Walter J. Adams, Jr. is a Vice President, Senior Claim Examiner with Berkley Alliance Managers. Berkley Alliance Managers handles claims for Berkley Construction Professional and Berkley Design Professional. Mr. Adams has over 16 years of experience handling claims and is licensed to practice law in New York. Prior to joining BCP, Mr. Adams was Senior Claims Counsel, handling A&E and Contractor's Professional Liability Claims for two leading insurance carriers. He also has previously practiced law at various NY law firms handling professional liability, general liability and environmental coverage matters, as well as, construction coverage litigation. Mr. Adams has a B.A. degree from the State University of Oswego New York and a J.D. degree from Fordham Law.

Jeffrey L. Alitz practice focuses on litigating claims made against corporations, professionals and individuals involved in the design and construction process, including architects, engineers, construction managers, contractors, owners, suppliers and other professionals and corporations in jury and non-jury trials, arbitrations and mediations. Mr. Alitz has experience in litigating these matters throughout the country especially in New England and the east coast. He has been with LeClair Ryan since July 2007. He is a graduate of Boston University School of Law.

Chris H. Begeman is a partner at Righi Fitch Law Group. Mr. Begeman is admitted to practice in Arizona and New Mexico. He has successfully handled numerous complex cases and argued motions in the Arizona State Superior Court, Arizona Court of Appeals and New Mexico District Court. He has helped achieve defense awards in cases involving construction defect and traumatic brain injury claims. Mr. Begeman has also successfully arbitrated numerous cases on behalf of individuals and corporations. His current practice includes the representation of individuals, contractors and businesses in tort and construction litigation, primarily in the area of construction defects, transportation/trucking, complex litigation, general liability, premises liability, toxic tort, insurance bad faith, insurance coverage, personal injury and product liability. Mr. Begeman currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Arizona Association of Defense Counsel.

Caryn A. Boisen is a partner at Larson King, LLP a Past President of Women Construction Owners and Executives, USA. Ms. Boisen's practice focuses on construction and products liability. Ms. Boisen represents contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, owners, and design professionals in both residential and commercial project disputes. She has extensive experience in mechanics' liens, bond claims, contracts, construction defects, jobsite accidents, and OSHA. In the products liability area, Ms Boisen serves as national coordinating and national settlement counsel for a Fortune 100 manufacturer of personal protective equipment She advises clients regarding business planning and avoiding disputes and has significant trial and arbitration experience.

Michael B. Bomba is Director and Counsel on the AIA Contract Documents team at the American Institute of Architects, Washington, DC. Michael works actively in the creation and revision of AIA Contract Documents. He worked with the Documents Committee in the development of Integrated Project Delivery: A Guide as well as the AIA's three families of standard form integrated project delivery agreements and the AIA's E202-2007 Building Information Modeling Protocol Exhibit. He also worked with the AIA Documents Committee on revisions to A201-1997, General Conditions of the Contract for Construction, and on the owner/architect agreements that replaced B141-1997 and B151-1997 in late 2007. Mr. Bomba obtained his J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law in 2002 Prior to joining the AIA, Mr. Bomba worked at a private law firm in Washington, DC, representing design professionals in corporate and litigation matters. Mr. Bomba is a member of the bar in both the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Patricia Bonilla is a Civil Engineer with a Masters in Construction Management. Ms. Bonilla began her career in the construction industry playing the role of Project Engineer shortly after retaining her degree, where she worked as a liaison to the Project Management Department. Soon thereafter, Ms. Bonilla expanded her career as a Project Manager where she shaped her professional knowledge and skills consecutively managing a multitude of projects exceeding $25 million dollars and began branding her name in the industry. Ms. Bonilla formed Lunacon Engineering in 2007 at the depths of a national financial crisis. Her vision for her company was to deliver a broad range of construction management and general contracting services. The company's predominant mission is built on the principles of hard work, building trust and dedication to getting the job done on time and on budget. This has translated into a successful business that has successfully managed commercial projects with contract value in excess of $400 million dollars. Ms. Bonilla has been presented with multiple awards which include the 2012 Women-Owned Contractor of the Year, 2014 State of Florida Minority Owned Small Business Person of the Year, 2014 Florida minority Owned Business Person of the Year, 2014 Growth Master Award, 2015 American Express Government Contractor of the Year and 2016 South Florida Good to Great Award. Ms. Bonilla is a member of several prestigious construction associations such as the Society of American Military Engineers where she is the Chair of the Small Business Enterprise Chapter of SAME. Ms. Bonilla is in the Executive Board of Directors for the Associates Building Contractors "ABC" Miami Dade Council and a member of the FIU Construction Industry Advisory Board.

Carrie L. Ciliberto is CEO at the Associated Subcontractors of Massachusetts, Inc. For nine years, Ms. Ciliberto was Senior Director and Counsel for The Associated General Contractors of America, and Deputy Executive Director and Counsel for ConsensusDocs, a coalition of 40 A/E/C organizations. For 10 years, Ms. Ciliberto ran Ciliberto & Associates, LLC, a Colorado law firm, and prior to her legal career, she was a marketing and advertising professional. She has authored numerous articles, and speaks frequently at industry events.

Jeffrey C. Cosby is Board Certified by the Florida Bar as a specialist in Civil Trial Law. He graduated from the University of Florida in 1989 and Nova Southeastern University Law School in 1992. He is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts throughout Florida. Mr. Cosby has tried in excess of 100 cases to verdict. Mr. Cosby handles the defense of claims involving brain injury, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and construction disputes.

Todd DeStefano is the Senior Vice President and business leader of ESIS ProClaim, providing professional liability, complex claim adjusting and risk management solutions for various lines of business including architects and engineers, healthcare professionals, and lawyers. Mr. DeStefano has over 30 years of experience in Commercial and Personal lines, Workers' Compensation, Property & Casualty, Professional Lines, Homeowners, Auto, Long Term Care, Disability, and Life insurance, holding leadership positions with AIG, Zurich, York Risk Services Group and Allstate Insurance.

Duncan E. Doss, PE, is a graduate of the University of Houston with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering. Mr. Doss has provided forensic engineering consulting services in a number of areas, including cause and origin investigations and damage determinations regarding performance issues and failures associated with construction and civil and structural engineering designs. He has also served as an expert witness in many cases.

Andrew R. Ferguson is a partner at Coughlin Betke LLP in Boston, Massachusetts. His practice is concentrated in the defense of civil litigation of all types, including but not limited to construction defect, construction work site accidents, professional liability, premises liability, personal injury, products liability, employment and contract disputes. He received his B.A. from Colgate University and graduated cum laude from Albany Law School of Union University. He is admitted to the State Courts of New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, the Federal District Courts of the Northern and Southern Districts of New York, the Federal District Courts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Andy is a DRI member, and is a member of DRI's Construction Law and Professional Liability Committees. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association where he currently serves as Vice-President. He is a trained mediator, having completed forty hours of mediation training in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws c.233 Section 23C, and holds a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) designation from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

Gytis Gavelis is VP Construction & GL Claims, TPA Management at Houston International Insurance Group where he is currently responsible for claims management of a Construction Liability program. As a Senior Property and Casualty Claims Leader and Technical Specialist with over 35 years experience, Mr. Gavelis has been involved in resolving a variety of complex insurance and reinsurance claims spanning multiple venues across the country.

Diana M. Gerstberger is a Senior Claims specialist at Axis Insurance located in Alpharetta, GA where she currently handles a variety of complex litigated claims including New York Labor Law, Products Liability, and Premise Liability and Construction Defect matters. Ms. Gerstberger has over 17 years' experience in the insurance industry as a claims adjuster and insurance defense counsel. She is the current Chair for the DRI Construction Law Section. Ms. Gerstberger is licensed to practice in California.

Ellen H. Greiper, a partner in the Lewis Brisbois' New York office, has over three decades of experience defending multi-party construction and construction defect cases. An arbitrator for the district courts in Nassau County and a mediator for trial-ready cases in the Supreme Court of Nassau County, Ellen also has extensive experience litigating high-exposure premises liability, Labor Law, and personal injury matters arising from construction site accidents. Ellen chaired the construction defect Execusummitt in 2016 and 2017. In 2013, Ellen co-authored a comprehensive survey examining a cross-section of construction cases from around the country for Mealey's Litigation Reports: Construction Defects and also authored NYsBA construction site accidents.

Matthew Grosshandler, Bald Hill Builders' VP of Operations, has more than 25 years of commercial building experience. Matt is responsible for providing senior level management and oversight to all of BHB's' projects; aligning project operations with company goals; and assisting with marketing and business development. Matt holds a Bachelor of Science in Building Sciences and an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In 2015 he was named by the Boston Business Journal, one of the 40 under 40 emerging executives.

James P. Groton (Ret.), Eversheds-Sutherland, has had a remarkable record of success in "keeping the peace" on construction projects and in other business relationships. A former President of the American College of Construction Lawyers, he has received many awards for his construction and dispute prevention work. He is active in the Construction Industry Institute, the National Academy of Construction, CPR , and the American Arbitration Association. He is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Virginia Law School.

Jared R. Henthorn, CSM, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Hygiene from Ohio University and is a Certified Safety Manager (CSM). At S-E-A, he leads the Construction Practice Group. He is responsible for providing industrial hygiene sampling and forensic analysis involving workplace safety, machine safety, workplace air quality, and environmental, chemical and biological stressors, such as mold and mildew, asbestos, and organic vapors. He is also the Manager of the Columbus, Ohio S-E-A office. Previously, he was a Certified Mold Remediator (CMR) and a Certified Indoor Air Quality Professional (CIAQP).

Rosary A. Hernandez is first generation Cuban American. Her area of concentration includes commercial and business litigation, professional liability defense, construction law, and tort defense including tortious interference and related claims. Since 1993 she has represented clients in litigation and arbitration in Texas, Arizona, and California. Ms. Hernandez's last several years of practice has involved construction related matters, assisting developers, builders, and contractors manage their risk through difficult economic circumstances.

Kenneth L. Homfeld, PE, is a 1974 graduate of Texas A&M with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering. Mr. Homfeld has worked over 40 years in the engineering and construction industry. Mr. Homfeld is experienced in construction claims preparation and analysis; construction accident investigations; construction defect analysis; errors and omissions analysis; builder's risk claims; surety claims analysis; and crane and rigging failure analysis. He also has served as expert witness in many cases.

Eileen Jenkins is a career claims professional with over 25 years of experience as a Claim Adjuster, Supervisor, Manager and Claims Officer, as well as having held positions as Corporate Claims Counsel and Coverage Counsel. She is currently a Divisional Assistant Vice President for Great American Insurance Group, where she primarily manages the Contractors and Nursing Home/Long Term Care products in the Excess and Surplus Lines Division. She is a graduate of the University of Florida, where she earned her BA and JD. A native of the east coast, Eileen relocated to Cincinnati in May 2017.

David L. Jones is a partner in the law firm of Wright Lindsey Jennings in Little Rock, Arkansas. His practice focus is construction defect and related contract litigation, including representation of owners, contractors, design professionals, sureties, and suppliers. He is a contributing author to several construction law publications. He also presents on construction topics and is an active member of the Defense Research Institute's (DRI) Construction Committee, currently serving as Vice Chair. He previously served as board chair of a not-for-profit residential builder and as a board member for ACE (Architecture, Construction, and Engineering) Mentor Program of Indiana.

Robin C. Kahn is an Assistant Vice President with Chubb in the Construction Defect Department. She has over 21 years combined claims handling and management experience. Prior to joining Chubb over 5 years ago, she spent more than 9 years with Travelers as a Major Case Specialist and 6 years with Kemper Insurance handling a variety of complex GL losses. She was the recipient of West Coast Casualty's 2017 "Legends of an Era" honor, awarded for her lifetime contribution to the Construction Defect community. In addition to her career, she is married, mother of an ice hockey goalie and serves on her synagogue Board of Directors.

Christopher A. Kenney is a trial lawyer and managing shareholder of Kenney & Sams, P.C. in Boston, Massachusetts. He previously served as a Special Assistant Attorney General representing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and now serves as New England regional trial counsel for several major corporations. Attorney Kenney is the President-elect of the Massachusetts Bar Association and the Director of the IADC Trial Academy at Stanford University Law School. He has been recognized in Boston Magazine as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Massachusetts; he was named the Massachusetts Defense Lawyer of the Year in 2012, and has been listed in every edition of the Best Lawyers in America since 2009. He served for 3 years on the Board of Directors of DRI.

Nicholas B. Kosiavelon is a shareholder in the Boston office of Boyle Shaughnessy Law. He concentrates his practice in construction litigation, environmental litigation and product liability defense. He has successfully defended owners, general contractors and subcontractors in both construction defect and construction site accident cases, including traumatic brain injuries, in both State and Federal courts.

Arlan D. Lewis represents owners, contractors, subcontractors, developers, and suppliers on a variety of issues arising out of complex commercial construction projects in the private and public sectors. Arlan has substantial experience negotiating and drafting EPC, design-build, design, procurement and other contract documents related to the construction industry, and advises clients on a variety of issues arising during a project. Arlan regularly represents construction industry clients in litigation, arbitration and mediation. Clients value his ability to balance practical business objectives with legal issues to provide appropriate risk management solutions. Arlan frequently speaks on legal issues in the construction industry and currently serves on the Governing Committee of the ABA Forum on Construction Law, the world's largest organization of construction lawyers.

Brian C. Lopez is the Founding Partner of Lopez Law Group PLLC with offices in Houston and San Antonio, Texas. He has practiced construction law all over Texas and has represented General Contractors and Subcontractors in residential and commercial construction disputes. He has also served as National Counsel for one of the largest HVAC companies in North America and has handled litigation for them across the country. When not practicing law, Brian and his wife April, enjoy traveling with their four children.

Vic L. McConnell, PE, LEED AP, is a Partner with Smith Cashion & Orr, PLC in Nashville, TN. Mr. McConnell represents owners, developers, contractors, and design professionals and concentrates his practice in the areas of construction litigation and design professional defense. He received a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Auburn University and a Master of Science degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Mr. McConnell also received a Master of Science degree in Environmental Management from Samford University and a J.D. degree from Samford's Cumberland School of Law. Prior to obtaining his law degree, Mr. McConnell worked in the construction industry as a design engineer/project manager with several engineering-consulting firms in the southeast. Mr. McConnell is a registered Professional Engineer and a LEED® AP. Furthermore, he is currently on the Legislative and Government Affairs Committee for the TSPE Nashville Chapter and has served as Board Member and President of the Tennessee Association of Construction Counsel. Mr. McConnell has co-authored several publications related to construction law including the Tennessee chapter of State-by-State Guide to Construction Contracts and Claims (Aspen Publishers) and he teaches Construction Law and Contracts as an adjunct professor for Vanderbilt University's School of Engineering.

Traci A. McGuire is a Vice President of Claims at AmeriTrust Group Inc. -formerly Meadowbrook Insurance Group Inc. Traci oversees litigated claims handled by AmeriTrust's General Liability and Specialty teams. She manages claims professionals that handle commercial general liability claims as well as specialty claims including medical malpractice, education, construction accident, construction defect, excess, public entity, and professional liability. Prior to joining AmeriTrust in 2012, Traci was a litigator in private practice at a Columbus based law firm for 13 years and specialized in business litigation and medical malpractice defense.

Scott A. Nesvold, MS, M.Eng., PE, is an experienced Structural/Fire Protection Engineer with Crane Engineering. He provides expert consultation regarding building design, structural analysis and failure for all building types including analyzing fire effect and its impact on structural integrity and life safety. He assesses structure damage following explosions, fires, and other catastrophic events. Mr. Nesvold has been involved in investigating construction accidents and damage resulting from construction operations. He also investigates fire suppression system failures.

Matthew Pavelchak, PE, is a Senior Project Manager with Walter P. Moore focusing on forensic consulting related to a range of structural and building enclosure issues which arise in the built environment. He has extensive experience with forensic evaluations related to alleged construction defects, design deficiencies, and/or differing site conditions. Matt is the Chair of the firm's Technology Steering Committee responsible for guiding the use of technology to enhance the productivity and competitive position of the firm in the marketplace.

Mary B. Pendleton is a partner with Ford, Walker, Haggerty and Behar, LLP. Ms. Pendleton focuses her practice on counseling and advocating for companies involved in transactional disputes. Ms. Pendleton has significant experience litigating in diverse areas including professional liability, construction and real estate disputes, and property and product liability matters. Ms. Pendleton also has extensive experience in governmental (including inverse condemnation) and private premises liability issues. Ms. Pendleton performs as Adjunct Faculty at California Western School of Law, teaching second-year law students in the areas of Professional Responsibility, Legal Research and Legal Writing. Ms. Pendleton was also recognized as Attorney of the Year by the San Diego Defense Lawyers in 2007 and has been invited to present as a writer and speaker for the San Diego Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, San Diego Defense Lawyers, and Professional Association of Specialty Contractors. She is affiliated with the American Bar Foundation, California State Representative, Defense Research Institute, San Diego County Bar Association, Association of General Contractors, San Diego Chapter, National Association of Women in Construction, California Defense Counsel (2003-2009), San Diego Defense Lawyers, and the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel Board of Directors (2002 to 2009).

Kurt A. Petermeyer was named Southeastern Regional Administrator for the U. S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in May, 2014. Mr. Petermeyer administers the Occupational Safety and Health Act in the eight-state Southeast region: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi (federal enforcement) and Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee (state plans). Areas of responsibility include enforcement programs, cooperative programs, voluntary protection programs, compliance assistance, whistleblower protection operations; and Susan Harwood Grants, selection state plans and consultation programs. Mr. Petermeyer has 24 years of federal service, including over 20 years with OSHA.

Kimberly Petrina is Senior Litigation Counsel to AXIS Capital Insurance Co. She holds law licenses in Illinois, Indiana, and Texas. She is a seasoned insurance coverage attorney and litigation defense attorney. Kimberly evaluates coverage and exposure on claims and determines the need for retention of outside counsel. She also handles complex mediations pertaining to evaluation of coverage and exposure, involving nationwide multi-million dollar disputes. Prior to joining AXIS she practiced insurance coverage and defense as a partner in a national law firm.

Les W. Robertson is founding partner of the San Diego, CA based firm of Robertson & Associates, APC. Over the past 28 years he has represented both insurance companies and policyholders in coverage disputes with emphasis on insurance issues arising out of construction claims. Mr. Robertson is licensed in CA, AZ, WA, OR and IL. He also serves as a Neutral on AAA's Commercial, Construction, Large Complex and Mediation panels. In addition, Mr. Robertson provides private mediation services through Robertson ADR which launched in 2015.

Kathleen Allen Rodowicz, Ph.D., PE, addresses issues involving the biomechanics of injuries, with expertise in the areas of human injury tolerance, injury mechanics, and occupant kinematics. At Exponent, Dr. Rodowicz performs biomechanical accident reconstructions and evaluates injury mechanisms and injury potential in motor vehicle, sporting, industrial, and slip-and-fall accidents. Additionally, she analyzes biomechanical issues associated with the design and performance of consumer and industrial products.

Michael Rubin is Chair of Goldberg Segalla's OSHA and Worksite Safety Practice Group. A certified Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST), Mr. Rubin focuses his practice on issues involving occupational safety and health law. He advises and represents employers across multiple industries in connection with OSHA inspections, investigations, and enforcement actions. He has on-the-ground experience managing accident investigations, negotiating for the withdrawal and settlement of citations, contesting citations, and litigating matters before the Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission — including trials and appeals. Mr. Rubin has completed the OSHA-30 Construction and General Industry training, and regularly counsels employers on safety compliance and best practice strategies for minimizing risk.

Martha E. Shenton, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychiatry and Radiology, and Director of the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Shenton's laboratory has pioneered in developing neuroimaging tools to understand brain alterations in schizophrenia, traumatic brain injury, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Dr. Shenton received her A.B. degree in Psychology from Wellesley College where she graduated Durant Scholar (Summa cum laude) and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Shenton received her Ph.D. in Psychology from Harvard University, with a post-doctoral fellowship in Biological Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

John D. Surma is Special Counsel in Adams and Reese LLP's Houston office. Mr. Surma counsels and represents clients before a variety of regulatory agencies including OSHA, MSHA, the United States Chemical Safety Board, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Railroad Administration/American Association of Railroads, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Mr. Surma has served an expert in the interpretation and application of OSHA standards and counsels clients in reviewing and developing compliance programs. Mr. Surma also assists clients in regulatory inspections arising out of catastrophic incidents and provides clients with advice related to risk management and workplace safety and security. He has investigated a wide-range of catastrophes including: plant and refinery explosions and fires; construction accidents; trucking accidents; pipeline accidents; mechanical equipment failures; safety program failures; equipment operation errors; electrical safety failures; chemical releases; and structural failures.

John C. Whitfield has been one of Kentucky's premier trial attorneys for nearly 30 years. He has concentrated primarily on complex civil litigation cases, and over his career has brought to settlement or judgment over 30 cases in excess of a million dollars each. Mr. Whitfield is certified as a civil trial specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy* and has represented individuals in all walks of life against negligent workplace practices, reckless physicians, predatory businesses, and inattentive automobile and truck drivers. Throughout his career, Mr. Whitfield has handled cases for landowners victim to fraudulent mine royalty practices, for property owners who faced subsidence damages, for homeowners whose homes and business contained defective concrete, and for Kentucky residents who were overcharged for premium insurance taxes. In addition, Mr. Whitfield's trial experience extends to the defense of individuals in criminal cases. Mr. Whitfield is a frequent lecturer of litigation subjects with the Kentucky Justice Association and American Association for Justice, and has been recognized as a Kentucky Super Lawyer and is AV rated by the Martindale-Hubbell rating service.

Kirk D. Willis is CEO of The Willis Law Group. Mr. Willis is a respected trial attorney and has a breadth of experience including construction and professional litigation. Kirk has tried more than 125 jury trials to verdict and established himself as a premier trial lawyer in his defense practice, which includes construction litigation, commercial disputes, medical malpractice, employment litigation and environmental litigation. Mr. Willis' experiences have led him to author a book entitled Corporate Justice: Fight Back In the Courtroom and Protect Your Company.

David V. Wilson II practices in the area of business and construction litigation in both Texas and Nevada. He has tried well over 100 cases as first chair lawyer in a variety of cases. He has also served as lead counsel in over 60 appellate cases, including at the Texas Supreme Court. Consistent with his experience, his practice includes extensive trial and appellate representation as lead counsel, primarily on behalf of the construction, manufacturing, insurance and oil and gas industries. In addition, David's background as a prosecutor has also provided him opportunities to defend business and high-profile clients in many aspects of government relations, including administrative proceedings and white collar criminal defense.

Diana L. Winfrey is a partner at Tressler LLP's Los Angeles, CA office in the Insurance Practice Group. She represents insurance companies in coverage and related matters, with an emphasis on construction defect cases involving multiple primary and excess policies, as well as OCIP (Wrap Up) policies. Diana's practice also includes coverage analysis for first- and third-party general liability, aviation and products liability claims. In addition to addressing insurance coverage issues, she counsels clients regarding underwriting and issues related to the drafting of policy language and endorsements, as well as claims handling and other business practices. Diana has over 20 years of experience in construction, both from a defense and insurance coverage standpoint, that provide her a unique ability to evaluate coverage claims from a global perspective. She works closely with claim representatives to assist in overall strategy for claims investigations, with a goal for early resolution.

Constance Boaz Woods is Vice President - Legal at American Southern Insurance Company in Atlanta where she advises the Company on various legal matters and manages litigation across the country. Prior to joining American Southern, Ms. Woods was a partner at Austin & Sparks, PC in Atlanta where her practice concentrated on insurance coverage. Ms. Woods is a member of the Georgia Bar and received her J.D. from Georgia State University College of Law (J.D., cum laude).

Glenn M. Zakaib is a partner with BLG's Toronto office as National Co-chair of the Class Actions Group, providing strategic direction and coordination of the group across Canada. He has an extensive background in precedent-setting class actions matters, bringing astute insights forward to defend public and private sector clients against all manner of claims. Mr. Zakaib's expertise extends across industry sectors. He has a strong track record of successfully defending class action proceedings and product liability claims related to medical, consumer, industrial, pharmaceutical, automotive, aviation, and electrical products, as well as life insurance, misrepresentation, and Competition Act claims.