Edward P. Abbot is a partner in the New York City office of Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP. Mr. Abbot is a trial lawyer and litigator who concentrates on a wide range of product liability, general commercial and mass liability toxic tort litigation. He has substantial experience in representing major corporations involved in asbestos litigation, as well as in environmental toxic torts, premises liability, pharmaceutical matters and other complex cases in multiple jurisdications.

Manojit Basu, PhD is currently the managing director, science and policy for CropLife America. He previously served as the vice president of regulatory affairs at the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), where he led the development of regulatory and scientific strategy for the organization related to product safety for food, personal care and household products and provided leadership to GMA members on scientific, technical and regulatory issues. While in his role at GMA, Dr. Basu worked seamlessly among GMA's departments to ensure all messaging was founded in proven science, helping achieve transparency and broaden consumer outreach. Dr. Basu earned a PhD in molecular biology and a Master of Science in bioscience from the University of Nottingham.

Gary Burin, PhD is a senior managing toxicologist with Technology Services Group, Inc. He has been with TSG since February 1993. He was previously a senior toxicologist for the US EPA from 1979 to 1993. He obtained his PhD from The George Washington University in Biology/Biological Sciences and his MPH in toxicology from the University of Michigan.

Joel R. Clark is a skilled and dedicated attorney specializing in insurance defense. His areas of practice include ERISA, environmental and toxic tort litigation. Mr. Clark has also served as the acting Municipal Prosecutor for the Township of Dumont located in Bergen County, New Jersey. He received his Juris Doctor Degree from Western New England College School of Law and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Notre Dame. Presently, Mr. Clark is a senior partner with the firm and is defending asbestos and chemical exposure cases in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He also serves on the Asbestos Advisory Committee, which comprises representatives from the major plaintiff and defense firms litigating in New Jersey. Mr. Clark oversees the firm's New Jersey asbestos practice and is the face of MK&C in the Middlesex County Courthouse in front of both the Asbestos Special Master and Asbestos Judge. He has lectured and moderated panels on topics pertaining to asbestos litigation in various jurisdictions for firm clients and at CLE Seminars.

Evelyn Fletcher Davisis a senior partner at Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP. As one of the leading toxic tort and product liability defense lawyers in the United States, she has tried, managed, and settled thousands of complex cases. She has litigated cases involving exposures to asbestos, silica, mold, benzene and other chemicals, in addition to personal and commercial insurance liability. She serves over 40 corporations as national, regional, and local counsel with an emphasis on jurisdictions in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. She is the program chair of this seminar.

Bradford J.(Brad) DeJardin is a partner and heads the Complex Tort division of Dentons' Los Angeles office. He is a trial lawyer focused on defending companies faced with complex tort matters, including product liability, mass tort and premises liability suits. Mr. DeJardin represents companies in the automotive, construction, safety and cosmetic industries in state and federal courts. He serves on several national trial teams, and acts as local and national coordinating counsel for some of his clients. Mr. DeJardin has been repeatedly recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers in the area of civil litigation defense. He won a defense verdict in his first jury trial as lead counsel in 2002. He is an alumnus of the prestigious Los Angeles Trial Advocacy Project (TAP) – the program used to train Los Angeles County City and District attorneys.

Derek A. Drechsel, PhD is a toxicologist with five years of consulting experience in toxicology, product safety, and exposure and human health risk assessment. Dr. Drechsel's graduate and post-doctoral work focused on determining molecular mechanisms of neuronal damage contributing to neurodegenerative diseases, included Parkinson's Disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dr. Drechsel has provided technical and litigation support on various projects involving exposure to chemicals in a variety of occupational, environmental, and consumer settings. Dr. Drechsel has performed toxicological evaluations and quantitative exposure to support human health risk assessments for a variety of substances including asbestos, benzene, pesticides, talc, preservatives, and microbial agents. He has also conducted food safety evaluations to support compliance with Proposition 65 and Food Safety Modernization Act and well as provide technical expertise for crisis management and recall decisions. Dr. Drechsel has expertise in the area of talc as it relates to toxicology, exposure, risk assessment, historical regulation and state-of-the-science. Dr. Drechsel has published nearly two-dozen peer-reviewed articles on various toxicology, consumer product safety, and risk-related issues.

Marcella C. Ducca focuses her practice on the representation and defense of manufacturers in products liability litigation, with an emphasis on pharmaceutical, medical device and health care litigation. She has experience litigating a variety of complex matters in both state and federal courts, including multidistrict litigation. In addition, Marcella has been involved in the defense of hospitals and physicians in medical malpractice cases.

David H. Garabrant, MD, MPH is a physician who has conducted research in occupational and environmental epidemiology for the past 25 years. He is board certified in internal medicine, occupational medicine, and preventive medicine. Since joining the faculty at the University of Michigan in 1988, he has served as Director of the Occupational Medicine Program, Director of the Occupational Health Program, Director of the Center for Occupational Health and Safety Engineering, and Director of the Cancer Prevention Training Program. Currently he directs the curriculum in occupational and environmental epidemiology and is the Director of the Center for Risk Science and Communication.

Michael B. Giaquintopractice as a defense attorney is primarily concentrated in the areas of product liability, class action mass toxic tort litigation, and general civil litigation. In the last several years, Michael has defended high-risk product liability lawsuits with damage claims reaching $100 million. Over the past three years, Michael has been on the forefront, defending manufacturers and suppliers of cosmetic and personal care products. To this end, Michael has interwoven scientific discipline-based defenses into legal advocacy, achieving positive results for his client base.

Michael A. Graham, MD, is a professor of pathology at St. Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he co-directs the Division of Forensic and Environmental Pathology. Dr. Graham also serves as the chief medical examiner for the city of St. Louis. He is certified by the American Board of Pathology in anatomic, clinical and forensic pathology. For the past 20 years, Dr. Graham has served as an expert in asbestos-related matters.

Michael Ierardi, MES is a Health Scientist with Cardno ChemRisk in the Brooklyn office. His principal areas of interest and training include human health risk assessment, industrial hygiene, exposure science, and environmental health. While at Cardno ChemRisk, Mr. Ierardi has managed and provided litigation support for cases related to occupational and environmental exposures to asbestos, benzene, talc, coal ash, and diacetyl; performed consumer product testing for Proposition 65 compliance; created safety data sheets for compliance with The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS); conducted human health risk assessments for residual chemicals in consumer food products; and performed noise and VOC air monitoring in occupational and residential settings. Mr. Ierardi graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies and Hispanic Studies in 2013, as well as with a Master of Environmental Studies degree, with a concentration in Environmental Health, in 2014. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Industrial Hygiene at the CUNY School of Public Health.

Arthur M. Langer, PhD also known as Art, serves as the Chairman and Founder of Workforce Opportunity Services. Dr. Langer serves as Director of Center for Technology Management, Academic Director and Executive Master of Science in Technology Management Program at Columbia University. Dr. Langer also serves on the faculty of the Department of Organization and Leadership at the Graduate School of Education (Teachers College). He has been Non-Executive Director of Marlabs Inc. since February 2018. Dr. Langer consults with corporations and universities on information technology, staff development, management transformation and curriculum development around the Globe. Prior to joining the full-time faculty at Columbia University, he was Executive Director of Computer Support Services at Coopers & Lybrand, General Manager and Partner of Software Plus and President of Macco Software. He is the Associate Chair of Faculty Affairs, Support and Development at Columbia University. Dr. Langer was an Independent Director at AMERI Holdings, Inc. from May 2015 to May 07, 2018. Dr. Langer is also an elected member of the Executive Committee of the Columbia University Faculty Senate. He is the author of Strategic IT: Best Practices for Managers and Executives (2013 with Lyle Yorks), Guide to Software Development: Designing & Managing the Life Cycle (2012), Information Technology and Organizational Learning (2011), Analysis and Design of Information Systems (2007), Applied Ecommerce (2002), and The Art of Analysis (1997) and has numerous published articles and papers relating to service learning for underserved populations, IT organizational integration, mentoring and staff development.

Richard J. Lee, PhD has over 30 years' experience specializing in forensic problem solving and technology development. He has managed laboratory operations, designed and developed novel electron microscopes, laboratory automation and information management systems, and commercialized laboratory products. Under Dr. Lee's direction, RJ Lee Group has grown from a small group to more than 200 staff across the country. Dr. Lee serves as a consultant to a wide range of industrial and governmental organizations. He has been an advisor to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding laboratory methods for analysis of asbestos, as well as the evaluation of contamination in NYC following the events on 9/11. Dr. Lee has also served on American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) methods to define analytical methods. He has been qualified as an expert witness in state and federal courts. He holds six patents and has published over 200 scientific articles and publications. Dr. Lee earned his Ph.D. in Theoretical Solid State Physics from Colorado State University and his B.S. in Physics from the University of North Dakota.

Karleen F. Murphy is a member of Dentons' Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice, where she focuses her practice on toxic tort and product liability. With 20 years of civil litigation experience, Karleen defends high profile corporate clients at trials in state and federal courts in California and other jurisdictions. She is skilled at developing and implementing successful litigation strategies. She has extensive deposition experience, having deposed and defended medical, economic and industrial hygiene experts, and corporate representatives, as well as taken numerous plaintiffs and third party witness depositions. In addition, she resolves high dollar value cases through alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration, and direct settlement negotiations.

Dennis J. Paustenbach, PhD, CIH, DABT is a board-certified toxicologist and industrial hygienist with nearly 35 years of experience in risk assessment, environmental engineering, ecotoxicology, and occupational health. He is currently an independent consultant. He was the President of ChemRisk, both before and after the merger with Cardno, which is a consulting firm which specializes in human and ecological risk assessment, as well as and risk analysis of consumer products, contaminated sites, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. He was also for several years a Vice President of Exponent, and prior to that, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of McLaren-Hart Environmental, a nationwide consulting firm of 600 persons. Dennis specializes in the areas of industrial and environmental toxicology, occupational health, historical state-of-knowledge regarding environmental issues, and ecological and human risk assessment. He has directed the scientific aspects of toxic tort cases. He has also provided expert witness testimony in public meetings and trials concerning the health effects of chemicals in sediments, air, soil, consumer products, groundwater, and the workplace.

R. Thomas (Tom) Radcliffe, Jr. joined DeHay & Elliston, L.L.P. as a partner in the Baltimore office in 2002. Previously, he was a partner with Church & Houff, P.A., and an associate with Tydings & Rosenberg in Baltimore. Mr. Radcliffe has been a member of the Bar of the State of Maryland since 1986. Mr. Radcliffe is also licensed in Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Mr. Radcliffe concentrates his practice of law in mass tort litigation and insurance defense. He has trial experience in many of the Circuit Courts of Maryland as well as in states other than Maryland. He has tried or participated in the trial of cases in California, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. Mr. Radcliffe maintains a trial case load on a national level and actively supervises attorneys in jurisdictions throughout the country.

Andreas Saldivar earned his B.S. in Geology from the University of Maryland in 1988. He currently works as President for AMA Analytical Services, Inc. Mr. Saldivar is a member of the ASTM D22.07 Sampling and Analysis of Asbestos and The Environmental Information Association. He is the author of approximately 15 publications and presentations. He specializes in optical and electron microscopy for the identification and characterization of asbestos minerals and materials, and nano-particles in various matrices. With 30-years of experience, Mr. Saldivar is an expert in the challenging task of identifying asbestos in talc and talc-containing cosmetic products and has worked with multiple entities including small private clients, large manufacturing operations, and the federal government. Mr. Saldivar also enjoys pursuing his astronomy and photography hobbies. When not in the laboratory, he can often be found behind one of his many telescopes trying to capture an amazing shot of our magnificent universe.

Matthew S. Sanchez, PhD is a Principal Investigator at RJ Lee Group where he leads quality assessments of vermiculite, talc carbonates, olivine, and other industrial minerals including erionite. He specializes in characterizing asbestos in raw materials and in building products. Dr. Sanchez has also worked at mine and quarry sites to identify occurrences of asbestos. In the lab, he is well-versed in a range of analytical techniques such as polarized light microscopy (PLM), powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Dr. Sanchez is a member of the Mineralogical Society of America and has published in peer-reviewed literature.

David G. Sarvadi practices in the areas of occupational health and safety, toxic substance management, pesticide regulation, employment law, and product safety. Mr. Sarvadi represents clients before a variety of federal and state enforcement agencies in legal proceedings involving OSHA citations, EPA Notice of Violations, TSCA consent orders, CPSC Notices, FIFRA Stop Sale Use and Removal Orders, and EEOC Charges of Discrimination. He works with clients in developing, reviewing, and auditing compliance programs in all of these areas, and in obtaining agency rulings on proposed or novel activities and questions, seeking interpretations of regulations as they apply to specific sets of facts. He has a background in occupational safety and health, having worked as an industrial hygienist for more than 15 years and became a Certified Industrial Hygienist in 1978, a designation he held until he voluntarily relinquished it in 2010. Prior to becoming an attorney, he was a principal in a small consulting firm, and managed a corporate industrial hygiene and product safety program for a Fortune 500 company. Mr. Sarvadi was selected by the National Academy of Sciences to participate in a panel of the Institute of Medicine that was asked to review a study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health on the use of respirators in the U.S. He was asked to participate because of his expertise in law and industrial hygiene.

Gary D. Sharp is a partner at Foley & Mansfield. As Chair of the Firm's Toxic Tort group, Gary splits his time between the Detroit and California offices. With 30 years of civil trial experience, he focuses his practice on the defense of complex product liability and toxic tort cases. Gary's extensive trial experience in both State and Federal courts around the United States has resulted in successful outcomes for numerous product manufacturers, suppliers and distributors. Noted for his expertise in the trial of high profile cases, Gary was the lead defense counsel in a Wisconsin products case that was featured as one of the most significant defense verdicts of the year by the National Law Journal. Gary has been retained as National and Regional trial counsel for several companies and corporations sued as defendants in asbestos related litigation. He has tried asbestos cases to verdict in California, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin. He has handled or supervised cases in almost all fifty States and the Territory of Guam.

Caroline M. Tinsley with Tucker Ellis, defends leading product manufacturers in mass tort and product liability matters, with particular expertise in medical device and pharmaceutical liability. Caroline manages complex and individual litigation for manufacturers and distributors of consumer products, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. She is experienced in multidistrict litigation and class action product litigation in industries ranging from board games to medical devices and pharmaceutical products. She also defends clients in matters involving products such as all-terrain vehicles, industrial equipment, amusement rides, scaffolding, manufactured homes, and aviation. Experienced in e-discovery issues, Caroline manages large-scale document productions for clients. She also handles all aspects of state and federal civil litigation and defends clients in general civil and business litigation matters. Litigation is a stressful time for companies, and each litigation presents unique challenges and concerns. Caroline works as a trusted partner to find innovative solutions to address clients' needs. Bringing levity to high-stress situations is one of Caroline's hallmarks.

Mahsa K. Tippins comes to DeHay & Elliston with extensive experience in civil litigation. Since 2006, her practice has focused on defending clients in all aspects of toxic tort litigation. Ms. Tippins has notable and substantial experience in all phases of discovery, motion practice, and oral argument at court hearings and at trial. Her practice includes the defense of automotive part suppliers, premises owners and other product manufacturers in product liability cases. She has also assisted as trial counsel for an international oil company, a chemical distribution company, a general contractor, a painting subcontractor, an insulation manufacturer, vehicle manufacturers, a talc manufacturer, and has successfully taken cases to verdict in both Northern and Southern California. Ms. Tippins was selected to the Super Lawyers 'Rising Stars' list, an honor reserved for those lawyers under 40 years of age who exhibit excellence in practice. Only 2.5% of attorneys in Northern California receive this distinction. With this honor, Ms. Tippins is also recognized in San Francisco Magazine's section for The Top Women Attorneys in Northern California. Ms. Tippins has also been a speaker at many conferences on a variety of litigation related-topics as well as a guest lecturer for Golden Gate University School of Law.

Edward R. Ulloa is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP. Mr. Ulloa is an experienced trial attorney whose practice involves the defense of clients in high-risk, mass tort litigation, including asbestos, chemical exposure, flammable fabric and automotive product liability actions. Mr. Ulloa has served as first-chair trial counsel in over 50 jury trials and has represented manufacturers of naval and industrial equipment, automotive friction and gasket materials, and joint compound and drywall materials, and flammable fabrics at trial. Mr. Ulloa is highly experienced in the successful argument of summary judgment and pretrial motions and is involved in the development of litigation and trial strategies for high-risk mass tort litigation clients across the nation. Mr. Ulloa supervises other attorneys in the representation of products liability matters and negotiates on behalf of clients at court mandated settlement conferences. Mr. Ulloa represents clients in fact and expert witness depositions in cases in across the country and is involved in pre-litigation investigation of actions involving clients on a national basis.

Ania M. Urban is a Supervising Health Scientist with Cardno ChemRisk. She completed her Ph.D. in Toxicology from the University of Minnesota. Her primary area of expertise is carcinogenesis and chemoprevention. Dr. Urban's doctoral work focused on elucidating the role of DNA adducts in lung cancer formation. During her doctoral work she used both in vivo and in vitro models to investigate the formation and repair of DNA adducts following exposure to tobacco-specific nitrosamines. Dr. Urban also received an MPH in Environmental Health Sciences, during which she developed methods to detect the formation of DNA adducts following exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). She has extensive experience in the development of analytical techniques for the detection of metabolites and DNA adducts.

Tina A.Van Dam is a partner in MG+M's Irvine, California office. Tina has established herself as an accomplished and effective counselor litigating multiparty matters involving claims related to asbestos, chemical, and other environmental toxins, including silica and talc in addition to her every day general liability practice. As a top practitioner in her field, Tina brings impressive expertise in case management and litigation strategy for both trial and resolution. Through the solid relationships she has cultivated with opposing counsel during the course of her career and a broad understanding of litigation trends across the United States, she is able to navigate negotiations quickly and effectively to reach settlements when appropriate. Tina is recognized in the industry for representing a variety of clients with differing needs. This extensive range of clients includes consumer products and equipment manufacturers, premises owners, and supply houses, among other defendants, as part of her toxic tort practice. She serves as national coordinating counsel for both national and international companies in toxic tort and products liability litigation.

Claire C. Weglarz is a first-chair trial attorney who represents public and private entities in high-risk litigation nationwide. She represents clients in a broad range of industries from energy and chemicals to manufacturing, automotive, and consumer goods. She has extensive experience in cases involving products liability, environmental claims, and toxic exposures to asbestos, talc, and various chemicals. Claire excels at effectively communicating complex issues to judges and juries to be both comprehensible and compelling. With a background in biology, Claire specializes in developing cutting-edge litigation strategies involving the advancement of technical, scientific, and medical defenses. As a registered patent and trademark attorney, she has a unique perspective and foresight into issues involving the design, manufacture, and intended use of products.

David Weill, MD, is the former Director of the Center for Advanced Lung Disease at Stanford University Medical Center and a Principal in the Weill Consulting Group. In addition to his own practice specializing in end-stage lung diseases, Dr. Weill has testified before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Texas State Legislature regarding legislation addressing the handling of asbestos and silica claims. He is also am currently the Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board for the National Sand, Stone, and Gravel Association, a role that involves evaluating the health risk posed by a variety of exposures. Dr. Weill has also been the author of book chapters discussing the asbestos related diseases and was the lead researcher of a study involving asbestos exposure, radiographic analysis, and pulmonary function evaluation of members of the Libby, MT community.