DRI Faculty List
2021 Governmental Liability Virtual Boot Camp
Virtual | June 10, 2021
David S. Baker Fisher Patterson Sayler & Smith
David S. Baker is a partner in the law firm of Fisher Patterson Sayler & Smith LLP in Overland Park, Kansas, a Kansas City suburb. His practice focuses on the defense of civil rights and state tort claims against various governmental entities and officials. Mr. Baker is a former chair of DRI's Governmental Liability Committee. |
Lori V. Berke Berke Law Firm PLLC
Lori V. Berke is the founder and principal of the Berke Law Firm PLLC in Phoenix. Ms. Berke's primary areas of practice are governmental and public entity liability, commercial litigation, professional liability and family law. She has represented numerous cities, counties and school districts in Arizona. Significant portions of her governmental and public entity liability cases involve § 1983 claims. Ms. Berke is a member of the State Bar of Arizona Maricopa County Bar Association, Arizona Association of Defense Counsel, Arizona Women Lawyers Association and DRI. She has served as chair of DRI's Governmental Liability Committee and on the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence 2009 Program Committee. Lori V. Berke has been practicing law in Phoenix, Arizona for 21 years, and is the founder and principal of Berke Law Firm PLLC. She has represented public entities throughout Arizona, including cities, counties, school districts and public transportation organizations. The majority of cases she handles for public entities include 42 U.S.C. § 1983 civil rights defense, accident and injury litigation premises liability, road design, construction and maintenance liability, and transit litigation. Lori is AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been designated a Southwest Super Lawyer. |
Jody C. Corbett Berke Law Firm PLLC
Jody C. Corbett has been practicing law in Phoenix, Arizona for 17 years. She has represented numerous public entities throughout Arizona in cases involving the following issues: civil rights pursuant to 42 U.S.C.1983, premises liability, construction and maintenance liability, road design, personal injury, and intentional torts. She also has experience in contract law, insurance, and collections, including garnishment actions. Jody has extensive experience representing clients in state, federal, and tribal appellate courts regarding numerous issues some of which include jurisdiction, immunities, proper jural entities, and res judicata. |
Phillip E. (Phil) Friduss Hall Booth Smith PC
Phillip E. (Phil) Friduss is a partner with Hall Booth Smith PC practicing public sector law throughout the State of Georgia In representing over 200 public entities in his career, Phil has handled hundreds of education law, and First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment student lawsuits. He also represents school districts in matters involving Georgia's Fair Dismissal Practices Act. Mr. Friduss is a long time Super Lawyer, is AV-Preeminent Rated, Chaired ABA First Amendment and Civil Rights Committees, is a Member of Georgia Trend Magazine's Legal Elite, and a 17-year DRI Governmental Liability Committee, Chairing our Committee from 2012-14. |
Cathy Havener Greer Wells Anderson & Race
Cathy Havener Greer, a member of Wells Anderson & Race LLC in Denver, focuses on civil litigation, primarily in the areas of business litigation, employment and civil rights defense. Her practice includes the defense of corporations and public entities and officials in federal and state trial and appellate courts, as well as before administrative agencies. Previously, Ms. Greer has served as assistant attorney general for the state of Colorado, and assistant prosecuting attorney in Missouri. She is a former chair of DRI's Governmental Liability Committee. |
R. Jeffrey Lowe Kightlinger & Gray LLP
R. Jeffrey Lowe is a partner in Kightlinger & Gray LLP in New Albany, Indiana. He regularly defends municipalities throughout southeastern Indiana and Kentucky. His practice involves issues ranging from constitutional torts to zoning matters, employment issues, as well as state law claims made against his mu-nicipal clients. Mr. Lowe has successfully defended officers in a police chase shooting and has successfully defended a local zoning authority on a Telecommunications Act claim before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He recently served on the DRI Board of Directors. |
David J. MacMain MacMain Connell & Leinhauser LLC
David J. MacMain is the Managing Partner of The MacMain Law Group, LLC, located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. His practice focuses on defending a wide variety of civil rights, employment and school claims, and is often specially retained to defend §1983 and municipal liability cases throughout the country. David has tried over 125 cases to verdict in favor of his clients. He has been named a "Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" each of the past 13 years in the field of Civil Rights, and is rated "AV" Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. Prior to legal career, David served as a Pennsylvania State Trooper. |
Dana K. Maine Freeman Mathis & Gary LLP
Dana K. Maine is a partner with Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP, in its Atlanta office. Her practice focuses on professional liability defense and governmental litigation. Dana heads the firm's LPL and MPL practice groups. She has been named a Super Lawyer for several years and was named Lawyer of the Year for Atlanta Municipal Law by Best Lawyers in America. Dana is a frequent speaker locally and on a national basis on all aspects of government liability including civil rights, zoning, and land use. She has represented clients at all stages of litigation from pre-suit mediation, to trial, and through the appeals process. In addition to other professional organizations, Dana served as program chair and committee chair for DRI's Government Liability Committee and remains active in the committee's leadership advisory board. |
Robert D. Meyers Glankler Brown
Robert D. MeyersRobert D. Meyers is certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of TrialAdvocacy. Mr. Meyers has a breadth of employment litigation experience. He has defended companiesand individuals before courts in Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Indiana and Virginia. He has been instrumental in assisting clients in dealing with employee medical issues including ADA, FMLA and workers' compensation concerns. Mr.Meyers also has extensive experience representing public employers in claims brought underthe Title VII, § 1981 and § 1983. He served as Chairman of the Shelby County Election Commission from 2009-2019 and isa Peer Reviewer for "America Votes! A Guide to Modern Election Law and Voting Rights,"Second Edition 2012 ABA Section of State and Local Government Law. While in law school, Mr. Meyers was a member of the Tennessee Law Review and presidentof the Student Bar Association. |
Philip W.(Phil) Savrin Freeman Mathis & Gary LLP
Philip W.(Phil) Savrin is a partner in the Atlanta office of Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP where he chairs the Appellate Practice Team and the Insurance Coverage National Practice Group. Before entering private practice he was a staff attorney for the Eleventh Circuit and then a law clerk for Judge Murphy of the Northern District of Georgia. He has argued two Section 1983 cases in the Supreme Court, Scott v. Harris, 550 U.S. 372 (2007) and Reed v. Gilbert, 135 S.Ct. 2218 (2015). |
Casey C. Stansbury Freeman Mathis & Gary LLP
Casey C. Stansbury is a partner in the Kentucky office and experienced litigator and trial attorney in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. Over his career, he has represented individuals, municipalities, counties, state agencies, officers, elected officials and corporations both small and worldwide With a background in politics, marketing and public relations, Casey handles each matter efficiently and with a focus of finding the best resolution for the client. He handles matters involving constitutional law, employment, telecommunications, retail and hospitality, lawyers malpractice, transportation including cargo, environmental, complex litigation, class actions, product liability and general liability matters. Casey acted as trial counsel in intellectual property litigation. Casey is constantly called on by insurance carriers to provide representation in matters involving excess insurance and case oversight. In addition to an AV rating by Martindale Hubbell, Casey is recognized yearly as a Super Lawyer and by Best's Attorneys. Mr. Stansbury is also a leader in state and national bar associations. Casey is the past president of the Kentucky Defense Counsel. Nationally, Casey served as DRI's Civil Rights Committee Chair. While serving on the Civil Rights Committee, Casey was recognized by DRI as the Program Chair of the Year and the Committee Chair of the Year. |