Allison M. Auer is an associate with Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan LLP, in the firm's general liability practice. Allison focuses on fire related litigation and handles property damage and personal injury cases from pre-suit fire investigation through trial. Allison authored portions of the written materials for the New York State Bar Association's 2015 Fire Law CLE. Allison is also an active member of the Defense Research Institute where she serves on the Young Lawyers Steering Committee as well as the Fire Science & Litigation Committee. She earned her J.D. from Fordham Law School in 2012 and she graduated from Boston College in 2007.

John W. Bieder is an attorney at Traub Lieberman Straus & Shrewsberry LLP handling construction, design defects, property damage, and personal injury matters. He has successfully defended contractors, fire suppression companies, architects, engineers, building owners as well as a wide range of other clients. Prior to law school, he spent over 15 years in the Plumbing, HVAC and fire suppression industry, specializing in the design and maintenance of heating systems. His experience and hands on experience with heating, refrigeration, air conditioning and fire suppression systems gives him a unique perspective in understanding the needs of his clients during litigation.

Edward R. Brill P.E., is responsible for providing engineering and forensic analysis, specializing in the following areas: structural and marine fire analysis; electrical shock and electrocution; lightning damage analysis and validity; illumination (lighting) studies, including slip/trip-and-fall evaluations; electrical accidents to determine causation in liability, property, and personal injury claims; identify product failures and deficiencies, including household appliances, commercial equipment, and industrial machinery. Ed has over 20 years' experience in the power quality and power distribution for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Prior to joining SEA, Ed was employed with the Florida Power & Light Company as the Power Quality Business Manager.

Thomas H. Case clerked for the Honorable Malcolm M. Lucas on the California Supreme Court following law school. Prior to joining Hennelly & Grossfeld LLP, Mr. Case was litigation associate practicing general business litigation at Steinhart & Falconer in San Francisco, and Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe in Los Angeles. Mr. Case has been with Hennelly & Grossfeld since 1998 and practices general business litigation, specializing in products liability and business torts. He is also co-author of Designing an Effective Products Liability Compliance Program (West 2008).

Barry A. Cik, PE, CP, BCEE, QEP, CHHM, REM, is the founder and Technical Director of Naturepedic. His devotion to the organic industry is the natural result of his lifelong interest in best preserving the environment not only for us, but for all future generations as well. As a professionally trained environmental engineer, Barry combines his authentic passion for improving our quality of life with the technical knowledge to do so. His educational background in environmental engineering led Barry to chart his own successful entrepreneurial course for many years. When shopping for his first grandchild's crib mattress, he was horrified to discover firsthand the state of the baby mattress industry. From that moment Barry was inspired and determined to create mattress products not only in the best interest of his grandchild, but also for environmentally-minded parents to use for their children. Working in tandem with his sons, Barry established Naturepedic in 2003.

Michelle L. Corrigan has nearly 20 years of experience in products liability and business litigation. She has successfully represented manufacturers and distributors of a wide range of products, as well as premises owners, in litigation involving claims of personal injuries and property damages. Michelle has consulted with manufacturers of products about their warning programs and preventative risk management strategies. Michelle has particular expertise in issues facing manufacturers of juvenile and children's products. She has comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the laws and regulations promulgated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and other federal agencies, as well as various voluntary standards covering children's products.

Steven M. Crawford represents property owners, product manufacturers and service providers in fire and explosion, premises liability and product liability lawsuits in state and federal courts. Steve also advises businesses on proper fire suppression equipment, product warnings, and product testing. He regularly coordinates with experts in the fields of industrial processes, electrical, chemical and mechanical engineering, metallurgy and fire cause and origin. His experience with construction products, equipment, and practices contributes to his legal expertise in handling fire and explosion litigation.

Andrew D. Ellison, MS, PE, CFEI, is a registered Fire Protection Engineer in Massachusetts and other states and a Fire Protection Engineer with Unified Investigations and Sciences Inc.(UIS). He has investigated a wide variety of fire protection system failures, including broken water pipes, inadvertent system activations and failures of systems to control or extinguish fires. His experience includes water sprinkler systems, water deluge systems, commercial kitchen suppression systems, handheld extinguishers. Mr. Ellison is a Lieutenant on a fire department in Massachusetts and has experience responding to fires, with a thorough understanding of the relationship between the firefighters responding to a fire and the fixed fire protection systems operating in a building.

John P. (Jack) Freedenberg, CFEI, founding partner of Goldberg Segalla in Buffalo, New York, focuses on product liability, catastrophic personal injury, and aviation litigation. He serves as national coordinating counsel for two major manufacturers. Mr. Freedenberg is a past chair of DRI's Product Liability Committee.

The Honorable Thomas A. Gilligan, Jr. is a District Court Judge in Ramsey County, Minnesota. He was appointed to the bench in July of 2014 by Governor Mark Dayton, after a nearly 25 year career as a trial lawyer with Murnane Brandt. Thom was a long time member of DRI and its Lawyers' Professionalism and Ethics Committee. He has written articles for DRI publications and presented at DRI seminars on ethics and professionalism.

Lisa P. Gruen is a partner with Ericksen Arbuthnot in Los Angeles, CA. She co-chairs her firm's Product Liability Practice Group. She is the immediate past Chair of the Fire Science & Litigation Specialized Litigation Group. In addition to being a litigator for a variety of civil actions, Ms Gruen has been "boots on the ground" at fire scenes involving catastrophic personal injury and property damage on behalf of various manufacturers and distributors. She has defended numerous lawsuits involving consumer and industrial products for national and international manufacturing and service corporations.

Paul P. Holehouse assists Aon clients in controlling their potential loss exposures and developing programs to give employees the tools to reduce exposures. He has 30 years' experience in the Entertainment industry, including 14 years with Universal Studios in corporate risk management and emergency services. His work includes participating in location scouts, attending kick off production meetings, and providing on set consultation for hazardous activities, including stunts, pyrotechnics, aircraft/drones and high risk locations.

Jeffrey A. Holmstrand focuses on defending product liability claims, pharmaceutical manufacturers, class actions, and complex insurance disputes. Mr. Holmstrand is a member of DRI's Law Institute.

Ruston M. Hunt, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois, has conducted research in the area of human factors engineering, sponsored by numerous government labs including the DoD, NASA and the FAA. He has consulted with commercial firms including GE, Motorola, FEDEX and many others. Currently, he is Assistant Dean of Engineering at Kennesaw State University. His interests are in product analysis and design with a particular emphasis on warnings and instructions. He has consulted on a wide variety of consumer and industrial products both inside and outside of litigation for more than 30 years.

Thomas J. Jarzyniecki, Jr., is a partner at Kightlinger & Gray LLP in Indianapolis, where he chairs of the firm's Product Liability Practice Group. He devotes much of his practice to and therefore has extensive experience dealing with fire-related matters. He routinely handles large losses involving fires and explosions causing personal injuries, fatalities and property damage. He uses his 30 plus years of experience to spearhead pre-suit investigations, including evidence preservation, expert retention and early claim evaluation. His trial experience finds him handling cases relating to a wide range of products as well as defending fire suppression system installers and inspectors.

Thomas J. (TJ) Jarzyniecki, Jr. is a partner at Kightlinger & Gray LLP in Indianapolis, where he chairs of the firm's Product Liability Practice Group. He devotes much of his practice to and therefore has extensive experience dealing with fire-related matters. He routinely handles large losses involving fires and explosions causing personal injuries, fatalities and property damage. He uses his 30 plus years of experience to spearhead pre-suit investigations, including evidence preservation, expert retention and early claim evaluation. His trial experience finds him handling cases relating to a wide range of products as well as defending fire suppression system installers and inspectors.

Jonathan G. Jordan, P.E., CFEI, is a Senior Staff Consultant with Engineering Systems, Inc. (ESI). He specializes in failure analysis of electrical and electronic equipment, fire and explosion investigations, lithium-ion battery failures, and compliance to UL and CSA safety standards and NEC structural wiring standards. His extensive experience in product safety failure analysis has resulted in design changes, ODM changes and recalls. Mr. Jordan's projects include a wide array of electrical and electronic products and components. Mr. Jordan is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in multiple states and is an NAFI Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator (CFEI).

Mark D. Katz, a founding member of Coronado Katz LLC, defends product manufacturers and distributors in product liability cases involving catastrophic damages, serious injuries and death. His practice also includes defending public entities in employment and general litigation. His experience spans 30 years of trials and appeals in state and federal courts in Kansas and Missouri. He is an active DRI member in the Product Liability Committee and the Fire Science and Litigation SLG, and he is the President of the Kansas Association of Defense Counsel, as well as a member of the Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers.

Shannon M. Kos, CFEI, specializes in defending property owners, contractors, product manufacturers and suppliers in a variety of contexts including asbestos and other toxic torts, mold, and fire and explosion litigation and has tried cases in Michigan and other jurisdictions throughout the U.S. She is National Coordinating Counsel for a defendant in asbestos litigation. She represents expert witnesses in Daubert/Frye challenges. In addition, Shannon is certified as a Fire and Explosion Investigator. Shannon has published articles and lectured concerning fire and explosion litigation, the defense of personal injury claims in the construction context, and testing in product liability suits.

Sean D. Magenis, a partner with McCoy Leavitt Laskey, LLC in Yarmouth, Maine, specializes in the defense of fire and explosion claims involving property damage and personal injury. He has defended manufacturers of a wide range of consumer and commercial products as well as fuel suppliers.

Thomas R. May, CFI, CFEI, CVFI, J.D., is a Senior Fire Investigator with ProNet Group, Inc. in Denver. He conducts fire/explosion origin and cause investigations for property, auto, marine and heavy equipment throughout Colorado and surrounding states. Mr. May has extensive experience in all facets of the fire service industry with over twenty-eight (28) years of experience in fire/investigations related fields. Initially, he served as a firefighter for the City of Cleveland, Ohio, Division of Fire for fifteen years. Since 2006, he has been a Fire Consultant specializing in cold case fire investigations, and routinely advises Innocence Projects worldwide in matters involving fire-related forensics. In 2008-09, he served in Iraq as a Forensic Fire Investigator for the U.S Army Corp of Engineers and Task Force SAFE. Additionally, Mr. May teaches fire-related subject areas as an adjunct professor, is a published author on forensic fire science and technology, and is a licensed attorney in the State of New Mexico.

H. Michael O'Brien has more than 30 years of experience in product liability defense. He focuses on representing U.S. and Asia-based manufacturers and distributors as national counsel in litigation, pre-suit investigations and class actions. He also advises clients on reporting obligations to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and counsels them on voluntary recall issues. Michael is co-chair of the firm's Product Liability practice and leads the Internet of Things (IoT) aspects of the Information Governance practice.

Nicholas (Nick) C. Pappas is a member of Frost Brown Todd LLC, where he chairs the firm's Product Liability Practice Group. He is a trial lawyer who concentrates his practice on the defense of construction, agricultural and mining equipment and automobiles. Nick represents clients in lawsuits in state and federal courts throughout the United States, and has tried cases to successful defense verdicts in Alabama, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Nick chaired the DRI 2012 Product Liability Conference. He is a past chair of the ACMIE SLG, and he was the 2010 Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana Defense Lawyer of the Year. He is currently the vice-chair of DRI's Product Liability Committee.

Stephen G. Pesarchick has been a Partner with Sugarman Law Firm since 1994. The focus of his practice is the handling of catastrophic personal injury and property damage cases. His experience covers a multitude of civil litigation matters including motor carrier accidents, construction accidents, product liability cases, automobile and fire claims. He has successfully handled countless cases in NYS and Federal Courts. Steve is the Publications Chair for DRI's Trucking Law committee and is a member of the Product Liability committee.

John Paul Reagan, PE, CFI, CFEI, has been providing services in the field of Electrical Engineering for over 30 years. He is a Professional Engineer with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He is a Certified Fire Investigator (IAAI-CFI) and a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (NAFI-CFEI). John has provided consulting services and testimony in the areas of electrical system and equipment failure analysis, and has been successful in defending products against false claims of liability on hundreds of fire and electrical injury incidents.

Cory W. Reeves, CFI, CFEI, is an International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI) Certified Fire Investigator; he is also certified by the National Association of Fire Investigators as a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI). Cory began in the Fire Service in 1986 as a Firefighter with the Cahokia Volunteer Fire Department; subsequently he earned the rank of Lieutenant and was appointed as the Director of the Fire and Arson Investigation. In 1990, he joined a fire investigation firm located in Illinois, then continued his career at two Nationwide Forensic Engineering Companies ultimately founding the consulting firm Origin First, LLC in 2009.

Kathryn A. (Katy) Regier joined the firm in 2007. At Schlee, McMullen, McCarthy & Hansen, P.C., Ms. Regier has defended companies in matters involving fires, explosions, carbon monoxide exposure and other incidents in fatality, serious injury and high-dollar property damages cases across the country. In addition to defending companies in litigation matters, Ms. Regier also consults with companies on warning, training and safety measures as part of risk management efforts designed to reduce the likelihood of incidents that could lead to litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Regier developed extensive civil litigation experience in various matters, including defending companies in product liability, tort and personal injury, contract, employment, civil rights and insurance defense matters. She is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Law and is admitted to practice law in California, Kansas and Missouri.

Bradley D. Remick concentrates his practice on the defense of complex product liability cases for manufacturing companies and their distributors. He has defended the manufacturers of tools, electrical components, scaffolding and lifts, tires, paint, automatic doors, machinery, backhoes and other heavy industrial equipment. He has also defended manufacturers of complex heat exchangers, chemical pumping systems and other industrial systems. Brad is national counsel to a company that designs and manufactures thermal fluid heaters and boilers. His background in firefighting gives him additional insight into the defense of cases on behalf of manufacturers of electrical components, electricians and others alleged to have started fires.

Kathryn C. Rivet represents product manufacturers in defense of product defect, general liability, and fire claims. Attorney Rivet's business background gives her a practical understanding of her manufacturing clients' needs and priorities. Attorney Rivet is a member of DRI, serves as Vice President of the Chicopee Massachusetts Bar Association, and is admitted to the bars of Connecticut, Massachusetts, the U.S. District Court of Connecticut and the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts.

Samuel L. Sharpless, PE, CFEI is Vice President of the Electrical Division at Rimkus Consulting Group Inc. where he oversees a team of electrical experts analyzing failures in a wide-range of electrical and electronic equipment. He is a 1987 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator and is active in the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Transformers Committee. His professional career includes extensive practical experience in large-scale factory automation systems, circuit design, electronic troubleshooting and technical management.

Samuel L. Sharpless, P.E., CFEI, is a 1987 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. His professional career includes extensive practical experience including control system design, electronic circuit analysis, and electrical fire investigation. As Vice President of the Electrical Division at Rimkus Consulting Group, he is regularly called upon to provide technical opinions relating to electrical failures, electrical injuries, electrical damage, and fire causation.

Andrew E. Stead is a Partner in the Litigation and Business Law practice groups of McMillan LLP's Calgary office, where his practice is restricted to commercial dispute resolution and regulatory advocacy. He has extensive experience in both litigation and arbitrations, including defending product liability claims in the energy, automotive, pharmaceutical, and construction sectors. He is a member of the Advocates' Society and the Law Societies of Alberta and Upper Canada.

Anne M. Talcott is a shareholder at Schwabe Willamson & Wyatt PC in Portland, OR. She has defended businesses in complex cases for almost twenty years, focusing primarily on pharmaceutical, medical device and other product liability litigation. She represents her clients throughout the Northwest frequently serving as regional counsel and has tried cases across Oregon and Washington. Anne is a past Chair of the Oregon State Bar Product Liability Section and currently serves as Chair of DRI's Product Liability Committee.

Anne M. Talcott is a shareholder at Schwabe Willamson & Wyatt PC in Portland, OR. She has defended businesses in complex cases for almost twenty years, focusing primarily on pharmaceutical, medical device and other product liability litigation. She represents her clients throughout the Northwest frequently serving as regional counsel and has tried cases across Oregon and Washington. Anne is a past Chair of the Oregon State Bar Product Liability Section and currently serves as Chair of DRI's Product Liability Committee.

Michaelangelo Troisi has led legal affairs, compliance, government affairs, and insurance functions for the North American subsidiary of the Haier Group, the world's number one major appliance brand as ranked by Euromonitor International 2013 and a leader in consumer electronics, with global revenues reaching $32 billion in 2015. As one of seven members of an executive team reporting directly to the President & CEO, Mr. Troisi provides legal advice, ethical direction, and assistance on strategic business issues. Mike advises the CEO on corporate governance, risk management, and significant strategic issues; and he monitors product-safety issues and analyze the need for governmental reporting and corrective action. He collaborates with the Customer Service Division on issues relating to consumer complaints and large-scale quality issues. As General Counsel he is responsible for managing contracts, litigation, corporate governance, regulatory (including CPSC, DOE, EPA and ITC concerns), employment, intellectual property, and strategic technology licensing. He is also responsible for interfacing with the Haier Group on M&A, tax, and global business and legal initiatives, including global settlements and licensing agreements. From 2007 until March, 2014, when he joined Haier, Mike held the position of Senior Counsel & Director of Litigation and Risk Management for Samsung Electronics America, Inc.(SEA). Mr. Troisi oversaw all of SEA's litigation in the United States, including class-action and product-liability cases. He was responsible for coordinating both the selection and management of outside counsel and litigation-support firms. Mike was also the head of SEA's Risk Management Department, which managed all product recalls, government investigations, and other formal inquiries. Mike received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he served as a Senior Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Labor and Employment Law.

Daniel S. Valinoti is the Assistant General Counsel and Director of Claims for Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Co., Ltd. (U. S. Branch) ("SFM"). Daniel is responsible for the day-to-day management and leadership of SFM's Claims Department, and also provides legal and regulatory counsel on all issues impacting the company. SFM is a middle-market P&C carrier licensed in 45 states. Prior to joining SFM, Daniel worked in New York City for an international law firm where he represented insurance carriers in coverage disputes and insurance brokers in errors and omissions litigation. Daniel was named a 2013 Super Lawyers Rising Star for his work defending insurance brokers.

Darren M. VanPuymbrouck is a Partner in the Litigation Practice Group at Freeborn & Peters LLP and Chair of the Firm's National Fire & Explosion Response and Litigation Task Force. Darren has developed an international reputation for his expertise in defending against catastrophic fires and explosions, mass toxic torts, and complex product liability claims. Darren regularly advises domestic and international clients on risk avoidance, including enterprise-wide risk assessments, product integrity, and compliance with regulatory and standards-based listings, as well as compliance with to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), reporting to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and conducting product recalls.

Richard J. Vicars is the Director, Forensic Services for Jensen Hughes (formerly Kodiak Fire & Safety) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Prior to his role with Kodiak, Rich spent the majority of his career developing and operating world-class failure analysis capabilities and labs for Fortune 100 companies such as ITT Defense and United Technologies. While at United Technologies, he was recognized by Yuzuru Ito, UTC's corporate Vice President of quality, for developing the "most effective failure analysis and root cause capability" within the corporation.

George J. Wharton, CFEI, CVFI, CFPS, is a Senior Mechanical Engineer with CED Technologies Inc. in their Cleveland, Ohio office. A Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI), Certified Vehicle Fire Investigator (CVFI) and Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS), Mr. Wharton has investigated hundreds of fires and fire protection system losses in the last 10 years. Prior to joining CED, Mr. Wharton worked for over 20 years designing, building and installing custom industrial machinery, providing extensive insight into the potential failure modes of electro-mechanical components and systems.