Speakers
Benjamin Allen
Benjamin T. Allen Partner, Holland & Knight, LLP Mr. Allen focuses his practice on a wide range of transportation accident investigation and litigation matters, including aviation, maritime, railroad, pipeline, highway, hazardous materials and commercial space. Mr. Allen brings a distinct perspective built from more than 20 years of aviation experience, including more than a decade with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and involvement with federal investigations conducted by U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) agencies, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Office of Inspector General (OIG), and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), foreign civil accident investigation authorities, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and other military departments. EDUCATION American University, Washington College of Law, J.D. Trinity University, B.A., Communications BAR ADMISSIONS/LICENSES District of Columbia Maryland Virginia COURT ADMISSIONS U.S. Supreme Court U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Supreme Court of Virginia Supreme Court of Maryland District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Lindsey Boyd
Lindsey Boyd is an in-house attorney at Total Quality Logistics, a Cincinnati-based, non-asset freight brokerage company. Specializing in labor and employment law, she provides valuable guidance on a range of employment matters, including workplace accommodations, investigations, HR policies, and wage and hour compliance. Lindsey handles administrative charges and employment litigation, including arbitrations and non-compete disputes, while also advising on employment law compliance to ensure a fair and legally compliant workplace.
Shannon Butler
Shannon Butler currently serves as the Vice President of Human Resources for Montgomery Transport, LLC. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and earned her J.D. from the Birmingham School of Law followed by admission to the Alabama State Bar. Shannon also serves as the 2nd Vice-Chairman on the Safety & Maintenance Management Council for the Alabama Trucking Association. Prior to joining the Montgomery Transport Team, Shannon served as the Vice President of Human Resources and In-House Counsel for B.R. Williams Trucking, Inc. where she played a pivotal role in navigating the complex legal landscape surrounding transportation & employment law. Her keen understanding of the intersection between law and human resources has been a key asset in mitigating risks and fostering a legally sound workplace.
Dr. John Campbell
Dr. Campbell is a consultant with Exponent with over 35 years of experience examining issues related to human factors, driver behavior, roadway safety, and the contributing factors to roadway crashes. He is trained as a psychologist, with a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the Claremont Graduate School and a Master’s Degree in Human Factors from Cal State Northridge. He has developed design guidelines, tools, and other resources to support roadway design, countermeasure selection, and crash diagnostics. He has developed and provided training to State DOTs on human factors aspects of roadway design and operations. He served as the chair of TRB's Standing Committee on Human Factors of Infrastructure Design and Operations from 2016-2023. For NCHRP and TRB, he is leading the development of the 4th Edition of the Human Factors Guidelines for Road Systems. He is also a contributor to the 8th Edition of the Green Book and the 2nd Edition of the Highway Safety Manual.
Kimberly Chojnacki
Kimberly A. Chojnacki is a shareholder in the Energy, Logistics, and Manufacturing practice group at Baker Donelson. She represents clients in bet-the-company, high-exposure, high-profile litigation, including catastrophic and mass tort claims and complex commercial litigation. She has significant trial and appellate experience in both state and federal courts. Ms. Chojnacki is highly regarded for her catastrophic loss litigation practice, primarily in defense of motor carriers and other corporate clients in high-profile fatalities, intentional tort losses, catastrophic personal injuries, and mass tort events. The nature of these claims requires a steady focus, both on the case at bar and the long-term implications of a given litigation maneuver. She deftly manages incident response, media engagement, and litigation with dedicated, persistent focus on the client’s goals in resolving the case, whether through settlement or trial on the merits. Ms. Chojnacki earned her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 2012 and her B.A. in political science and Russian, also from the University of Texas at Austin. She is licensed in all state and federal courts in Texas, as well as the Fifth Circuit. Ms. Chojnacki currently is the Vice-Chair – American Bar Association Commercial Transportation and Litigation General Committee. She has been listed in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America™ for Commercial Litigation and Insurance Law every year since 2021 and has been selected to Texas Rising Stars by Texas Super Lawyers every year since 2020.
Ramon Concha
Ramón has been part of CCN since 2005, where he was later appointed partner in 2016, his practice focuses on the representation of foreign investors doing business in Mexico, particularly in Corporate, International Business, Maquiladora, Transportation, Energy, Aviation, and Real Estate. Presently he represents and advises clients regarding the structure, negotiation, purchase, and sale of different projects in several industries, including logistics and transportation, medical devices, tourism and leisure residential, manufacturing and energy. In 2005 Ramón was admitted to practice in the State of New York, United States.
Jeffery Cox
Jeff Cox is a partner of the Virginia-based law firm of Seaton & Husk, LP which specializes in representing motor carriers, brokers and other transportation entities. He has been representing clients in the field of transportation law for over sixteen years. Jeff handles issues such as: freight claims, freight charge collection, contracting issues, citation defense, carrier representation before the FMCSA and bankruptcy issues. He is licensed to practice law in Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., the Federal Courts of each, and the U.S. District Courts for the District of Colorado and Western Tennessee. He is a member of the Transportation Lawyers Association, Conference of Freight Counsel and the Maryland Motor Truck Association. Jeff is a graduate of The American University (B.A. 2003) and the George Mason School of Law (J.D. 2008). Jeff can be reached via e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 703-573-0700.
Andrew Danas
Andrew M. Danas is a partner with the Washington, D.C. law firm of Grove, Jaskiewicz and Cobert LLP where he represents clients on all aspects of commercial, regulatory, and litigation issues involving international trade, logistics, and supply chain matters. As part of his practice, Andrew regularly advises carriers, 3PLs, shippers, trade associations, and purchasing cooperatives on antitrust and unfair competition law and related best practices. A recipient of the Transportation Lawyers Association’s Distinguished Service Award, Andrew currently serves as Co-Chair of the TLA’s Antitrust and Unfair Trade Practices Committee. In addition to his TLA activities, Andrew has active leadership positions in the International Law Section of the American Bar Association, where he is the Division Chair for the Section’s Trade, International Organizations & Regulatory Practices Division and is a past co-chair of the ABA ILS International Transportation and International Contracts Committees. Andrew is also the Chair of the EALG, an international network of independent law firms in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South America, and the United States. A frequent speaker and writer, Andrew has published both academic law review and professional articles on a variety of subjects, including articles on the application of antitrust and competition law to the logistics and supply chain industry. He is AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® and is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Andrew received his undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut and his law degree from the National Law Center of the George Washington University, Washington, D.C. A complete biography can be found on the Grove, Jaskiewicz and Cobert website at https://gjcobert.com or Andrew’s Linked-In webpage, http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewdanas/
Matthew Daus
Matthew W. Daus, Esq. is a partner at the law firm of Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP (Windels Marx), where he founded and chairs the Transportation Practice Group (TPG) since 2010. Founded in 1830, Windels Marx is a full-service law firm with 20 practice areas, over 150 attorneys and 300 staff, which represents its clients with “Tradition, Innovation & Distinction.” www.windelsmarx.com Mr. Daus is the former longest serving Commissioner/Chair/CEO of the New York City (NYC) Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), who also subsequently served for many years as Commissioner of the NYC Civil Service Commission. Mr. Daus’ public service career spanned over two decades, during which he served as government counsel for several agencies, including: General Counsel to the TLC and the NYC Community Development Agency (now known as the NYC Department of Youth & Community Development, or DYCD); Special Counsel to the TLC and NYC Trade Waste Commission (now known as the NYC Business Integrity Commission, or BIC); and NYC Human Rights Prosecutor.
Melody Demasi
Melody represents motor carriers, insurance companies, and commercial drivers in catastrophic accidents. As a key member of her firm's 24-Hour Motor Carrier Emergency Response Team, Melody provides immediate post-accident intervention, coordinating investigations and responses to collisions involving motor carriers and their drivers. Her deep understanding of federal and state regulations ensures her clients are protected at the outset of an incident, and through the life of a claim, she works with her clients to manage their risk and mitigate potential exposure. Melody has experience with appeals and petitions before the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and is passionate about helping clients stay ahead of regulatory changes and best practices in the motor carrier industry. She handles complex insurance coverage disputes as well, with a focus on those implicating the MCS-90 endorsement. Prior to her legal career, Melody was a Teach for America corps member, where she taught second-grade English language learners. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, daughter, and two dogs.
Heather Devine
As Chief Legal Officer, Heather is a trusted advisor to the principals, directors and shareholders of TRAFFIX and its group of companies which provide all aspects of transportation services including leading transportation management solutions and technology. Recently, Heather restructured aspects of the TRAFFIX Group to capitalize on various international tax and economic advantages, and she is an action-oriented executive who drives meaningful initiatives that create success. Prior to becoming TRAFFIX’ CLO, Heather founded and led the Bay Street office for an international law firm, and she commenced her career as equity partner with one of the top seven international law firms in Canada gaining recognition in both L’Expert and Best Lawyers. Heather is admitted to practice in all courts in Canada and is admitted to the Bars of Nova Scotia and Ontario.
Otis Felder
Otis Felder is a distinguished partner as the Co-Chair of Maritime Practice at Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP, a leading national defense firm renowned for its abilities in litigation. A Harvard-trained forensic and educational psychologist, Felder is pursuing a doctorate in organizational change and leadership at the USC Rossier School of Education. With over 30 years of trial and appellate experience spanning multiple jurisdictions on the West Coast and Hawai'i and as a Proctor Member of the Maritime Law Association for 25 years, the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization recognizes Felder as an Admiralty & Maritime Law Specialist. His earlier role as corporate counsel for Princess Cruises and Cunard Line has equipped him with an in-depth understanding of the maritime sector, allowing him to deliver exceptional value to Wilson Elser clients. Furthermore, he plays a vital role as Co-Chair of the firm's LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group and as a Wellness Ambassador, actively fostering a positive and healthy workplace culture. His unique legal expertise and commitment to inclusivity make him an invaluable asset to clients and the firm. Felder graduated from the Roeper School in Michigan and later earned his AB in economics from the University of Michigan along with an MA in international relations from the University of San Diego after working at the U.S. Senate, first for Sen. Al Gore and later for Sen. Alan Cranston. After working for Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy, he obtained a JD from the University of San Francisco School of Law, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the USF Maritime Law Journal and later joined its board of advisors. Most recently, he completed a second master's degree in liberal arts for extension studies in psychology at Harvard, where he achieved recognition on the Dean's List for his academic excellence, including his work focusing on developing grit in educating SOGI minority youth through mentorship in reaching career goals and research in psychology working with the judicial system in reducing recidivism in people suffering addictive behaviors leading to criminal conduct.
Gene Fishel
Gene is a member of Troutman Pepper’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) practice group, where he assists clients in cybersecurity and privacy matters, including compliance, incident response, and regulatory investigations and litigation. Gene formerly served as Senior Assistant Attorney General and Chief of the Computer Crime Section in the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia and as Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia for 20 years. As a regulator, he reviewed thousands of data breach incidents and investigated hundreds of cybersecurity, privacy, and consumer protection violations, including as part of multistate Attorneys General teams. He led reform of Virginia’s privacy and computer crime laws, having drafted and shepherded dozens of successful bills involving data breach notification, electronic records, identity theft, computer trespass and child exploitation statutes, among others. In his supervisory capacities, he led the professional development of attorneys and computer forensic examiners, overseeing over 1,000 prosecutions and computer forensic investigations for complex criminal cases in Virginia. Gene received his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law, and his B.A., magna cum laude, from James Madison University.
Kevin Foley
Kevin practices in Reminger Co. LPA's Columbus Office and serves as co-chair of the firm's Trucking and Commercial Transportation practice group. He joined Reminger after serving as a staff attorney to Ohio Supreme Court Justice Herbert Brown. Kevin's practice focuses on trucking liability, premises liability, real estate, construction and general insurance. Kevin frequently lectures to insurance carriers and companies regarding litigation, trial preparation and the management of catastrophic losses. He is on Reminger's catastrophic response team which provides immediate response to clients in the transportation and manufacturing industry. Kevin is a member of numerous legal organizations. He is an Adjunct Professor in Trial Advocacy at Capital University Law School and is a member of the Ohio Supreme Court Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program. Kevin has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America for Transportation Law and is "Rated AV® Preeminent™" for "Very Highly Rated in Both Legal Ability and Ethical Standards" by Martindale Hubbell Peer Review.
Christopher Grassi
Christopher J. Grassi is the Director of North America Manufacturing Logistics for Merck, a Fortune 100 pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturer. Chris has been with Merck for 11 years in positions of progressive responsibility in logistics including transportation analyst, warehouse management trainee, global logistics coordinator, and regional transportation manager. He currently leads a multi-tiered team covering import operations, export customer service, trade compliance, warehouse management, transportation, and freight bill payment & auditing. He also leads college recruiting for the company’s manufacturing division at Penn State. In addition, Chris is currently the President of Health & Personal Care Logistics Conference, a non-profit education conference led by healthcare shippers. He is a three-time graduate of Penn State with a Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain, a Master of Business Administration, and a Juris Doctor. He also holds an LL.M. in Transportation & Logistics Law from Florida Coastal School of Law and is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. Unsurprisingly, a significant amount of his free time is devoted to cheering on Penn State sports.
Craig Helmreich
I started practicing law in October 2000, at the nation’s preeminent transportation law firm. In my more than 20 years of practice with the firm, I routinely represented motor carriers, brokers, warehouses, and other transportation service providers in a practice that included cargo claims, freight charge issues, bankruptcy risk mitigation, contracts (transportation, business, and technology), collections, FDA and related regulatory issues, and more. I have also represented select businesses and individuals on non-transportation matters, including business litigation, preference claim defense, contract drafting, negotiation, and more. After enjoying working remotely in 2020 and 2021, I sought a different way to practice, one that better fits my vision for my next 20 years as an attorney. I thrived working alone from home, without the commute or the distractions of a large office environment. It was with this goal in mind, that I formed Helmreich Law LLC. When you call our office, I’m typically the person who answers the phone. There is no commercial office space – our entire team is working from their homes. Simple. Streamlined. Efficient. This structure allows us to decide who to work for, and what projects to accept, to work hourly, or to quote flat fees when appropriate for your legal project. As we expand to continue to serve the needs of our growing client base, we intend to keep these founding principles in mind. Hiring talent where that talent can be found and allowing our team to not only work from where they want to work but to define how the practice of law fits into their broader life. Dedicated, creative professionals, providing top quality legal services in a low overhead and client centric business model. Admitted to all Indiana courts. Proud member in the Transportation Intermediaries Association, Transportation Lawyer’s Association, and the Indiana Motor Truck Association. You can reach me 24/7 at [email protected] - (317) 668-0943 ext. 800 - (317) 979-7105 (Cell)
William Hickman
Mr. Hickman is an experienced and trusted advisor to corporate, legal and insurance industries on matters concerning workplace investigations and corporate security. His executive leadership and management exceeds two decades in both the public and private sectors. His unique and innovative business solutions, using intelligence and investigative findings, are readily relied upon by law firms and Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Hickman came to CSI in 2006 after retiring from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Office of Inspector General’s office as the Regional Director of the Bureau of Fraud Prevention and Prosecution. As a Regional Director, he was recognized for his operational excellence by bringing his underperforming Region to the top within one fiscal year. Prior to being named President and CEO, he served as CSI’s Chief Operating Officer.
Jim Hrycay
Jim Hrycay is a registered professional engineer based out of the Windsor/Detroit area having worked for the past 45 years in Transportation Safety including Highway and Roadway Design, Accident Investigation & Analysis and Accident Reconstruction across North America. He has published frequently on the subject of ECM data extraction and validity and he has qualified and provided expert evidence and testimony on the subject relative to motor vehicle accident investigation and analysis in numerous court proceedings across Canada and the United States in no fewer than 17 States and Provinces.
Emileigh Hubbard
Emileigh S. Hubbard, a leader in the firm's litigation section, focuses on transportation, logistics, business, and insurance defense litigation. She routinely represents individuals, freight and household goods motor carriers and logistics providers, insurance companies, and other corporate entities in state and federal courts nationwide. Emileigh provides guidance as local counsel in all United States District Courts in Texas and has successfully represented clients in bench and jury trials, as well as appeals. Emileigh began her legal career as a law clerk in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas where she completed clerkships for both the Honorable Amos L. Mazzant and the Honorable Christine A. Nowak.
Paul Korfmacher
Paul Korfmacher is a Vice President of Business Insurance at Marsh McLennan Agency, with a specialty in commercial transportation and trucking. He has more than two decades of experience in the industry, working with clients overseeing medium to large fleet trucking and transportation operations throughout the U.S. He has a truly holistic understanding of the needs of trucking and transportation clients, having previously worked at large retail insurance brokerages, insurance carriers, third-party administrators and independent field claim adjusting companies.
Brian Lipson
Brian Lipson is a partner and co-leader of the Transportation and Logistics group. His practice focuses on mergers & acquisitions, commercial agreements, regulatory compliance, and licensing, primarily in the areas of road and rail transportation, warehousing and supply chain. Brian has provided advice in respect of numerous Canadian and cross-border purchase and sale agreements, reorganizations, and investments, and provides licensing advice in respect of cross-border transportation in the rail and road modes. He offers contractual solutions and advice on liability and risk exposure to warehousemen and storers, to rail carriers and owners of rail rolling stock, to motor carriers and brokers of freight, to shippers and benefical cargo owners in all modes, to governments and municipalities, and to providers of public transportation, including in the areas of autonomous vehicles and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (drones). Brian also has extensive experience with licensing and permitting requirements for commercial motor vehicles (NIR/CVOR/NSC/IRP/IFTA), and for motor vehicle dealers throughout Canada, including obtaining licences from the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC) and other similar regulators in the context of cross-border acquisitions and expansions. Brian assists the firm’s clients in preventing, handling and contesting moving and other violations under federal and provincial laws and regulations, regularly representing rail carriers in respect of administrative monetary penalties before the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada, and representing motor carriers and their drivers before the courts. He appears before the Canadian Transportation Agency in connection with railway crossings and provides advice in respect of Final Offer Arbitration, accessibility to public transportation and various other disputes related to rail transportation. Brian also advises several companies with respect to their regulatory compliance and contractual matters including Day & Ross Inc., Canadian National Railway Company, TransX Ltd., Uber Canada Inc. and VersaCold Logistics Services.
Fredric Marcinak
Fredric is one of the founding partners of Moseley Marcinak Law Group, LLP. He has 15 years of experience representing transportation companies, including both carriers and intermediaries, regionally and nationwide on casualty/accident and commercial litigation matters, including cargo/freight claims, collections/contract disputes, FMCSA and state regulatory compliance and permitting matters, and insurance coverage cases. In these litigation matters, Fredric has tried multiple cases to verdicts before juries and handled appeals for transportation clients. Having handled complex litigation matters, Fredric has recognized that having a good game plan in advance is the best way to avoid costly lawsuits. Knowing this, he enjoys assisting with general business matters that transportation companies face every day, such as independent contractor leasing issues, complex workers compensation scenarios, regulatory compliance and safety issues, and contracting with customers and vendors. By working with clients on these issues as they manage their companies, Fredric hopes to help lay the groundwork to stay out of litigation or to be well positioned to defend it when it arises. Before starting in private practice, Fredric served as a law clerk to the Honorable Dennis W. Shedd, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Honorable Henry F. Floyd, U.S. District Judge, District of South Carolina.
Carole McAfee Wallace
Carole represents both domestic and international trucking and bus companies on a wide range of transportation matters including regulatory compliance, defence of provincial offences, contract drafting and commercial litigation. Carole also practices employment law, advising both federally and provincially regulated employers in Canada, and employers internationally, on compliance with employment standards, the management of human rights issues, including the duty to accommodate, and on occupational health and safety compliance including responding to workplace harassment complaints. She also drafts employment contracts, independent-contractor agreements, non-disclosure, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, workplace policies, procedures and employee handbooks. Carole also assists her clients with the preparation of termination packages, and responding to wrongful dismissal claims, unjust dismissal complaints, and human rights applications. She appears on her clients’ behalf before the Ontario Court of Justice, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Licence Appeal Tribunal, the Ontario Labour Relations Board, Canada Industrial Relations Board, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
Chris Merrick
Chris Merrick is a graduate of Villanova University law school and a shareholder at Flaster Greenberg, where he co-chairs the firm's transportation group and has served on the firm’s board of directors. While Chris lives and works in the Philadelphia area, he is admitted to practice in twenty federal and state courts and practices globally. His practice is focused on assisting clients located worldwide with their unique legal needs related to transportation and storage of goods, along with commercial supply chains. In the context of cargo claims, Chris has secured favorable trial court and appellate rulings for rail, motor, and ocean carriers in matters concerning enforcement of a carrier’s limitation of liability, enforcement of subcontractor exoneration clauses, and clarifying the Carmack Amendment’s contours after the Supreme Court’s decision in Regal-Beloit. Chris’s cargo practice also includes unique engagements from time-to-time, such as: cases involving heads of state and dignitaries, transportation of goods from the White House, claims involving priceless works of art and antiquities, and even a cargo claim filed by a former number 1 overall NFL draft pick. In addition to TLA, Chris is a member of a variety of industry groups including the Conference of Freight Counsel.
Allen Motter
Allen H. Motter is currently Vice President of Legal & Risk at ArcBest Corporation. Previously he served as Vice President of Legal and Risk and corporate Secretary of Panther Premium Logistics, Inc. from 2009-2012. ArcBest bought Panther Premium Logistics, Inc. in 2012. From September 1993 to December 2009, Mr. Motter served as Senior Corporate Counsel & Assistant Secretary for YRC Worldwide, Inc. (eventually renamed Yellow Corporation), parent to many large transportation companies including Roadway Express, MIQ Logistics, USF Corporation and Yellow Transportation. During this tenure he served from 2004 to 2006 as General Counsel to New Penn Motor Express. Mr. Motter has previously served as an executive board member of the Transportation Lawyers Association. A native of Akron, Ohio, Mr. Motter holds a J.D. from the University of Akron School of Law (evening program) where he was on the Law Review as well as a B.S. from Kent State University. In addition, Mr. Motter, as a distinguished military graduate of Army ROTC at Kent State University, served for over 26 years in the Army Reserves, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He served in various officer command and leadership assignments in Military Police, Judge Advocate and Special Operations units and has been deployed in a leadership position to the Middle East. He lives in Akron, Ohio, with his wife Connie. They have three adult children.
Eric Palombo
Eric Palombo is a shareholder at the law firm of Flaster Greenberg, P.C., and is member of the firm’s Litigation Department and the Transportation Law Practice. Eric has extensive experience having litigated matters throughout the country serving as both corporate plaintiff’s and defense counsel with a focus on transportation law. He represents clients in matters involving substantial property damage claims and commercial disputes, including significant derailments, freight claim litigation, breach of contract claims and matters involving damage to transportation infrastructure such as maritime allisions, maritime limitation of liability actions, and architectural, engineering, and construction defect cases. His transportation experience covers rail, motor carrier and maritime law as well as claims arising under the Carmack Amendment and the Carriage of Goods by Seas Act. Eric handles matters through all stages of litigation from the inception of the claim through trial and appeal. Eric has litigated cases in state and federal courts throughout the country including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, North and South Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Virginia, and West Virginia. He has also handled matters involving federal agencies including NTSB and U.S. Coast Guard investigations, matters before the STB, and Customs and Border Protection. He graduated from Villanova University School of Law with honors including being awarded Order of the Coif.
William Pentecost
William B. Pentecost, Jr. is a partner and Chair of the General Liability Practice Group in the firm's Pittsburgh office. He is also Co-Chair of the firm-wide Transportation Law Practice Group. For more than 20 years, he has concentrated his practice in civil litigation, focusing on transportation law (with an emphasis on catastrophic trucking cases), construction defect claims, and products liability cases (with a focus on automotive, fire, and toxic exposure claims).
Will Polaski
William T. Polaski is an experienced General Counsel, corporate attorney, and litigator with over 25 years of experience defending, advising, and protecting the interests of a diverse range of clients, including pharmaceutical corporations, financial institutions, insurance companies, major manufacturers, and logistics companies. With a proven track record of managing complex litigation and corporate matters, William has become a trusted legal advisor in high-stakes commercial, regulatory, and litigation matters. Currently, William serves as the General Counsel for PLS Logistics, a $1B international logistics company, where he is responsible for leading the legal department across all business sectors. His role encompasses intellectual property (IP), human resources issues, contractual negotiations and drafting, and managing all external legal firms for litigation, mergers, and acquisitions. Additionally, he provides general counsel support for sales, marketing, and business ventures. Before joining PLS Logistics, William was a Partner at Rawle & Henderson LLP, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, and Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott LLP, where he managed high-profile multi-state litigation and was the lead attorney in several significant pharmaceutical and commercial cases. His work included managing large, multi-firm cases, government negotiations, and complex compliance issues. He has a strong background in product liability, corporate litigation, and strategic problem-solving, making him a key figure in steering organizational legal operations. William's leadership, both in his legal practice and in his professional affiliations, showcases his commitment to excellence and his ability to drive meaningful change across organizations.
Laurence Rabinovich
As Barclay Damon's Transportation Team leader, Larry is a principal conduit for the firm's communications with insurers of transportation entities. When working with underwriters, he focuses on compliance with state and federal requirements and industry norms, and he assists with drafting policy forms from manuscript endorsements to entire policies. For client claims departments, Larry routinely prepares opinion letters, reservation of rights or declination letters, and tort-litigation monitoring, all of which frequently lead to his representation of insurers in declaratory judgment actions and in appellate cases. In addition, Larry has litigated many of the leading cases on trucking-coverage law, including decisions on the MCS-90 endorsement, the US Department of Transportation leasing regulations, and the scope of non-trucking policies. With the veteran underwriter Carl Sadler, he wrote The MCS-90 Book, a comprehensive look at the meaning of the MCS-90 as explained by courts around the country and the USDOT itself. Larry also handles complex coverage matters involving general-liability policies and property policies issued to insureds across industries.
Ken Sansom
Ken Sansom is a founding partner at the Birmingham, Alabama, boutique of Spotswood Sansom & Sansbury LLC. The firm was founded in 2001 and handles both routine and complex matters, the latter including class and collective actions; high-stakes commercial, competition-related, and other complex cases; and issues and appeals. In the transportation realm, the firm has extensive experience representing both air and motor carriers in actions involving pricing, cargo liability, alleged contraband, contractor classification, joint employment, punitive damages or civil penalty exposure, jurisdictional, tort, and other issues; representing major industry groups on key issues, such as preemption, in courts up to the Supreme Court of the United States; and advising clients on issues related to the litigation environment and the complex federal-state legal regime governing common carriage in the era since deregulation. Ken has litigated in venues throughout the country, including California, Illinois, New York, Texas, New England, and the Southeast, and he has been involved in a number of United States Supreme Court cases. Ken was educated at Rice University and the University of Texas School of Law. Before entering private practice, he served as a nuclear submarine officer in the United States Navy and, later, as a law clerk to the late Judge Emmett R. Cox on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Ken started his career in private practice at one of the Southeast’s oldest and largest firms before co-founding Spotswood Sansom.
Beata Shapiro
Beata Shapiro has extensive experience representing national and international entities and individuals in personal injury, wrongful death and property damage claims, as well as emergency response matters. She also advises clients on and handles matters related to regulatory compliance, administrative actions, acquisitions, contracts, employee guidelines and licensing issues. Beata has represented clients from 32 states and 7 countries, including all provinces of Canada, helping them achieve their business objectives, minimize exposure, mitigate risk and recover losses. She likewise defends clients in litigation, in many instances securing complete dismissals on motions, defense verdicts or settlements for a fraction of the demand. In addition, Beata’s representation of her clients in litigation has frequently resulted in case law that is positive for her clients, and at times has involved novel and complex issues. Beata brings to her work a wealth of talent and experience gained from diverse ventures, including study of economics and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, professional experience in finance and investment, and linguistic skills in Russian, Italian and French. Beata has published articles and conducted educational seminars for clients and industry organizations on topics ranging from state and federal court procedures to substantive legal issues and litigation strategies for avoiding and defending actions related to catastrophic personal injury, property damage, and strategies for emergency response, regulatory compliance, product liability and insurance coverage.
Cari Sheehan
Cari Sheehan is Assistant General Counsel at Taft Stettinius & Hollister, LLP. With over 15 years of legal experience in civil litigation, conflicts of interest, and professional responsibility, Cari serves as the firm’s Assistant General Counsel. In this role, she advises firm attorneys with respect to ethics compliance, risk prevention, and conflicts of interest. In addition, she assists in the review and negotiation of outside counsel guidelines, conflict waivers and engagement letters, and other items with ethical implications. In addition, she assists in providing ethical training and education within the firm to its attorneys and staff. Cari is an Adjunct Professor at the IU Robert H. McKinney School where she teaches Professional Responsibility. She is also a former Assistant Clinical Professor of Business Law and Ethics at the Kelley School of Business. She is passionate about promoting ethical awareness, integrity, and professionalism in the legal and business fields and contributing to the advancement of knowledge and practice in these domains. Cari is a frequent presenter and author on ethics and professionalism in the legal industry. She is a reoccurring author with the Res Gestae regarding the Ethics Curbstone and has been quoted in publications for her knowledge on ethical topics. Cari is also an avid speaker having given over 200 seminars on ethics and professionalism for various local and national platforms. Her primary area of research is regarding the ethics of AI and how it affects the legal and business community
Henry Sienkiewicz
I provide advisory and board services to select companies and organizations with a focus on the intersection of humanity, technology, cybersecurity and the arts. I seek to find the "new" within the "old," and bringing the values and core of the established to the forefront. For my consulting/advisory, and academic work, I focus on cyber security, especially in regards to devices/end-points (IoT, ICS, & SCADA), data security, and information assurance & risk management. Current course load includes: Information Assurance & Risk Management; Cyber Threats and Vulnerabilities Assessments; Cyber Security for Critical Infrastructure (ICS, SCADA, IoT)
Elle Slattery
Elle is a Partner at the boutique transportation law firm of Taylor Nelson, PL, specializing in regulatory compliance and corporate restructuring, and a member of the Florida and Washington DC Bars. She enjoys creating practical legal and operational solutions for clients that minimize exposure while taking into account the realities of a competitive, complex industry. She routinely handles mergers and acquisitions of transportation entities from both the buyer and seller side, ensuring the fair valuation of companies and the smooth transition of operations throughout the transaction process and beyond. The challenges of balancing the frameworks of state and federal transportation regulations, employment classification requirements, insurance policy provisions, and general business law make this work particularly exciting and fulfilling. Elle is a proud graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to her career in transportation law, Elle served as a litigator and special adviser in the Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Employment, Litigation, and Information at the United States Department of Commerce. There, she specialized in defending the work-product and privileged communications of the Executive Office of the Secretary and represented the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Freedom of Information Act litigation. She is well-versed in federal regulatory procedure, and is a frequent speaker at industry events, presenting on the importance of holistic Enterprise Risk Management for transportation companies. Elle’s Pro-Bono work focuses on Indigenous Mineral, Land, and Water Treaty Rights.
Daniel Sonneborn
Dan Sonneborn is a Director in the Boston, Massachusetts office of Preti Flaherty Beliveau & Pachios, LLP. Dan is licensed to appear in the state and federal courts in Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire, the First Circuit Court of Appeals, and has been admitted pro hac vice in several courts throughout the United States. Dan regularly represents motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, shippers, and insurance companies in transportation related matters and litigation (including cargo loss and damage, warehousing, contractual issues, casualty, and employment matters). Dan received his undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College, where he was also a member of the men's ice hockey team, and his law degree from Suffolk University School of Law. He is currently an at-large member of TLA'S Executive Committee.
Robin Squires
Robin Squires is the National Leader of the Transportation Focus Group at BLG, a full service law firm with offices across Canada. He has extensive experience representing transportation companies in disputes and for loss recovery and advising them on liability and risk management issues, including agreements, contracts, governance issues, and labour and employment matters. Robin is actively involved in the Canadian Transport Lawyers Association, the Transportation Lawyers Association, and the ABA Commercial Transportation Litigation Committee. He has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada® in the Transportation Law category, and in The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory for Transportation (Road & Rail). Robin is based in BLG’s Toronto office, and has a team that provides service across Canada.
Alan Steinberg
Alan M. Steinberg is Deputy Chief Counsel for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Legal Division. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1992 and his Juris Doctor degree with great distinction from the University of the Pacific-McGeorge School of Law in 1995. Alan joined Caltrans in 2015 after nearly 20 years in private practice as a litigation associate and partner at law firms in Santa Rosa and Sacramento, California. He tried numerous cases in state and federal courts in various practice areas including personal injury, employment discrimination, consumer warranty, product defect, probate, breach of contract, professional malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, and copyright infringement. At Caltrans, Alan manages the Legal Division's Headquarters Office in Sacramento and satellite office in Fresno comprised of over 50 attorneys, plus support staff, with practice groups including tort litigation, real property law and eminent domain, environmental law, construction arbitration, employment litigation and personnel law, contracts and transactional matters, and wildfire litigation. Together, they provide litigation, transactional, and in-house counsel support to a dynamic Department dedicated to providing California a safe and reliable transportation network that serves all people and respects the environment. Alan is a member of the Transportation Research Board’s Emerging Technology Law Committee and Tort Liability and Risk Management Committee. He regularly presents at transportation related conferences. Alan also served on numerous non-profit boards and as general counsel to a scientific equipment company.
Tina Taylor Thomas
Tina Taylor Thomas is a Partner at Chamblee Ryan and heads the firm’s Greater Houston Texas office. Ms. Thomas is admitted in Oklahoma, District of Columbia, Maryland, Ohio, and Texas, as well as a multitude of Federal Courts throughout the United States. She has handled litigation in a myriad of venues. In addition to Oklahoma, Ohio, the Midwest, Texas, Ms. Thomas has appeared pro hac vice in multiple jurisdictions, taking matters through to verdict. Her cases have included a wide variety of areas of litigation including large loss and catastrophic damages/injuries, construction defect, food contamination, complex litigation, trucking defense, transportation, and products liability. Ms. Thomas’ experience, skill and knowledge led to the development of a Rapid Response practice in both trucking and catastrophic events for a major insurance carrier. Certified by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy in Teacher Training Advocacy Skills, Ms. Thomas has trained both paralegals and attorneys on rapid response techniques, preservation of evidence and expert retention and has led several weeklong trucking defense training schools for attorneys, with an emphasis on Rapid Response. Ms. Thomas has spent a significant many years mentoring and guiding attorneys in litigation strategies and trial techniques. In her spare time, Tina enjoys traveling, snorkeling, writing and Oklahoma football. She is married to Eric P. Thomas, with a daughter, Alaina and four beloved dogs, Lucy, Kai, Pearl and Charlotte.
Stephen Uthoff
Steve Uthoff is the founder of The Uthoff Law Corporation in Long Beach, California. For the past 34 years Mr. Uthoff has represented clients domestically and abroad involved in the transportation of cargo including steamship lines, stevedores & marine terminal operators, NVOCC’s, ocean transportation intermediaries, air and surface freight forwarders, property brokers, draymen, long haul truckers, warehouse operators, and customs brokers. He has been recognized as a Certified Admiralty and Maritime Law Specialist by the State Bar of California; as a Proctor in Admiralty by the Maritime Law Association and is A.V. rated by Martindale Hubbell. Mr. Uthoff was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the TLA. Mr. Uthoff is also an accomplished neutral. In addition to serving as the past co-chair of the Transportation Lawyers Association ADR committee he is a current arbitrator and mediator panelist for the Transportation ADR Council of the TLA and American Arbitration Association; is a volunteer Attorney Settlement Officer for the United States District Court for the Central District of California and maintains a private ADR practice. Mr. Uthoff earned his Bachelor’s Degree in political science at the University of Southern California in 1986 where he was awarded the University Scholarship for Outstanding Students. He returned to obtain his law degree from the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law in 1989.
Nia White
Nia White is a member of the firm’s Civil Defense Litigation practice group. Nia represents clients in Virginia’s state and federal courts across a wide variety of practice areas, including employment, transportation, and business disputes. Nia earned her J.D. from the William & Mary Law School and her B.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University. While in law school, she wrote for the William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender and Social Justice and was honored as a McGlothlin Scholars Program, a PracticePro 1L Diversity Scholar, and represented clients in the William & Mary Law School Family Law Clinic.