DRI Faculty List

Retail and Hospitality Seminar

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort | Orlando, FL | May 8 - 10, 2019


Marcus A. Banks
Senior Vice President
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts Inc

Marcus A. Banks serves as Senior Vice President – Litigation, Employment Law and Government Relations for Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Inc. ("WHR"), in Parsippany, New Jersey, overseeing those functions for WHR and its subsidiaries. Prior to WHR's spin-off from Wyndham Worldwide Corporation ("WWC"), Marcus served as Senior Vice President – Litigation, Employment Law and Intellectual Property, for WWC. Marcus started his franchise law career at Cendant Corporation in May 2001. Marcus has written and spoken on various franchise law topics, including litigation management, vicarious liability defense, bankruptcy and mediation. Prior to working in-house, Marcus was an associate at Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis in Woodbridge, New Jersey, concentrating on commercial litigation matters. Marcus is a 1996 graduate of Columbia University Law School, and a 1993 graduate of Stanford University.


Robert M. Bodzin
Partner
Burnham Brown

Robert M. Bodzin is a partner/trial attorney at the Burnham Brown in Oakland, California. He was admitted to NY bar in 1992 and California in 1999. His practice focuses on business litigation, class actions, product liability, transportation/trucking and defense of wrongful death and catastrophic personal injuries. He has been a member of DRI since 2002 and is currently a Vice-Chair of Publications for the Retail & Hospitality Committee. He was also Chair of the Litigation Section of the California State Bar from 2013-2014, where he remains as an advisor on its Executive Committee.


Bradford D. Box
Rainey Kizer Reviere & Bell PLC

Bradford D. Box is an equity member at Rainey Kizer & Bell PLC in Jackson, Tennessee. Brad currently serves on the firm's executive committee and focuses on civil litigation and trial practice, with emphasis on the areas of insurance coverage, premises owner defense, commercial and insurance litigation. Brad is an experienced litigator having tried numerous cases in state and federal court. He is an AV-Preeminent rated lawyer, which is the highest rating available in the Martindale-Hubbell evaluation system. Brad was recognized in Law & Politics magazine's list of "Super Lawyers" in Tennessee. Brad regularly represents national and regional corporations in insurance litigation, business litigation, and tort litigation. His practice is regional in nature with a focus on matters arising in the western half of Tennessee, the northern half of Mississippi, and eastern portion of Arkansas. Brad is licensed to practice in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Brad is the 2019 Retail and Hospitality Seminar Program Chair


Nathan H. Brown
Corporate Counsel
The Kroger Co

Nathan H. Brown is Corporate Counsel for The Kroger Co. where he manages all tort litigation for Kroger and as well as providing general legal counsel to its Smith's, King Soopers, Fry's and Dillon's grocery divisions. Mr. Brown also provides legal support to Kroger's Asset Protection team. Prior to joining Kroger, Mr. Brown was an Assistant General Counsel with Walmart Stores, Inc. working in its litigation and corporate practice groups. Mr. Brown earned a bachelor of arts, cum laude, in Political Science from Brigham Young University and earned his juris doctor, cum laude, from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University where he was a member of the BYU Law Review.


Susannah C. Carr
Gordon Tilden Thomas & Cordell

Susannah C. Carr is a partner at Gordon Tilden Thomas & Cordell LLP in Seattle, Washington. Her practice focuses heavily on insurance recovery: advising and litigating on behalf of business, government, and individual policyholders in coverage disputes with their insurers. She is experienced in the start-to-finish prosecution of claims under the full range of commercial-line policies, including commercial general liability, management liability/D&O, employment practices liability, professional liability, and business property.


Jean-Paul Cart
Schiff Hardin LLP

Jean-Paul Cartis a partner at Schiff Hardin, LLP in San Francisco, California. He specializes in consumer class actions under California's CLRA and UCL, trademark litigation, and a wide range of business and contract disputes. Jean-Paul also has extensive experience with California's Proposition 65, cybersecurity and data privacy laws, and Unruh Civil Rights Act—the typical vehicle in California for ADA-based website accessibility litigation. When not litigating, he often works hand-in-hand with clients to plan for and avoid potential litigation and regulatory risks. Jean-Paul is a graduate of the UC Berkeley School of Law, where he coaches mock trial and presents on litigation tactics and strategy.


L. Pepper Cossar
Markow Walker PA

L. Pepper Cossar, a shareholder of Markow Walker, P.A. in Jackson, MS has practiced primarily workers' compensation law for the last 22 years and is licensed in all state and federal courts in Mississippi and Alabama. He is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, the Alabama Bar Association, and the Madison County Bar Association, of which he is also a past president. Mr Cossar has served as a faculty speaker for numerous Worker's Compensation seminars. He is an approved Mediator for Worker's Compensation matters in the State of Mississippi and has received consecutive AV ratings from Martindale-Hubbell for the last 9 years. Mr. Cossar received his B.A. and his J.D. from the University of Mississippi.


Thomas (Tom) J. Dawson III, JD, MPH, MA
TD&P Consulting Inc

Thomas (Tom) J. Dawson III, JD, MPH, MA is the founder of TD&P Consulting, Inc., an applied healthcare policy firm providing litigation support linking life care plan analysis, healthcare cost studies, and policy research. Tom has served as a senior advisor on Capitol Hill and a technical expert to Fortune 100 and cabinet-level departments of the U.S. federal government. Mr. Dawson is a recognized authority on the Affordable Care Act and the valuation of medical damages. He serves on several boards including the DC Board of Medicine, and the editorial board for the Journal of Medical Regulation. Tom holds advanced degrees from the University of Florida, and George Washington University, and is a graduate of George Washington University School of Law and Morehouse College.


Jorge de la Osa
Bluegreen Vacations Corporation

Jorge de la Osa As Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at Bluegreen Vacations, Jorge serves as chief counsel and advisor to the company's Board of Directors and executive leadership team and oversees the company's day-to-day legal operations and compliance program Prior to joining Bluegreen, Jorge served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Wyndham Vacation Ownership, where he was responsible for the management and support of more than 200 legal associates, while also supporting and advising the company's executive team and internal business partners. Before Wyndham, Jorge was Lead Corporate Counsel at Sol Melia Vacation Club-a subsidiary of Melia Hotels International-where he helped create the legal structure for their international vacation club and designed and implemented programs, policies and practices to ensure the company was in compliance with all applicable legal regulatory requirements. Jorge also served as Corporate Counsel to Tempus Resorts International. He began his legal career as a Real Estate Group Associate at Baker & Hostetler LLP, and is an active member of the Florida Bar Association. Jorge received his J.D. in Law from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and B.S. in Business Administration, Finance from the University of Florida.


Erica J. Dominitz
Marsh USA Inc

Erica J. Dominitz is a senior client advisor in Marsh's FINPRO (Financial and Professional lines) practice in Washington, DC She advises clients on the evaluation and design of risk transfer solutions that address financial and professional exposures, including directors and officers liability professional liability, cyber security and privacy liability, employment practices liability, employed lawyers liability, fiduciary liability, and crime. Prior to joining Marsh, Erica practiced law for 21 years, primarily as an insurance coverage attorney exclusively representing policyholders. Immediately prior to joining Marsh, she was a partner on the Insurance Recovery Team at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, and before that was a partner in the Insurance Group at Dickstein Shapiro.


Stephen E. Embry
The Embry Law Firm

Stephen E. Embry is a national litigator who practices in the mass tort, business and consumer class action, and privacy and data breach areas. He is Chair of the Data Breach, Privacy and Cyber Insurance Section of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC) and received the 2017 John Appleman award. Stephen is also certified by the FDCC as a Trial Technology Master Advocate. He serves Webinar Chair and Steering Committee member of Defense Research Institute's Law Practice Management section and publishes TechLaw Crossroads, a blog devoted to technology, the law and the practice of law. He currently practices with his own firm, EmbryLaw LLC.


George L. Fernandez
Quintairos Prieto Wood & Boyer


George L. Fernandez
Quintairos Prieto Wood & Boyer PA

George L. Fernandez is a partner in the Miami office of Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. Mr. Fernandez is an accomplished trial lawyer with expertise in civil litigation. He has been Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Education and Specialization since 2001. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Mr. Fernandez's practice is emphasized in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, construction law, aviation, and commercial litigation. He has handled and tried various multimillion-dollar claims involving catastrophic injuries and death.


Brian Forgas
Hilton Worldwide

Brian Forgas is Senior Counsel with Hilton in McLean, VA, where he manages the global franchise regulatory compliance program for its 15 brands. He also advises on the launch of new brands and programs, negotiates hotel transactions, and handles brand standards enforcement in the Americas. Previously, Brian was in-house counsel with McDonald's Corporation in Oak Brook, IL where he was a U.S. Division/Business Counsel responsible for regions encompassing about 3,000 restaurants. Before that he was in private practice in Washington, DC. Brian received his J.D. cum laude from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He has written and spoken for the ABA Forum on Franchising, the International Bar Association, and the American University Hospitality & Tourism Law Program. He is a member of the ABA Forum's Corporate Counsel Division Steering Committee and the Georgetown Law Hotel and Lodging Summit Advisory Board.


Kim Nguyen Gray
Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation

Kim Nguyen Gray is Corporate Counsel within the Law Department's Litigation and Compliance Group at Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation ("MVW"). In her role, Kim is responsible for the company's domestic and international litigation and arbitration disputes, compliance issues and analysis of dispute resolution contract provisions. Kim also supports the company's financial services and customer complaints processes. Originally created in 1984 as a vacation ownership division of Marriott International, Inc. ("Marriott"), the company was spun-off from Marriott in 2011 into a separate publicly traded company. In 2018, MVW completed a transformative acquisition of ILG, Inc., a highly-regarded leader in the vacation industry with iconic brands and businesses of its own. The combined company now represents one of the largest and most diverse portfolios of brands and businesses focused on vacation ownership, exchange and third-party management. As of 2018, this includes more than 100 resorts and nearly 650,000 owners and members in a diverse portfolio that includes seven vacation ownership brands. It also includes exchange networks and membership programs comprised of nearly 3,200 resorts in over 80 nations and approximately two million members, as well as management of more than 200 other resorts and lodging properties. Prior to joining MVW, Kim was an attorney at Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, P.A. where her practice focused on creditors' rights, bankruptcy, commercial foreclosures, commercial loan workouts and commercial litigation. Kim also gained experience with commercial real estate and leasing transactions, title review and family law. She was a founding member of the Greater Orlando Asian American Bar Association and served as the 2012-2013 President. Kim also served as the 2015-2016 President of the National Conference of Vietnamese American Attorneys. Kim received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from the University of Central Florida and her Juris Doctor degree from Florida State University.


Tammy Gregory
Publix Super Markets Inc

Tammy Gregory is the Claims Manager of the RCU (Represented Claims Unit) at Publix Super Markets, Inc. Publix Super Markets, Inc., commonly known as Publix, is an employee-owned, American supermarket chain based in Lakeland, Florida. Publix operates 1202 locations throughout the Southeast, with locations in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. Tammy currently oversees the handling of both general liability and commercial fleet claims, which are attorney represented. Prior to joining Publix Super Markets, Inc., Tammy worked as an Operations Manager with Sedgwick, Inc. while on-site with the Publix account. Tammy has over 25 years in the industry and has handled and/or managed both personal and commercial lines with experience in claims management, litigation management, personal injury, premises liability, product liability, commercial trucking and Risk Management. Tammy graduated from Texas Tech University with a B.B.A. in Management.


Jerry D. Hamilton
Managing Shareholder
Hamilton Miller & Birthisel

Jerry D. Hamilton is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer. He has been nationally recognized as one of the Top Ten Defense Lawyers in the United States by one of the largest insurance companies in the world. He is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, an invitation-only trial honorary society composed of less than one half percent of lawyers in The United States. He has been selected as one of America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators® for 2018—this is by invitation only and is reserved to identify the nation's most exceptional trial attorneys in high value, high stakes legal matters. Jerry has been recognized as a "Super Lawyer" by Law & Politics every year since 2006 and is named as one of Florida's "Legal Elite" by Florida Trend. In 2016, he received the Anthony G. Marshall Award as Hospitality Lawyer of the Year.


Mark Heilig
Bloomin Brands Inc

Mark Heilig is a Vice President and Corporate Counsel at Bloomin' Brands, Inc., the parent company operating Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse. In his role Mark oversees all litigation strategy, manages labor and employment compliance, and assists in resolving other disputes for the company. Prior to joining BBI, Mark was a Partner at the Tampa, Florida based firm of Thompson, Sizemore, Gonzalez, & Hearing, P.A.


Jennifer Snyder Heis
Partner
Ulmer & Berne LLP


Nicolette John-Chandler
Office Depot Inc

Nicolette John-Chandler is an Assistant General Counsel on the Litigation team in the Legal Department at Office Depot Inc. Nicolette manages the defense of Office Depot's personal injury lawsuits; the handling of general customer complaints, store governmental compliance issues, and subpoenas for data submitted by third parties. Nicolette's role also includes providing advice regarding environmental and safety compliance issues and operational initiatives. Prior to Office Depot, Nicolette was a senior litigation associate at the Law Firm of Vernis and Bowling of Broward for 13 years. Nicolette is a graduate of Howard University School of Law, and she holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Health and Safety and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami.


Denise Jones
Inspire Brands Inc

Denise JonesBio Requested


Jennifer Morris Jones
Partner
Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP

Jennifer Morris Jones is a partner in Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog, LLP's Raleigh office and is a member of the Workers' Compensation Practice Group. She is a North Carolina Board Certified Workers' Compensation Specialist. Jennifer enjoys actively working with her clients to develop cost effective strategies to resolve workers' compensation claims. With her clients' business interests in mind, Jennifer strives to achieve positive and cost-effective resolutions to workers' compensation disputes. To achieve those goals, Jennifer counsels clients in resolving claims through a strategic Motion practice, when appropriate. Such Motions may include Form 24 Applications and Motions to Compel discovery responses, compliance with medical treatment and compliance with vocational rehabilitation. Jennifer has experience handling all aspects of the process from claims investigation, witness interviews, motions practice, mediation, hearings, appeals and medical depositions. Jennifer also has handled appeals from the Deputy Commissioner level to the Full Commission, as well as from the Full Commission level to the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Jennifer's niche is her Form 24 practice. This practice involves moving the Industrial Commission to terminate or suspend an employee's weekly temporary total disability (TTD benefits) on an expedited basis without prolonged litigation. For example, if an employee refuses a job that his treating physician has approved for him, a Form 24 Application may be appropriate. If the treating physician has released the employee to return to full-duty work, a Form 24 Application may be appropriate. Jennifer has succeeded in not only securing Form 24 Application approvals, but she has also secured monetary credits/offsets for her clients as well. Jennifer works with her clients to determine whether this potential money-saving strategy is applicable on a case-by-case basis. Jennifer also counsels her clients on proactive measures they can take to be better suited when they need to defend a claim. Recently, her counsel with regard to these types of measures has specifically focused on clients' hiring processes to ensure they are utilizing all the benefits of the 2011 Legislative Reform.


Cynthia P. Kolb
Vice President, P&C Liability Claims
OneBeacon Insurance Group

Cynthia P. Kolb is the VP of the Specialty Property & Casualty Claim team at OneBeacon Insurance Group. In this role she manages 60 employees on teams handling 3rd Party liability, Workers Compensation, Inland Marine, and First Party Property claims across the various specialty businesses that OneBeacon insures. In the course of work at OneBeacon, Cynthia's team handles a variety of claims that impact the hospitality industry, including claims involving premises liability, negligent security, alcohol violations, weather catastrophes, worker injuries, special event circumstances, construction defects and related-vehicle incidents. Cynthia joined OneBeacon in 2015 after spending 15 years defending clients in primarily commercial and product liability matters as a shareholder in a Minneapolis law firm. Cynthia has broad trial experience having tried cases involving breach of contract and warranty, personal injury, minority shareholder disputes, employment discrimination and white collar crime. Cynthia earned both her law degree and her BA from the University of Minnesota, with her undergrad focus on International Relations and Russian Language. Prior to attending law school, Cynthia lobbied on children's health issues in Washington, DC, taught English in a Ukrainian high school and was a stay-at-home mom. In her free time, Cynthia enjoys walking, reading, playing games with her adult children and husband, and relaxing with friends around a big bonfire.


Ann H. MacDonald
Schiff Hardin LLP

Ann H. MacDonald is a partner in Schiff Hardin LLP's Chicago office where she handles litigation and pre-litigation matters for a range of clients. She spends much of her time representing hospitality and retail companies, including franchisors, in litigation across the country and helping clients assess litigation risk for changes to their business terms and resolve disputes relating to business partnerships gone sour. Ann has been recognized by the Chicago Law Bulletin in its annual Leading Lawyers publication. She graduated from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, where she was an editor for the Global Studies Law Review, and has served as President of the Chicago Council of Lawyers.Ann is the Retail and Hospitality Seminar Program Vice Chair


Lauren R. McBride
Publix Super Markets Inc.

Lauren R. McBride is the Director of Liability Claims for Publix Super Markets, Inc. Based in Lakeland, Publix is the largest employee-owned company in the country and operates over 1,200 grocery stores throughout the Southeastern United States. A litigator over the course of her career prior to joining Publix, Lauren is responsible for the management of general liability, pharmacy, products, and commercial fleet claims for Publix in all states of operation which currently include Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. In addition to litigation and claims management, Lauren serves as a resource and advisor to numerous other departments within Publix regarding Risk Management issues.


William H. McKenzie IV
Norman Wood Kendrick & Turner

William H. McKenzie IV has a' nation-wide practice that focuses on litigating insurance coverage issues in the retail and hospitality industry. His unique experience of litigating cases both for and against insurance companies and major corporations has given him a broad context for solving coverage problems for his clients. While he is licensed in Alabama and Mississippi, he serves as outside general coverage counsel for an international corporation and coordinates litigation throughout the United States. William is passionate about everything he does and enjoys finding new ways to win cases.


Scott G. McLester
K&L Gates

Scott G. McLester is a partner in K&L Gates' Newark and Miami offices where he is a member of the resort, hospitality and leisure group. From 2006 to 2018, Mr. McLester was Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Wyndham Worldwide, overseeing all legal activities for the world's largest hospitality company. As General Counsel, he was responsible for overseeing all attorneys who provide counsel to the Company, as well as its business units and affiliates, regarding SEC and NYSE compliance, government relations, labor and employment law, information technology and intellectual property law, and litigation. As Chief Compliance Officer, Mr. McLester was responsible for overseeing and ensuring the effectiveness of Wyndham Worldwide's compliance and ethics programs. As Corporate Secretary, he was responsible for coordinating activities and communications with Wyndham Worldwide's Board of Directors. During his tenure as General Counsel, Wyndham Worldwide was recognized by Barron's as one of the 10 best performing stocks on the NYSE following the financial crisis in 2009. During this same period, Wyndham Worldwide was also named as one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" by Ethisphere Magazine, and has received multiple awards from Diversity Inc. and Fortune Magazine for Diversity and Inclusion and Best Places to Work. Before Wyndham, Mr. McLester held positions with Wyndham's predecessor company, Cendant Corporation, and prior to Cendant, Mr. McLester was a Vice President in the Law Department at Merrill Lynch & Co. in New York, and a Partner at the law firm of Carpenter, Bennett & Morrissey in Newark, New Jersey. Mr. McLester is also a frequent author and speaker at events sponsored by the American Bar Association (ABA), International Franchise Association (IFA), the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), and other trade associations on topics including franchise law, compliance, corporate governance and legislative and regulatory affairs.


Stephen L. Miles
Partner
Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver LLC

Stephen L. Miles is a Member of Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C in New Orleans. He represents clients in high-stakes insurance coverage and bad faith litigation as well as in complex commercial litigation and other matters, both at the trial and appellate levels. His insurance experience includes disputes involving construction, long-tail environmental pollution, claims for coverage under commercial general liability policies, including additional insured status, and claims regarding director and officer policies. Stephen has been recognized as a leading lawyer in Louisiana by Louisiana Super Lawyers.


B. Rose Miller
ADR Solutions Group

B. Rose Millerr is an accomplished litigation attorney, former litigation director for retail giant The Home Depot, and founder of ADR Solutions Group. Rose's innovative alternative dispute resolution processes have garnered national recognition, helping numerous fortune 100 clients achieve dramatic savings through early favorable settlements of liability claims. ADR Solutions partners with clients to implement early dispute resolution using mediation to shrink lawsuit inventories and effectively extinguish adverse liability claims prior to litigation. ADR Solutions' remarkable track record includes a settlement rate exceeding 75% on over 1000 claims mediated, with tens of millions of dollars in savings achieved from lower settlements, reduced legal fees and expenses, and lower insurance reserves. Rose is a 1992 graduate of the Wake Forest University School of law and received her BS degree from Vanderbilt University in 1985. She is a registered mediator, AV rated attorney and former partner with the Atlanta, Georgia law firm of Freeman & Hawkins (now Hawkins, Parnell, Thackston & Young).


Matthew G. Moffett
Managing Partner
Gray Rust St Amand Moffett & Brieske LLP

Matthew G. Moffett is an "AV" rated (Martindale-Hubbell) attorney, listed among the top 100 lawyers in Georgia (Super Lawyers) in Atlanta Magazine, and selected among the Legal Elite in Georgia Trend magazine. Matt's jury trial experience for the defense totals well over 100, and he has secured defense verdicts in numerous wrongful death and serious injury cases. Last year Matt secured a defense verdict in a case where the plaintiff attorney asked the jury to award up to $20 million. His last seven defense verdicts were in cases wherein each plaintiff attorney asked for either a seven or eight figure jury award.


Matthew G. Moffett
Gray Rust St Amand


Ryan M. Morettini
Wyndham Destinations

Ryan M. Morettini serves as Group Vice President – Litigation and Intellectual Property for Wyndham Destinations, Inc. (f/k/a Wyndham Worldwide Corporation), in Orlando, Florida. In that role he is responsible for those functions for Wyndham Destinations and its subsidiaries, including Wyndham Vacation Ownership. Ryan started his timeshare law career in 2014 when he joined Wyndham Worldwide as Vice President – Litigation to support the Wyndham Vacation Ownership litigation team. Prior to working in-house, Ryan was an associate and partner at Kirkland & Ellis in New York, New York, concentrating on commercial litigation matters. Ryan is a 2003 graduate of Boston University School of Law and a 2000 graduate of Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in International Relations.


Michael S. Paradise
Steven Madden Ltd

Michael S. Paradise is the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Steven Madden, Ltd., a position he has held since May 2016. Prior to his tenure at Steve Madden, Michael was a senior partner and member of the executive committee of McLaughlin & Stern, LLP, a New York City based law firm, where he counseled middle market companies and entrepreneurs in a variety of corporate, employment, intellectual property, litigation and securities matters. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in February 1987 and has held a variety of positions over his 31 year legal career. He received his law degree, with Honors, from The National Law Center of George Washington University (1987) and his undergraduate degree from The University of Rochester (1984).


Megan S. Peterson
Simon Peragine Smith & Redfearn LLP

Megan S. Peterson is an attorney at Simon, Peragine, Smith, & Redfearn in New Orleans, Louisiana. She represents a range of local, regional, and national clients in matters of litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Although she handles a variety of civil litigation matters, her practice focuses on defense of business clients in premises liability, retail and hospitality litigation, and trucking and transportation. Megan is licensed in all state and federal courts in Louisiana and Mississippi. She has experience obtaining favorable defense rulings before both trial and appellate courts. Megan has consistently been selected by Super Lawyers as a Louisiana "Rising Star" in Civil Litigation Defense since 2014.


Margaret Richardson
Anuvia Plant Nutrients

Margaret Richardson has 20+ years in-house experience and has been responsible for a wide variety of litigation including class actions and MDLs associated with the largest product recall of oral contraceptives in the United States and several cases involving various government agencies. Margaret brings a practical approach to law in a corporate setting working throughout the life sciences spectrum including agriculture; green tech; pharmaceuticals and biotech.


Nathan Evan Shelby
Rainey Kizer Reviere & Bell PLLC

Nathan Evan Shelby is a member of Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell, P.L.C. and practices in the Nashville office. Nathan Shelby's practice focuses primarily in the areas of general insurance defense and business litigation across Tennessee. He is a former member of the Board of Governors for the Tennessee Bar Association, and is an Executive Board Member of the Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association. He received his J.D. from the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphrey's School of Law, and his B.A. from University of Tennessee.


Christian Stegmaier
Collins & Lacy PC

Christian Stegmaier is chair of the Collins & Lacy Management Committee, as well as chair of the firm's Retail & Hospitality Practice Group. He defends national and regional leaders in the retail, hospitality, and entertainment sectors doing business in South Carolina in claims involving premises liability, loss prevention, food adulteration, third party torts, and alcohol liability. Additionally, he represents a national restaurant concept throughout the United States as its coordinating counsel in alcohol liability litigation. He is also an active appellate advocate. Outside of practice, he is an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina College of Hospitality, Retail & Sport Management and is member of the executive committee of the Indian Waters Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He is a captain in the JAG detachment of the South Carolina State Guard.Christian is the Retail and Hospitality Committee Vice Chair


Michael (Misha) Sukenik
Smoothie King Franchises Inc

Michael (Misha) Sukenik is General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of Smoothie King. In this role, Misha oversees legal affairs and compliance for the rapidly-growing international lifestyle brand with more than 1,000 locations. Misha leads a dynamic team in navigating a wide variety of sensitive business issues, including M&A, marketing/advertising, regulatory and litigation, franchising, licensing, IT and data privacy, and brand protection. Prior to joining Smoothie King, Misha was Legal Director and Chief Legal Officer, Latin America/Caribbean for Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Pizza Hut, part of Yum! Brands. Misha led legal affairs for a business unit spanning forty countries, and supported the global business across six continents and 120 countries. Previously, Misha practiced with Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Marjorie O. Rendell of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Misha is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and Northwestern University. He has been recognized by the Association of Corporate Counsel, The Legal 500, The Texas Lawbook, and D CEO Magazine.


Sara M. Turner
Shareholder
Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC

Sara M. Turner is a shareholder in the Birmingham, Alabama, office of Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell and Berkowitz, PC. She serves as co-chair of Baker Donelson's Hospitality Industry Service Team. Sara's trial experience includes product liability, drug and medical device, hospitality, timeshare, complex commercial litigation, class action and franchise claims. She regularly serves as outside general counsel and coordinates her clients' defense of claims nationwide. Sara serves as the Committee Chair for the DRI Retail and Hospitality Committee


Jason T. Vuchinich
Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins

Jason T. Vuchinich is an attorney for Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn & Dial in its Atlanta office. Jason's practice focuses on catastrophic injury and premises liability, often in the negligent security context. He has extensive experience defending retail establishments, multi-family residential properties, and hotels in cases with extremely difficult facts where exposure is high. Jason is a thoughtful and resourceful advocate aimed at serving his clients' interest relentlessly. He can be contacted at jtv@wwhgd.com or 404.832.9583.