Connie I. Armstrong is associate general counsel for McGough Construction Co., LLC a general contractor headquartered St. Paul, Minnesota with offices in North Dakota, Iowa, and Arizona. Prior to joining McGough Construction, Connie was a shareholder at a Minneapolis law firm and defended and counseled businesses, contractors and employers in contract, construction, and employment matters. Connie is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association's Construction Law Section's council and the Minnesota Air National Guard. She is the Past-President of Minnesota Women Lawyers and the former co-chair of Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association's Construction Law Committee.

Lisa Morganstern Bickel is the Chief Human Resources Counsel for Honeywell's Aerospace Strategic Business Group headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. She has global responsibility for strategic and day-to-day labor and employment law counseling, litigation management and litigation avoidance for the Aerospace Business, which has approximately 35,000 employees. She is also responsible for advising Honeywell on its strategic approach to Affirmative Action, OFCCP Compliance and Staffing. She is a 1988 graduate of the Ohio State University and a 1991 Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Arizona College of Law.

Marti Cardi has leveraged a legal career of studying, interpreting, and indeed shaping US employment law to inspire and drive forward Matrix's market leading product development and service delivery. As Vice President, Product Compliance, Marti ensures Matrix clients and their employees are informed, advised and – most importantly – well served by Matrix's services and business processes in the face of ever-changing industry regulation. A nationally known speaker and author, Marti is the founder, lead author, and executive editor of Matrix Radar, an industry blog bringing commentary and clarity to employers and absence and benefits professionals nationwide. Prior to originating her role at Matrix, Marti was Chief Compliance Officer for Reed Group, where she led the company's advancement of compliance with state and federal leave laws. Her specialization in employment law began as a practicing attorney in leading Denver law firms and included in-house employment counsel assignments for multiple national companies before joining the consultant community. Marti appears frequently at industry conferences, presenting to employer and consultant audiences on topics related to absence, productivity, and compliance.

Violet M. Clark is a partner at Laner Muchin, Ltd., representing management in employment law and labor relations matters before the EEOC, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, state and federal courts; wage and hour matters before the Illinois and United States Departments of Labor; and affirmative action matters. For her clients that have unions, Ms. Clark serves as the chief negotiator; drafts and interprets contracts; handles arbitrations and litigates unfair labor practice matters before the NLRB. Ms. Clark services clients in many other employment/labor relations matters, including management training and wage and salary administration.

Brad Federman is the COO of F&H Solutions Group. Brad has more than 24 years of corporate experience in various aspects of human resources including FLSA, FMLA, compensation, recruiting, change management and leadership. His clients have included household names such as Nordstrom, FedEx, Hilton Hotels, Mayo Clinic, Polo Ralph Lauren, Genentech, and St. Jude. He is a frequently requested speaker at conferences and business meetings. He is the authored three books and has been interviewed for the John Stossel Show and articles in numerous publications such as Fortune Small Business, Los Angeles Times and HR Magazine.

Paul M. Finamore is a member of Niles Barton & Wilmer in Baltimore, Maryland. He is admitted in Maryland and Washington, D.C and been lead trial counsel on a variety of cases, including general and professional liability as well as employment law. Mr. Finamore has been recognized as a Maryland Super Lawyer. He is a member of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel and the Litigation Counsel of America. He is the Chair of the FDCC's Employment Section and its Liaison to the DRI Employment and Labor Law Steering Committee, where he is Chair of Litigation Tactics.

Steve Fretzin with Fretzin Inc., is driven, focused and passionate about helping attorneys to reach their full potential, Steve Fretzin is regarded as the premier business coach, speaker and author on business development for attorneys. A published author and premier business coach, Steve Fretzin has devoted his career to helping lawyers master the art of business development to achieve professional freedom. His first book, "Sales-Free Selling: The Death of Sales and the Rise of a New Methodology," guides attorneys through the essentials of acquiring new clients and building enduring professional partnerships.

Steven Gerber practices in Schoeman Updike Kaufman & Gerber's New Jersey and New York City offices. He has practiced management-side employment law as first chair trial counsel for three decades. His trial practice also includes trade secret, restrictive covenant and patent litigation Steve is listed in Martindale-Hubbell as AV-Preeminent, in the NJ and NY Super Lawyers and in Best Lawyers in America 2018 edition. He is a past chair of DRI's Employment & Labor Law Committee, and also served on DRI's Board of Directors and Law Institute. Steve is also a member of the FDCC and the ADTA.

Scott F. Gibson is a partner with the Tempe, Arizona law firm of Davis Miles McGuire Gardner, PLC, where he helps businesses protect their intangible assets from disloyal employees and unfair competition. Since 2008, he has been an adjunct professor at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, teaching a course in Trade Secrets and Restrictive Covenants. Scott is a frequent speaker and author on employment and intellectual property issues. He has an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell and a Superb rating from AVVO.

Stanley E. (Stan) Graham is a partner with the Nashville office of Waller. He is also the Vice-Chair of the DRI Employment and Labor Law Committee. He has extensive jury trial experience, including first-chair verdicts for Ford Motor Company, Dollar General, Logan's Roadhouse, and Federal-Mogul Corporation. Stan formerly served as Chair of the Tennessee Bar Association Employment Law Section. He is recognized in Chambers USA and was recently named 2017 Nashville Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in the field of Labor Law-Management. He has represented clients in litigation and arbitration proceedings in 22 states and counting.

James J. Grogan is both the Deputy Administrator and the Chief Counsel (DACC) of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois (ARDC). For over 37 years, he has investigated and prosecuted hundreds of charges of lawyer misconduct and has argued dozens of disciplinary cases in the Supreme Court of Illinois. He is a Past President of the National Organization of Bar Counsel (NOBC), the bar association of lawyer regulators. For over 30 years, Mr. Grogan has taught legal ethics, first at the DePaul University College of Law and then at the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, where he is an Adjunct Professor. He has presented hundreds of speeches, lectures and workshops to law firms, bar associations, corporations and judicial and governmental groups and agencies on various professional responsibility and lawyer regulation topics.

Jill Pedigo Hall practices with von Briesen & Roper, s.c. in Madison, Wisconsin. She advises organizations and businesses of all sizes, assisting in strengthening workplace structures and compliance strategies. Widely regarded for building collaboration, she is also a resourceful litigator. Ms Hall leverages her personal business experience to solve employment law and people management issues, and reduce risks through efficient, practical solutions. Medical leave and workplace disability accommodation management is a focal area of Ms. Hall's practice and she has litigated, written, and trained on the topic. Ms. Hall is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell.

R. Mark Halligan has been selected by Corporate LiveWire as the 2017 Commercial Litigator of the Year in North America. Legal 500 ranks Mr. Halligan as a leading lawyer in trade secrets litigation in the United States and Mr. Halligan has been inducted in The Legal 500 Hall of Fame. Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business ranks Mr. Halligan for his exceptional standing in intellectual property law. Managing Intellectual Property recognizes Mr. Halligan as an "IP Star." Mr. Hallligan is a partner at FisherBroyles, LLP. He is an accomplished trial lawyer who focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation and complex commercial litigation, including antitrust and licensing issues. Mr. Halligan is the lead author of the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 Handbook published by Wolters Kluwer in September 2016 ISBN 978-1-4548-8350-0. This 480-page handbook is a go-to resource on the new DTSA federal legislation.

Helen R. Holden practices in the Phoenix, AZ office of Spencer Fane, LLP. Her practice encompasses assisting businesses of all sizes with both counseling and litigation involving a wide range of human resources and employment law issues. Her litigation experience includes defending individual and collective actions brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act, bringing and defending restrictive covenant litigation, defending discrimination and harassment matters, and defending complex commercial and business disputes. Ms. Holden is rated as AV-Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell and is a 2018 Best Lawyers in America honoree. She is Vice Chair of the Employment Practices and Workplace Liability Section of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC) and is the 2018 DRI Employment and Labor Law Program Chair.

Kami M. Hoskins is a partner in the Phoenix office of Gordon & Rees. She is dedicated to creating and implementing effective resolutions to complex legal issues for a variety of clients. She focuses her practice on Employment Law and Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Creditors' Rights. Ms. Hoskins is also an accomplished diversity and inclusion facilitator.

Kara Ingelhart is a Law Fellow in the Midwest Regional Office of Lambda Legal. the oldest and largest organization dedicated to advancing the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and individuals living with HIV. Ingelhart has played an instrumental role in advancing the rights of LGBT people under federal civil rights laws. She is co-counsel in Evancho v. Pine-Richland School District, where a court held that the equal protection guarantee protects transgender students from discrimination in schools (including bathrooms), and in F.V. v. Armstrong and Arroyo v. Rossello, where she represents transgender Puerto Ricans and Idahoans who have been denied birth certificates with accurate gender markers. In addition to her work as a litigator, Ingelhart has contributed to federal legislative and policy efforts concerning the inclusion of protections for LGBT people and people living with HIV who are involved in the federal criminal legal system. Recognized as an emerging leader and passionate advocate for the civil rights of LGBT people, Ingelhart has spoken at some of America's leading law schools. She has been recognized as one of 2016's 30 Under 30 best and brightest individuals in Chicago's LGBTQ Community by the Windy City Times.Ingelhart graduated from The University of Chicago Law School, where she was president of Outlaw and vice president of Law Students for Reproductive Justice.

Robin A. Jones is Director of the Great Lakes ADA Center and an Instructor in the Department of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois (UIC) at Chicago. Formerly, she served as director of an independent living center, as a senior occupational therapy assistant at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and as Assistant to the Head within the School of Occupational Therapy at UIC. Robin has academic degrees in the field of Occupational Therapy and Public Administration. She has extensive experience providing training and consultation regarding the ADA for business and government within the Great Lakes Region and beyond.

Eric E. Kinder is a Member at Spilman Thomas & Battle. His primary areas of practice are labor and employment law with an emphasis on wage and hour, employee benefits, ERISA litigation, technology and trade secrets. He is experienced in drafting and reviewing a broad cross-section of employment, personnel and pension policies, practices and procedures, including drafting health and welfare/pension benefit plan amendments and resolutions. He has served as lead counsel in defense of employment discrimination complaints and general litigation matters, including matters involving covenants not to compete and other labor and employment issues. Mr. Kinder has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA—America's Leading Lawyers for Business for Labor & Employment Law. He earned his bachelor's degree at Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and his law degree, summa cum laude, at Case Western University School of Law.

Vickram A. Kooblall is the founder and president of Social Media Investigations, Inc., a company born out of a critical void in the litigation process. The evolution of social media has dramatically changed the landscape of conducting investigations and the surveillance of plaintiffs. Traditional methods of collecting information in building a reliable defense are no longer the strongest and best practices. The prevalence of social media platforms and the large population that uses them daily offer a plethora of information that is rapidly replacing the means of the past. As Operations & IT Director of an insurance defense law firm for more than 15 years, Vickram is well versed in all sides of the litigation process-from staff and attorney management and internal operations to implementing workflow procedure and compliance. His responsibilities were extensive, from inception to litigation. In addition, Vickram worked closely with several major carriers, implementing their requirements throughout the firm and fluent in their billing specifications.

Christopher J. Kuczynski is Assistant legal Counsel at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He oversees development of regulations, enforcement guidance, and technical assistance on Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act; advises the Chair, commissioners, and EEOC field and headquarters offices on complex EEO issues; and makes presentations on the EEO laws to a wide variety of audiences. He has also worked as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and as a litigation associate with a major law firm.

J. Al Latham, Jr., is a partner in the Los Angeles, California, office of Paul Hastings LLP, an international law firm. He was President Reagan's appointee as Staff Director of the United States Commission on Civil Rights, and before that, was Chief Counsel to Member Patricia Diaz Dennis of the National Labor Relations Board. Mr. Latham has taught labor law at the University of Southern California School Of Law for over 25 years. He is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Mr. Latham received his B.A. degree, cum laude, from Yale in 1973, and his J.D. degree from the Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1976.

Lynn G. Levy is Vice-President, Distribution and Human Resources Counsel for The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company. She has been responsible for all legal matters regarding the company's national sales force for over twenty seven years. She is also counsel to the Human Resources Department and provides legal advice on all aspects of employment law for both home office and field employees. Ms. Levy graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Lehigh University with degrees in Economics and Psychology and holds a Juris Doctor degree from The George Washington University Law School. She is a member of the New York and Pennsylvania bars. She is a member of DRI and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Ms. Levy is also a member of the Insurance Section and the Employment Section of the American Bar Association. She has previously served as a guest speaker for ALFA International's Insurance Law Roundtable.

Jaime Walker Luse is a partner in the Baltimore firm of Tydings & Rosenberg LLP. Ms. Luse defends businesses of all sizes in commercial and employment litigation. An advocate who has prevailed in many difficult trials, she has experience in the state and federal courts of Maryland, District of Columbia, and Virginia. She is also adept at negotiating with adversaries to resolve disputes efficiently on behalf of her clients. Ms. Luse has handled numerous commercial cases, including negligence, insurance coverage, breach of contract, and leasing disputes. In addition to her commercial litigation practice, Ms. Luse defends employers against employment-related claims, including discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, violations of the Family Medical Leave Act, claims brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and unlawful retaliation. Ms. Luse also has appellate experience. She has briefed and argued before the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, and briefed before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is a member of the DRI Law Institute.

Robert A. Luskin is a partner and an experienced trial lawyer in the Atlanta office of Goodman McGuffey Lindsey & Johnson LLP who represents clients in a wide range of insurance matters and employment litigation in Federal and State Courts across Georgia and the Southeast. Robert represents various companies regarding employment related matters including discrimination and harassment issues. He has experience in defending corporations and individuals in various complex litigation matters as well as extensive experience in the areas of products liability, premises liability, professional negligence, and questionable insurance claims. Robert has been recognized by Atlanta Magazine as a Georgia "Rising Star Super Lawyer" from 2008 to present. Robert is the 2018 Vice Program Chair of the DRI Employment and Labor Law Seminar.

Erik R. Matheney, is a partner in the Tampa office of Shutts & Bowen LLP, where he practices in the areas of business and commercial litigation, white-collar criminal defense and personal injury litigation. Erik has tried over 70 jury trials, and previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida.

Zach M. Matthews is a partner with McMickle, Kurey & Branch LLP. He devotes his entire practice to litigation, including commercial motor carrier defense, premises liability, auto and personal injury defense and insurance coverage. He also represents both employers and insurers in the retail and hospitality sector (including hotels, restaurants, barrooms, and large sporting venues). Mr. Matthews is an experienced trial lawyer with a number of jury trial victories in Georgia's state and federal courts, including as solo trial counsel. Mr. Matthews is the Young Lawyers Chairman for the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, and he is active in DRI.

Raven Moore is Managing Counsel, Commercial Litigation, at McDonald's Corporation. She manages a diverse caseload for the company, including intellectual property, class action (including employment and consumer-related), real estate and franchising litigation. She also provides leadership on recruiting, training, evaluating and managing talent and oversees the team's annual budget, including outside counsel spend. She has written and spoken on various topics, including diversity and inclusion, and is past chair of McDonald's Legal Department's Diversity Committee. Prior to joining McDonald's, Raven was a partner in the intellectual property department in the Chicago office of Reed Smith.

Sonya Richburg serves as lead internal labor and employment counsel for Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated located in Charlotte, North Carolina. In her role, she partners closely with the Human Resources Department and others business stakeholders on various labor and employment related matters, investigations and federal, state and local government agency actions. Prior to joining the Company, Sonya worked as an in-house employment attorney for Lowe's Companies, Inc. and Compass Group, NAD.

Erin M. Ringbloom is a Vice President of North American Claims at Allied World Insurance Company in Farmington, CT. She manages the team responsible for handling the company's employment practices liability and governmental liability claims nationwide. Before assuming this role, Erin was an Assistant Vice President and Senior Claims Analyst with Allied World, handling complex employment practices and governmental liability claims. She is a graduate of Western New England University School of Law and a member of the Connecticut Bar.

Paul D. Satterwhite practices in the Springfield, Missouri office of Spencer Fane LLP. He regularly works with employers to interpret the constantly changing landscape of employment laws and to help manage their employment law risks. Paul has defended collective and class actions involving the FLSA and state wage and hour laws. He has handled DOL investigations of FLSA issues and FMLA issues for large and small employers, and he has worked with employers on non-DOL FLSA audits and FLSA classification issues. In addition to his focus on human resources counseling and risk management, Paul regularly works with employers to defend employment-related lawsuits, charges of discrimination, and unfair labor practice charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and he regularly assists clients with collective bargaining, labor arbitrations, and other traditional labor issues.

Joseph A. Starr, a principal with the Starr, Butler, Alexopoulos & Stoner, PLLC, located in Southfield, Michigan, leads the firm's Employment Practices defense group. Mr. Starr concentrates his practice on management-side labor & employment law and specializes in the defense of EPL claims. He regularly appears before federal and state courts and administrative agencies including the EEOC, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and the NLRB. Mr. Starr also regularly counsels and trains clients regarding such issues as: workplace violence, harassment policies, electronic privacy policies, unemployment claims, OSHA investigations and DOL wage and hour disputes. Martindale-Hubbell named Mr. Starr an "A-V" rated lawyer and the publication Law & Politics selected Mr. Starr as a Michigan Super Lawyer from 2007 to present. From 2013 to present, The Best Lawyers in America, selected Mr. Starr for inclusion in the in the category of Litigation - Labor & Employment. From 2007-2011, Mr. Starr sat as a Council Member for the Labor and Employment Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. He also serves as an Employment Panel Mediator for the Oakland and Wayne County Mediation Tribunals. In December 2015, Mr. Starr co-authored the first chapter in the Third Edition of the Institute for Continuing Legal Education's Employment Litigation in Michigan treatise, entitled: "Initial Considerations in the Employment Case: The Defense Perspective"

Sidney R. Steinberg is a Principal and Chair of the Firm's Labor and Employment & Employee Relations Practice Groups. Mr. Steinberg's practice involves virtually all aspects of labor and employment law, including substantial litigation experience defending employers against employment discrimination and wage and hour disputes in federal and state courts. He also has experience in representing employers before federal, state and local administrative agencies, including the EEOC, the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board, as well as in arbitration proceedings. Mr. Steinberg is the monthly employment law columnist for The Legal Intelligencer in Philadelphia. He has been named one of Philadelphia's Super Lawyers in the specialty of Employment Litigation six times, most recently in 2016. His peers voted him for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the category of Employment Law - Management and, in 2012, Martindale-Hubbell listed Mr. Steinberg as one of Philadelphia's Top-Rated Lawyers. He is currently the Chair of the Employment and Labor Committee of DRI, the country's largest defense organization.

Scott A. Stringer, CPA/ABV/CFF, CGMA, CFE is a director in Baker Tilly Virchow Krause LLP's Forensic, Litigation, & Valuation Services practice and is based in Chicago. Mr. Stringer holds the following licenses and professional certifications: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF), Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), and is a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA). He first served as an expert witness and testified in a bench trial in the early 1990s when his practice was primarily providing traditional CPA services to small to mid-sized businesses. By 2001, Mr. Stringer had shifted the entire focus of his practice to forensic accounting and complex commercial litigation matters. During the course of his career, he has testified in more than 100 depositions, trials, and arbitration hearings across a broad range of matters and in numerous federal and state jurisdictions. In addition to litigated matters, Mr. Stringer leads domestic and international investigations for management, general counsel and audit committees with issues related to suspected embezzlement, accounting irregularities, and ethics violations.

Craig R. Thorstenson concentrates his practice in the litigation of employment disputes and providing related counseling. His experience includes defending numerous WARN Act, FLSA and Title VII class actions, prosecuting and defending actions over restrictive covenants, and handling complex labor arbitrations. He regularly acts as "in-house" employment counsel for several companies that elect to outsource their employment work. Craig also provides day-to-day, proactive and common sense counseling to employers on every aspect of the employer-employee relationship. In conjunction with counseling, he conducts targeted client training for human resources professionals and company managers, including training on LGBT issues.