DRI Faculty List

Asbestos Medicine Seminar

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV, United States | November 2 - 3, 2017


Richard L. Attanoos, MBBS, FRC Path
Consultant
University Hospital of Wales

Richard L. Attanoos, MBBS, FRC Path is a Consultant Pathologist at Cardiff & Vale University Health Board with a special interest in pulmonary pathology and asbestos related disease. He qualified in Medicine at London University and holds a Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists, UK. Dr. Attanoos is an invited member of the US – Canadian Mesothelioma Reference Panel, International Mesothelioma Panel, and CAP-PPS Asbestosis Committee. Dr. Attanoos has been an invited Medical Advisor to the British Government on the Health Effects of Asbestos. Dr. Attanoos is a contributing author to the 2015 WHO Classification of Tumors of the Lung, Pleura, Thymus and Heart (4th Edition) (Malignant Mesothelioma section) and WHO Task Force Group review of the Health Effects of Clay and Silicate minerals. He has published over 130 papers in the peer-reviewed medical and scientific literature, many of which are in the fields of occupational lung disease, asbestos and mesothelioma.


Whitney K. Barrows
Partner
Cetrulo LLP

Whitney K. Barrows is an attorney with Cetrulo LLP in Boston, Massachusetts. Her practice focuses on toxic tort and asbestos litigation. She has been handling asbestos matters for nearly 10 years. She serves as both national coordinating counsel and local counsel for a number of asbestos clients. Whitney has practiced in the area of complex civil litigation, with a focus on toxic tort and asbestos litigation, since she started with the firm in 2006. She is well-versed in the steps required to mount a successful defense, from pre-suit investigation through trial, for a wide variety of clients, including product manufacturers and distributors. She has focused, in particular, on the development defense experts, marshalling and coordination of discovery, and preparation of cross-examinations and motions to challenge key plaintiffs' experts. Whitney has extensive experience, both as local and national counsel, working with opposing counsel and developing case-specific defenses resulting in the successful dispositions of clients' cases.


Mark A. Behrens
Partner
Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP

Mark A. Behrens co-chairs the Washington, DC-based Public Policy Group of Shook, Hardy & Bacon. Mark has been working to address and improve the asbestos litigation environment for over 15 years through legislation, amicus briefs, legal scholarship, and judicial education.Mark has helped enact asbestos bankruptcy trust transparency laws in many states. In 2015, Mark received the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform's Individual Achievement Award for his work. Mark has also helped enact state laws that require asbestos claimants to demonstrate present physical impairment in order to bring an asbestos-related lawsuit. Apart from his legislative work, Mark is counsel to the Coalition for Litigation Justice, a nonprofit formed by insurers to improve the asbestos litigation environment in the courts. In addition, Mark frequently lectures and writes about asbestos litigation trends.


Bruce T. Bishop
Partner
Willcox & Savage PC

Bruce T. Bishop is a partner at Willcox & Savage, P.C. in Norfolk, Virginia. He has tried asbestos personal injury cases throughout the United States representing a number of different defendants. He and other members of his firm have developed considerable expertise over the years in addressing complex medical issues in asbestos personal injury litigation, particularly related to mesothelioma.


W. Richard (Rick) Braun III
Partner
Collins Einhorn Farrell PC

W. Richard (Rick) Braun III is a partner at Collins Einhorn Farrell PC, a defense litigation firm headquartered in Southfield, Michigan. Braun is a member of the firm's national Asbestos/Toxic Tort practice group. He defends asbestos claims, premises owners, non-manufacturing suppliers, and manufacturers of industrial equipment, friction products, and electrical components. He is the current Chair of the Oakland County Bar Association's Energy, Sustainability, and Environmental Law Committee, a member of the City of Rochester Hills, Michigan's Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, and a member of the State Bar of Michigan's Special Committee on Civil Discovery Court Rules


Lester Brickman LL.M
Professor of Law
Benjamin N Cardozo School of Law

Lester Brickman LL.M is professor of law and former acting dean at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he taught Contracts, Land Use Planning, The Legal Ethics of Legal Fees and Current Issues in Professional Responsibility and the Legal Profession. He has written extensively on mass tort litigation and contingency fees and his writings have been cited over 1000 times in treatises, casebooks, scholarly journals, restatements of the law, bar association opinions, litigation reporters, congressional reports and judicial opinions (including the United States Supreme Court, United States Circuit Courts of Appeal, state supreme courts and federal and state appellate and trial courts).


Elizabeth M. Sorenson Brotten
Shareholder
Lind Jensen Sullivan & Peterson PA

Elizabeth M. Sorenson Brotten is a shareholder at Lind, Jensen, Sullivan & Peterson, P.A. in Minneapolis, where she defends clients in high-risk product liability and toxic tort cases. Liz has extensive experience in the defense of asbestos claims, serving in both national and local counsel roles. She practices in Minnesota, North and South Dakota, and Wisconsin, and serves in leadership positions on DRI's Toxic Tort and Women in the Law national steering committees.


Jessica Burgasser
Partner
Brown & Kelly LLP

Jessica Burgasser concentrates her practice in insurance defense and coverage litigation. She works extensively with defendants alleged to have used asbestos and provides experienced legal advice to a wide range of asbestos clients, including equipment and friction manufacturers and retailers. Jessica handles all aspects of non-asbestos litigation including other product liability matters, motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, labor law injuries and dog bite claims.


Michael (Mike) J. Cahalane
Partner
Cetrulo LLP

Michael (Mike) J. Cahalane is a partner at Cetrulo LLP in Boston, Massachusetts. He concentrates his practice in products liability, toxic torts, and pharmaceutical litigation. Mike is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine and regularly defends his clients in both state and federal courts. He also represents several companies as National Coordinating Counsel. In that capacity Mike manages all aspects of the client's defense, including development and implementation of litigation strategies to reduce indemnity and defense costs.


Christine D. Calareso
Partner
Selman Breitman LLP

Christine D. Calareso is a Partner in Selman Breitman's Orange County office and a member of the firm's Toxic Tort/Environmental and General Liability practice groups. She represents a wide variety of manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and premises defendants in toxic tort litigation, including cases arising out of alleged exposure to asbestos, talc, benzene, diacetyl, chemicals, and mixed dusts. Christine serves as chief negotiator for many of the firm's clients, and her considerable experience provides her with a unique ability to litigate and negotiate even the most complex and hotly contested matters.


Marcus A. Carter
Shell Oil Company

Marcus A. Carter Marcus attended college at Florida State University (2014 BCS National Champions) where he double majored in English and Sociology. After graduating from Florida State University with honors, Marcus attended South Texas College of Law. While attending South Texas, Marcus was a member of the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial team as well as the law review, a Langdell Scholar and was named the Most Outstanding Male Graduate in his graduating class. After law school Marcus accepted a position with Locke Liddell & Sapp LLP as a litigation attorney and handled arbitration proceedings and trials on behalf of many clients, including Shell Oil Company, BP, Wells Fargo Bank, etc. In September of 2012, Marcus joined Shell's Global Litigation Department managing a variety of Downstream and Upstream matters. Currently, Marcus manages Shell's Asbestos, Silica, Vinyl Chloride, and Catalyst litigations and is also responsible for Medicare Reporting and Subpoenas.


Melissa Devich Cochran
Associate
Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

Melissa Devich Cochran is a member in the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC and focuses her practice on products liability, particularly asbestos litigation. Melissa represents and defends numerous and varied equipment manufacturers, outside contractors and supplier companies in all phases of litigation, from investigation to trial. She also serves as assistant national counsel for a world-wide product manufacturer. In addition to her experience in products liability and asbestos litigation, Melissa is an experienced property and casualty attorney representing corporations and their employees in claims involving automobile accidents premises liability, dram-shop, and bad faith cases. Melissa is licensed in Pennsylvania.


Stuart L. Cohen
Senior Partner
Luks Santaniello Petrillo & Jones LLC

Stuart L. Cohen is a Senior Partner of Luks, Santaniello, Petrillo & Jones LLC and serves as regional lead trial counsel in the defense of toxic tort, carbon monoxide, lead poisoning and environmental claims involving significant injury and death. He represents manufactures of asbestos-containing products and products containing silica and other toxins relating to all myriad of exposures. His practice also includes the defense of professional liability and products liability claims. Martindale-Hubbell and his peers have rated him AV Preeminent. His practice also includes the defense of professional liability and products liability claims.


Evelyn Fletcher Davis
Partner
Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP

Evelyn Fletcher Davis is a partner at Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP in its Atlanta office. She serves as local, regional and national counsel for numerous clients and is one of the nation's leading asbestos, silica, benzene, and product liability lawyers, with a strong presence in the Alabama, Florida, and Georgia jurisdictions. Ms. Davis is a board member of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys, and an active member of DRI, FDCC, and IADC. She is the program chair of this seminar.


Rick R. Fuentes, Ph.D.
Managing Partner
R & D Strategic Solutions

Rick R. Fuentes, Ph.D. is a founding partner of R&D Strategic Solutions, LLC. He has specialized in jury behavior and decision-making and the evaluation of complex evidence for over 25 years. Dr. Fuentes has a Ph.D. in Applied Psychology from Texas A&M University. He has worked with trial teams on hundreds of civil and criminal cases involving issues of tort, contracts, anti-trust, intellectual property, product liability, and professional malpractice. He has authored numerous professional articles on the topics of jury behavior and jury decision-making.


Catherine E. Goldhaber
Partner
Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young

Catherine E. Goldhaber is Partner-in-Charge of Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP's Chicago office. She defends companies as both national and local trial counsel, including through the appellate process. Ms. Goldhaber frequently consults on Medicare Secondary Payer Act compliance and resolves related disputes. She is the Chair of DRI's Medicare Secondary Payer Task Force. Ms. Goldhaber is the program co-vice chair of this seminar.


Kevin P. Greene
Member
Willcox Savage PC

Kevin P. Greene of Willcox & Savage, P.C., in Norfolk, Virginia focuses his practice on asbestos defense, products liability and toxic torts. Kevin tries asbestos cases in jurisdictions around the country. He developed an expertise in medical and state-of-the-art issues associated with toxic tort litigation, and routinely handles expert development, deposition, and trial examination issues.


Mickey E. Gunter, Ph.D.
University Distinguished Professor
University of Idaho

Mickey E. Gunter, Ph.D. is a University Distinguished Professor and former Department Chairman of Geological Sciences at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. He is an academic mineralogist which entails integration of teaching, research, and outreach in geology and mineralogy. Currently his main research interests are in developing new applications and methods in optical mineralogy and characterizing minerals associated with potential human health issues, especially talc. His BS is from Southern Illinois University (1979) and MS (1982) and PhD (1987) from Virginia Tech.


Kevin Hannemann
Resolute Management
Resolute Management Inc

Kevin Hannemann is an Asbestos Claims Analayst at Resolute Management, Inc.


Dana Hollins, MPH, CIH
Managing Health Scientist
Cardno ChemRisk

Dana Hollins, MPH, CIH, is a board certified industrial hygienist with eight years of professional experience in human health risk assessment. Her primary training and areas of expertise include environmental and occupational epidemiology, exposure assessment, human health risk assessment and industrial hygiene. She has been involved in researching, measuring exposure, reconstructing dose and exposure, and assessing risk to consumers and workers exposed to a variety of chemicals including asbestos, diacetyl, beryllium, benzene, and phthalates. She also has experience in evaluating occupational hazards to airborne chemicals in the workplace using historical industrial hygiene and exposure simulation data. Ms. Hollins' experience also includes investigating exposures and health effects resulting from non-occupational exposure to indoor air pollutants and she has completed her master's thesis in the field of environmental and occupational epidemiology, and statistics.


Laura Kingsley Hong
Partner
Tucker Ellis LLP

Laura Kingsley Hong is a partner with Tucker Ellis LLP in Cleveland, where she defends clients in class action, toxic tort, and product liability litigation. With decades of first-chair experience in wrongful death and cancer trials and nearly 20 years as national counsel, she spearheads legislative initiatives and leads strategy for clients. A former law professor of trial tactics, Laura writes and speaks frequently on topics relating to toxic tort and product liability litigation, as well as equity and inclusion.


Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson Films

Paul Johnson is a veteran documentary film director and award winning international journalist. His gripping films about real life stories and adventure have been screened in film festivals and on TV networks around the world. The story behind his feature doc "Bin Laden Hunter" was recently made into a Hollywood movie starring Nicholas Cage. Paul's television news reporting has taken him from conflicts in Bosnia and Afghanistan to the White House and Vatican and many stops in between. His latest film "UnSettled - Inside the strange world of asbestos lawsuits" is another look into a murky corner of American life that few other reporters have explored. "UnSettled" has already triggered questions and debate in pre screenings in Washington DC and Sacramento and comes out at a time when politicians may be poised to question the rules that govern America's asbestos litigation system.


Alice Sacks Johnston
Partner
Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP

Alice Sacks Johnston, a Partner with Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis in Pittsburgh, serves as national, regional and local counsel to defendants in complex litigation, including asbestos, drug and medical de-vice, heavy equipment, and other sophisticated product defense. Ms. Johnston frequently speaks on topics including discovery of bankruptcy trust proofs of claim in asbestos litigation, Frye/Daubert challenges, and pharmaceutical products liability.


John J. (Jack) Laffey
Founding Partner
Laffey Leitner & Goode LLC

John J. (Jack) Laffey is a partner with Laffey, Leitner & Goode LLC and focuses on product liability, transportation litigation, toxic tort, catastrophic injury defense, and insurance and commercial litigation matters. He is a member of DRI's Law Institute and is a former chair of DRI's Trucking Law Committee.


Michael J. Lampe
Law Offices of Michael J. Lampe

Michael J. Lampe was born and raised in Tulare, California. Mike began his legal career in Tulare in 1978 with the law firm of Stringham, Rogers, Kadi & Graves. In 1983, Mike opened his own office, working for several years as a sole practitioner. During his legal career, Mike has litigated cases in over 20 counties throughout the State of California, in both state and federal courts. Mike has also handled a number of commercial real estate transactions, representing both buyers and sellers, oftentimes involving financing mechanisms requiring the formation of single purpose or special purpose entities on the borrower's side. Mike's clients range from multi-national corporations to local companies and individuals, with a special emphasis in real estate and business law.


John W. Lebold
Associate General Counsel
The Sherwin-Williams Company

John W. Lebold is the associate general counsel-complex litigation for the Sherwin-Williams Company in Cleveland, Ohio. He is responsible for handling all long-tail toxic torts facing the company, including the lead, asbestos, and benzene litigations. Mr. Lebold also handles insurance coverage issues for the company. He is a member of DRI, the FDCC, and the American Bar Association.


Jeanne F. Loftis
Shareholder
Bullivant Houser Bailey PC

Jeanne F. Loftis practice focuses on the defense of mass tort cases, particularly asbestos and silica products and medical drugs and devices, where she has defended companies in hundreds of product liability cases locally, regionally, and nationally. She has served on four national trial teams and has tried as First Chair more than 25 cases to verdict. Jeanne has been a member of American Board of Trial Advocates since 2010 and currently serves on the DRI Board of Directors.


Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Social Ecology and Professor of Law
University of California Irvine

Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D. is a distinguished Professor at the University of California, Irvine. She holds faculty positions in the Department of Psychology & Social Behavior; the Department of Criminology, Law & Society, and the School of Law. She received her Ph.D in Psychology from Stanford University. Since then, she has published 22 books and over 500 scientific articles. Loftus's research has focused on the malleability of human memory. She has been recognized for her research with seven honorary doctorates and election to numerous prestigious societies, including the National Academy of Sciences. She has been awarded numerous prizes for her work, including the 2016 John Maddox Prize, which is awarded to individuals who promote sound science and evidence on a matter of public interest, facing difficulty or hostility in doing so. She is past president of the Association for Psychological Science, the Western Psychological Association (twice), and the American Psychology-Law Society.


F. Ford Loker
Principal
Miles & Stockbridge PC

F. Ford Loker, a principal in Miles & Stockbridge's Baltimore office, is a former prosecutor and civil trial lawyer with over 44 years of litigation experience. Since 1981 his primary focus has been on asbestos litigation. He has represented a broad spectrum of defendants throughout Maryland and nationally, handling numerous trials and appeals. He has lectured on a wide variety of topics including trial tactics and asbestos medicine. He is designated as "AV Preeminent" by Martindale, and is recognized by "Super Lawyers" and "Best Lawyers in America."


Daniel (Dan) M. Long
Partner
Quarles & Brady LLP

Daniel (Dan) M. Long is a founding partner of Quarles & Brady LLP's Indianapolis office. He specializes in toxic tort defense including 18 years of defending product manufacturers, premises owners, and contractors in asbestos litigation in Indiana, regionally, and as national counsel. Over the course of his career, Dan has deposed hundreds of witnesses most of which were entirely unremarkable, but with a handful that provided valuable, if sometimes painful, experience that he is willing to share with you.


Jayme C. Long
Dentons US LLP

Jayme C. Long is a partner in the Mass Tort division of the Los Angeles office of Dentons. Ms. Long is a trial attorney with a focus on premises liability, product liability and toxic torts. As a leader in the firm's Mass Tort and Product Liability practice group, she is involved in its Committee for Development and Advancement of Women. She is also involved in the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles and the Defense Research Institute (DRI).


Mark A. Love
Partner
Selman Breitman LLP

Mark A. Love is a Partner in the San Francisco office and is a member of the firm's Toxic Tort and Environmental, Products Liability, and General Liability practice groups. He represents contractors, retailers and manufacturers in toxic tort matters, including cases arising out of exposure to asbestos, silica, and Benzene. His clients include building and lumber stores, auto parts retailers, construction contractors, equipment manufacturers, and premises owners. He also has experience handling subrogation claims, and in representing entities in intellectual property disputes that involve complex trade secret, copyright, and trademark claims.


Anissa Mediger
Shareholder
Briggs & Morgan PA

Anissa Mediger is a shareholder at the law firm of Briggs and Morgan in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Anissa has worked in the areas of toxic tort, construction defect, product liability and environmental law for over 16 years. During that time she has served as both National Coordinating Counsel, Regional and Local Counsel for a variety of clients facing such claims. Her work includes securing a defense verdict in a unique asbestos take-home exposure two week trial where her client conceded causation. Anissa has defended entities facing talc-related litigation and with a degree in geology, takes a keen interest in the scientific defense.


Catherine A. Mohan
Partner
McCarter & English LLP

Catherine A. Mohan chairs McCarter's Products Liability, Mass Torts and Consumer Class Actions practice group and is among the nation's top asbestos defense lawyers, having resolved thousands of cases over the past 30 years. She has worked with every major firm representing asbestos claimants and with leading asbestos defense counsel. Ms. Mohan co-founded McCarter's Hartford office and was the firm's first female Treasurer. A James W. Cooper Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Association, she participates in pro bono and diversity initiatives.


Albert (Al) H. Parnell
Partner
Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP

Albert (Al) H. Parnell is a nationally recognized trial attorney with Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP (Atlanta, Austin Charleston, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Napa, St. Louis, and San Francisco). He has spent his entire career preparing, managing, and trying product liability, environmental and toxic tort cases. Mr. Parnell has tried more than 300 cases in 32 states. Mr. Parnell, an authority on asbestos medicine, is frequently requested to speak on medical, state-of-the-art, firm management, and ethics issues. He is a founding member of DRI's Law Institute and a former member of the DRI Board of Directors.


Elizabeth N. Pavlisko, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Duke University Medical Center

Elizabeth N. Pavlisko, M.D. is an Assistant Professor of Pathology and Associate Medical Director for the Immunopathology Laboratory at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. She received her Doctor of Medicine for the Medical University of South Carolina in 2006 and then performed both her anatomic and clinical pathology residency, as well as her pulmonary pathology fellowship at Duke University Medical Center, where she found an opportunity to work with Dr. Victor Roggli. In addition to contributing a number of articles to the peer-reviewed medical and scientific literature on pulmonary disease, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, she is co-author of the chapter on mesothelioma in the most recent edition of Pathology of Asbestos Associated Diseases (3rd Edition) co-edited by Drs. Oury, Sporn and Roggli. She also co-authored with Dr. Roggli the chapter on mesothelioma for the most recent edition of Silverberg's Practices and Principles of Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology (5th Edition) (2015).


Lisa Perrochet
Partner
Horvitz & Levy

Lisa Perrochet During 30 years as an appellate litigator at Horvitz & Levy, Lisa Perrochet is a California State Bar Certified Appellate Specialist who has represented clients in hundreds of appeals. A large part of her practice involves representing business interests in toxic tort and product liability cases, as well as challenging punitive damages awards and verdicts in catastrophic injury cases. She frequently works with trial teams to develop legal issues before and during trial to ensure they are well positioned for appeal.


Lawerence G. Pugh III
Member
Pugh Accardo LLC

Lawerence G. Pugh III The founding member of Pugh Accardo, Larry Pugh has led a successful, robust, general civil practice defending insurers and corporations in personal injury and environmental damage claims since 2008. A skilled trial attorney with over 30 years of experience, he has defended numerous insurance companies and corporate interests in multiple jurisdictions, with specific focus on toxic tort, products liability, and environmental damage. He represents an array of clients in complex civil matters and class actions, and acts as national coordinating counsel for various clients.


Robert A. Rich
Partner
Gordon & Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP

Robert A. Rich is a partner in Gordon & Rees's Oakland office and is a member of the firm's Environmental/Toxic Tort practice group. Mr. Rich started his asbestos trial career in the early 1990's at a Los Angeles law firm that was representing Owens Corning Fiberglas (OCF) which was a target defendant in the landmark asbestos litigation. OCF developed an elite National Trial Team composed of a dozen of some of the most successful asbestos trial attorneys in the country to try the company's most dangerous cases. In 1991 OCF held a national trial competition, which Mr. Rich won and he joined OCF's National Trial team.


Stewart S. Richmond Jr.
Manager Claims
RiverStone Claims Management LLC

Stewart S. Richmond Jr. is an Assistant Vice President of Claims for RiverStone Claims Management, LLC and oversees a complex claims unit that handles the Company's largest APH exposures. Stewart has significant experience and expertise in the management of complex high exposure liabilities including asbestos, pollution, product liability, mass tort, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, construction defect, property, and public entity claims. Prior to joining RiverStone in 2004, Stewart worked as a trial attorney for McLane Graf Raulerson & Middleton PA on insurance, environmental, professional liability and personal injury matters. Stewart received his law degree from Boston College Law School and his under graduate degree from Colby College.


Alex Rosen
Senior Litigation Consultant
Rosen Litigation Technology Consulting

Alex Rosen is a senior litigation technology consultant who works with attorneys through complex litigation in a variety of matters. An excellent technician, his contribution goes even further, encompassing broader aspects of communicating core concepts creatively. Mr. Rosen began work in multimedia production in 1992. He started working in the litigation field in 2002 and has handled evidence presentation for countless trials and mediations in a variety of cases nationwide as the principal of Rosen Litigation Technology Consulting Inc., based in Charleston, South Carolina.


Valerie E. Ross
Partner
Schiff Hardin LLP

Valerie E. Ross is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Schiff Hardin LLP. She manages product liability litigation, primarily for toxic tort matters arising out of exposure to asbestos. She oversees every component, from high-level strategy to the collection and analysis of related research. She has extensive experience working with experts and corporate witnesses. She has litigated in state and federal courts across the country.


Laura Beth Schoefer
Assistant Vice President of Resolute Management
Allianz Resolution Management

Laura Beth Schoefer works primarily on asbestos and coverage matters. In her role, Ms. Schoefer manages nationwide toxic tort litigation for a variety of defendants, including negotiating settlements, improving discovery responses, developing trial strategies, and working with policyholders to create corporate representatives. Ms. Schoefer is a 2010 Northeastern University School of Law graduate.


Daniel J. Sinclair
Member
Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC

Daniel J. Sinclair has been involved with asbestos litigation for over twenty years. His asbestos practice is national in scope. The last asbestos case that was tried to a verdict in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was one in which he obtained a defense verdict for an automotive manufacturer. He currently represents two friction product defendants in western Pennsylvania. He has been admitted pro hac vice in eight other states in which he was assigned to try a case for a friction defendant.


Linda M. Tatka
Claims Director
Allianz Resolution Management

Linda M. Tatka is a results-oriented leader with 20+ years of experience in the management of Latent Claims. She is an experienced project manager, with a focus on litigation management, expense management, data management and reporting. She is a Claims Director with San Francisco Reinsurance of Allianz Resolution Management.


Margreta Vellucci
Senior Associate
Pond North LLP

Margreta Vellucci is a senior litigation associate in the New England office. She practices general civil litigation, including toxic tort, products liability, asbestos, premises liability, and other liability issues confronting businesses. Ms. Vellucci earned her Juris Doctorate at Roger Williams University School of Law in 2007, where she graduated magna cum laude. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Boston University, graduating magna cum laude in 2004. While in law school, Ms. Vellucci was an Articles Editor for the Roger Williams University Law Review and a member of the Honors Program. Prior to entering private practice, Ms. Vellucci was the lead law clerk to the Honorable Frank J. Williams during his tenure as Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. She has had scholarly work published in both the University of California at Davis environmental law journal, Environs, as well as the Roger Williams University Law Review. Ms. Vellucci is admitted to practice before the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and California State courts, as well as before the U.S. District Court for the Districts of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, and the Supreme Court of the United States. She is a member of the Defense Research Institute, Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association, Rhode Island Bar Association, Rhode Island Women's Bar Association and Connecticut Bar Association. From 2008-2010, Ms. Vellucci served as the President of the Roger Williams University School of Law Alumni Association; she currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Law Alumni Association. In 2013, 2014, and 2015, Ms. Vellucci was named a Massachusetts Rising Star, by the publishers of Super Lawyers, recognizing her as an outstanding young attorney in the Massachusetts legal community.


Joseph J. Welter
Partner
Goldberg Segalla LLP

Joseph J. Welter is a partner at Goldberg Segalla LLP and is the chair of the firm's Toxic Tort and Environmental Practice Group. He has 25 years of experience successfully defending companies and insurers in toxic tort litigation across the country — including federal court multi-district mass toxic tort matters. Joe's experience includes cases involving alleged exposure to asbestos, Legionella bacteria, excess zinc, adulterated food, benzene, and lead paint. He is a nationally recognized lecturer and author regarding emerging toxic tort issues, as well as the editor of Goldberg Segalla's award winning Asbestos Case Tracker.


Jennifer A. Whelan
Partner
Manion Gaynor and Manning LLP

Jennifer A. Whelan is a partner in Manion Gaynor & Manning's Boston office. She is a proven litigator whose practice focuses on defense of asbestos, mass tort, product liability, and general liability matters. Jennifer also has experience in areas such as construction liability, premises liability, vehicle liability, medical malpractice, environmental pollution, dram shop, and consumer protection.


Jenni L. Young
Partner
Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young

Jenni L. Young is a partner with Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP's Chicago office. Ms. Young serves on national coordinating and local trial teams handling complex product liability and toxic tort matters for a variety of defendants, including distributors, contractors, premises, and manufacturers.