DRI Faculty List
2021 Women in the Law Virtual Seminar
April 28 - 30, 2021
Michelle Banks BarkerGilmore LLC
Michelle Banks is a senior advisor at BarkerGilmore specializing in providing executive coaching to corporate general counsel. She also leads law department strategic retreats and professional development workshops. Michelle is co-founder and co-chair of UCLA Law Women LEAD, a network of more than 2,000 women law students and alumnae at her alma mater, where she also guest teaches annually in the professional development program. Michelle serves as a member of the board of directors of DirectWomen, a nonprofit whose mission is to prepare women lawyers to serve on the boards of directors of major companies. She also sits on the women's leadership board at Orrick law firm, and annually co-chairs the Ms. JD LaddHer Up retreat. Until 2016, Michelle was Executive Vice President, Global General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer of the third largest global apparel retailer Gap Inc. (Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta and Intermix). Before joining Gap Inc. in 1999, Michelle worked as legal counsel for the Golden State Warriors NBA team and in Tokyo as American counsel for Itochu Corporation, one of the largest Japanese trading companies. Her prior law firm practice with Sheppard Mullin and Morrison & Foerster in California and New York focused on corporate finance and international commercial transactions. Michelle has been recognized as a Legend in Law by the Burton Foundation, a Distinguished General Counsel by the Directors Roundtable, a Top General Counsel to Watch by Corporate Board Member, a Corporate Counsel Innovator by the Financial Times, an Influential Woman in Bay Area Business and a Corporate Counsel Diversity Champion by the San Francisco Business Times, a Most Powerful and Influential Woman by California Diversity Council, and a Woman of Achievement by Legal Momentum. Santa Clara University Law School presented her with their Social Justice and Human Rights award in 2014 and UCLA Law School named her 2016 Alumni of the Year for Professional Achievement. In 2019, Michelle received the American Bar Association's Margaret Brent Woman Lawyer of Achievement award. |
Gena M. Bomotti Costco Wholesale Corporation
Gena M. Bomotti is corporate counsel for Costco Wholesale Corporation out of Issaquah, WA. She entered the corporate world after practicing for over 10 year at Riddell Williams, P.S., (now Fox Rothschild) labor and employment law group. She received her undergraduate degree in Speech Communication from University of Washington and spent five years working in human resources. Gena loves fine food, traveling and practicing yoga. |
Kristine K. Campbell U-Haul International Inc
Kristine K. Campbell serves as the Director of Litigation at U-Haul International, Inc. In addition to managing U-Haul's litigation department, she manages all of U-Haul's class actions, commercial and trailer products liability cases. Prior to joining U-Haul in 2011, Campbell worked as a commercial litigator at Greenberg Traurig LLP. She also has two active kids that keep her extremely busy when she is not at the office. |
Koriambanya S. (Kori) Carew Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Koriambanya S. (Kori) Carew with Seyfarth Shaw LLP has become a sought-after authority on inclusive leadership, cultural fluency, having courageous discussions on difficult topics, and how best to empower and equip diverse talent for success. Under Kori's leadership, her prior firm earned over 40 top accolades such as 100% scores on the Human Rights Council's Corporate Equality Index, successive Gold Standard recognitions from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum, and inclusion in the "Best Law Firms for Women" from Working Mother magazine, as well as top diversity awards from clients like The Coca-Cola Company. |
Harpreet Chahal University of California
Harpreet Chahal joined the office of the general counsel as senior counsel for the litigation group in August 2017 and is responsible for monitoring employment-related litigation for the University of California system. Prior to joining OGC, Chahal spent nearly a decade as an assistant United States Attorney with the Department of Justice, where she defended the United States in employment and medical malpractice actions, and prosecuted health care fraud and civil rights cases. Ms. Chahal graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Political Science in 2001, and received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2004. |
Jeena Cho JC Law Group PC
Jeena Cho is the co-author of The Anxious Lawyer, An 8-Week Guide to a Joyful and Satisfying Law Practice Through Mindfulness and Meditation (ABA). She is a partner at JC Law Group PC, a bankruptcy law firm in San Francisco, CA. She is a regular contributor to ABA Journal, and Above the Law where she covers resilience, work/life integration, and wellness in the workplace. She regularly speaks and offers training on women's issues, diversity, and inclusion, well-being, mindfulness, and meditation. |
Colette Durst 3M Company
Colette Durst is Assistant Chief IP Counsel and Chief Trademark Counsel at 3M where she manages a global team of trademark paralegals and attorneys. Colette also manages 3M's brand protection and anti-counterfeiting programs globally across all business groups. Prior to joining 3M in October of 2018 Colette was Legal Director – IP and Johnson Controls and led the JCI trademark function with responsibility for managing all trademark-related activities globally for the company and its worldwide affiliates. Before the Tyco merger with JCI in 2016, she led the trademark function at Tyco on a global basis and prior to that she was Assistant General Counsel at Walmart Stores. |
Honorable Lynn Duryee JAMS the Resolution Experts
Honorable Lynn Duryee served as a judge on the Marin County Superior Court for 21 years, where she specialized in settling the court's cases in its civil, criminal and family law departments. She taught ethics and fairness to new judges for 20 years, served as Dean of the B.E. Witkin Judicial college, and was active developing and teaching a wide range of traditional and innovative courses to California judges, including Trials, Evidence, Courtroom Control, and Dealing with Difficult People. Judge Duryee now works at JAMS San Francisco as a mediator, arbitrator and special master. She also teaches Civil Procedure to first year law students at USF School of Law. Judge Duryee is the author of hundreds of articles and four books, and the co-author of "Mastering Mediation: 50 Essential Tools for the Advanced Practitioner" (ThompsonReuters 2012). |
Sara Flowers-Dent Auto Zone Inc
Sara Flowers-Dent manager, litigation attorney for AutoZone, Inc. in Memphis, Tennessee. She is responsible for handling various areas of litigation including, asbestos, general liability, product liability, commercial litigation and bankruptcy. Ms. Flowers-Dent provides legal advice and coordinates efforts between various departments at the corporate office/Store Support Center. She is a graduate of Mississippi Valley State University and the University of Illinois College of Law. |
Cari Almo Gallman Bristol-Myers Squibb
Cari Almo Gallman is assistant general counsel and head, global commercial oncology legal and compliance, leading the team of commercial and regulatory lawyers for Bristol Myers-Squibb's Oncology business unit. In that capacity, she and her team provide advice regarding the strategy and execution of commercial and medical tactics for BMS's oncology medications in market as well as in development. Cari's team also provides legal support for BMS' Worldwide Commercial Operations, including on key commercialization areas such as BMS's multichannel strategy, Field Force capabilities and training; HCP meetings and Congresses; and Strategy and Operations. In her role supporting multiple parts of BMS, Cari sits on the leadership teams for BMS Oncology R&D, BMS Commercial Oncology, and BMS Worldwide Commercial Operations and serves as a strategic partner directly delivering practical, effective, and innovative legal solutions to support business needs while mitigating and defending against legal risks to enable the delivery innovative medicines to patients. Prior to joining BMS, Cari was an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in New York City, representing pharmaceutical and health care clients in white collar and regulatory matters in a variety of areas, including potential off-label marketing of products, violations of the Anti-Kickback or Anti-Bribery Statutes, or Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or good manufacturing issues. Cari holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and an A.B. from Princeton University, magna cum laude. |
Leanne Gould, CPA/ABV/CFF, ASA Gould Consulting Services
Leanne Gould, CPA/ABV/CFF, ASA is a forensic accountant, business appraiser and expert witness. She founded Gould Consulting Services (GCS) to assist counsel and their clients to understand complex financial and business valuation issues in cases across the nation. Leanne has provided expert reports and testimony in matters before U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, U.S. District Courts, Superior and State Courts and arbitration panels involving class/collective actions, business interruption and breach of contract damages, conversion, misappropriation, disputed business valuation, and avoidable transfers under §§ 544, 547 and 548 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and U.V.T.A. including assessments of reasonably equivalent value and solvency. |
Bridget Grimes, CFP Wealth Choice
Bridget Grimes, CFP is the President of WealthChoice, a financial planning firm that specializes in advising women attorneys Bridget helps her clients live the life they want by having a plan for the Four Financial Derailers. She is Co-Founder of Equita Financial Network, a collaboration of women-led financial planning firms, and author of the Best Seller Corner Office Choices: The Executive Woman's Guide to Financial Freedom. |
C. Meade Hartfield Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
C. Meade Hartfield has represented clients nationwide in a variety of industries, including financial services, drug and medical device, automotive, aviation, industrial equipment, insurance, and environmental. Her financial services practice includes representing financial institutions, auto-finance lenders and mortgage companies in defensive litigation matters throughout the country, including alleged violations of TCPA, TILA, FCRA, FDCPA and state deceptive trade practices laws. She also spearheads regulatory compliance services in response to pending or new legislation. She has been admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. She is an active member of DRI, where she serves as the 2021 Program Chair of the Women in the Law Seminar, as well as the Women in the Law Liaison to the International Law Committee and the Automotive Section of the Product Liability Committee. Meade also is serving as the inaugural chair of Women in the Law Committee for the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association. |
Lynne O. Ingram Campbell Conroy & O'Neil PC
Lynne O. Ingram is a seasoned trial lawyer who defends civil matters across the country, through all stages of litigation. Ingram works with clients in a broad range of industries, including construction, hospitality, insurance, medical, and product design and manufacturing. Prior to entering private practice, Lynne spent more than 5 years as an ADA in Philadelphia, where she tried over 40 felony jury trials. Lynne is the co-chair of her firm's Diversity Committee, active in DRI and the FDCC, and volunteers at her local hospital's NICU. |
Honorable Teri L. Jackson California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District Division Three
Honorable Teri L. Jackson was the first African-American woman ever appointed to the San Francisco County Superior Court when she was appointed by Gov. Gray Davis in 2002. Judge Jackson has served as an adjunct law professor at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law since 2006 and at the University of San Francisco School of Law since 2004. She was of counsel at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP from 1997 to 2002 and served as an assistant district attorney in the San Francisco District Attorney's Office from 1984 to 1997. She served as a deputy district attorney in the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office from 1981 to 1984. Judge Jackson earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. |
Dana M. Kanellakes RLI Insurance Co
Dana M. KanellakesBio requested |
Karen K. Karabinos Drew Eckl & Farnham LLP
Karen K. Karabinos with Drew Eckl Farnham in Atlanta, GA has been litigating cases for more than 33 years, with the last 22 primarily focused on the complexities of property insurance law. She has successfully handled more than 75 trials and hearings and annually conducts more than 50 depositions and examinations under oath. She partners with her clients in the investigation and adjustment of property damage claims, including defending them in coverage, bad faith, arson, cyber, fraud and property damage cases and pursuing subrogation on her clients' behalf. |
Jennifer F. Nutter Hood Law Firm LLC
Jennifer F. Nutter is a partner at the Hood Law Firm, LLC. She focuses her practice on civil litigation and insurance defense to include professional liability, medical malpractice, healthcare, products liability, trucking, and insurance coverage litigation. Nutter has almost twenty years of experience representing corporate clients and individuals in state and federal courts throughout South Carolina including jury and non-jury trials. Jennifer graduated from Furman University with a B.A. in 1998 and earned her J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2001. Nutter is the 2021 Women in the Law Seminar Vice Chair. |
E. Todd Presnell Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
E. Todd Presnell is a partner in Bradley's Nashville office where he practices in the areas of business and em-ployment litigation. Presnell also counsels and advises in-house legal departments on the attorney-client and other privileges, and authors the popular legal blog Presnell on Privileges. He is a former chair of DRI's Young Lawyers Committee, former Chair of the DRI Annual Meeting, and currently serves on the DRI Law Institute. |
Aya M. Salem Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd
Aya M. Salem is the Associate Director of Litigation at Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. and Taro Pharmaceutical, where she serves as counsel for all North America Sun and Taro product liability and employment matters as well as involved in managing the organizations' various other litigation matters. Aya also serves as the companies' interim counsel on Healthcare Compliance investigations. Prior to joining Sun, Aya spent 9 years at Conrad O'Brien PC, a boutique litigation law firm in Philadelphia, where she was the chair of the Women's Initiative and on the Board of the firm's Diversity Initiative. Aya was also a proud board member of the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group. Aya is a member of the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on the Rules of Evidence. In 2015, Aya was named as a "Lawyer on the Fast Track" by The Legal Intelligencer, and for the past four years, she has been named to the Pennsylvania Rising Star List. Aya is a graduate of Rutgers School of Law where she served as the Executive Editor of the Rutgers Journal of Law and Public Policy. |
Alexis Sauer-Budge, PhD Exponent
Alexis Sauer-Budge, PhD specializes in the intersection between biology and materials. Dr. Sauer-Budge received her Bachelor and Master degrees in Chemistry from Stanford University and her Ph.D. in Biophysics from Harvard University. She applies her interdisciplinary experience to the development and design analysis of products. She has particular expertise in clinical diagnostics (the testing and identification of biological materials), including nucleic acids, proteins, microbes (virus, bacteria, fungi), and human specimens (blood, urine, saliva, etc.). Dr. Sauer-Budge has been active in applying her knowledge to assist companies in their response to COVID-19, including proper disinfection, testing strategies, and test development. |
Sharon D. Stuart Attorneys Insurance Mutual of the South
Sharon D. Stuartis President and Claims Counsel of Attorneys Insurance Mutual of the South, Inc. ("AIM"). AIM exclusively provides malpractice insurance for attorneys in Alabama and Tennessee. Sharon was a founding partner of Christian & Small, where she continues to handle complex and class action product liability, toxic tort, insurance and business cases in the state and federal courts and in arbitration. Sharon has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America – garnering multiple "Lawyer of the Year" honors, the Top 50 Mid-South Women Super Lawyers, and is one of Benchmark Litigation's Top 250 Women in Litigation. She is active in the International Association of Defense Counsel, DRI, and the American Inns of Court. Sharon is past President of the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association. She is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, the Alabama Law Foundation and the Birmingham Bar Foundation. Sharon received her undergraduate degree from Samford University and her J.D. from the Cumberland School of Law. |
Marianne M. Trost The Women Lawyers Coach
Marianne M. Trost is a nationally recognized business development coach and trainer. She has worked with more than 4,000 attorneys over the past 30 years throughout the United States, Canada and most recently the UAE to help them grow their own client base. Marianne's mission is to guide, inspire, and support women lawyers to build their practices and manage their careers strategically. She is known for her practical tips, inspiration, and real-life examples. Marianne has presented at DRI, the FDCC, ABA Rainmakers, the Canadian Defense Lawyers Association, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, and many other organizations, law firms, and law schools across the country. Her insights have been published in the U.S., the U.K., Canada and Australia. |
Nandra Weeks Geosyntec Consultants
Nandra Weeks is a professional engineer and a senior principal with Geosyntec Consultants with over 30 years of experience managing a wide variety of engineering and environmental projects. She develops marketing strategies for many of Geosyntec's clients and has been working on the firm's response services to the COVID-19 pandemic. She enjoys being a Client Advocate for key clients - focusing efforts on understanding the clients' needs and bringing the best team together to meet their business objectives and environmental goals. Ms. Weeks has served in various leadership roles with several industry associations and leads Geosyntec's Business Development Training Program. |
Lauren Weinstein Stanford Graduate School of Business
Lauren Weinstein is a communication coach and consultant who helps clients amplify their impact through powerful public speaking and interpersonal communication skills. For five years, Lauren taught one of the most popular classes at the Stanford Graduate School of Business - The Essentials of Strategic Communication. She has a popular TEDTalk with close to a million views and her articles on effective communication have been published in Harvard Business Review and Stanford's GSB Insights. Lauren received her B.A. in psychology from Stanford University and her J.D. from Stanford Law School. |