern District of Texas  
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit  
United States Supreme Court  

HONORS AND ACTIVITIES  
State Bar of Texas  
Houston Bar Association  
Texas Trucking Association (TXTA)  
American Trucking Association  
Transportation Lawyers Association  
AV preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell  
Texas Super Lawyer  

Co-Chair and Speaker of Prosecuting or Defending a Trucking or Auto Accident Case; San Antonio, Texas 2007  

Member of the Planning Committee and Speaker of Prosecuting or Defending a Trucking or Auto Accident Case; Houston, Texas 2008  

Member of the Planning Committee and Speaker of Prosecuting or Defending a Trucking or Auto Accident Case; San Antonio, Texas 2010  

Member of the Planning Committee and Speaker of Prosecuting or Defending a Trucking or Auto Accident Case; San Antonio, Texas 2012  

Speaker, “Employment Law – Practical Tips and Prevention & Handling of Employment Claims”, Great West Casualty Company Southern Region Trucking Leadership Symposium; Grapevine, Texas, April 2013  

Texas State Bar Webinar, “Trucking Cases – Tips & Traps”, May 2013  

Texas Bar-CLE Speaker: Advanced Evidence & Discovery; Dallas, TX 2014  

Texas Bar-CLE Speaker: Advanced Evidence & Discovery; San Antonio, TX 2014  

Texas Bar-CLE Course Director: Handling Your First Auto Collision Case; Austin, TX  

2014 TLA Annual Conference – Moderator, Anatomy of a Catastrophic Casualty Case: Using Persuasive Advocacy to Protect your Client’s Interests and Win a Defense Verdict; Scottsdale, AZ 2015 

Emileigh is currently a shareholder at Henry Oddo Austin & Fletcher, P.C. and represents clients in federal and state litigation in transportation, business, and commercial matters. Emileigh is admitted to practice in federal courts in Texas and Colorado, and represents individuals, freight and household goods motor carriers, brokers, commercial properties, employers, property owners associations, and other corporate entities.
Emileigh is a Member of the Conference of Freight Counsel, the Transportation Lawyers Association, the Paul Brown American Inn of Court, the Eastern District of Texas Bar Association, and the Association of Women Lawyers of the Eastern District of Texas.
Emileigh grew up in Midlothian, Texas and graduated from St. Mary's Law School. Upon graduation, Emileigh clerked for two federal judges prior to joining Henry Oddo Austin & Fletcher, P.C. Emileigh and her husband have two sons and two rescue dogs, and spend most weekends watching their sons play flag football, basketball, or soccer (or all three).

Allen Jones is Senior Director, Legal Counsel at XPO Logistics where he primarily supports the company's last mile and less-than-truckload business units. Allen is a graduate of Wheaton College (IL), Capital University Law School, and The Ohio State University. He is admitted to practice in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Allen served on TLA's Executive Committee as a Representative-at-Large from 2016-2018, serves on the Membership Committee, and is co-chair of the Corporate Counsel committee.

Krista Jones McAninley serves as Deputy General Counsel – Legal Compliance & Risk of Ferguson Enterprises, the largest U.S. distributor of plumbing and heating products. Upon joining Ferguson in 2020, Krista redesigned the enterprise risk management program to align with strategic objectives, built out the SEC disclosure team, and enhanced the corporate compliance program. Before joining Ferguson, Krista spent 20 years at Norfolk Southern Corporation. As Deputy General Counsel - Corporate, she was responsible for corporate governance and securities law matters. Prior to that work, she was responsible for the development and implementation of a corporate-wide compliance and ethics program. She received her law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is admitted to practice in Virginia.

Alex’s practice is focused on the modern supply chain, assisting transportation and logistics clients in a wide array of matters, including regulatory and compliance, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (and state equivalent) audit representation, safety consulting, rolling stock sales tax disputes, contract review and drafting – such as broker-carrier, shipper-carrier, independent contractor/owner operator, and warehousing agreements – and obtainment of state and federal motor carrier and brokerage authorities. In addition, a large portion of Alex’s practice involves transactional matters, including due diligence work specific to transactions involving significant transportation components. Having handled a variety of business-to-business and transportation-related cases, such as prosecution and defense of Carmack claims, and employment disputes, Alex is also an experienced litigator in state and federal courts throughout the country.
Alex obtained his J.D. from The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law, where he graduated with a Degree Certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution and also served as a Staff Editor for The Ohio State University Journal of Criminal Law. While in law school, Alex was also a Research Assistant to Dean Nancy H. Rogers, an Ohio Supreme Court Certified Mediator, and was President of the Moritz College of Law Truancy Mediation Project. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from Carthage College, in Kenosha, WI.

Executive Vice President, World Insurance Services, Inc.  
Director, Rare Earth Partners, Reinsurance Intermediaries, Hong Kong  

Greg Kritz is a respected advisor on transportation insurance, bonds and risk management services for the global supply chain. Armed with over thirty-seven years’ experience, Greg has served as a freight forwarder, a marine cargo and surety underwriter, the president of a multi-office international insurance agency, Senior Vice President for one of the nation’s largest logistics insurance providers, and president of his own logistics risk management trade advisory.  

He was tribunalized at Lloyd’s of London, a Lloyd’s CoverHolder with extensive experience in the London market. Greg is a Certified Insurance Counselor and versed in multiple lines of insurance and risk management issues relevant to international trade including marine cargo, cargo claim adjusting, cargo loss prevention, customs surety, and property.  

Greg is author of two cargo insurance primers and course guides, including an on-line interactive training module for logistics intermediaries. Additionally, he has spoken before more than a hundred and fifty audiences, authored numerous trade articles, and served as an advisory contributor to the International Chamber of Commerce. 

Auriol Marasco is a partner in the Aviation & Aerospace legal group at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. Her practice focuses principally on aviation commercial and regulatory matters. She has advised clients on matters relating to aircraft finance, aviation M&A, the operation and certification of remotely piloted aircraft systems (drones), airline restructuring and insolvency, aircraft repossession, airline and pilot licensing and conflict of laws issues. Auriol gained industry experience while working for a Canadian airline in the operations, contracts, marketing and maintenance departments.
Auriol is the secretary of the Aviation Working Group – Canada Contact Group, the Chair of the Canadian Bar Association Air and Space Law Section, as well as a member of Women in Aviation and Women in Aerospace. She is also a commercial multi-IFR (instrument flight rules) pilot and has guest lectured for the Commercial Aviation Management program at Western University in London, Ontario. Auriol is also the Chair of the Board of Directors for Hope Air, a not-for-profit organization that provides air transportation for Canadians requiring access to medical resources.
She has been recognized as a leading lawyer in aviation law, including in Chambers Canada 2022 (Band 3 – Transportation: Aviation: Finance), The Best Lawyers in Canada 2020-2022 (Aviation Law), The Legal 500 Canada 2021 (Next Generation Partner – Transport: Aviation), Who’s Who Legal: Canada 2022 (Transport Aviation), Chambers Canada: Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business 2021 (Up and Coming – Transportation: Aviation; Finance), The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2020-2021 (Aviation (Regulation & Liability)), Expert Guide Top Aviation Practitioners in Canada 2020 and Wings magazine "Top 20 Under 40" in the aviation industry.
Auriol was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 2009, and holds a .B.ACS (Hon) in Commercial Aviation Management from Western University (London, Ontario) and a LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School (Toronto, Ontario).

John L. Marchione is a senior associate attorney at Taylor Johnson, focusing on transportation and logistics issues and serving in the firm’s litigation and corporate practice groups. John regularly handles cargo claims, freight pay disputes, contract negotiations, regulatory issues, insurance defense matters, insurance coverage matters, appeals, and other complex civil litigations in both state and federal court. John prides himself on being a legal problem-solver capable of decoding even the most complicated legal puzzles. His ability to fairly analyze and assess the strengths and weaknesses of any situation are the foundation of his consistent exercising of practical, sound judgment. 
John is admitted to practice in Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Taylor Johnson, John enjoyed a successful career handling high-net worth family law matters in Manhattan and later South Tampa where he became acquainted with both complex financial issues and delicate emotional issues. Having practiced in both New York and Florida, John has a unique perspective and a wealth of knowledge to offer his clients.
John earned his J.D. degree from New York Law School, summa cum laude, and was awarded the school’s prestigious Trustee’s Prize, given to the student graduating with the highest cumulative grade point average in the graduating class.  Prior to law school, John earned his B.A. degree from the University of Delaware.

Mr. Mathis handles business law and civil litigation matters focused primarily in the transportation and logistics industry.  He represents motor carriers, inland transportation intermediaries, third party logistics providers, ocean transportation intermediaries, warehousemen, and shippers in a wide range of areas, including transportation and logistics law, regulatory compliance, corporate and business structure, employment matters, maritime and intermodal issues, insurance law and coverage issues, transportation contract matters, and civil litigation.
Mr. Mathis also advises local and national businesses, primarily in the areas of corporate and business structuring, contract preparation and negotiation, and regulatory compliance.

Katie Matison is a shareholder in the Seattle office of Lane Powell PC and is the chair of the firm's Transportation Practice. Katie earned her J.D. and LL.M. in Admiralty from Tulane University School of Law and serves on the Advisory Board of the Tulane Maritime Law Journal. Katie has been selected by Best Lawyers of America and has been consistently selected as a Super Lawyer. Katie represents U.S. international and U.S. transportation clients in both transactional matters and sophisticated complex high profile litigation. Katie is admitted to practice before all federal and state courts in Washington, the Ninth Circuit, the Fifth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. Katie is a proctor member of the Maritime Law Association.

James M. McCauley is the Ethics Counsel for the Virginia State Bar. He serves as staff liaison to the Virginia State Bar’s Standing Committee on Legal Ethics and manages the staff in the Legal Ethics Department and the Legal Ethics Hotline. Mr. McCauley served on the faculty of the Virginia State Bar’s Mandatory Professionalism Course from 2004-2010. For 15 years Mr. McCauley taught Professional Responsibility at the T.C. Williams School of Law in Richmond, Virginia and served on the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Legal Ethics and Professionalism from 2008-2011. In 2018, Mr. McCauley was elected “Leader of the Year” in the Virginia Lawyers Weekly “Leaders in the Law” awards program. He is Chair of the Public Statements Committee for the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers. Mr. McCauley is a Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation and American Bar Foundation. From 2014-2020, he served on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (VJLAP), formerly Lawyers Helping Lawyers. Mr. McCauley is the 2021 recipient of the Travers Scholar Award given by the Real Property Section of the Virginia State Bar and Virginia Continuing Legal Education.

Katie McMichael is the current Manager of Government Relations at Aurora Innovation. Her career has been focused on transportation starting with her work as a Congressional Aide for former Chairman of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee John Mica of Florida. Following her time on Capitol Hill she served as a lobbyist for Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association focusing on FAA Reauthorizations, Airspace, Certification and Airport issues. During her time she also managed and ran AOPA's Political Action Committee. She then worked for the American Moving and Storage Association running their Government Affairs Department focusing on surface transportation, Department of Defense, labor and tax policy. AMSA merged with the American Trucking Associations in the fall of 2021 where she was named the Executive Director of the Moving and Storage Conference.

Paul Mello is a Partner at Hanson Bridgett LLP in Northern California.  Paul represents public and private sector clients in high stakes litigation, including putative and certified wage and hour, misclassification, harassment, and discrimination class actions. His practice focuses on complex employment litigation, and he has significant experience in all aspects of the transportation industry.  Paul’s transportation practice is multifaceted and he represents and advises shippers, carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, and last-mile and home-delivery companies in litigation, litigation prevention, regulatory and compliance matters.  Paul also regularly drafts and negotiates transportation and logistics agreements for his clients.
 
Hanson Bridgett LLP
425 Market Street, 26th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
925-746-8480 Direct Phone
[email protected]
 
Professional Affiliations
Transportation Lawyers Association, Executive Committee Member, Committee on Labor and Human Resources, Co-Chair
National Home Delivery Association, Outside General Counsel
Bar Association of San Francisco
University of California, Davis School of Law (1995)
B.A., University of California, Davis (1991)
 
Admissions and Courts
California
Supreme Court of the United States
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California

Bryan J. Nelson is a partner with Taylor Johnson PL, practicing in its Tampa Bay office. He graduated from Florida State University in 2006 with degrees in Accounting and Finance from Florida State University, earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Stetson University in 2009, and graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 2009. He is licensed to practice law in the state of Florida. Prior to joining Taylor Johnson, Bryan practiced as general counsel and served as a chief administrative officer in the transportation industry for over a decade, representing a family of companies that included a motor carrier, a third-party logistics corporation, and a transportation management system provider. His practice focuses on developing, reviewing, and negotiating transportation agreements, processing, mitigating, and resolving cargo claims, guiding and assisting clients in selecting, securing, and auditing insurance policies, and analyzing and implementing the corporate structure and risk management policies of transportation entities in order to mitigate risk and develop scalability of operations.

Partner | Vice-Chair, National General Liability Practice
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, LLP

South Texas College of Law ; Juris Doctor
University of Southern Maine ; Bachelor of Science

State Bar of Texas

United States District Courts of Texas - Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western
United States Bankruptcy Courts - Southern District of Texas
United States Courts of Appeals - Fifth Circuit
United States Supreme Court

Texas Super Lawyer "Rising Star" (2011-2013)

Mark E. Newcomb is Counsel and Vice President for ZIM American Shipping Services Company, LLC,  the General Agent for ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, Ltd., which is headquartered in Haifa, Israel. Mark supervises all legal affairs, risk management, and regulatory programs for ZIM’s marine, inland, and common carrier operations throughout North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining ZIM American, he spent six years with CMA CGM (America) LLC as Legal Counsel, Safety & Security Officer and was counsel with DAVEY & BROGAN, P.C., a maritime and admiralty firm in Norfolk, Virginia for seven years. A 1981 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he served as a Line Officer until his transfer to the Judge Advocate General’s Corps in 1988, after receiving his J.D. from the College of William and Mary School of Law. From then until his retirement in 2001, he served in various staff and operational billets, including assignment as the principal legal advisor to Commander, Battle Force SEVENTH FLEET, where he focused upon Law of the Sea and Law of War issues, and on the International Law faculty of the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s School.
A member of the Bar of the Commonwealth of Virginia since 1988, he is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the Supreme Court of Virginia, and the United States Supreme Court. Mark is a Proctor Member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, a Master with the I’Anson-Hoffman Inn of Court, and serves on the Adjunct Faculty of the College of William and Mary School of Law, teaching classes and seminars in National Security Law and Terrorism and the Law.
Mark and his wife, Joni, have lived in Williamsburg since 1998 and have three grown children and five grandchildren.

Carrie Palmer focuses on legal advisement and strategic planning for businesses; all things Transportation (Broker, Carrier, Vendor and Insurer); and Regulatory Compliance. She is specially trained in the management and early evaluation of catastrophic transportation events. Prior to joining one of the nation’s largest motor carriers, Western Flyer Express, as a contracted executive in 2021, Carrie served as outside litigation and general counsel and as a project consultant for companies in the transportation, technology, manufacturing, and franchise arenas.
When she is not managing corporate strategy and risk for WFX and its affiliates, she consults with and trains transportation companies, executives, Safety Depts., drivers and expert witnesses, on risk assessment, avoidance and management; litigation preparedness; claims management; complex witness preparation; independent contractor programs, and entity protection and affiliate structure. Ms. Palmer is a frequent speaker on Transportation topics concerning independent contractors, litigation preparedness and risk management, the intersection of Technology, Law and Business, and Real-Time Data.
Ms. Palmer is a proud alumna of Kansas State University (Home of the Fighting K-State Wildcats!); J.D. University of Oklahoma. Admissions: U.S. Court of Appeal, 10th Circuit; all U.S. District Courts for Oklahoma. Martindale: AV Preeminent. Memberships: Oklahoma Bar Association; Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel (Board Member, 2010-2017); Trial Attorneys of America, (Board Member, 2009-2017, Vice-President 2018-19, President 2020-2022); and the Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA). [Past, American Bar Association (ABA, TIPS committee Vice Chair 2013-2018), CLM Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, and numerous annual SuperLawyers, ALM, and Top 100 awards.]

Stephanie S. Penninger is a Senior Director, Legal Counsel at XPO Logistics, a publicly traded, Fortune 500 leading global provider of cutting-edge supply chain solutions to blue chip companies across every major industry using a highly integrated network of over 700 locations and over 40,000 employees. In her role, Stephanie assists XPO in navigating the ever-changing regulatory landscape in the transportation and logistics industry, developing operational best practices and global customer solutions. Stephanie works close to the business in its performance of international freight forwarding, NVOCC, indirect air carrier, air charter and customs brokerage operations. She also tends to day-to-day legal matters that arise on the domestic side of XPO’s operations.
Stephanie’s expertise in advising on global supply chain legal matters has also proven valuable to industry associations. For instance, Stephanie is a Past Chair and a Current Vice President of the American Bar Association’s Admiralty and Maritime Law Committee and a recent Member-at-Large, serving on the Transportation Lawyers Association’s Executive Committee. She is also a proud member of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s International Affinity Group and the Transportation Intermediaries Association’s Food Advisory and Carrier Selection Committees. Stephanie has spoken before various industry groups and their membership throughout North America and written numerous published articles regarding maritime law matters, avoiding and litigating cargo claims and mitigating risk when transporting or arranging the transportation of food.

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. 

Marshal Pitchford has over two decades of experience in the practice of transportation law, government relations and commercial litigation.  Mr. Pitchford and his Ohio firm of DiCaudo, Pitchford & Yoder have repeatedly been recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers and US News & World Report in the field of transportation law and commercial litigation.   His national practice primarily focuses on representing entities in the transportation industry, offering both business planning and representation in litigation, including broker/carrier arrangements, owner/operator agreements, quality agreements, cargo claims, warehousing claims, freight charges collection, bodily injury, and commercial litigation.  Mr. Pitchford represents numerous major and small motor carriers, brokers, manufacturers, and logistics companies as to various transactional issues, cargo claims and regulatory compliance and serves as counsel in related litigation throughout Ohio and across the United States.

Globally ranked U.S. Customs and international trade law counselor and advocate, Peter Quinter, represents individuals and companies involved in the wide variety of legal issues associated with international trade and transportation, including litigation before federal courts across Florida and before the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York. Peter is a Florida Bar Board Certified international law attorney.

Peter represents importers, exporters, customs brokers, international freight forwarders and other companies involved in a myriad of industry sectors and international supply chain matters, such as regulatory compliance and enforcement by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In addition, Peter’s practice includes skill in 1 of 7 advising on U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-regulated products, such as food, dietary supplements and cosmetics, and involving detained or refused merchandise. He also advises on the submission of petitions for removal of FDA Import Alerts.

Moreover, Peter advises on legal issues involving licensing, investigations and penalties issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC). He advises clients on reducing penalties by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for hazardous materials or dangerous goods transported by air. Peter is passionate about solving the difficult problems his clients face. A people person at heart, Peter personally cares about establishing and maintaining productive relationships of trust – some of which include decades-long relationships with clients, colleagues and federal representatives – and offering the potential to realize efficient resolution to even the most challenging trade conditions.

Prior to private practice, Peter served as legal counsel at the Southeast Regional Headquarters of the U.S. Customs Service (now known as U.S. Customs and Border Protection) in Miami, Florida. His responsibilities included providing legal advice and representation to management of customs on all matters involving the administration and enforcement of the customs and international trade laws. He advised on virtually all U.S. Customs activities undertaken by its enforcement, commercial operations, fines, penalties and forfeitures, and regulatory audit personnel. Peter also assisted the U.S. Department of Justice in civil and criminal prosecutions on various customs violations, including commercial fraud, trade embargoes and export controls.

Prior to joining Gunster, Peter was a partner in a major commercial law firm, and head of its U.S. Customs and International Trade Law practice.

Shareholder, Marwedel, Minichello & Reeb, P.C. 

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 products liability and commercial law.

Rob graduated in 1985 from the University of Dallas, and in 1988, he was admitted to the Illinois bar after earning his law degree from Loyola University of Chicago. Rob regularly practices before Illinois State and Federal Courts. He is one of the founding shareholders of Marwedel, Minichello & Reeb, P.C., established in 1997, a firm specializing in maritime and transportation law.

Greg Reed is Executive Director and Transportation Industry Counsel to 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. Greg advocates for the interests NSRMCA members with the Postal Service and federal agencies, provides regulatory and legal 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 Drivers Association (OOIDA). He began his legal career representing small businesses in state and federal court in challenges to onerous, anti-competitive laws.

Jaclyne Reive is a Partner in Miller Thomson's Transportation and Logistics Group. Jaclyne Reive works with a wide range of clients across the transportation and supply chain industries, including motor carriers, load brokers, logistics service providers, warehouse operators and other freight intermediaries. She also assists manufacturers, importers, exporters, shippers, distributors and growers with their legal matters. She regularly advises on various regulatory compliance issues, including federal and/or provincial laws regarding transportation, hours of service, autonomous vehicles, privacy, and regulated products. Jaclyne has negotiated commercial contracts for these industries, including carriage of goods (load brokerage, owner-operator, warehousing, and supply of goods agreements. She has also prepared privacy policies (including in connection with the use of connected vehicles) and standard operating terms and conditions. She also has negotiated contracts between autonomous vehicle service providers and shippers for the transportation of goods. She has assisted companies at all stages, from initial start-up and capitalization to the development and protection of long standing businesses.
Jaclyne was the Ontario representative on the board of directors of the Canadian Transport Lawyers Association from 2019 to 2021 and Treasurer beginning March 2022. Jaclyne has written for various journals and magazines, including The Transportation Lawyer and Today’s Trucking, and has been a speaker for the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, the Supply Chain Management Association, the CTLA, TLA and for various private organizations.

Mr. Soumit Roy has served as Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel, & Corporate Secretary of Daseke, Inc., since joining the company in September 2017. Mr. Roy brings over 20 years’ experience in private practice and in-house counsel positions at Fortune 500 publicly traded companies. His private practice experience includes mergers and acquisitions, corporate securities, employment law, and intellectual property law. A Texas native, Mr. Roy received a B.S. Molecular Biology, B.S Biochemistry and his Juris Doctorate all from The University of Texas at Austin, and is a member of the State Bar of Texas.

Eric Rudich, Ph.D. is a Partner and Senior Litigation Consultant at Blueprint Trial Consultant. Dr. Rudich has been providing jury research and consulting services for over 20 years. He has worked on over 700 cases in venues throughout the United States. Dr. Rudich regularly leverages technology and utilizes analytics to help his clients gain insight into how individuals analyze and ultimately decide his clients’ cases. As a social psychologist, he evaluates how jurors’ emotions, perceptions, moral outlook, and attitudes influence their verdict determinations.
Dr. Rudich has been retained by insurance carriers and trucking lines on over 100 transportation cases. He also has extensive experience working with defendants in high-stakes commercial disputes which include intellectual property, product liability, insurance defense, transportation, construction defect, contract, employment and antitrust litigation. He regularly works with trial teams to develop themes and storylines, advise on visual strategies, create jury profiles and prepare witnesses.
Dr. Rudich also has appeared as an invited guest on CourtTV and MSNBC, regularly conducts CLEs, spoken at legal seminars and conferences, and published several articles in leading legal journals.
Education
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC Ph.D, Social Psychology
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL M.S., Experimental Psychology
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL B.S., Psychology

She has been a speaker at the International Aviation Womens Association, and was admitted to the internship program of the Aviation Working Group, where it was secondee for a period of three years.
 
Recent publications include:
•   New Mexico City Airport – A Few Days Away from the Inauguration, COELUM (March 2022)
•  New Tax Realities for 2021, COELUM (March 2021)
•  Global Aircraft Trading System (GATSTM), COELUM (June 2019)

Daniel Sbanotto, Director, Legal & Risk – Transplace 

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. 

Thomas J. Schoenbaum, lawyer and counselor at law, holds a Juris Doctor degree (with distinction) from the University of Michigan and a PhD from the University or Cambridge (UK), Gonville & Caius College. He served as the founding executive director of the Tulane Maritime Law Center. Schoenbaum actively practices maritime law and is presently a professor at UW law school and Fellow of Georgetown University in Washington DC. He is the author of the treatise, Admiralty and Maritime Law, now in its 6^th edition, published by Thomson Reuters. He is also the author of Admiralty and Maritime Hornbook published by West Publishing Co.
 

Elle M. Slattery is a Corporate Attorney at Taylor Johnson PL, a specialty transportation law firm based out of Central Florida. She holds bar admissions to both Florida and the District of Columbia. Elle received dual Bachelor’s Degrees from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana where she graduated magna cum laude; her undergraduate thesis work was on Secular and Vernacular Theatrical Performance in Medieval France. She holds a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. where she graduated cum laude, and was a Constitutional Law Fellow and focused on Administrative, Aviation, and Maritime Law. In 2021, Elle received accolades as a popular speaker at the ATA Legal Forum and the Women in Trucking Annual Conference, presenting on the importance of meaningful contract construction.

Art is a member of Butler Snow, LLP in Ridgeland, Mississippi, and serves as the Practice Group Leader for the Tort, Transportation & Specialized Litigation Group and is the coordinator of the firm’s Trucking Group, 24-Hour Accident Investigation Team, and Autonomous Vehicle Technology Group. He has over 30 years of experience in transportation law, trucking defense, automotive law, recreational vehicle/warranty law, and product liability law. He is a member of the Transportation Lawyers Association (TLA), Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA), and the Defense Research Institute’s (DRI) Trucking Committee. Art has served as Chair of The Harmonie Group Transportation Committee, currently serves as a Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Commercial Ground Transportation Committee and is a frequent author and speaker for national trucking organizations on trucking defense, trucking technology, and autonomous and electric vehicles.
Art is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell, and his work has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® and Mid-South Super Lawyers®. He obtained his undergraduate degree (B.Accy) and his J.D. from the University of Mississippi and is admitted to The Mississippi Bar, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Sixth Circuits, the U.S. Supreme Court and has appeared pro hac vice on behalf of his clients in approximately 20 states.
Art is an Executive Board member of the Andrew Jackson Council of the Boy Scouts of America, where he is the Eagle Scout Scholarship Coordinator, and is a Board member of the Mississippi Museum of Art. Art and his wife Liz are the busy parents of three teenage boys.

Greg Summy is Of Counsel with Vandeventer Black LLP, Norfolk, VA, and is a member of the firm’s Transportation Practice Group. Prior to that, he served as Deputy General Counsel with Norfolk Southern Corporation, Associate General Counsel with North American Van Lines, Corporate Counsel with Lee Way Motor Freight, and in private practice in his hometown of Oklahoma City. Mr. Summy received a B. A. in History from the University of Oklahoma and a J. D. from the University of Oklahoma, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. He is admitted to the Bars of Virginia, Oklahoma, and Indiana (inactive).  

Among his professional activities, Mr. Summy is Past President of the Transportation Lawyers Association (TLA), and Past Chair of the Transportation Section of the Virginia Bar Association. At TLA, Mr. Summy has been honored to receive the Distinguished Service Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Bullshippers’ Award. Mr. Summy is Past President of the Norfolk Portsmouth Bar Association Foundation, and is a member of the Board of Directors (Treasurer) of the Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia. Mr. Summy has appeared on continuing legal education panels of the TLA, Canadian Transport Lawyers Association, Maritime Law Association, the U. S. Law Firm Association, and the Virginia Bar Association. 

Primary Practice(s):
• General Liability
• Transportation

Education:
• Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2008
• Oklahoma State University, Bachelor of Science, manga cum laude, 2005

Katherine Vaughn is a partner in the Denver office of Lewis Brisbois, a member of the General Liability Practice, and a Vice-Chair of the Transportation Practice. Ms. Vaughn devotes a significant amount of her practice to the defense of commercial trucking and automobile liability, and premises liability matters. Ms. Vaughn regularly handles high exposure and media-sensitive cases, including wrongful death and catastrophic injury claims. Ms. Vaughn also represents insurers and insureds in first and third-party insurance coverage disputes, breach of contract, and bad-faith litigation. Ms. Vaughn is an experienced litigator who regularly represents clients in state and federal courts across the country. She manages all phases of litigation, including pre-suit investigation, pleadings and motions practice, fact discovery, depositions, and expert discovery. Ms. Vaughn has significant litigation experience in successfully drafting and arguing dispositive motions, including motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment. She is similarly experienced in defending against claims for punitive damages, conducting and defending corporate representative depositions, negotiating settlements, assisting with all aspects of trial preparation, and trying to verdict. In her transportation practice, Ms. Vaughn is a member of Lewis Brisbois’s 24/7 Rapid Response Team, and has coordinated rapid response accident investigations in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. Ms. Vaughn uses her extensive knowledge of the FMCSAs in defending transportations clients both large and small against property, casualty, personal injury, and cargo claims.

Awards & Honors:
Super Lawyers Rising Star - 2018

Admissions:
• State Bar Admissions: Colorado, Montana, Oklahoma, Wyoming

• United States District Courts: United States District Court for the District of Colorado

Alecia Walters-Hinds is a partner in the New York office of Lewis Brisbois and a vice-chair of the General Liability Practice. She is also a trial attorney and the Immediate President of New York City American Board Of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Her practice focuses on defense of claims in a variety of areas. She specializes in the handling of high exposure and catastrophic injuries that range from general liability to medical malpractice claims. Ms. Walters-Hinds represents physicians, nurses, dentists and pharmacists.
In addition, she also represents hospitals, outpatient medical facilities, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and long-term care providers. She has tried over 100 cases and taken over 50 verdicts. She is often called upon to parachute in on cases with catastrophic injuries.
Ms. Walters- Hinds has also been named to Super Lawyers, Rising Stars for excellence in practice. She has published best practices articles in the New York Law Journal and New York State Bar Association’s One on One. She has also been a presenter at Continuing Legal Education courses on Trial Advocacy.