2024 Mass Torts Puerto Rico Speakers

Aaron Heckaman

Partner
Bailey, Cowan, Heckaman PLLC

Aaron graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Information and Operation Management. He then attended South Texas College of Law, where he represented the school in the mock trial program, and served as an associate editor for the Corporate Counsel Review. Prior to joining the firm, Aaron worked for two nationally recognized trial law firms. Aaron has been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers (2021), in addition to being named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers (2010, 2019-2020), a Thomson Reuters publication and was selected to Rue Ratings’ Best Attorneys of America (2016). He is a member of the National Association of Distinguished Counsel, the American Academy of Trial Attorneys, and the Texas Bar College.

Adam Levitt

Partner
Dicello Levitt

Adam Levitt is one of the nation’s leading advocates for plaintiffs in complex, multidistrict, class action, public client, mass tort, and commercial litigation. Drawing on his extensive experience pursuing and obtaining justice for those who have been wronged by powerful defendants, he co-founded DiCello Levitt to create a top-tier complex issues and trial firm founded on excellence, trust, and respect—where every team member’s voice and talents are valued. In his decades-long career, Adam has scored numerous significant and precedent-setting victories, delivering more than $20 billion in recoveries to clients in biotechnology, financial services, securities, insurance coverage, consumer protection, automotive defects, agricultural products, and antitrust disputes. His reputation for innovatively taking on tough cases has led to his appointment to leadership positions in many historic and headline-grabbing litigations, including three of the largest biotechnology class actions in U.S. history, where he served as co-lead counsel, helped recover more than $1.7 billion on behalf of plaintiffs, and created a game-changing economic model to measure crop contamination damages that set the modern industry standard. He was also retained by multiple State Attorneys General to hold some of the world’s largest chemical companies accountable for widespread environmental contamination from their “forever chemicals” known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Also, as part of a leadership group characterized as a “class action dream team,” Adam helped secure a $16 billion settlement in litigation arising from Volkswagen’s emissions scandal, and, in a rare class action trial, he and his fellow co-lead counsel secured a milestone $102.6 million jury verdict against General Motors for hiding engine defects from consumers. Adam is also a leader in the legal profession and a frequent speaker on multidistrict litigation, consumer protection, automotive litigation, biotechnology, corporate governance, securities litigation, and internet privacy. Nationally recognized as an authority on class action litigation, Adam writes a monthly class action column in The National Law Journal, has testified before the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee on class action practice, and chairs an annual class action litigation conference in Chicago. As a founding partner of DiCello Levitt, Adam has cultivated a diverse roster of skilled litigators to advance the cause of justice for individuals, businesses, and public clients. The firm’s attorneys are highly respected for their ability to litigate and win cases and have secured billions of dollars in recoveries for their clients through class action, business-to-business, whistleblower, personal injury, civil rights, and mass tort litigation. They have worked on some of the highest-profile securities actions ever filed, developed game-changing legal theories to secure landmark wins against tech giants that misused and exposed massive troves of personal data, and held some of the world’s largest corporations accountable for endangering and harming American consumers. With a long history of working with public clients, Adam and his partners understand the wants and needs of government officials and their teams, and, as experts in trial practice and jury persuasion, they consistently achieve best-in-class results for their clients. Adam’s own groundbreaking work on behalf of plaintiffs has been recognized locally and nationally in prestigious ranking directories, including Chambers USA, where he has received a Band 1 ranking for Mainly Plaintiffs Litigation in Illinois for three consecutive years. Chambers USA also ranked Adam in Illinois for General Commercial Litigation and nationwide for Product Liability Litigation, where the editors describe him as the “go-to plaintiffs’ attorney in the class actions space.” In 2021, 2022, and 2023, Benchmark Litigation named Adam a National Litigation Star and Securities and Litigation Star in Illinois. According to The National Law Journal, Adam is a “pioneer” in technology litigation. Crain’s Chicago Business has named him a Notable Litigator and Trial Attorney and a Notable Gen X Leader in Accounting, Consulting, and Law, and Lawdragon has named him one of the 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers and one of the 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in the United States. An elected member of the American Law Institute and the Economic Club of Chicago, Adam considers the formation of DiCello Levitt in 2017 to be a pivotal moment in his distinguished legal career. With a shared vision and commitment to helping people and businesses use the legal system to have their voices heard, he and his partners intend to maintain their industry-wide influence for years to come with a steadfast resolve for justice in all its dimensions.

Alexandra Walsh

Founder
Walsh Law

Alexandra Walsh is a nationally recognized trial attorney with extensive experience trying and winning cases in courts throughout the country. After years of defending corporate clients, Alex launched Walsh Law to turn a page in her practice and use her expertise and experience to fight for plaintiffs seeking justice in the nation’s courts. Alex’s successes at trial are well-recognized. In 2018, she received accolades from the National Law Journal for her decisive trial win in the national litigation concerning blockbuster blood thinner, Xarelto. In 2019, Law360 named Alex a Trial MVP of the Year for her victory in a major consumer fraud class action targeting One A Day multivitamins. In 2020, New York Law Journal elevated to its Verdict Hall of Fame the billion-dollar jury award Alex helped secure in a fraud and negligence case against media giant, Vivendi SA. For these and other successes, Alex was recently inducted as a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, which limits its membership to “experienced trial lawyers who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality.”

Amy Collins

Attorney
Amy L. Collins, PC

Amy Collins is the founder and owner of Amy L. Collins, PC, a firm that provides independent third-party services for common benefit consulting and auditing in multidistrict litigation and state court coordinated proceedings nationwide. Amy is an attorney with more than a decade of litigation experience, the vast majority of which was spent as a litigator focused solely on mass tort litigation.

Anthony Majestro

Managing Member
Powell & Majestro, PLLC.

Anthony J. Majestro is the Managing Member of Powell & Majestro, PLLC. West Virginia. Mr. Majestro is a summa cum laude graduate of West Virginia University (1986) and a cum laude graduate of Georgetown University Law Center (1989). Mr. Majestro is licensed to practice law in West Virginia and various federal district and appellate courts. Mr. Majestro was selected as a Harry S. Truman Scholar in 1984 and served from 1989-1990 as a law clerk to the Honorable Thomas A. Clark of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Majestro concentrates his practice in prosecuting complex litigation, focusing on consumer fraud and defective products, including defective drugs and medical devices. In the course of his practice, Mr. Majestro has served as class counsel, lead counsel, liaison counsel and in leadership roles in a number of state and national class actions, mass torts, and other complex cases. Mr. Majestro has developed an extensive appellate practice and has numerous appellate victories in state and federal appellate courts across the country, including a unanimous decision on the merits from Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Majestro regularly serves as appellate counsel and also represents state and local officials and agencies in trial and appellate litigation. Over the past five years, Mr. Majestro has been involved in leadership roles in the opioid litigation nationwide serving as Co-Chair of the Law and Briefing Committee of MDL 2804, In re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation and a member of three trial teams. Mr. Majestro was the President of the West Virginia Association for Justice from 2013 – 2014. He has served as a member of the WVAJ Board of Governors for more than a decade and has been a member of the organization’s executive committee since 2007. He serves as the WVAJ’s Legislative Chair and a member of its amicus committee. He was named the West Virginia Association for Justice’s Member of the Year in 2007 and 2012. He also serves as member of the national board of governors for the Association of Justice. He is one of the founding co-chairs of the American Bar Association’s Committee on Attorney Generals. Mr. Majestro regularly lectures at state and national seminars on topics related to law office automation, consumer protection, class actions, appellate litigation, and mass torts.

Ari Kresch

Founder & Chief Visionary Officer
1-800-LAW-FIRM

Ari Kresch is the founder of 1-800-LAW-FIRM and has been on the national radar during most of his 45 years practicing law.  His visionary approach to the business of law has set him apart by being the first national advertiser, the first intake center run by trained paralegals, the first law firm to use artificial intelligence to qualify prospective clients, the first law firm to brand itself using a toll-free vanity number, the first transplanted law firm from the mainland to choreograph class action lawsuits in Puerto Rico  and the second mass-tort law firm to move to Puerto Rico.  His progressive approach to legal partnerships has allowed him and his partner firms to aggregate the highest quality dockets in the industry, in addition to designing unique and creative causes of action to protect our sacred environment and go after those who contaminate and destroy it in the name of profits.

Bradley D. Honnold

Founding Partner
Goza Honnold Trial Lawyers

Brad Honnold has more than 30 years of experience trying lawsuits and managing high stake litigation throughout the country. Brad has been recognized by his peers and clients for his outstanding work ethic and everlasting advocacy on behalf of his clients. When he takes on a case, Brad’s clients acquire the benefit of his seasoned legal experience, and extensive knowledge of the law, as well as his ready sense of humor. After graduating from the University of Iowa – College of Law, and before starting his own law firm, Brad was a partner at a large nationally known firm. He was a defense attorney from 1989 to 2004, representing hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and physicians in product liability and medical negligence litigation. In 2005 Brad made the switch to representing plaintiffs. He, along with his friend and law partner Kirk Goza, started Goza & Honnold, LLC. After working as a defense lawyer, Brad wanted to use his expertise to represent clients who had experienced an injury caused by medical malpractice. Because of his experience as a defense lawyer, Brad brings a different perspective to cases, and he felt a calling to do something different – something that would help people in their time of need. “I really just felt a calling to do something different,” he said. “There’s something very different about dealing with a person who has been injured or harmed in some way.” As a partner of Goza & Honnold, LLC, Brad focuses on medical negligence, pharmaceutical and prescription drugs, medical devices, and general personal injury cases. Since partnering and working on national litigations, Kirk and Brad have represented thousands of clients, including Vioxx, Bextra/Celebrex, Fleets Phospho Soda, Trans Vaginal Mesh, DePuy ASR, Zimmer Durom, Pradaxa, Fosamax, Actos, and Power Morcellator. Brad is a member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, The Kansas Bar, The Missouri Bar, the U.S. District Court – District of Kansas, the U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri, and The Missouri Association of Trial Lawyers.

Carlos R. Baralt-Suárez

Attorney
Baralt Law LLC

Mr. Baralt-Suárez joined Delgado & Fernández, LLC in 2017.  He represents clients in securities litigation, litigation related to real estate, complex commercial litigation, appeals, and constitutional law controversies.  Carlos has drafted multiple merits briefs and motions filed in the First Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, and the Puerto Rico courts.  He maintains an active appellate practice before the First Circuit and the Puerto Rico Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court.  He has also practiced before federal and state administrative agencies.  Carlos advises a major Puerto Rico broker dealer in regulatory matters and represents that firm in arbitration before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.  Carlos has successfully defended and obtained injunctions and other requests for equitable remedies in federal and state courts. Prior to joining Delgado & Fernández, LLC, Mr. Baralt-Suárez was the Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Alejandro García Padilla and acted as a representative of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico before the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico established under PROMESA, U.S. Congress, and federal agencies. Carlos clerked for the Hon. Juan R. Torruella, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and the Hon. Federico Hernández Denton, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Puerto Rico.  He also worked in the Litigation Department of O’Neill & Borges, LLC, another major Puerto Rico law firm.  Carlos taught Federal Civil Litigation and Motion Practice as an Adjunct Professor at the School of Law of the University of Puerto Rico. Mr. Baralt-Suárez was an Editor of the University of Puerto Rico Law Review and a Founding Editor of the University of Puerto Rico Business Law Journal.

Chris Coffin

Partner
Pendley, Baudin & Coffin, L.L.P.

Chris Coffin is a partner with Pendley, Baudin & Coffin, L.L.P., located in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has years of experience and background in litigating complex cases involving defective pharmaceuticals and medical devices, environmental contamination, product liability, toxic torts and consumer fraud claims. In addition to being a registered nurse for over twenty-four (24) years, as the leader of Pendley, Baudin & Coffin's pharmaceutical and medical device litigation practice, Chris has been actively prosecuting cases against pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers for over seventeen (17) years.

Christopher Schnieders

Partner
Napoli Shkolnik Law

Chris Schnieders devotes his entire practice to civil litigation with an emphasis in the areas of complex pharmaceutical and medical device actions, professional liability actions, and personal injury actions. Chris has worked extensively in the litigation surrounding Paxil, Prozac, Transvaginal Mesh, Avandia, Yaz, Bextra, Celebrex and Vioxx. Chris’ work in all of these litigations has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in recovery to his clients.  Chris has also successfully represented both defendants and plaintiffs in numerous medical malpractice and other professional liability actions. This representation encompassed all facets of litigation, up to, and including, jury verdict. Chris’ litigation practice has earned him numerous distinctions, including recognition both as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer in the state of Missouri from The National Trial Lawyers and as a Super Lawyer for the state of Missouri starting in 2013.  Chris is also AV rated, the highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards under the peer review system of Martindale-Hubbell, the national legal directory. Chris is an active member of the American Association for Justice; the Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas Bar Associations; the National Trial Lawyers; and the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association. Chris is a graduate of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Leadership Academy as well as the Ross T. Roberts Inn of Court Program, and has served as vice chair of the KCMBA Civil Practices Committee. Chris is also a board member of Boys Hope Girls Hope of Kansas City, an organization helping academically capable and motivated boys in need to meet their full potential.  He has also devoted substantial Pro Bono time to indigent persons faced with family court issues. Currently, Chris is actively involved in representing women injured by their exposure to Essure and individuals injured due to placement of an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter.  Chris is further involved in representing children injured by in utero ingestion of Zofran, a drug prescribed off-label for morning sickness in pregnancy, as well as Clomid/Serophene, a drug used to induce ovulation in women wishing to become pregnant.  In addition to his products liability work, Chris continues to investigate and represent claims involving catastrophic injury and wrongful death.

Coral Odiot-Rivera

Partner
Napoli Shkolnik Law

Ms. Odiot’s practice primarily focuses on environmental class actions and mass tort litigations. As a Partner, she played an integral role in the negotiation of the two landmark settlements for $12.5 billion and $1.185 billion with 3M and DuPont, Chemours and Corteva in the AFFF Multi-District Litigation. She also leads several environmental litigations representing individuals and entities nationwide affected by air, soil, and/or water contamination encompassing a wide spectrum of hazardous substances, including lead, per- and polyfluoroakyl substances (PFAS), 1,4-Dioxane, and smelter plant by-products. Coral graduated cum laude from the Interamerican University School of Law where she also was Editor in Chief of the school’s Law Review. She began her career clerking for the Hon. Anabelle Rodríguez Rodríguez, Associate Justice for the Puerto Rico Supreme Court (2012). After clerking for the Supreme Court, she worked as a legal advisor for the Civil Rights, Democratic Participation and Social Economy Committee of the Senate of Puerto Rico. Prior to joining her current firm, Coral was a legal advisor for the Independent Consumer Protection Office (“ICPO”) representing the Puerto Rico energy consumer in matters before the Puerto Rico Energy Commission and Puerto Rico courts. As a legal advisor for the ICPO, Coral became knowledgeable in matters of Energy and Environmental Law and was given a scholarship by the National Conference of Regulatory Attorneys for a Georgetown Law Course about Regulating Public Utility Performance.

Daniel Callahan

Attorney
Callahan Consulting Group LLC

Daniel Callahan opened his own law office on St. Patrick’s Day in 1984. From there, he distinguished himself as one of the top trial attorneys in California and has repeatedly been recognized by his peers for his incredible accomplishments. Mr. Callahan was the winner of the prestigious OCTLA Trial Lawyer of the Year Award three times, in 2000, 2004, and 2012. Since founding Callahan & Blaine, Mr. Callahan has won many jury trials and obtained scores of seven and eight-figure settlements on behalf of his clients.

Devin Stone

Attorney
Stone Law

Devin Stone is a trial lawyer who focuses on all aspects of civil litigation. When he’s not in court, Devin runs the world’s most popular legal YouTube channel: LegalEagle (youtube.com/legaleagle).  LegalEagle’s mission is to break down the laws and legal issues that surround our everyday lives and bring legal literacy to the masses. Ever devoted to his educational mission, Devin is an adjunct law professor at Georgetown Law in Washington, DC. Devin is also a renowned public speaker (for more information related to public speaking and social media consulting see LegalEagle.tv). As a trial lawyer and litigator, Devin is responsible for successful trial verdicts and settlements valued at more than $300,000,000. Devin has wide-ranging subject matter experience including:

• Business litigation
• Contract disputes
• Intellectual property litigation (including wide-ranging cases involving all manner of copyrights, trademarks, and patents)
• Business torts (including unfair competition and consumer protection statutes)
• Class action defense
• Banking regulation litigation (involving negotiable instruments, the UCC, and FIRREA)
• Government contracts
• Privacy regulation claims
• Students rights claims
• Construction and real estate litigation
• Product liability
• Bankruptcy actions (adverse proceeding)
• Toxic torts

Commensurate with his wide-ranging practice, Mr. Stone has extensive experience with trial, motion practice, depositions, discovery, and general litigation. He has drafted numerous successful trial briefs, motions for judgment on the pleadings, motions for summary judgments, demurrers, motions to dismiss, and other sundry motions. Prior to starting Stone Law DC, Mr. Stone was a senior associate at national firms Barnes & Thornburg and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. Before that, he served as an extern for the Honorable Arthur L. Alarcon, a senior judge for the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. While externing for Judge Alarcon, Devin worked on several civil and criminal Ninth Circuit appeals and drafted portions of published opinions. Mr. Stone received his undergraduate degree, with honors, in Political Science, summa cum laude from the UCLA in 2005, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. In 2008, he earned his J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, where he served as a member of the UCLA Entertainment Law Review. Mr. Stone is also a distinguished academic competitor. In law school, he was heavily involved with the UCLA Mock Trial Program and UCLA Moot Court Honors Program, where he was one of the most successful advocates in the history of the school. Some accolades Mr. Stone received at various national competitions included:

• Winning the AAJ/ATLA regional mock trial competition in 2005 and again in 2007 (the only two years he competed in the competition)
• Winning the Stanford Invitational Tournament in 2005 (placing first as a team and first as the overall attorney)
• Finishing as semifinalist at the 56th Roscoe Pound Moot Court Tournament (earning UCLA’s Distinguished Advocate and Outstanding Advocate awards)
• After law school, Mr. Stone continued to support the UCLA Mock Trial Program and served as its head coach from 2008 to 2011.

Mr. Stone is admitted to practice in California, Maryland, New York, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Diandra “Fu” Debrosse Zimmermann

Partner
DiCello Levitt LLP

Diandra “Fu” Debrosse is Managing Partner of DiCello Levitt’s Birmingham office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Mass Tort division. Fu is also a member of the firm’s Public Client, Environmental, Personal Injury, Civil Rights, and Trial practice groups. Widely known for her relentless client advocacy, Fu represents individuals and public entities injured by wrongful conduct, whether from defective medical devices or drugs, environmental contamination, corporate misconduct, or civil rights abuse. Nationally recognized as a powerhouse in mass torts, class actions, products liability, discrimination, and sexual assault claims, Fu has secured almost a billion dollars in client damages. Fu holds prominent leadership positions for several multidistrict litigations, including Co-Lead Counsel for In re: Abbott Laboratories, et al., Preterm Infant Nutrition Products Liability Litigation; Co-Lead Counsel for In re: Hair Relaxer Marketing Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation; Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee for In re: Paraquat Products Liability Litigation; Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/ Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation; and Plaintiffs’ Committee for In re Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAS) Products Liability Litigation. She also represents municipalities in both In re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation and In re: McKinsey & Company Inc., National Prescription Opiate Consultant Litigation, and is counsel in In re: Proton Pump Inhibitor Litigation. Fu formerly held a seat on the In re: Smith & Nephew Birmingham Hip Resurfacing Hip Implant Liability Litigation Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee and the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for In re: Higher One Account Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, and has represented plaintiffs in many other MDLs. Fu also leads many systematic civil rights and sexual assault cases and represents states and municipalities in litigation. In addition to other significant representations, she currently represents the City of Baltimore in relation to the devastating collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. In 2022, 2023 and 2024, Lawdragon recognized Fu as one of the 500 Leading Consumer Lawyers.  In 2024 Lawdragon recognized Fu as one of the 500 Leading Global Plaintiff Lawyers.  Chambers USA 2022 and 2023 ranked the firm’s Litigation: Mainly Plaintiffs team among Chambers USA 2022 and 2023 ranked the firm’s Litigation: Mainly Plaintiffs team among the top five in Alabama. The Birmingham Business Journal honored Fu with a Best of the Bar Award and Who’s Who in the Law recognitions in 2021 and 2022. In 2024, Forbes recognized Fu as one of America’s Top 200 Lawyers in their inaugural list.

Douglass A. Kreis

Founding Partner
Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis, & Overholdtz PLLC

Douglass A. Kreis, a partner with the firm, received his B.A. degree from Mercer University, attending under a four-year academic/athletic scholarship, and his Juris Doctorate from Cumberland School of Law. While in law school, Mr. Kreis earned the distinction as Cumberland’s 1997 National Environmental/Toxic Tort Law Conference Representative (Washington, D.C.). After gaining significant trial advocacy experience through Cumberland’s Trial Advocacy Program/Moot Court Competitions, Mr. Kreis accepted a prestigious internship with future Alabama Supreme Court Justice, Michael Bolin. Over the past twenty years, Mr. Kreis has dedicated himself towards seeking justice for clients injured by defective pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices – successfully representing thousands of clients in litigation throughout the country. Mr. Kreis has successfully pursued claims against major manufacturers including: Wyeth/Pfizer; Bayer; Smith & Nephew, Zimmer, Biomet, Stryker Orthopedics/Howmedica, Wright Medical Mentor; Johnson & Johnson/Ethicon; American Medical Systems; Bard; Covidien; Coloplast; Atrium/Getinge; and others. Along the way, Mr. Kreis has become one of the most knowledgeable attorneys in the country regarding the interplay between law and science. Mr. Kreis has gained the respect of his colleagues and has been asked to speak at many mass tort seminars and symposiums throughout the country during which he addresses science and law in the context of epidemiology; the potential modes of failure (general and specific causation); and the pathology, histology and presentation of related injuries. Mr. Kreis recently put his specialized skillset to work in taking the lead role in identifying and retaining the world’s preeminent experts in acoustics, audiology, military hearing conservation and Military Safety to support U.S. Service Members and Veterans in what is the largest litigation in history. These cases are pending against Minneapolis based 3M relating to a defective earplug (Combat Arms Version 2) which lead to hearing damage, including: hearing loss; tinnitus; hyperacusis and exacerbation of PTSD. Mr. Kreis has held leadership and committee positions on national litigations, including: Lead Counsel (IN RE MENTOR CORP. OBTAPE TRANSOBTURATOR SLING PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION MDL (MDL 2004); Executive Committee (In re: Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2441); Steering Committee (In Re: Biomet M2A Magnum Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, MDL Docket 2391); and Expert Committee (In Re: Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation (MDL 2885).

Dr. Charles Bennett

Professor
University of South Carolina

Dr. Bennett is the principal investigator for the only state-funded independent pharmaceutical safety program in the nation- the Southern Network on Adverse Reactions (SONAR)/the Doris Levkoff Meddin Center for Pharmaceutical Safety.  The program has been funded by over $15 million in support from the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, the Department of Veterans Administration, a $5 million endowment from the state of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina, and two philanthropists from South Carolina.  The program does not accept any funds from the pharmaceutical industry. SONAR evaluates the safety of pharmaceuticals and medical devices with annual sales of $1 billion or greater. In the past decade, SONAR has identified 43 potentially fatal and previously unrecognized adverse drug or device reactions. The result has been improved safety information on product labels and savings of tens of thousands of lives; most (but not all) of the identified drugs or devices continued to have robust sales; at the same time, their safety profiles have been improved. An important finding in 2006 identified  patients who experienced hypersensitivity and allergic reactions to coronary drug eluting stents.  The initial finding was based on autopsies of four persons with sudden death, whose hearts were available for cardiac pathologist review.  Finally, SONAR has reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine the first empirical data identifying conflicts of interest in pharmaceutical sponsored basic science research- a finding that mirrors that for clinical research.

Dr. Manuel Gonzalez-Brito

CMO
MSP Recovery Law Firm

Manuel Gonzalez-Brito, D.O. was born in Miami, Florida and is a graduate of the University of Florida. He obtained his medical degree at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. His General Pediatric residency and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine fellowship were completed at the University of Miami School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital (UHealth). Dr. Brito was a professor of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital who cared for critically ill children due to trauma, infection, organ failure/transplant, cardiac critical care, burns and all other illness related to pediatric critical care. This included being a part of the pediatric sedation program designed especially for children with complex medical conditions. During his professorship, Dr. Brito had extensive experience in training medical students as well as Pediatric residents and fellows. In addition, Dr. Brito’s professorship at the University of Miami included basic science and clinical research with publications in Traumatic Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury and Peripheral Nerve Injury.  This included being selected to the Pediatric Scientist Development Program (PSDP). As a physician-scientist, Dr. Brito conducted research that included collaborations with physicians and scientists at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and the UHealth Batchelor Childrens Research Institute. After his professorship at the University of Miami, Dr. Brito spent an additional 10years as the co-director of the Palm Beach Childrens Hospital Pediatric Critical Care Unit and director of the Palm Beach Childrens Pediatric Concussion Center as part of Kidzmedical Services (KMS is a pediatric physician group based in Miami, FL). During this time Dr. Brito cared for critically ill children due to trauma, cardiac-illness, infection, respiratory illnesses, neurologic/neurosurgical conditions, and complex orthopedic conditions. In addition, Dr. Brito participated in the Palm Beach Childrens Pediatric Sedation service. As part of his tenure with KMS, Dr. Brito also provided Pediatric and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine service to Naples Community Hospital North, Bethesda, and Del Ray Medical Center Hospitals. Dr. Brito is a board-certified physician by the American Board of Pediatrics in General Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. Education: 1989-1993 Bachelor of Science, Psychology. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. 1993-1997 Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, NSUCOM, Ft Lauderdale-Davie, FL. 1997-1998 1yr Rotating Internship, Palmetto General Hospital, Miami, FL. 1998-2001 Pediatric Residency Program, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL. 2001-2005 Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL.

Erin Copeland

Partner
Fibich Leebron Copeland & Briggs

Mass tort litigator licensed in Texas and Missouri. Represents injured individuals nationwide. Largely focused on issues involving women's healthcare and litigation involving drugs and devices specifically for women. Appointed Co-Lead of the Paragard (birth control product) MDL pending in Atlanta, GA. Previously served on Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in the Essure (birth control product) JCCP pending in Alameda County, California. Helped to facilitate a 1.6B settlement on behalf of nearly 30k Plaintiffs who claimed injury by the Essure device. Other appointments include: Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in the Hair Relaxer MDL pending in Illinois; Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in the Uloric consolidated action pending in Illinois; Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in the Onglyza MDL pending in Kentucky; Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in all Transvaginal Mesh MDLs pending in West Virginia and Plaintiffs' Steering Committee/State-Federal Liaison in Pradaxa MDL in Illinois

Evan M. Janush

Managing Attorney
The Lanier Law Firm

I am the Managing Attorney of the New York office of The Lanier Law Firm. I have significant experience representing clients in complex commercial litigation, pharmaceutical mass tort litigation, antitrust and class-action litigation, and representing employees in discrimination and whistleblower actions.My work has involved significant appeals, legal motions and oral arguments that have supported trial verdicts in excess of $450 million, in addition to achieving numerous multi-million-dollar settlements. In 2013, I was honored to be named a New York "SuperLawyer" and I am honored to have been listed as one of the Top 100 trial lawyers in New York by the National Trial Lawyers Association (2010-2013). I am a 1998 graduate of Yeshiva University, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where I was a member of the Law Review and President of the Student Bar Association. I received my undergraduate degree summa cum laude in 1995 from the University of Connecticut where I was the President of the Student Government Association at the Stamford campus. Prior to joining The Lanier Law Firm, I practiced law at the firms of Weitz & Luxenberg and Jenkens & Gilchrist Parker Chapin.I am licensed to practice law in New York and Connecticut, and I am admitted to practice in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York, District of Connecticut, Eastern District of Michigan, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Texas, and the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas. I have also been granted pro hac vice admission to the District of New Jersey, the New Jersey Appellate Division, and the New Jersey Superior Court.Specialties: Plaintiff's Attorney focusing on Complex Commercial Litigation, Class Action Litigation, Employment Litigation involving Whistleblower and Discrimination Claims, and Mass Tort Litigation.

Gale Pearson

Attorney
Nachawati Law Group

For more than 25 years, Gale Pearson has represented thousands of plaintiffs in a range of complex litigation, from environmental law to pharmaceutical litigation to Qui Tam prosecution. Before receiving her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School, Gale attended California State University, where she studied laboratory medicine, physics, and chemistry. She spent years working in the Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center and is a nationally recognized clinical laboratory scientist. As such, Gale plays a substantial role in Nachawati Law Group’s representation of those harmed by environmental polluters, as well as the bad acts of the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Throughout her career, Gale has played a pivotal role in several MDL litigations, serving on science committees or, as in the case of a Certified Class Action against Phillip Morris, Co., and its parent company, as lead counsel. In United States Absher v. Momence Meadows Nursing Center Inc., she served as co-lead counsel and helped achieve a substantial verdict for her clients. In addition, she was asked to serve as Plaintiff’s liaison counsel in the Minnesota State Medtronic Cases and was appointed to the same position in the Minnesota State Guidant Cases. A member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Gale’s legal success has earned her peer recognition across the country. In 2003, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer presented her with the Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award for her work with the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. In 2005, she was recognized by Forbes Magazine as among America’s top attorneys, and she has been named to the Minnesota Super Lawyers list by Thomson Reuters from 2015-2019. Gale is frequently invited to speak on scientific issues related to pharmaceuticals, as well as complex interstate civil procedures.

Gerald Singleton

Managing Partner
Singleton Schreiber

Gerald Singleton began his legal career as a trial attorney at Federal Defenders of San Diego, where he represented federal criminal defendants in the Southern District of California and before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He left Federal Defenders in 2003 to start his own practice, which has grown from a sole proprietorship to a national firm with over 100 employees. Gerald focuses on complex civil litigation and catastrophic personal injury/wrongful death cases and is a nationally recognized expert in utility-caused fires. Over the past two decades, he and his team have represented more victims of utility-caused fires than any other California firm, and he is one of the state’s leading experts on utility-fire litigation. He has represented over 12,000 victims of utility fires in California and Oregon, including the 2007 San Diego Fires, the 2013 Powerhouse Fire, the 2015 Butte Fire, the 2017 North Bay Fires, the 2017 Thomas Fire, the 2018 Camp Fire, the 2018 Woolsey Fire, the 2019 Kincade Fire, the 2020 Zogg, Slater, Mountain View, Archie Creek, Holiday Farm and Echo Fires, and the 2021 Dixie Fire. He has served as liaison counsel and in other positions of leadership in complex civil cases all over the state of California. He currently serves as liaison counsel in the Kincade, Zogg and Bobcat Fire cases, which are being litigated in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Gerald has tried over 20 cases and settled thousands more, including over 250 cases for $1 million or more and dozens of cases for $10 million or more. In the past decade, he and his team have recovered over $2 billion for their clients. Throughout his career, Gerald has maintained a substantial pro bono and civil rights practice and has always championed the cause of the individual against the government and corporate abuses. Gerald graduated with High Honors from Dartmouth College, where he won the departmental prize in Government for his senior honors thesis. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2000 and was admitted to practice law in California that same year. He is licensed to practice in California, Oregon, Ohio, Washington, Texas, Missouri, and Minnesota, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

Greg Coleman

Senior Partner
Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, LLC

Greg Coleman is a Senior Partner of Milberg with over 30 years of trial and appellate experience. Mr. Coleman’s practice focuses on class actions, products liability, medical practice, personal injury, complex multi-district litigation, litigation, toxic torts, premises liability, ERISA, ERISA class actions, drug and medical device litigation, and workers’ compensation. Mr. Coleman received his B.A. with highest honors and distinction from Jacksonville State University in 1986. He attended The University of Tennessee College of Law, graduating in 1989. In addition to distinguishing himself academically, Mr. Coleman was a member of the National Trial Moot Court Team, was the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award for National Trial Team, and was listed in Who’s Who Among Rising Young Americans. In addition, the College of Law bestowed upon him the honor of inclusion into the National Order of Barristers for outstanding oral advocacy and trial skills.

Gregory A. Cade

Principal Attorney
Environmental Litigation Group, P.C.

Gregory Cade is a unique attorney, having a strong scientific background that enables him to efficiently assist clients injured by toxic exposure and defective products. He is the Principal Attorney at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. With over 20 years of experience, the attorney is also the founder of the law firm as it is today, as he expanded its practice area from asbestos exposure to other types of cases involving environmental contaminants. Gregory Cade began working at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. in 1990 as a paralegal while attending graduate school to obtain his Master of Public Health in Occupational Health, Safety, and Industrial Hygiene. The degree has been of utmost importance in allowing him to know his cases in depth and to find the most favorable legal options for his clients. Gregory Cade worked closely with toxicologists, epidemiologists, and other scientists at the UCLA School of Public Health, contributing to a thorough understanding of how environmental contaminants affect human health. Having represented thousands of individuals and communities over the Southeast, Gregory Cade is driven to help injured people obtain the compensation they deserve for their unjust suffering. The attorney had the vision to form a national trial law firm that litigates multidistrict environmental cases throughout the United States. A true understanding of the principles of toxic torts, quantitative analysis, and environmental law has carved a career for Gregory Cade in a practice area that is often avoided due to its complexity, time consumption, and financial risk. The attorney’s dedication and motivation are renewed daily while working with clients who have been negligently or intentionally injured by exposure to toxic contaminants in the workplace or the environment. While Gregory Cade is the Principal Attorney at the law firm, he always makes sure to allow everyone on the legal team to have a word to say on how to approach a case, as he works in a democratic and diplomatic capacity.

Hon. Glenn A. Norton (Ret.)

Missouri Court of Appeals

Glenn A. Norton is Of Counsel with the Firm. His practice focuses on the areas of mediation, arbitration and special master appointments. He has extensive experience in the courtroom, with hundreds of jury and non-jury trials, and has been assigned by The Supreme Court to cases involving complex litigation and felony matters. As a retired judge, Glenn Norton is particularly well-suited to preside over arbitration hearings on any type of matter. Judge Norton is certified by the University of Missouri School of Law as a mediator. Judge Norton was appointed Judge for the Missouri Court of Appeals in 2002. He served as Chief Judge of the Court and presided over the settlement docket until he left the Court in 2015. He has also previously served as Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Bob Holden, where he oversaw the legal departments for all 15 state agencies and reviewed judicial appointments, death penalty cases, budget issues, clemency applications and legislation. Judge Norton practiced law in the former Briscoe and Norton Law firm in 1985, where he was responsible for murder trials and other high-profile felonies, and he was elected to serve as Associate Circuit Judge for Ralls County. He was re-elected to this position in 1998. Within the Judicial Branch, Judge Norton served on the Executive Council, the Legislative Steering Committee and as Chair of the Associate Circuit Judge Section.

Hunter Shkolnik

Founding Member, Partner
Napoli Shkolnik Law

Mr. Shkolnik holds numerous leadership appointments in multi-district litigations and currently serves as Co-Liaison Counsel in the Flint Water litigation, where he helped negotiate the landmark $641.2 million settlement. He was also a primary attorney in settling the first federal opioid trial in Ohio for $320 million and is a member of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee for the National Prescription Opiate litigation, and was a lead trial attorney in the monumental win in the New York Opioid Trial.  Recently, Mr. Shkolnik was named to the Law360 Product Liability Editorial Board.

James Bergener

Founder
The Bergener Firm

Recognized by fellow accident lawyers, he has been a guest lecturer at conferences, legal seminars, and law schools on topics involving injury tort litigation and practice management.Aside from his numerous academic and professional interactions, “Sweet James” Bergener provides weekly commentary as a legal expert on various radios stations and television programs across the nation.

Jayne Conroy

Shareholder
Simmons Hanly Conroy LLP

Jayne Conroy is a named shareholder at Simmons Hanly Conroy and oversees practice areas in the Complex Litigation Department. Under her leadership, the firm has become one of the country’s largest plaintiff law firms dedicated to helping those injured by corporate wrongdoing. With a legal career spanning more than three decades, Jayne has earned a superb national reputation as an elite trial lawyer, skilled strategist and decisive negotiator. She has consistently helped secure billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for thousands of individuals, families and communities in numerous courtrooms nationwide.

Jim DeMay

Partner
Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, LLC

James DeMaybegan his law career in 2007 with Ferguson, Scarbrough & Hayes, PLLC. After years of partnering with Dan Bryson, Scott Harris, and Hunter Bryson, Mr. DeMay made the decision to join the Milberg team in 2021, focusing his practice on municipal law and land-use litigation. With a specific interest in the area of development impact fees, Mr. DeMay is successful in defending the rights of private land owners against unauthorized or unfair impact fee charges. His experience includes representing both municipalities and private land owners in complex civil matters involving statutory and municipal ordinance violations, as well as other matters. Mr. DeMay has stepped into numerous leadership roles, having been appointed as class counsel in class action lawsuits involving illegal fees paid by homebuilders and recovering over $30 million for his clients. In collaboration with the North Carolina Home Builders Association, he oversees various land-use legislative matters and has even argued cases before the North Carolina Supreme Court and the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Outside the office, Mr. Demay enjoys spending time with his wife, Laura, and running ultra-marathons and trail races. One of his highlight races includes competing in the Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim race across the Grand Canyon. His running goals include successfully completing a 100-mile race in the near future.

John Driscoll

Attorney
The Driscoll Firm, LLC

John J. Driscoll founded The Driscoll Firm, LLC, in October 2008. John is licensed to practice law in Illinois, Missouri, and Minnesota. In addition, he is admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Missouri, the Southern District of Illinois, the District of Minnesota and the District of Columbia. John has offices in St. Louis, Mo.; Chicago, Il.; Raleigh, NC and San Juan, Puerto Rico.  In 2020, during the pandemic, John moved to Puerto Rico. When in Puerto Rico, he enjoys long walks on the beach, and is becoming pickle ball curious.

John K. Sherk

Partner
Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.

John solves problems. He helps clients sort through the inevitable complexities that pervade big ticket litigation. Becoming ensnared in a class action, an MDL or a mass tort case can pose a financial—and even an existential—threat to a corporate defendant. Based on his decades of experience in complex litigation, John offers innovative strategic advice designed to chart a path to success. John is mindful that success can come in many forms. It depends on the particularities of the case and the preferences of the client. On some occasions, success can be winning a dispositive motion or achieving a favorable class certification ruling or persuading a jury to rule in your favor. On other occasions, success can be an all-encompassing settlement which terminates the litigation, avoids litigation costs and gives the client peace of mind. John works with his clients to steer the litigation toward the most advantageous and economical outcome possible. Over the course of his three-decades-long career, John has represented a wide array of clients in high-stakes litigation, including Union Pacific, Bayer Animal Health, Hallmark/Crayola, Bayer, Philip Morris, Lorillard Tobacco Company, DuPont, the Tennessee Valley Authority, Peabody Energy, Home Depot and General Motors, among others. These varied engagements have given John a depth of understanding about how to handle difficult and costly matters for large corporate clients. While John has taken a hands-on approach to high-profile tasks, like authoring important briefs, preparing company executives for their testimony and arguing significant motions, he has also remained sensitive to client concerns. These include staying within budget, giving timely updates, overseeing company document collections, crafting alternative fee arrangements and continually assessing the client’s best options in an ever-changing litigation landscape. At the end of the day, the foremost objective is to prevail, but it is also important that the overall defense effort reflect favorably on the in-house team that is managing it.

John M. Restaino, Jr.

Senior Partner
Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, LLC

Mr. John M. Restaino, Jr. joins Milberg as a Senior Partner working out of the Encinitas, California area. A non-practicing podiatric surgeon and an attorney with over 30 years of experience, Mr. Restaino focuses on Mass Tort and Medical Malpractice cases. Mr. Restaino practiced podiatric surgery from 1980 until 1990 after graduating from California College of Podiatric Medicine and magna cum laude from Farleigh Dickinson University. In 1991, he began the practice of law after receiving his J.D. from Western State College of Law. Relying on his unique experience and perspective, Mr. Restaino enjoys looking “outside the box” in the development of specific aspects of litigation, including the science pertaining to each litigation, the development of expert witnesses, and the cross-examination of defense expert witnesses. Mr. Restaino received his Master of Public Health degree from the Division of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. An Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy, he actively conducts pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology. He frequently lectures at legal seminars and has been invited to lecture at the University of South Carolina, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern College of Medicine, and Harvard. Outside the office, Mr. Restaino enjoys martial arts and holds a Black Belt in Kenpo karate and a 2nd degree Black Belt in Okinawan karate. He is a two-time winner in the Kenpo Internationals Black Belt Heavyweight division/senior division. He also enjoys SCUBA diving and holds an “Instructor” rating from the North American Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI). He is both Dive Master and Rescue Diver qualified, having previously taught Dive Medicine at the NAUI College in Laguna Niguel, California.

Jon Lubin

General Counsel
Keller Postman

Jon Lubin serves as General Counsel at Keller Postman LLC, where he is responsible for oversight of the firm's legal affairs and provides advice to firm management on legal strategies and solutions.

Jon is also General Counsel at Gerchen Capital Partners, where he supervises legal matters relating to its business activities and operations. Jon previously served as Principal and Counsel at MHR Fund Management, a registered investment adviser and manager of approximately $5 billion in assets using a private equity approach to investing in special situations. At MHR, Jon served on the firm’s investment team where he negotiated, structured, and consummated complex transactions across a wide variety of sectors and asset classes. Prior to MHR, Jon was an Associate at Debevoise & Plimpton where he represented private equity fund sponsors, investment advisory firms, and corporations in connection with acquisitions, financings, and other extraordinary business activities. While at Debevoise, Jon co-authored several chapters of Practising Law Institute’s Health Care Mergers & Acquisitions Answer Book. Jon earned his law degree from Yale Law School. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics and classical studies from the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated summa cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Jonathan Cohen

Partner
Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, LLC

Jonathan Cohen is a Partner at Milberg whose work primarily focuses on consumer class action litigation. Mr. Cohen has spent his entire legal career prosecuting class action cases, including state and federal consumer class actions against banks, mortgage companies, debt collectors, retailers, and insurance companies alleging violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and the forced placement of insurance. Mr. Cohen was born in Albany, New York and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. He attended Indiana University and graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. Following a career in marketing and advertising in Chicago, Jonathan relocated to St. Petersburg, Florida, where he attended Stetson University College of Law and earned his J.D. degree in 2005. Mr. Cohen has prosecuted class actions involving data breaches, defective products, deceptive products, breaches of contract, employment discrimination, and illegal taxation. He also served as counsel for the court-appointed receiver in the Ponzi scheme-related matter of Wiand v. Wells Fargo Bank, et al., Case No. 8:12-cv-557-T-27EAJ (M.D. Fla.). Prior to joining Milberg, Mr. Cohen was a partner in Morgan & Morgan’s Complex Litigation Group in Tampa, Florida. Prior to his tenure at Morgan & Morgan, Mr. Cohen was a partner at James, Hoyer, Newcomer & Smiljanich, P.A., a firm specializing in the prosecution of nationwide consumer class actions and whistleblower (qui tam) actions. Mr. Cohen is admitted to practice in the state courts of Florida, and in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, and U.S. Courts of Appeals for the First, Fifth, and Eleventh Circuits. His practice areas involve class actions, consumer protection, and mass torts.

Jonathan Orent

Attorney
Motley Rice LCC

Jonathan was appointed lead counsel of hernia mesh litigation In re Atrium Medical Corp. C-QUR Mesh Products Liability Litigation, MDL #2753. He serves as co-lead and co-liaison counsel in the largest consolidated hernia mesh litigation in the country, In re Davol/C.R. Bard Hernia Mesh Multi-Case Management Coordination. Jonathan previously served as co-liaison counsel in the In re Bard Litigation in New Jersey state court and as state court liaison counsel in Massachusetts. He is a member of the litigation team that successfully tried the Barba case to a $100 million verdict in Delaware (later reduced by appeal to $10 million). Jonathan also led the successful appeal to the Massachusetts Court of Appeals, which allowed key evidence relating to Boston Scientific’s alleged knowledge of the potential harm caused by its products. Jonathan is co-chair of the AAJ Hernia Mesh Litigation Group. In addition to his leadership in hernia mesh litigation, Jonathan is also a member of the Science & Experts Subcommittee for multidistrict litigation filed for U.S. troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2003 and 2015 and suffered hearing loss or tinnitus after using allegedly defective earplugs manufactured by 3M and its predecessor Aearo Technologies.

Lea Morris

Vice President of Strategy
Bespoke Capital Partners

Lea Morris is an attorney and business development visionary who brings a focused, unique perspective to every project she embarks upon.  Lea serves as Vice President of Strategy for Bespoke Capital Consulting. Bespoke is the first of its kind to take a consultative approach to deploying capital in the legal field. With more than 60 years of collective industry knowledge, Bespoke’s management team leverages their expertise to provide a wide spectrum of consulting services including operational best practices, financial core competencies, and business development with a goal of helping firms build strong foundations and increase efficiency to better represent their clients. Lea received her Juris Doctorate from the Cumberland School of Law in 2006 and is licensed to practice law in the state of Florida. After graduating law school, Lea practiced law at Levin Papantonio Rafferty Proctor Buchanan O’Brien Barr & Moughey in Pensacola, Florida where she was an attorney in the firm’s mass torts department. Lea oversaw and ran multiple litigations and their subsequent settlements during her time at the firm. From 2012 to late 2022, Lea served as Vice President of Client Development at the industry’s largest mass tort legal administration, leading its sales team to back-to-back years of record-breaking bookings. During this time, her role also involved providing advisory and consulting services to mass tort firms. In that role, Lea worked to revolutionize the way the mass tort industry thought of outsourced back-office support. Lea’s idea of providing end-to-end support to mass tort law firms, spanning from case inception through resolution resulted in the industry’s first end-to-end mass tort support solution. Lea moved to Puerto Rico in January 2022.

Lee Floyd

Partner
Breit Biniazan

Before joining Breit Biniazan, Lee Floyd spent a decade defending some of the country’s largest and most influential corporations. From pharmaceutical companies to national automotive manufacturers, Lee worked in the trenches with impressive battalions of attorneys and seemingly unlimited resources. Lee was the first female partner in the products liability group of one of the nation’s leading law firms and the youngest partner in that firm’s history. In 2019, she was one of only ten lawyers selected nationwide to join the prestigious Products Liability Advisory Council’s as a Future Leader. During this time Lee was recognized consistently: by Super Lawyers® as a “Rising Star” and by Best Lawyers in America® as “Ones to Watch.” She has received national recognition by Benchmark Litigation as a partner in the Product Liability Firm of the Year and is the only attorney in Virginia to be recognized on their “40 and Under Hot List” list five years running. On paper, she displays the kind of career that many attorneys aspire to achieve. But that wasn’t enough for Lee. She wanted more. During the pandemic, as a paralegal at her previous firm, she was grappling with something much larger: a diagnosis of stage four metastatic breast cancer. She was only given a short time to live. There was hope, though. If the paralegal, who was also a single mom, could receive a very expensive treatment, there was a chance she would be given more time with her three year old son. That’s when Lee became an advocate. She banded together with other women, started a social media campaign, organized crowdfunding, and solicited help from powerful and connected people to get her paralegal the assistance she so desperately needed. Lee fought fiercely until, finally, the paralegal received the world class oncology care she deserved. “That’s when I learned that the highest and best use of my time isn’t representing corporate defendants to keep money in their bank accounts,” says Lee. “The highest and best use of my time is to help others when they have nowhere else to turn.”

Linda Lipsen

Chief Executive Officer
American Association for Justice (AAJ)

Ms. Lipsen was named Chief Executive Officer of the American Association for Justice (AAJ), formerly known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), in April 2010. She joined the organization in 1993 to direct AAJ’s Public Affairs department. Ms. Lipsen has led the trial lawyers’ highly regarded Washington lobby team and successfully fought back efforts that would limit access to America’s courts and make it impossible for the victims of negligence or willful wrongdoing to be fairly compensated for harm. She has directed countless legislative campaigns on behalf of a host of issues including patient, worker, and investor protections. Ms. Lipsen has received prominent recognition and numerous awards for her advocacy on behalf of injured Americans, including, among others, the “Senator Paul Wellstone Award” from U.S. Action, the “Esther S. Weissman Eternal Optimism Award” from Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG), and the Marie Lambert Award. She is regularly recognized in leading Capitol Hill and legal publications such as The National Law Journal as one of Washington’s most influential women lawyers, The Hill as a top lobbyist in recognition of her outstanding professional achievement, and Roll Call as one of Washington’s most effective lobbyists. Following the tragedy of September 11th, she led the fight for enactment of a compensation program for the victims of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The September 11th Victims Compensation Fund established by Congress allowed thousands of families to recover compensation for the loss of their loved ones. Following enactment of the Fund, Ms. Lipsen’s leadership helped ATLA establish, Trial Lawyers Care, the nation’s largest-ever pro-bono legal representation program. Prior to joining AAJ, Ms. Lipsen directed the legislative advocacy program for Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports. In that capacity, she represented consumers on Capitol Hill on a host of issues including antitrust, insurance reform and health care. Ms. Lipsen earned her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin and her J.D. from the Antioch School of Law.

Luis G. Fortuño

Partner, Reed Smith LLP
Former Governor, Puerto Rico

As a member of Reed Smith’s Regulatory and Investigations practice group, former governor of Puerto Rico and member of Congress, Luis Fortuño provides seasoned advice to clients navigating federal regulatory and public policy issues, as well as cross-border transactions and disputes, especially those with a Latin America and Caribbean nexus. He also advises foreign governments on public policy and investment issues, including in investment arbitrations. By leveraging his experience in public office and his practice in these geographies, Luis is uniquely positioned to assist clients with assessing policy risks and opportunities and furthering their business priorities across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. Working in both English and Spanish, clients benefit from Luis’s ability to combine practical, business-savvy advice with an understanding of how legislative and regulatory policy can affect their business operations. Prior to joining the firm, Luis spent many years in government service. During this time, he served as Puerto Rico’s governor and as its sole representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. Under his leadership as governor, Puerto Rico implemented the largest tax cut in the territory’s history, rightsized its government, reined in deficit spending, and developed new sources of government revenue, resulting in the island’s only period of economic growth in over a decade. Additionally, Luis’ signature Public-Private Partnership (PPP) law paved the way for two of the largest infrastructure investments in the U.S.: the highway system and the main international airport. He also ushered in considerable investments in energy projects, ferry services and critical infrastructure. While serving in the House, Luis was vice-chair and chair of the Congressional Hispanic Conference. He also co-founded the Congressional Friends of Spain Caucus, for which he was conferred a Royal order. Luis was also a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure, International Relations, Natural Resources, and Education and Workforce committees. Luis prides himself on his active engagement in economic and human rights initiatives. He is a member of “Grupo Libertad y Democracia,” which is an elite group made up of current and former heads of state from Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain whose aim is to promote freedom, human rights and sustainable economic development in the region. In 2013, Luis founded the nonprofit Center for Economic Renewal, Growth and Excellence (CRECE), which aims to foster self-reliance, growth and economic prosperity in Puerto Rico. He continues to serve as chairman of the organization’s board of directors and remains active in its operation.

Majed Nachawati

Managing Partner
Nachawati Law Group

Majed Nachawati is a nationally prominent trial lawyer and founder of Dallas-based Fears Nachawati law firm. Under his leadership, the firm has been recognized as the most active firm in the nation in mass tort litigation on behalf of plaintiffs injured by defective and dangerous products, according to Lex Machina. Mr. Nachawati leads a team that is active in high-profile mass torts and multidistrict litigation on behalf of individuals and public entities, including litigation related to Roundup, talc, paraquat, opioids, PFAS “forever chemicals,” and Bard and Cook IVC filters and other medical devices. In addition, he serves in a leadership capacity on the paraquat herbicide MDL in California state court and is on the committee representing plaintiffs opposing Johnson & Johnson’s attempts to shed its legal liabilities for its cancer-causing talc products through bankruptcy.

Marc D. Grossman

Senior Partner
Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, LLC

Marc D. Grossman is a Senior Partner at Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, LLC with decades of experience representing large groups of plaintiffs against major corporate defendants, including in the areas of environmental torts, medical claims, class actions and mass torts, both domestically and globally. Mr. Grossman has also produced five Broadway shows, and is co-owner of the Puerto Rican professional basketball team Mets de Guaynabo.

Marie Napoli

Founding Member, Partner
Napoli Shkolnik Law

Ms. Napoli continues to be at the forefront of complex litigation nationwide and has been appointed to leadership roles in various state and federal multi-district case. She is a leading media commentator and author on topics ranging from mass torts to workplace discrimination. For her work, she has been industry and peer recognized, notably Ms. Napoli was named to National Trial Lawyers Women’s Rights Top 10.

Mark Lanier

Attorney & Founder
Lanier Law Firm

Mark Lanier is consistently recognized as one of the top civil trial lawyers in America. Best known as a zealous advocate for individuals in personal injury and product liability claims against major corporations, Mark brings passion, creativity and an unparalleled ability to connect with juries in courtrooms across the nation. During the past 30 years, Mark has taken on some of the biggest challenges in the legal field. In doing so, he has achieved some of the largest verdicts in history, accomplishments that have changed business practices to protect the public and have gained justice for the victims of dangerous drugs, medical devices, and other consumer products. In addition, he has successfully represented a select number of clients in claims involving fraud, breach of contract and other forms of business litigation.

Matt Lee

Senior Partner
Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips and Grossman, LLC

Matt Lee is a nationally recognized and highly regarded trial lawyer. For over 15 years, Mr. Lee has focused his practice on fighting for people in consumer class actions, employment/civil rights litigation, and other complex plaintiff’s litigation. He also serves as Chair of Milberg’s Employment & Civil Rights Group. After winning a $14 million judgment in a recent jury trial against IBM, the federal court judge found that “[t]his success reflects the quality of counsel who succeeded in proving claims of retaliation largely with circumstantial evidence.” The jury’s award was the largest ever in a retaliation, discrimination or wrongful termination case in the Western District of Washington (Seattle). Mr. Lee has also served as lead counsel in class actions and other complex cases both in North Carolina and around the country, including:

• Co-Lead Interim Class Counsel in Edwards v. CSX Transportation, Inc., No. 7:18-cv-169-BO (E.D.N.C.), a case involving devastating flood damages after Hurricanes Matthew and Florence estimated damages in excess of $250,000,000.
• Lead Counsel in two class actions against IBM arising from its commission’s practices: Comin v. International Business Machines Corp., No. 19-cv-07261-JD (N.D. Cal.) and Engle v. International Business Machines, Corp., Index No. 654556/2020 (Supreme Court of New York).

In the few hours Mr. Lee is out of the office, you may find him hacking away on the golf course, hiking/biking in Raleigh’s Umstead Park, or traveling with his wife, Molly, and their three children, Evie, Audrey, and Arthur.

Matthew J Sill

Attorney
Fulmer Sill

Matthew J. Sill focuses his practice on pharmaceutical and medical device mass torts, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and class action litigation. He is frequently selected for leadership positions among large groups of attorneys representing hundreds or thousands of injured parties. Matt currently represents over 75 cities, counties, and tribes in the nationwide opioid litigation, In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, MDL No. 2804, Case No. 17-md-02804. Matt also recently filed the first case in Oklahoma regarding the marketing and sale of JUUL, In Re: Juul Labs, Inc. Marketing, Sales Practices, and Product Liability Litigation. Matt regularly accepts invitations for faculty positions and speaking engagements at seminars and continuing legal education programs. He has lectured in numerous locations, including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, and Texas, with programs typically being attended by lawyers from several other jurisdictions. He was chosen to co-chair HarrisMartin Publishing’s 2013 CAT Flood and Windstorm Litigation Conference. In the practice area of pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, Matt has been a featured instructor or moderator at educational programs devoted to Actos®, GranuFlo®, Topamax®, pre-emption in generic drug cases, and several other topics. He authors a number of articles, and up-to-date information on relevant publications and published legal opinions are available by request from admin@fulmersill.com. Representing plaintiffs with cases pending in several different jurisdictions, Matt’s ability to practice pro hac vice is often based on the recommendation and sponsorship of local attorneys. See; e.g., MDL 2244, In Re: DePuy Hip Implant Litigation; MDL 2738, In Re: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Liability Litigation. He is fully admitted to practice in the State of Oklahoma (2007), where out-of-state lawyers often retain him as local counsel for high-profile matters ranging from product liability to securities and antitrust. See; e.g., In Re: Chesapeake Energy Derivative Litigation. Matt has successfully helped families and individuals involved in opioid litigation, diabetes drug litigation, birth control litigation, gadolinium-based contrast dye litigation, hip replacement litigation, fentanyl pain patch litigation, heart defibrillator lead litigation, Las Vegas hepatitis litigation, Chinese drywall litigation, hormone replacement therapy litigation, denture cream litigation, heart surgery products litigation, dialysis products litigation, and aircraft crash litigation, to mention only a few.

Melissa K. Sims

Senior Counsel
Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, PLLC

As Senior Counsel at Milberg, Melissa Sims maintains her own practice in Illinois with offices in Chicago and downstate. She represents communities nationally, helping them seek redress for public nuisance, using her vast experience as a municipal trial lawyer. Ms. Sims was born and raised in a small town in North Central Illinois. After graduating from college at Illinois State University and while attending law school, she worked as a part time employee at the Bureau County Sheriff’s Department and as a legal advocate for the local domestic violence sexual assault shelter, Freedom House. She received an appointment from the Illinois Supreme Court and volunteered license to practice law while in law school, prosecuting traffics and misdemeanor cases to gain experience in the courtroom. After graduating from Northern Illinois University College of Law in DeKalb, Ms. Sims joined the Wimbiscus Law Firm in Spring Valley, Illinois. There, she represented units of local government including sheriffs, counties, cities, villages, school districts, zoning boards, and townships. Ms. Sims has been engaged in the general practice of law for more than twenty years. Her representation of clients has encompassed every possible facet of law: banking, hospitals, corporate, not-for-profit, tax, divorce, child support, probate/estate, trust, real estate, probate, civil rights, patent infringement, criminal, and municipal law. She has drafted municipal legislation and has represented units of local government in trial, appellate, and federal courts. She once argued a precedent setting probate case before the Illinois Supreme Court. Ms. Sims prosecuted hundreds of municipal ordinance violations for the towns she represented. The late William J. Wimbiscus, Jr., began practicing municipal law in 1950; Ms. Sims learned from his vast experience in her municipal practice. As a tenacious municipal prosecutor, Ms. Sims utilized a local ordinance against Exxon, CBS and Viacom for a Superfund site for one of her municipal clients. In that case, she set national precedent before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals on whether a non-home rule unit of local government could exercise its nuisance powers during the course of a Superfund cleanup. Following this case, Ms. Sims represented the Village of Roxana, Illinois, against Shell and Conoco Phillips using her DePue precedent and fined the polluters for every lot, street, and alley which contained benzene from the refinery. Both cases settled. Ms. Sims has served for ten years on the board of directors of Freedom House, also having been its President. She volunteers for local not-for-profits and religious organizations. She also serves as a director on the board of a local bank. She is licensed in Illinois.

Michael Fuller

Principal
Farrell & Fuller Law

Mr. Fuller is one of the founding member of Farrell & Fuller.  Mr. Fuller spent decades holding the nursing home industry responsible for the abuse and neglect of the elderly.  Now he has turned his attention to other corporate giants in the pharmaceutical industry by taking a key leadership role in the nationwide opioid litigation.  Mr. Fuller along with Mr. Farrell have most recently began anti-trust litigation against Google and Facebook on behalf of our Country’s Newspaper Industry.

Mikal C. Watts

Capital Partner
Watts Law Firm LLP

Mikal Watts is one of the most prominent trial lawyers, having tried and won numerous first-in-the-country MDL bellwether trials.  He now focuses on wildfire, pharmaceutical, farming and environmental pollution mass action cases.

Mildred Conroy

Associate
Simmons Hanly Conroy LLP

Mildred Conroy joined the Lanier Law Firm’s New York office as an associate in 2018 and practices in the areas of toxic torts, pharmaceutical litigation, mass torts and product liability. Ms. Conroy proudly fights for injured clients and their families who have been harmed by defective products and corporate negligence. Prior to joining the Lanier Law Firm, Ms. Conroy was a legal assistant with the Madison County District Attorney’s Office, where she worked primarily in the felony division. Ms. Conroy is from Massachusetts and received her Bachelor of Arts in History from Washington College in Chestertown, MD. She then went on to attend Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol Rhode Island, where she focused on Maritime law. Ms. Conroy is a member of the American Association for Justice, American Bar Association and the Missouri Bar Association. When she is not passionately advocating for her clients, Ms. Conroy enjoys competitive sailboat racing, skiing and spending time with her family.

Nicholas J. Drakulich

Founding Partner
The Drakulich Firm

Nicholas J. Drakulich is the Founder of THE DRAKULICH FIRM, A Professional Law Corporation, with offices in California and Nevada.  Mr. Drakulich has been uniquely honored to have been appointed by several Federal Courts across the nation to serve as a member of Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee or Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in nationally prominent Multi-District Litigations (MDL’s) against the world’s largest pharmaceutical and medical device corporations, recovering several billions of dollars on behalf of injured consumers.  Mr. Drakulich was also selected to be the lead trial counsel in several of these cases. Mr. Drakulich has earned a reputation as being a specialist in this field.  Following a jury verdict against “the world’s largest medical technology company”, the trial counsel for this giant corporation, opined that Mr. Drakulich is an “exceptionally able, senior, seasoned litigator who was extremely well prepared and clearly spent considerable time and effort to ensure the best possible representation of his client.” Mr. Drakulich has also been honored to be selected as a Super Lawyer, a member of the National Trial Lawyers, The Million Dollar Advocates Forum, The Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. For many years, Mr. Drakulich has been consistently rated (“AV”) by Martindale Hubbell, America’s preeminent peer-reviewed lawyer rating service. He has been an invited speaker at several dozen legal seminars across the United States, including those sponsored by the AAJ, HarrisMartin, Mealey’s and numerous State Bar Associations. Mr. Drakulich focuses his practice in catastrophic personal injury, products liability, and mass torts. He has enjoyed a diverse and rewarding trial practice for more than thirty-five years having recovered several hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of his injured clients. Mr. Drakulich is proud to be a trial lawyer and humbled to champion his clients’ quest for justice.

Patrick J. Driscoll

Attorney
Romanucci & Blandin, LLC

Patrick J. Driscoll is a member of the Mass Torts and Civil Rights legal teams at Romanucci & Blandin, LLC. Patrick works with those affected by police and prosecutorial misconduct, focusing on wrongful convictions and other serious violations of their rights, as well as wrongful death and a variety of catastrophic personal injuries in Mass Torts litigation with Partner Bryce T. Hensley. He graduated from Indiana University with a B.A. in Economics where he participated in Greek Life as a part of Theta Chi. He then went on to obtain his Juris Doctor from the Saint Louis University School of Law. While at Saint Louis University he was a part of the law school’s basketball team and participated in its softball league. Patrick grew up in a family that held public service and the justice system in the highest regard, starting with his great-grandfather, who was a prominent judge in Southern Illinois. His grandfather was a well-respected public servant, holding various positions in Saint Clair County, Illinois. Patrick’s legal experience started prior to attending law school as he grew up working at his father’s law firm. Before becoming an attorney (pending), Patrick joined the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and American Association for Justice (AAJ) as a member and attended legal seminars such as Mass Torts Made Perfect and AAJ conventions. Patrick has significant experience in the political arena having been a Field Organizer for Mike Bloomberg in Tampa, an Intern for the Subcommittee on Defense for the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, a Campaign Fellow for U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Legislative Intern for U.S. Senator Richard Durbin and a Legislative Intern for U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. Outside of working in law and politics, Patrick has experience working at a private equity firm, spending most of his time working on a technology startup that had a mission to help address underbanking in marginalized communities. In his free time, Patrick enjoys reading non-fiction and meditating and is training for his first marathon. After recently relocating from Saint Louis, Patrick relishes the opportunity to spend more time with his family in Chicago’s Southwest suburbs.

Patrick Luff

Founding Partner
Luff Law Firm

Patrick A. Luff is a nationally recognized mass torts litigator who has obtained a number of significant victories for his clients, including a $15.4 million wrongful death judgment and a precedent-setting federal appeal. Patrick has served as Co-Liaison (Lead) Counsel in Texas MDL No. 2021-41903, In re: Winter Storm Uri Litigation, and on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for MDL No. 2974, In re: Paragard IUD Products Liability Litigation;  MDL No. 3037, In re: Recalled Abbott Infant Formula Products Liability Litigation; and MDL No. 3043, In re: Acetaminophen – ASD/ADHD Products Liability Litigation. Prior to entering practice, Patrick spent several years as a professor of law. While at the University of Oklahoma, Arizona State University, and Washington and Lee University, he taught courses on legislation and statutory interpretation, civil procedure, and administrative law. He also spent time as a visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg, Germany. During this time, Patrick established himself as a national authority on mass torts, with scholarship appearing in the Connecticut Law Review, the Utah Law Review, and the Arizona State Law Review, among others. Between law school and teaching, he did doctoral work at the University of Oxford on the regulatory role of litigation.

Paul Farrell Jr.

Principal
Farrell & Fuller Law

Paul Farrell leads the vanguard of the next generation of mass tort lawyers. A West Virginia native, he filed the first transvaginal mesh (TVM) cases in the country resulting in the formation of MDL2807 styled In re Pelvic Repairs System Product Liability Litigation in Charleston, West Virginia. Paul served as Plaintiffs’ Liaison for some 80,000 cases from across the country and trial counsel for the bellwethers. Since 2016, his practice has focused on the opioid litigation after filing some of the first public nuisance cases on behalf of political subdivisions from the Ohio River Valley. Paul was appointed Co-Lead Counsel of MDL 2804 styled In re National Prescription Opiate Litigation which has been described as the most complex mass tort in American jurisprudence. Paul is considered one of the architects of the case against the distributors of prescription opioids and served as lead trial counsel in the first bellwether trial brought on behalf of his hometown in Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia. Paul is a co-founder of Farrell & Fuller, LLC, formed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and recently designed and filed the first anti-trust cases against Google and Facebook on behalf of newspapers from across the country. Paul is married to his law school sweetheart, Jacqueline Farrell, and they are the proud parents of Connor, Cahley and Casey.

Paul Napoli

Founding Member, Partner
Napoli Shkolnik Law

Mr. Napoli brings more than 31 years of legal experience to his primary areas of practice, including governmental affairs, environmental law and mass tort litigation. He is widely recognized as one of the country’s top litigators, having successfully led numerous high-profile cases such as the World Trade Center litigation, the Flint Water Crisis and claims brought on behalf of local cities and states involving the Opioid Epidemic. Well-known for his ability to oversee large-scale complex cases involving large multi-billion corporations, Paul’s wins run the gamut of issues from defective pharmaceutical drugs, such as the diet drug Phen-fen, to environmental contamination caused by ExxonMobil petroleum additive leaks. He is annually selected to the invitation-only Super Lawyers® list and is recommended as a leading lawyer by Best Lawyers in America, Lawyers of Distinction and Legal 500 US. Additionally, he was named to Law360’s 2020 Editorial Boards in the Environmental Category and was chosen as a recipient of Law360’s 2020 MVP Awards: Environmental. Paul is a founding board member and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Trial Lawyers of Puerto Rico (TLPR), a trade association bringing together top trial lawyers to share expertise, build partnerships, and to add value to the local Puerto Rico community. Mr. Napoli also serves on the Board of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, sits on the Fordham University President Council and is on the St. John’s University School of Law Dean’s Advisory Counsel.

Peggy Wedgworth

Senior Partner
Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips and Grossman, LLC

Peggy J. Wedgworth is a Senior Partner at Milberg and Chair of the Antitrust Practice Group. She is also Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and Chair of the Pro Bono Committee. She has been recognized as a Super Lawyer in New York, New York since 2015. Ms. Wedgworth started her career as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York. Since leaving the public sector, she has represented victims in antitrust, securities, commodities, and whistleblower matters. Ms. Wedgworth currently serves as secretary and trustee of the National Civil Justice Institute (NCJI), a think tank dedicated to the preservation of the civil justice system and regularly serves as a moderator in the annual Forum for State Appellate Court Judges. She is a member of the bars of New York and the U.S. Supreme Court, and regularly speaks on topics relating to antitrust litigation, multi-district litigation, class action and consumer matters. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association’s Antitrust Committee, where she has served as both a speaker and panelist. She is a member of the Committee to Support the Antitrust Laws (COSAL) and a member of the American Association of Justice (AAJ). She has authored articles that can be found in several publications, most recently in the December 2019 issue of Trial magazine entitled, Challenging “Attorneys’ Eyes Only” and Improper Categorical Privilege Logs. She regularly serves as a judge in both college and law school mock trial competitions. Ms. Wedgworth received a B.A. degree in Foreign Language and International Business from Auburn University, and a J.D. degree from the University of Alabama School of Law.

Peter Mougey

Attorney
Levin Papantonio Rafferty

Peter Mougey is a shareholder and the Chair of Levin Papantonio’s Securities and Business Litigation department. He concentrates his practice in the areas of complex litigation, financial services, and securities litigation, and whistleblower or qui tam litigation. Mr. Mougey has been recognized as one of Florida’s top 100 trial lawyers and a Florida Super Lawyer and has dedicated his career to championing individuals’ rights against the world’s largest companies.Mr. Mougey has represented over 1,500 state, municipal, and institutional entities, as well as tribal sovereign nations, in litigation and arbitration around the globe. In addition, he has represented more than 3,000 individual fraud victims in state and federal court and arbitrations. Most recently, in the National Prescription Opiate Litigation MDL, he was selected to serve as Co-Lead of the Distributor case and serves on the Plaintiff’s Executive Committee in what has been called “the largest and most complex case in the history of jurisprudence” by the Washington Post. Mr. Mougey has been recognized as a transformational leader in and out of the courtroom and is often called up to simplify the country’s most complex cases.

Philippa Ratzki

Douglas & London, P.C.

Philippa Ratzki is the Managing Attorney at Douglas & London, focusing on case management, resolution development and oversight, and client services in the field of complex products liability matters, with a focus on pharmaceutical and medical device products liability litigation. Ms. Ratzki hails originally from Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is a first generation American and attended bilingual French school growing up. She graduated from NYU with a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish language. Throughout her time at college, she received a teaching certificate, which she put to good use while living and traveling abroad extensively. Ms. Ratzki’s roots with the firm run deep: she began her career at Douglas & London as a paralegal. During her time there, she managed litigation involving contraceptive products, including Ortho Evra, Nuva-Ring and Yaz/Yasmin. Ms. Ratzki completed a Master’s degree at NYU in interdisciplinary studies while working full-time at Douglas & London. She then decided to pursue a law degree, graduating cum laude from Brooklyn Law School. While there she served as an Editor on the Law Review and received top distinctions on the Moot Court Appellate Division, including as a first-place winner declared Best Oralist in the Americas in the regional round of her competition, earning her team the chance to argue at the Hague before judges for the International Criminal Court. Following graduation from law school, Ms. Ratzki spent three years as a litigation associate at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. She then transitioned back to plaintiff work – her true calling – at a national plaintiff’s law firm. In that role, she was responsible for multiple nationwide litigations, including Elmiron (MDL No. 2973 pending before Judge Martinotti in the District of New Jersey), Allergan (MDL No. 2921, also pending before Judge Martinotti), and Philips CPAP (MDL No. 3014 pending before Judge Conti in the Western District of Pennsylvania). Besides her federal caseload, she was also responsible for all claims brought under the Child Victims Act, legislation passed in New York that allows survivors of childhood sexual abuse to seek civil damages. Over the course of her more than 15 years in the legal field, Ms. Ratzki first gained exposure to, then eventually oversaw, every function of the litigation process for tens of thousands of cases: from jump-starting new advertising campaigns, to running the intake department, to performing full fact discovery (including intensive fact discovery for Bellwether trials), to overseeing client communication – and finally, to engaging with opposing counsel and court-appointed administrators for settlement negotiation, implementation, allocation and distribution. Ms. Ratzki is proud to have spent much of her career representing victims; she believes anyone damaged by another’s wrongdoing deserves a voice and an advocate. She also has a true passion for mentorship and is committed to broadening access to the legal profession. She recently left full-time private practice to open a consulting company – Ratzki Legal Consulting, PLLC – which specializes in efficient file and data management, client communication services, and professional development trainings for law firms of all sizes. She is pleased to be working with the incomparable team at Douglas & London once again. Ms. Ratzki is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.

R. Brent Wisner

Managing Partner
Wisner Baum LLP

R. Brent Wisner is the managing partner and lead trial attorney at Wisner Baum. Recognized as one of America’s 50 Most Influential Trial Lawyers by Trial Lawyer Magazine, Brent has built a reputation for taking on large corporations in high stakes litigation and winning significant verdicts and settlements for his clients. Over the last several years, Brent has served on the plaintiff’s leadership for multiple mass torts, earned jury verdicts worth a combined $2.427 billion, and helped negotiate settlements in excess of $1 billion—all before the age of 40. He is currently the youngest attorney in American history to win a multi-billion-dollar jury verdict, which he achieved with a $2 billion Roundup cancer verdict against Monsanto on behalf of the Pilliods. While success in the courtroom is often measured exclusively by dollars and cents, Brent’s legal work has led to changes in business practices that will protect people and the environment for generations. Hundreds of media publications across the globe have asked for his perspective on a variety of pressing legal issues.

Rayna Kessler

Partner
Robins Kaplan LLP

Rayna E. Kessler is a partner in the New York office of Robins Kaplan LLP. Her practice focuses on complex civil and multivenue litigation in a range ofmatters that span products liability, mass tort, medical malpractice, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and child sex abuse involving large institutions.She is admitted to practice in federal and state courts in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the ThirdCircuit.After earning her J.D. from Temple University School of Law, Rayna clerked for the Honorable Carol E. Higbee, J.A.D. and worked on several high-profilepharmaceutical and medical device matters, including In re: Pelvic Mesh Litigation, In re: Accutane Litigation, and In re: Vioxx Litigation. Since herclerkship, Rayna has dedicated her career to holding corporations and institutions accountable for the harm that they have caused her clients.Rayna is known for trailblazing new litigation, often being among the first to file in emerging mass tort litigations. Underpinning her work with cutting-edgeinvestigations, Rayna collaborates with a wide network of well-established experts across the country, as well as other plaintiffs’ lawyers, to developcreative and successful litigation strategies for her clients.An experienced complex civil litigator, Rayna has served in court-appointed lead liaison counsel roles in several New Jersey Multicounty Litigations,including In re: Benicar (Olmesartan Medoxomil) New Jersey Multicounty Litigation, Case No. 299; In re: Abilify, Case No. 626; and In re: TaxotereLitigation, Case No. 628. On the MDL front, Rayna served as the State/Federal Coordination Chairperson for the Plaintiff Steering Committee in the In re:Benicar (Olmesartan) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2606. In addition, Rayna served as the State/Federal Coordination Chairperson for the PlaintiffSteering Committee in the In re: Benicar (Olmesartan) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2606.When the law changed in New Jersey and New York to allow survivors to bring claims that were previously time barred, Rayna was honored to begin representing survivors of child sex abuse against large institutions, including the Catholic Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Boy Scouts of America.Rayna is no stranger to how powerful interests have dissuaded those who are most injured from coming forward, and how courageous our clients are tos eek to protect others. Rayna is trained in trauma-informed advocacy to ensure that her representation provides transparency, predictability, client empowerment, reliability, and proactive support for all her clients.For her achievements in representing individuals, Rayna has been recognized both as a New Leader of the Bar and as a Top Woman in Law by the NewJersey Law Journal, and she was named a New York Metro Rising Star by Super Lawyers in 2021 and 2022.Rayna is also committed to preserving access to justice through active involvement with nonprofit advocacy organizations. Currently, Rayna serves as anExecutive Committee Board Member and Chair of the Case Development/Special Projects Committee for Public Justice, the country’s leading nationalnonprofit consumer legal advocacy organization. Rayna is also actively involved with American Association for Justice (AAJ) as a Section & LitigationGroup Coordination Committee and Membership Oversight Committee Member. Rayna also volunteers her time as a Founding Board and ExecutiveCommittee Member for the anti-human trafficking nonprofit, Collective Liberty.Understanding the importance of collaboration and collegiality among our bar, Rayna hosts plaintiff attorney networking events in New York City that invite plaintiff lawyers to learn about each other’s practices and foster a referral network.

Rhon Jones

Principal
Beasley Allen Law Firm

Rhon heads up the firm’s Toxic Torts Section and oversees nursing home abuse and neglect cases. He is one of the top environmental attorneys for plaintiffs in the country. His verdicts and settlements while at Beasley Allen are estimated at $3 billion, and total recovery for all cases he has worked on exceeds $30 billion. He is on the cutting edge for representing governments and water systems for various forms of environmental harm and has handled environmental or toxic exposure cases in at least 15 different states. Most recently, Rhon has taken on the issue of seeking justice for those harmed by the nation’s opioid epidemic.

Richard Arsenault

Attorney
Neblett, Beard & Arsenault

Richard has been recognized as one of America’s 50 Most Influential Trial Lawyers by Trial Lawyer Magazine. He was nominated for the 2015 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award by the Public Justice Foundation and selected as a 2015 member of the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. In 2014, he was selected by the National Trial Lawyers as the Trial Lawyer of the Year Civil Plaintiff Finalist. He currently serves as Lead Counsel in the Actos MDL where a jury rendered a historic $9 Billion Punitive Damage verdict against Eli Lilly and Takeda. This has been reported as one of the nation’s largest personal injury verdicts. He subsequently served on the team that negotiated a $2.4 Billion settlement which is the largest single mass tort settlement for a drug still on the market. He is also on the Pinnacle MDL Trial Team where a jury rendered a $502 Million verdict against J&J and DePuy. The National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys selected Richard to receive their Top 10 Attorney Award for the State of Louisiana. The Wall Street Journal has described Richard as having “national notoriety” and as a “big gun” amongst attorneys in competition for leadership roles. BusinessWeek described him as “a Dean of the Louisiana Tort Bar.” The NYTimes has described him as one of the “big players” in the legal community. USA Today featured him as a member of the “Legal Elite,” – a diverse grouping of America’s leading attorneys and the New Orleans Times Picayune has referred to him as “an authority on class actions.” Richard’s commitment to legal excellence is reflected in the years of serving as a faculty member for LSU’s Trial Advocacy program, lecturing at judicial colleges and assuming leadership roles in local as well as national bar associations. Recently, the LA Supreme Court appointed him to serve on the Rules of Professional Conduct Class Action Committee. For over 25 years, Richard has held Martindale Hubbell’s highest rating.

Robby H. Birnbaum

Partner
Greenspoon Marder LLP

Robby H. Birnbaum began his law career with Greenspoon Marder in 1998 and has practiced with the firm ever since.  Mr. Birnbaum is a Partner and Practice Group Leader of the Regulatory Compliance and Financial Services Practice Groups and serves on the firm’s Management Committee.  Mr. Birnbaum also Chairs the firm’s Health and Consumer Insurance Sales Regulatory Group. For over 20 years, Mr. Birnbaum has provided proactive, successful compliance strategies and outcomes to financial and health industry clients. Mr. Birnbaum also has substantial experience in the travel and vacation resort industries, representing and counseling some of the largest travel providers and sellers of vacation and business travel services in the world. Mr. Birnbaum’s practice focuses on providing comprehensive legal advice and regulatory advocacy to a broad spectrum of clients, such as nonbank financial products and services providers; advertisers and marketers; health insurance and health-related service sellers; along with trade and professional associations.  Mr. Birnbaum practices before the CFPB, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), offices of state attorneys’ general, state banking and financial services departments and federal and state insurance regulators. A substantial portion of Mr. Birnbaum’s work involves assisting clients with proactive regulatory compliance to remain out of the cross-hairs of regulators and expensive class action lawsuits.  Mr. Birnbaum immerses himself in the industries of his clients, advising clients on how to minimize the legal risks related to providing, advertising, and marketing financial and health insurance products and services to consumers under federal and state consumer protection laws, including laws and regulations under the jurisdiction of the CFPB and FTC.  Mr. Birnbaum’s team also assists with state licensing and agency compliance reviews.  Mr. Birnbaum regularly advises on the design of compliance management systems tailored to specific client needs and government expectations. Mr. Birnbaum is an experienced advertising attorney who regularly advises clients on consumer protection issues, specifically with regard to advertising and promotions, including digital media and lead generation, as well as consumer credit and financial services laws, privacy laws and regulations. He has extensive experience in the issues surrounding mobile marketing, target marketing, lead generation, affiliate marketing, social media, and user-generated content.  Mr. Birnbaum has widely counseled clients on compliance with state and federal banking and insurance regulations, along with the sweeping wave of recent state privacy law regulations. Mr. Birnbaum focuses on defending clients in regulatory investigations and enforcement actions pursued by the CFPB, FTC, state attorneys’ general, and other state regulatory agencies, as well as advising in private litigation involving claims, such as false or misleading advertising, TCPA and telemarketing challenges, and unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices. Mr. Birnbaum is heavily involved as the “go-to attorney” for the debt settlement, consumer credit counseling, vehicle service contracts, seller of travel, and the credit repair industries, actively representing over 500 companies in those industries in all areas from lead generation to administrative licensing and contract fulfillment.  Mr. Birnbaum also counsels the financial partners and supporting vendors of those industries, and is active in their trade associations. Mr. Birnbaum regularly counsels private equity and venture capital funds, along with public companies on their potential investments and market activity in regard to his practice areas.  Mr. Birnbaum regularly supports and serves as lead counsel and advisor on multi-million dollar buyouts and investments.  Mr. Birnbaum serves as outside general counsel to many of the firm’s largest advertising, financial, insurance and other public companies. Mr. Birnbaum served as the elected president of the American Fair Credit Council, the National Association of Credit Service Organizations, and the Administrator of the Vehicle Protection Association. Mr. Birnbaum is exceptionally active in Congressional and legislative affairs groups, bringing those direct insights and current updates back to the firm’s clients.  Moreover, affiliate marketing, publisher/affiliate lead generation and sales, and network referrals round out Mr. Birnbaum’s practice areas. Over the last twenty years, Mr. Birnbaum has likely resolved, without the need for litigation and to the great satisfaction of his clients, more state and federal government investigations and inquiries than any other attorney.

Robert J. Drakulich

Partner
The Drakulich Firm

Robert J. Drakulich is a trial lawyer and partner at THE DRAKULICH FIRM, APLC, with offices in San Diego, California and Reno, Nevada. Mr. Drakulich’s primary practice is in the areas of product liability, personal injury, wrongful death, and medical device/ pharmaceutical drug mass torts, class actions, nursing home abuse, airplane/helicopter crash, business litigation, and mesothelioma/asbestos cases. Mr. Drakulich is licensed to practice law in California, Nevada, Minnesota, and Washington D.C. and is admitted to practice before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Drakulich has actively participated as a member of the trial team on several multi-million-dollar cases. Together with his father, Mr. Drakulich has helped attain hundreds of millions of dollars for the firm’s mass tort clients. In addition to his work on the firm’s mass tort practice, Mr. Drakulich has also helped secure substantial verdicts and settlements on behalf of the firm’s single event cases. Mr. Drakulich was honored to be appointed to the Plaintiff Steering Committee (PSC) in In re: Elmiron (Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2973, by the Hon. Brian R. Martinotti of the United States District Court, District of New Jersey and has been a key team member re: the depositions in the case as well as the science and efficacy of the drug. Mr. Drakulich has extensively worked in Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) settings in nationally prominent Multi-District Litigations (MDL’s) against the world’s largest pharmaceutical and medical device corporations. In addition to In re: Elmiron, Mr. Drakulich has worked at the direction and request of lead counsel in other MDL cases, including In Re: Actos (Pioglitazone) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 11- 2299 (United States District Court, Western District of Louisiana) and In Re: Incretin Mimetics Product Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2452, (United States District Court, Southern District of California). Mr. Drakulich has also worked on various state court coordinated proceedings, including cases in St. Louis, Missouri and the California Judicial Council Coordination Proceedings (JCCP). Mr. Drakulich is thankful to be an invited speaker at over twenty legal seminars across the country, including for years at the prestigious Annual Class Action / Complex Litigation Symposium held in New Orleans, Louisiana regarding the topics of federal preemption, the intersection of science and law, and the new standards for personal jurisdiction. Mr. Drakulich has also been an invited speaker at numerous HarrisMartin MDL Conferences, including in Chicago, Los Angeles, Napa, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tucson, and Washington, D.C., speaking on emerging tort litigation and other specialized topics in complex litigation. Mr. Drakulich is grateful for the awards and distinctions that he has received throughout his career, including: the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Lawyers in California as well as previously Top 40 under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers, Super Lawyers Rising Star in both California and Nevada, AVVO’s highest rating of “Superb” (10.0 out of 10), and the Top 100 Attorneys in the State of Nevada by America’s Top 100 Attorneys. Mr. Drakulich graduated (cum laude) from the University of San Diego School of Law. Before entering law school, Mr. Drakulich was a high school teacher and working artist. He graduated (cum laude) with a B.A. degree from the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Mr. Drakulich endeavors to employ his creative skills and teaching background in law. Much like art, when handling a client’s case, Mr. Drakulich looks at it from every angle, reduces it to the simplest form and tries to think of the most compelling method to convey it to an audience.

Robert Kinsman

Co-Founder, Attorney
Krause and Kinsman

Robert is a Kansas City Lawyer and one of the founding partners of the Krause & Kinsman Law Firm, and has committed his practice to protecting the rights of people and their loved ones. He was born and raised in the Kansas City area. Although his family members have been dedicated to careers that concentrate on enriching the lives of everyday people, Robert is a first generation attorney. Throughout his life, Robert has not only enjoyed interacting with the people of his community, but he has been devoted to being a voice for others when they need it most. The heart of his practice consists of advocating for people when they have been wronged. Robert’s practice focuses on areas of personal injury, mass torts, employment discrimination, and business litigation. As a litigation and trial attorney, Robert dedicates his time to making sure his client’s interests are properly represented. He is zealous in providing his clients with the necessary strategy to succeed and regain the quality of life that they enjoyed before they were harmed. He enjoys building lifelong relationships with his clients and their families. Robert earned his law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law with an emphasis in trial practice and litigation. Prior to law school, Robert studied Political Science and Business Administration at Pittsburg State University. He is currently an active member of the Missouri Bar, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, and serves on KCMBA’s Young Lawyers Section. In his spare time, Robert spends time with his family and friends, while enjoying all the unique activities Kansas City has to offer.

Robin Greenwald

Attorney
Weitz & Luxenberg

Robin Greenwald manages Weitz & Luxenberg’s Environmental Torts and Consumer Class Action Unit.  She has litigated environmental cases for the entirety of her 34-year law practice. She has served in lead counsel capacities as a federal environmental civil enforcement attorney and criminal prosecutor, and since entering private practice she has held many lead and plaintiffs’ steering committee positions. Robin started her career with the Department of Justice for 16 years, first as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and then as Assistant Chief of the Environmental Crimes Section, followed by appointment as General Counsel for the Inspector General, U.S. Department of the Interior.  In each position, she engaged in complex environmental litigation. After 18 years in public service, Robin became the Executive Director of Waterkeeper Alliance, a not-for-profit water protection organization with hundreds of member programs around the world.  Subsequently, she was a Clinical Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School. Robin joined Weitz & Luxenberg in 2005. Currently she is co-lead counsel in the Roundup’ MDL in San Francisco, as well as litigating thousands of cases in Missouri state courts.  She is scheduled to begin trial in a 15 plaintiff Roundup case in St. Louis City in October 2019.  She is also currently on the executive committee of the JCCP in Los Angeles concerning the methane gas well blow in Porter Ranch, a community in Los Angeles County. In addition, she has served leadership roles in several and non-environmental consolidated cases, including the BP Oil Spill Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in New Orleans, the Volkswagen Defeat Device Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in San Francisco, and co-lead of the MDL against the oil industry for contaminating the nation’s groundwater with a gasoline additive MTBE.

Sara Couch

Attorney
Motley Rice LLC

Sara spearheads Motley Rice’s litigation for victims who suffered pancreatic cancer, intestinal blockages, stomach paralysis and other ailments after taking Ozempic® or Wegovy® for weight loss. As part of this litigation, Sara filed the first complaint in the nation alleging harms caused by Wegovy and strongly believes in holding companies accountable for products that target and harm women. This litigation builds upon Sara’s work on other litigations that have caused harm to women. This includes representing women who suffered devastating effects caused by medical products including Essure® permanent birth control and transvaginal mesh. Sara’s extensive work with experts in Essure provided the foundation for her current service on the Science & Expert Committees for the Hair Relaxer MDL and Social Media MDL , of which Motley Rice holds leadership positions. She also serves on the Plaintiffs Steering Committee overseeing litigation filed in the District of New Jersey for women who developed BIA-ALCL, a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, allegedly caused by textured Allergan breast implants. As a member of nearly a dozen Motley Rice trial teams, she also helped achieve multiple plaintiff verdicts for tobacco victims and a multi-million verdict for victims of toxic lead paint exposure.*

Sharon Desh

Partner
Winston & Strawn LLP

Sharon is a partner at Winston & Strawn and a frequent writer and speaker on trial strategy and case management. She previously served on the trial team representing a pharmacy chain in litigation related to prescription opioids, described by the Washington Post as “the most complex civil lawsuit in U.S. history.” Sharon has extensive experience working with and examining witnesses, as well as in leading joint defense groups and managing complex matters.

Tony Clayton

Lawyer
Clayton Frugé Ward Injury Attorneys

Tony Clayton represents families and individuals in a variety of personal injury cases. He graduated from Southern University’s Law Center and was admitted to the Louisiana State Bar in 1991. Clayton represents clients in a wide variety of legal matters, securing hundreds of millions for his clients in some of the largest verdicts in the state. He continues to help the people of New Orleans. Tony Clayton has had the privilege of serving the courts in other areas of the law, including District Court Judge for Louisiana Supreme Court and Special Prosecutor for East Baton Rouge Parish. Tony Clayton has also been featured in the 2023 Louisiana Super Lawyers Magazine! Tony is an avid hunter and fisherman who is deeply committed to preserving and protecting the wetlands that are so critical to the Louisianan way of life. It is his deep love of his state, as well as his calling to public service, that has led Tony to represent the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in cases involving pipeline companies endangering our precious wetlands. For decades, Tony has protected communities throughout the greater Baton Rouge area, and he is now committed to doing the same for the natural beauty of our state. He will do everything possible to hold pipeline companies accountable for the damage they have caused—while also ensuring they clean up the mess they have left behind.

Troy Rafferty

Shareholder
Levin, Papantonio, Rafferty

Troy Rafferty is a shareholder at Levin, Papantonio, Rafferty. He litigates mass tort, pharmaceutical, and major personal injury cases throughout the country. Mr. Rafferty has been recognized as one of the country's top lawyers through inclusion in the publication, The Best Lawyers in America, as well as The Legal 500. He has also been recognized as one of Florida's top lawyers by Florida Super Lawyers. Mr. Rafferty has been awarded an AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell legal directory, the highest rating for competence and ethics issued by that publication, and reserved for attorneys designated as outstanding in their field. Mr. Rafferty has been selected by the American Trial Lawyers Association as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers. He is a fellow in the International Society of Barristers, and one of only 500 U.S. attorneys inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Mr. Rafferty has been appointed to handle some of the nation's largest pharmaceutical and mass tort cases. He currently serves as Liaison Counsel in the case In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.  He has also been appointed as: (1) co-lead counsel in the In re: Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agent Litigation, which is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio; (2) the Plaintiff’s Executive Committee in the In re: Abilify Products Liability Litigation pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida; (3) the Plaintiff’s Executive Committee in the In re: Benicar Products Liability Litigation pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey; (4) the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee in the In re: Actos (Pioglitazone) Products Liability Litigation pending in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana; and (5) the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee in the In re: Fresenius Granuflo/Naturalyte Dialysate Products Liability Litigation pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. He also has been appointed by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky to serve on the Executive Committee for the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee regarding the Yamaha Rhino defective product litigation. He was appointed by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana to serve on the Plaintiffs Steering Committee in the national Vioxx Litigation, which resulted in a $4.7 billion national settlement. He was also appointed to the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee in the national Zyprexa Litigation in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. This litigation resulted in a $700 million settlement on behalf of clients throughout the country. Mr. Rafferty was also one of the leading attorneys in the national Rezulin litigation, which was filed in the Southern District of New York. In 2001, he and his partner obtained a $40 million jury verdict in Corpus Christi, Texas for a woman who took the diabetes drug Rezulin. He has tried numerous complex pharmaceutical cases throughout the country. In 2017 Mr. Rafferty obtained jury verdicts in two pharmaceutical cases of $150 million and $140 million which were the 13^th and 15^th largest jury verdicts in the country that year. Mr. Rafferty is board certified in civil trial law by The Florida Bar. He is active in the Florida Justice Association, where he served as President from 2014 – 2015.  Prior to that he served on the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors. In 2016 he was awarded the Perry Nichols Award, the highest award given by the FJA and is awarded to an attorney whose perseverance, commitment, and unmatched dedication to the civil justice system is at the forefront of their lives. In 2018, he was awarded the Living the Dream HK Matthews Legacy Award in recognition of his commitment, vision, leadership, service, and contribution to keeping Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream alive. Mr. Rafferty is a frequent lecturer throughout the country to trial lawyers on mass tort litigation and general trial practice. He is currently licensed to practice law before all Florida state courts, the United States District Courts for the Northern and Middle Districts of Florida, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Mr. Rafferty is also an active philanthropist, and along with donating to many local charities, he also funds two local scholarships under his name (The Rafferty Scholarship/Award), which are awarded annually to two area high school prep athletes. Each of the area high schools also competes to be awarded the Rafferty Cup for excellence in athletic achievement.  In addition, he founded the Rafferty Hope Scholarship which is given each year to two underprivileged children to pay their college tuition.

Victoria Maniatis

Partner
Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, LLC

Vicki's plan to become a lawyer started in third grade when she decided to confront the class bully.  That tenacity for taking on big dogs for underdogs never stopped. It was only natural that her practice led to focusing on plaintiffs' pharma and environmental litigation.  One of the original founders of Mass Tort Med School, Vicki is proud to see the program mature and grow into one of the "go to" events of the year, even better teamed with Trial Lawyers of Puerto Rico. Vicki spends her free time triathlon training and watching her son Alex, now a junior in high school, play baseball.  Her dream is to one day own a brewery.

William G. Pintas

Founding Member, Partner
Pintas & Mullins PR, LLC

William Pintas leads one of the largest partnering personal injury firms in North America representing tens of thousands of clients in mass torts, nursing home maltreatment, asbestos claims, institutional sex abuse and environmental disasters. The firm is at the forefront of technology, marketing and law firm partnership strategies. Attorney Pintas is also chief legal strategist for famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

Yvonne Flaherty

Partner
Lockridge Grindal Nauen

Yvonne M. Flaherty focuses her practice on the representation of injured parties in complex litigation against pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, as well as class actions involving a variety of consumer and product defect claims. She has been appointed to serve as Lead Counsel in consolidated claims against national medical device manufacturers and serves on several Plaintiff Steering Committees on behalf of thousands of claimants in Multi District Litigation throughout the United States. Ms. Flaherty has also served on trial teams in two national class actions, both of which were tried to verdict. In Peterson v. BASF Corp., Ms. Flaherty was a member of the trial team who secured a substantial jury verdict for a nation-wide class of farmers seeking redress for violation of consumer protection statutes. She is a frequent speaker at national conferences concerning medical device and pharmaceutical litigation, including topics concerning mass tort litigation, preemption, electronic discovery, and the Learned Intermediary Doctrine. Yvonne M. Flaherty is a member of the American Association for Justice (“AAJ”) formerly ATLA, numerous AAJ committees, co-chairs the Electronic Discovery Committee, and is the past Chair of the Women’s Trial Lawyers Caucus. She also serves on the Minnesota Association for Justice Board of Governors and Executive Committee and is a member of the Minnesota State, Hennepin County and Federal Bar Associations.