Paul Lancaster Adams through counseling, negotiation, investigation and litigation represents management-side clients in the area of labor and employment in the Philadelphia office of Ogletree Deakins. In additional to his national practice, he has served, and continues to serve, in firm leadership roles to include firm-wide Management Committee, Office Managing Shareholder, National/International Client Services Committee and the firm's Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee. Prior to joining Ogletree Deakins, Paul served as Associate General Counsel and Chief Employment Litigator for Microsoft Corporation as well as Sr. Director of Government Affairs supporting the company's largest customer base.

Ann M. Anaya joined 3M Company in 2013 and is currently the Assistant Chief Diversity Officer and Global Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Lead. Ann started her career at 3M in Legal Affairs Compliance and Business Conduct group where she served clients as Counsel for Investigation. Subsequently, she moved into the Legal Affairs Litigation and Preventive Law group where she was a litigation manager. Throughout her career at 3M, Ann has served on the Legal Affairs Diversity and Inclusion Committee, including as Co-Chair of the Maturity Model and Metrics Subcommittee. Ann is also a 2016 3M Gives Award recipient, the company's highest honor for community service. Ann is also a recipient of Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association's, 2015 Manuel Guerrero Courage in Leadership Award, 2016 Minnesota Lawyer Attorney of the Year award and 2017 Minnesota Lawyer Diversity and Inclusion Honoree. Ann has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to community service, especially in recent years when she served in various positions, including but not limited to: MN State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees (and Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee - Appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton in 2012) and the Federal Bar Association, MN Chapter, Executive Committee, Co-Chair of the Diversity Committee. Ann is a board member of the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association, the American Red Cross Minnesota Region, and the Neighborhood Justice Center, where she also volunteers as a pro bono lawyer. Ann has an undergraduate degree in Political Science and a law degree from University of Minnesota. Ann has over 20 years of experience as a trial lawyer and has held various positions with state and federal government. Just prior to joining 3M, Ann was a federal prosecutor working for the Department of Justice in the District of Minnesota for eleven years. Ann also served as an Assistant Ramsey County Attorney and a First Judicial District Public Defender.

Geri Lynn Arrindell is an attorney at Mickes O'Toole, LLP in St. Louis, Missouri, where she practices labor & employment law and general business litigation. She is an experienced business partner, problem solver and litigator. She has served as litigation counsel to governmental entities and non-for-profit organizations, and represented clients in arbitrations; as well as, before labor boards and federal regulatory agencies. Geri Lynn has advised and counseled employers on a myriad of issues; guided clients through alternative dispute resolution; defended against discrimination claims; handled administrative appeals; and defended clients in all phases of litigation in state and federal courts.

Natalie Renee Bolling is Employment & Compliance Counsel with Vulcan Materials Company. Natalie advises Vulcan on all areas of employment law and represents Vulcan in litigation employment disputes. Natalie trains employees on employment and business conduct compliance matters. Prior to joining Vulcan, Natalie was a litigation shareholder at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C. Natalie earned a bachelor's degree at the University of Alabama and a law degree at the University of Iowa College of Law. Natalie further served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Karen Wells Roby of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Clifford Bourke, Jr., is the Director of Legal Services for Southeastern Freight Lines, Inc. In this role, he is responsible for managing all legal matters and transactions for the company and providing legal advice and guidance to Southeastern's leadership and to employees at all levels.

Bryan R. Browning is a shareholder at Bassford Remele in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he specializes in litigating complex cases, including commercial claims, fire/explosion, and product liability matters. Bryan is the Program Chair for the 2018 DRI Diversity for Success Seminar, the 2017-2018 National Finance Director for the Hispanic National Bar Association, the Immediate Past President of the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association, and a MSBA Council Member and Co-Chair of the MSBA Diversity and Inclusion Council. In addition, Bryan serves on the Board of Directors for the University of Minnesota's National Diversity Advisory Board. Bryan is a 2012-2017 Rising Star, a Fellow with the American Bar Foundation, the 2016 MDLA Deb Oberlander Award recipient, and was recognized as a Top Lawyer Under 40 in 2017 by the Hispanic National Bar Association.

Eileen E. Buholtz graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a Bachelor of Music Degree and Syracuse University with a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree. She is a member of Connors, Corcoran & Buholtz, PLLC in Rochester, New York where she concentrates her practice insurance defense litigation (premises, lead paint, construction site accidents, and auto), insurance coverage litigation, and estate litigation. Ms. Buholtz is president of the Rochester NY chapter of American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Board member of the Defense Association of New York (DANY); active in various committees of Defense Research Institute (DRI); member of the House of Delegates of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA); immediate past treasurer of the Monroe County Bar Association (MCBA); past president of the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys (GRAWA); and co-chair of the Courts/Judiciary Committee of the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY). She has received DANY's 2017 John J. Moore Publication Award; NYSBA's 2009 John E. Leach Memorial Award for service to NYSBA's Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law Section; WBASNY's 2008 WBASNY Hanna Cohn Pro Bono Award; NYSBA's Empire State Counsel for contributing 50-plus hours per year of pro bono representation for multiple years; GRAWA's 2004 Crennel-Branch Award for leadership in GRAWA; MCBA's 2000President's Award; NYSBA's 1994 Pro Bono Award and Volunteer Legal Service's Project's McKnight Award for Pro Bono Services. She mentors a fourth-grader at Rochester City School No. 29 through MCBA's Lawyers for Learning.

Douglas K. Burrell has been a practicing trial lawyer for over 22 years. His practice consists of civil defense litigation with an emphasis on wrongful death and catastrophic injury, construction law, premises liability, transportation and trucking law and product liability. In addition to his role as co-chair of the Firm's Diversity Committee, Mr. Burrell serves the legal profession in a variety of capacities including currently serving as the DRI Secretary-Treasurer. While an undergraduate student, Mr. Burrell was a two-time letter winner on the University of Iowa football team and played in the 1986 Rose Bowl.

Koriambanya S. (Kori) Carew is Shook, Hardy & Bacon's Director of Strategic Diversity Initiatives. In this leadership role, she equips and empowers leaders to interrupt bias and manage diverse teams inclusively; crafts solutions designed to disrupt systems and achieve equitable results; and equips diverse talent for success. Kori integrates her experience as a trial attorney and law firm partner into the firm's diversity and inclusion strategies.

George C. Chen is a Partner at Bryan Cave LLP, serves on its 15-member international board of directors, and leads the intellectual property practice in its Phoenix office. George is recognized by Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers of America for excellence in intellectual property law and litigation, and is a co-inventor of 4 US patents. George is a Past President of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), representing the interests of 75 affiliates and over 50,000 APA lawyers and judges.

Carla De La Barra Helstrom practices with Frost Brown Todd in the product liability, tort and insurance practice group. Carla handles product liability actions, title insurance, and asbestos litigation. Carla has also litigated against an international company using her Spanish-speaking native capabilities. Carla is a member of FBT's Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Carla is an active member of the Diversity Committee of DRI, working as the Sponsorship Chair for the 2018 DRI Diversity Seminar & Exposition.

Stacy L. Douglas is a Partner at Collinson Law, a female owned firm in Los Angeles, California that she joined in May 2016. Prior to joining Collinson Law, Ms. Douglas was a Partner at a majority owned national law firm where she practiced for14 years. Ms. Douglas has extensive experience in a variety of areas, defending companies, homeowner's associations, individuals and public entities in commercial litigation matters. Ms. Douglas is passionate about promoting Diversity in the legal profession and attributes her success before juries to her own diverse background. Ms. Douglas is the Program Vice Chair for the Diversity for Success Seminar and Corporate Expo.

Katherine E. (Katie) Graf is Director Counsel in the Regulatory, Operations and Investigations team at Target Corporation, where she manages a variety of complex litigation matters and investigations for the company. Before joining Target, Katie managed litigation at Anadarko Petroleum Corporation in Houston, Texas and was a litigation associate at two international law firms. Katie graduated from the University California, Berkeley Law School in 2006.

Caitlyn E. Haller is an associate in the Litigation Practice of Greenberg Traurig, LLP's Chicago office. Caitlyn focuses her practice on a range of litigation matters in both state and federal court, including complex business litigation, toxic tort and product liability litigation, and medical device litigation. Caitlyn received her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law and her B.A. from Boston College. Caitlyn is a member of the steering committees for DRI Diversity & Inclusion and DRI Young Lawyers.

Rosary A. Hernandez, a Shareholder at Tiffany & Bosco, PA, is first generation Cuban American. Her areas of practice include 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 professional affiliations include DRI, Executive Board of Diversity Committee, Co-Chair of Construction Seminar 2015, State Bar of AZ – Past Board of Directors for Construction Section, Past Chair of MCBA Construction Section and Past Board of Directors for Arizona Association of Defense Counsel. Ms. Hernandez is the Chair for the Diversity for Success Seminar and Corporate Expo.

Gary L. Howard's practice focuses on a variety of complex litigation matters. He has defended clients in class actions, mass and individual torts, commercial litigation and business disputes. Gary also has considerable experience defending life, health and disability insurance companies in bad faith, fraud, breach of contract, coverage and lost profits cases. Gary is licensed in eleven jurisdictions and routinely practices in state and federal courts across the country. Gary is the Corporate Expo Chair for the Diversity for Success Seminar and Corporate Expo.

Denice N. Kelley, M.Ed, M.Div, is an experienced researcher and consultant specializing in leadership development and diversity and inclusion strategy. She earned her M.Div from Yale University where she studied the intersection of race, gender, and culture, and she completed her M.Ed in Leadership and Organizational Performance from Vanderbilt University. Denice has worked with a myriad of organizations in the areas of coaching, training, and strategy. She has led workshops and conferences on diversity and inclusion efforts in higher education, healthcare, and not for profit organizations.

Beverly Lu is a Senior Counsel in the Litigation Group at CBRE, Inc. managing all forms of litigation for and against the company and across all business lines. She reports to management on significant risks and exposure on global litigation. CBRE is the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm with over 70,000 employees in over 400 offices and with revenues in 2016 exceeding $13 billion.

Jaime Walker Luse is a partner in the Baltimore firm of Tydings & Rosenberg LLP. Ms. Luse defends businesses of all sizes in commercial and employment litigation. An advocate who has prevailed in many difficult trials, she has experience in the state and federal courts of Maryland, District of Columbia, and Virginia. She is also adept at negotiating with adversaries to resolve disputes efficiently on behalf of her clients. Ms. Luse has handled numerous commercial cases, including negligence, insurance coverage, breach of contract, and leasing disputes. In addition to her commercial litigation practice, Ms. Luse defends employers against employment-related claims, including discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, violations of the Family Medical Leave Act, claims brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and unlawful retaliation. Ms. Luse also has appellate experience. She has briefed and argued before the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, and briefed before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Luse is DRI Law Institute liaison for the Diversity for Success Seminar and Corporate Expo.

Erica V. Mason is a labor & employment partner in the Atlanta office of Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete. Her practice focuses on litigation involving claims of employment discrimination, harassment, wage & hour violations and other employment-related matters. She has handled individual collective action, and class action cases throughout the US. Erica is a nationally-recognized speaker and trainer on a wide variety of issues including employment law; diversity, inclusion, and implicit bias; leadership training; and the use of design-think to tackle challenges facing today's legal departments and law firms. Erica serves as Board Director of OnBoard Now and is the current President of the Hispanic National Bar Association.

Jessica A. Massey is Senior Associate Counsel at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. a Fortune 1 company. As part of the Global Security, Aviation/Travel, and Ethics Legal team, she conducts legally privileged, internal FCPA and financial integrity investigations primarily in Latin America and Asia; additionally, she provides daily legal advice to Walmart's Global Ethics & Compliance Department on various topics including global company policies and procedures, monitoring, and associate messaging and training worldwide.

The Honorable Sue E. Myerscough clerked in 1980 for the Honorable Harold A. Baker of the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. Beginning in 1981, Judge Myerscough was in private practice with Giffin, Winning and then Hinshaw & Culbertson until her appointment in 1987 as an Associate Judge of the Circuit Court for the Seventh Judicial Circuit. In 1990, Judge Myerscough was elected as a Circuit Judge for the Seventh Judicial Circuit, serving as presiding judge of Sangamon County from 1994 to 1998 and Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit from1996 to 1998. In 1998, Judge Myerscough was elected to the Fourth District Appellate Court, where she served as Presiding Judge in 2002 and 2009. In March 2011, she retired from the Appellate Court and was confirmed as a United States District Judge for the Central District of Illinois.

The Honorable Peter M. Reyes, Jr. is a judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. He was appointed by Governor Mark Dayton on April 7, 2014. Prior to his appointment, Judge Reyes was a partner in the Intellectual Property Department at the law firm of Barnes & Thornburg LLP. He also worked as a Senior IP Lawyer at Cargill, Incorporated for 12 years. Prior to Cargill, Judge Reyes was an associate at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi and a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Salvador M. Rosas in the Second Judicial District. Judge Reyes is an active member of a number of local, state and national bar associations and nonprofit organizations. He served as national president of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) in 2012-2013 and on the Board of Trustees for William Mitchell College of Law for nine years. Judge Reyes serves on the Executive Council for the Minnesota Historical Society. He is active in the American Bar Association (ABA) as a member of the House of Delegates, the ABA Judicial Division, and is an American Bar Foundation (ABF) Fellow. Judge Reyes previously served as President of the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association for three terms. In 2001 he was named by Minnesota Lawyer as one of the "Top Ten Minnesota Attorneys of the Year." In 2012 and again in 2013, he was named by Poder Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in America. In 2012 and 2016 Judge Reyes was once again named as one of the Minnesota Lawyer Attorneys of the Year. Judge Reyes is the recipient of the 2016 Ohtli Award, the highest award given out by the Mexican government to a non-Mexican citizen. Judge Reyes received his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of St. Thomas and his law degree from William Mitchell College of Law, graduating with Honors.

The Honorable Karen Wells Roby is a Chief Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans. Judge Roby has served on the court for eighteen (18) years where she handles criminal and civil matters and also serves as a mediator. She is the Co-Chair of the ABA Litigation Sections, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She has served nationally as President of the Federal Magistrate Judges Association and she is a frequent speaker on various legal topics and she has had numerous speaking engagements throughout the United States during her career. She is also published in the areas of social media and ethics, settlement and ethics and attorney's fees. Judge Roby serves as an Adjunct Professor at Tulane University Law School where she teaches a course on E-Discovery and Digital Evidence. She is a graduate of Tulane University Law School and Xavier University of New Orleans. In addition to her dedication to the law, Judge Roby received a Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate, (July 2017), through the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and Cornell University's Online Program.

The Honorable Shira A. Scheindlin, (Ret.) -- Biography Requested

Ricardo A. Woods is a trial lawyer and shareholder in Burr Forman LLP's Mobile office. He is a creative problem solver who provides his clients with innovative and cost effective solutions and strategies. He is no stranger to the courtroom and he is experienced in handling all stages of complex litigation. Ricardo has first-chair jury trial experience, as well as extensive pre-trial litigation experience. He has successfully defended matters, which included allegations of wrongful death, paralysis, severe bodily injuries, and catastrophic property loss. Ricardo serves as the Chief Legal Counsel and City Attorney for the City of Mobile. He was appointed to this post by the Honorable William S. Stimpson in 2013. In his capacity as City Attorney, Ricardo manages all of the City's outside counsel, serves as chief legal adviser to the executive branch of the local government, and serves as the executive director of the City of Mobile's internal legal department. Ricardo's insurance litigation experience includes issues related to defalcation, bad agents, fraud and coverage agents. His product liability experience includes industrial grade machinery, warranty claims, automobile components, toxic torts and chemical agents. He is a self-identified generalist. Ricardo is the Vice Chair for the Diversity for Success Seminar and Corporate Expo.

The Honorable Staci M. Yandle was commissioned as a United States District Judge for the Southern District of Illinois on June 19, 2014 and was invested as a member of the court on August 21, 2014. She earned her B.S. from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in 1983 and her Juris Doctorate from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1987. Judge Yandle was in private practice from 1987 until 2014 and was the owner of the Law Offices of Staci M. Yandle, LLC from 2007 until appointed to the bench. She served on the Illinois Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, by appointment on the Illinois Gaming Board, on the board of governors and executive committee of the American Association for Justice, and she has been active in various local bar associations.