2017 Fall Conference & Celebration of Fellows

THE ST. REGIS BAL HARBOUR
October 18-20, 2017
Bal Harbour - Miami Beach, Florida

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The 2017 Fall Conference & Celebration of Fellows will be held October 18-20 at The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami Beach, Florida. The conference is designed for Fellows of the Litigation Counsel of America to enhance their already superior trial skills, to address practical issues and topics challenging litigators in today’s changing legal environment, and to afford each individual the opportunity to hear from and interact with North America’s finest trial and appellate lawyers.

A portion of the program will be presented by the rotating faculty of the Trial Law Institute and will count toward its Trial Master Certification, contemporaneously with CLE credits.

Participants will be provided with advanced tools for continued success and expertise in trial techniques, evidence presentation, courtroom technology, case evaluations and marketing, as well as negotiations and alternative dispute resolution. New Fellows of the LCA will be formally inducted into the society during the black-tie Celebration of Fellows Gala on Thursday, October 19. The conference will also give Fellows the opportunity to network with other distinguished attorneys from across North America, earn CLE credit and experience the beauty and splendor of South Florida.

BAL HARBOUR

Bal Harbour is a dynamic international destination comprising just one square mile on the northern tip of Miami Beach.  With perfectly manicured streets, pristine beaches, luxury design, extraordinary Bal Harbour shopping, superior dining and location, this stunning village is one of the globe’s wealthiest with hotels that have long been visited by the world’s dignitaries, celebrities and presidents. Bal Harbour, Florida offers exclusivity, prime location and one of the most prestigious zip codes in America.

The Village boasts an immaculately landscaped beach with snorkeling, wind-surfing, parasailing, swimming and deep sea fishing.  In addition, there are dozens of championship golf courses, including the Miami Beach Golf Club, just minutes away.  For more strenuous exercise, the $3 million jogging track along the beach is the only beachfront path of its type in South Florida.

The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort
9703 Collins Avenue
Bal Harbour – Miami Beach, Florida 33154
305.993.3300
VISIT THE HOTEL’S WEBSITE

The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort introduces the legendary brand’s unparalleled services and amenities to one of the world’s most coveted destinations. Known as an exclusive enclave, the spectacular resort, awarded the coveted Forbes five-star and AAA five-diamond awards for 2017, named #1 “Best Hotels in Florida” and #1 “Best Hotels in Miami Beach” by U.S. News & World Report, is situated on nine acres of stunning oceanfront property. It embraces the energy of Miami while offering a new sense of luxury to the Bal Harbour destination, with breathtaking ocean views, unrivaled culinary offerings, and a luxurious spa.

The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort is located on the edge of the Atlantic just 15 minutes north of South Beach and 16 miles from both Ft. Lauderdale Airport and Miami International Airport, the resort is in the heart of South Florida’s famous cultural events, art fairs, food and wine festivals, activities and nightlife. It is hard to imagine a more exclusive setting for a Bal Harbour hotel, surrounded by lush tropical gardens, silky beaches, and extraordinary designer fashions. One of the most distinguished neighborhoods in South Florida, Bal Harbour and the surrounding Miami area provide an escape like no other, with the Atlantic Ocean at your doorstep, the legendary Bal Harbour Shops just across Collins Avenue and an exclusive selection of places of interest within a short drive.

The resort’s guestrooms and suites offer some of the largest all-ocean views on the East Coast, with rooms ranging from 650 to 2,800 square feet, each complete with individual balconies. The Beach experience is highlighted by a magnificent 1,000-foot white sand beach, complete with private cabanas for daily rental, beach services and special amenities. There are two dazzling infinity pools, the adult-focused Tranquility pool and the resort’s main ocean pool designed with ample comfortable chaise lounges and daybeds. Poolside services include special complimentary offerings throughout the day, including foot reflexology samplers, smoothie tastings, sunscreen spritzing, refreshing cold towel presentations and more. The St. Regis Children’s Club offers daily full and half-day camps and babysitting services.

A limited number of discounted hotel rooms have been made available for this conference. In order to obtain the group rate, which is only available to conference attendees and their guests, reservations must be made by Monday, September 25, 2017.

Reservations can be made online by clicking here or by calling the hotel directly at 855.993.0700. Please specify the LCA’s 2017 Fall Conference & Celebration of Fellows to take advantage of the following group rate:

  • $289* Deluxe Ocean View King Room
  • $349* Deluxe Ocean View Queen/Queen Room

A deposit in the amount of one night’s room and tax is required at the time the reservation is made.
*Posted group rate does not include mandatory $15.00 per person, per room charge for round trip porterage or mandatory $6.00 per room, per day charge for housekeeping services.

All special requests must be made at the time of booking. Please note that special requests cannot be guaranteed until check-in.

Guest accommodations will be available at 4:00 PM on arrival day and reserved until 12:00 PM on departure day.

Rates will be honored three (3) days pre-and post-conference, based on availability of Deluxe Ocean View Rooms at time of booking. Rooms and rates on pre-and post-conference dates are limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. Making your reservation early is strongly suggested. If room block capacity is reached on or before Monday, September 25, 2017, the LCA rate will not be guaranteed and may no longer be available.

If you are unable to reserve your room prior to Monday, September 25, 2017, please contact Jessica Sullivan at Jessica.Sullivan@litcounsel.org or 212.724.4128 to be placed on a waiting list in the event of a cancellation.

Please familiarize yourself with the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort’s Cancellation Policy as the LCA is not responsible for any cancellation fees or other hotel charges. When reservations are made, a deposit equal to the first night’s room rate plus tax is required. This deposit is fully refundable if cancellation is made before 4:00 PM EST 7 days prior to the scheduled date of arrival. Deposits are non-refundable if cancellation is made after 4:00 PM EST 7 days prior to the date of arrival. Departure dates are reconfirmed at check in. An early departure fee will be assessed unless the hotel is provided notice of an earlier departure at check-in.

Please click here to view the agenda for the 2017 Fall Conference & Celebration of Fellows.

Please click here to view the attendee list.

Please click here to view the list of 2017 Fall Inductees.

Please click here to view a hotel map of LCA Events.

Please click here to view the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort Map.

THE LCA 2017 FALL CONFERENCE FACULTY

 

blanton

Joseph C. Blanton, Jr.
Blanton, Nickell, Collins, Douglas & Hanschen, LLC
Sikeston, Missouri

Joseph C. Blanton, Jr. has been involved in high stakes personal injury and “bet the company” commercial litigation and complex transactions in Southeast Missouri and around Missouri for nearly three decades. Mr. Blanton graduated from Sikeston High School as Valedictorian and Class President in 1978. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1982 and the University of Texas Law School in 1985. He is currently in the Masters of Science in History distance learning program at the University of Edinburgh, UK. From 1985 to 1987, he served as law clerk for the Hon. Stephen N. Limbaugh Sr., U.S. District Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri.

He is admitted to practice in Missouri, Illinois and Texas, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri and for the District of Columbia, as well as before the US Supreme Court and the Seventh, Eighth and DC Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals.

Mr. Blanton practices primarily in the areas of medical malpractice and product liability defense, complex commercial litigation, Federal Court litigation, probate and trust litigation, business transactions, and estate planning.

He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation, medical malpractice defense and product liability defense. He is AV® Preeminent™ Peer-Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and superb by AVVO.com and has been designated a Missouri Super Lawyer by Law and Politics Magazine each year since 2006. The National Academy of Jurisprudence has designated him as a Premier Trial Attorney. He has received both the President’s Award and the Purcell Professionalism Award from The Missouri Bar.

Mr. Blanton is a member of The American Bar Foundation, The Missouri Bar Foundation, The Missouri Supreme Court Historical Society and the Federal Practice Committee for the Eastern District of Missouri.

He is a former member of the Board of Governors of The Missouri Bar, the Supreme Court Civil Rules Committee and The Missouri Bar’s Appellate Judicial Performance Evaluation Committee.

The Missouri Jaycees named him as one of ten Outstanding Young Missourians and he has received the Distinguished Service Award and Community Service Award from the Sikeston Jaycees.

Mr. Blanton is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and a member of the Trial Law Institute and the Diversity Law Institute.

 

Jerald P. Block
Block Law Firm APLC
Thibodaux, Louisiana

Jerald P. Block, born and raised in Thibodaux, Louisiana, opened Block Law Firm in his hometown in 1971. For 44 years, Mr. Block’s firm has dedicated itself to ensuring creative solutions for clients at reasonable costs. He has been able to achieve great results for his clients through his knowledge of the law, hard work and, most importantly, thoroughness and preparation. He has represented and served a full spectrum of clients, including corporate, governmental, and non-profit entity clients, yet the greater part of his work is for individuals throughout Louisiana. His primary areas of expertise and experience have been in civil litigation in federal and state courts.

Mr. Block attended Tulane University where he received his B.A. in 1968. He received his J.D. from Tulane Law School in 1971. He was admitted to the Louisiana Bar in 1971, followed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1975.

He is a member of several local, statewide, and national bar associations. He has held membership, board, and executive positions with various statewide legal associations, including the Louisiana Association for Justice. He has served on statewide committees appointed by various appellate courts in Louisiana. In 2013, he was appointed and served as a member of the Committee for the Selection, Appointment, and Reappointment of United States Magistrate Judges in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Mr. Block has also been a regular speaker at local and statewide meetings for various associations for lawyers and judges.

A commitment to pro bono, public service, educational, and civic activities has always been integral to his life and career. He has worked to give back to his community, his clients, students, and elderly residents who deserve dignity and respect. He has served as president of the board of directors for the American Cancer Society, Louisiana Division, and served on the statewide cancer board for many years.  He was president of the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce. He also served as the chairman of the board of a non-profit assisted living facility which guarantees access to on-site assisted living and nursing care. He has also served as a member of Office of Workers’ Compensation, Department of Labor, State of Louisiana, the Louisiana Democratic State Central Committee, the Thibodaux Civil Service Board, and various other Boards and commissions.

Mr. Block is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and a co-founder of the LCA’s International Institute of Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law. He is a member of the Trial Law Institute and the Diversity Law Institute.

 

Clark_Roger_color_sizedRoger W. Clark
The Clark Law Group
Los Angeles, California

Roger W. Clark of Roger Clark Mediation & Settlement received his mediator training at Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine Law School, and he is a graduate of Rutgers Law School and Florida State University. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1978 and the California Bar in 1983, and has tried many cases in the state and federal trial courts of those states and he has litigated, tried, advised and handled cases filed in state and federal courts throughout the United States, including Arizona, Nevada, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Oregon, Illinois, New Jersey, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Dakota, Alabama, Virginia and New York. He is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth and Eleventh Circuits where he has argued numerous cases. He is a visiting Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School where he teaches Aviation Law, and is a past Instructor of Business Law at Florida International University.  Rutgers Law School has honored Mr. Clark as Adjunct Professor of the Year.

He has been awarded the Armitage Distinguished Alumni Award by Rutgers Law School which is awarded annually upon a single individual for outstanding achievement in a career.  The Armitage Award is the highest award Rutgers Law School can bestow. He has been listed in Martindale Hubbell’s Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers every year since 1986. He has been named “Super Lawyer” every year from 2006 through the present by the publishers of Law and Politics Magazine.  He has also been annually recognized as one of the “Top Attorneys in Southern California” as published in Los Angeles Magazine. Mr. Clark is a Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and was appointed to the Board of Examiners for the National Board of Trial Advocacy.  He is Board Certified in Civil Pretrial Practice Advocacy by the National Board of Civil Pretrial Practice Advocacy.  He is a graduate of the Master Advocate’s Program of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, and a Graduate of the Advanced Teacher Training Program of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.  He is a past Judge Pro Tempore in Los Angeles, California.

He earned his pilot certificate in 1982.  He has served as an expert on pilot certification actions before the FAA.  Over his career he has instructed and presented at numerous events, including the CEB program Advanced Negotiation and Settlement Techniques held in San Francisco and Los Angeles, the Renaissance Symposium at the Harvard Club in New York, the CEO Effectiveness Group in Orange County, California, the American Conference Institute’s Aviation Litigation Conference held in Boston, the Embry Riddle Air Law Symposium held in Orlando, and the SMU Air Law Symposium in Dallas, Texas. He has been published in the SMU Journal of Air Law and Commerce. Mr. Clark was the Co-Host of KTLA’s Law Business Insider radio program, a syndicated radio program airing nationwide on ABC radio from 2005 – 2011.  He has been a contributing author to the Los Angeles Lawyer’s Magazine and has been featured on KTLK Radio’s Meet America’s Best Lawyers and Forbes Radio Channel America’s Best Lawyers. He is a periodic guest legal expert on Sirius XM 111, where he has offered comments on the Germanwings Disaster and the efforts of Congress to privatize the air traffic control function of the Federal Aviation Administration, among others, and several of his shows have been selected by the producers of Sirius XM to be included in the prestigious “Best of Shows” list. He is the founder and president of The Iraida Foundation, a federally registered public charity that provides food, medicine and education to impoverished children in Africa, educational programs at the university level in the United States, and for years supported “Operation Toy Drop” for children of active duty American military at Ventura Naval Base.  Mr. Clark is the past Chairman of the New Majority Los Angeles, and a former member of the Board of Directors of New Majority California, an organization that is dedicated to political reform in California. He served as a Trustee of Viewpoint Educational Foundation in Calabasas, California, from 2000 – 2009 and is currently a Trustee Emeritus. He is member of SAG-AFTRA.

Mr. Clark is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. He is a recipient of the LCA’s inaugural 2013 Peter Perlman Service Award. He is a member of the LCA’s Trial Law Institute, the Diversity Law Institute and the Aviation Law Institute of America.

 

costelloD. Michael Costello
Elliott Davis
Chattanooga, Tennessee

D. Michael Costello is a shareholder with Elliott Davis. Mr. Costello is a certified public accountant (CPA), accredited in business valuation (ABV), certified in financial forensics (CFF), an accredited senior appraiser (ASA), a certified fraud examiner (CFE), and a consultant with more than 30 years of training and experience in business valuations, forensic accounting, business acquisitions and divestitures, exit planning, and related fields. Mr. Costello’s experience includes extensive consulting work and testimony in tax, accounting, financial, economic, and business issues of commercial litigation, with emphasis on business valuation, economic damage, and forensic accounting issues.

Mr. Costello writes articles for professional publications and speaks at a variety of professional conferences about forensic accounting and valuation issues. He has served on the accounting adjunct faculty at Tennessee Temple University and Tennessee Wesleyan College, and currently serves on the accounting adjunct faculty for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). He was recognized by UTC as Accountant of the Year, by the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA) for Article of the Year, by the Small Business Administration as the Tennessee SBA Accounting Advocate of the Year, and by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce as the Small Business Person of the Year. He also received the Chattanooga Jaycees Distinguished Service Award and was interviewed by the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts in their Conversations with the Masters series. Mr. Costello is a mentor for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ ABV Mentor Program and a member of the AICPA ABV Exam Review Task Force.

Mr. Costello has served as president of the Chattanooga Chapter of TSCPA and chairman of the TSCPA’s Ethics and Small Business Services Committees. He is a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), the AICPA and the TSCPA. He is a former chairman of the TSCPA’s Forensics and Valuation Services Task Force. He was also a member of the Consultants’ Training Institute’s (CTI) 2013, 2014 and 2015 Annual Conference Planning Committees.

Mr. Costello is qualified to serve as an expert witness in U.S. District Courts, Circuit Courts, and Chancery Courts. He has been appointed by the Hamilton County Circuit Court as a Special Master to resolve an accounting dispute, as a Custodian to liquidate and appraise a business, by the Hamilton County Chancery Court as a Custodian/Receiver to manage and sell a medical practice and by a Federal Bankruptcy Trustee to sell a business.

Mr. Costello’s appraisals have been used in various courts and in connection with buy-and-sell transactions between corporate shareholders. In a case involving two business valuations, Mr. Costello’s appraisals were upheld by the Tennessee Court of Appeals. He has testified in cases all over the United States, but most frequently, he testifies in courts in Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, and Chattanooga, Tennessee; Atlanta and Dalton, Georgia; and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Mr. Costello earned a B.S. in business administration and a Master of Accountancy from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Elliott Davis is a Diversity Partner of the Litigation Counsel of America.

 

crockettJames S. Crockett, Jr.
Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC
Charleston, West Virginia

Jim Crockett is a member of the law firm of Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC’s Charleston, West Virginia, office. His primary area of practice is commercial litigation, including coal litigation, environmental litigation, business torts, and bankruptcy litigation.

Mr. Crockett has 35 years of experience representing a wide variety of clients in litigation at both the trial and appellate levels. He represented medical device manufactures in mass tort litigation and bankruptcy and served as a key member of the primary trial and appellate team in a national mass tort bankruptcy case. Mr. Crockett has represented banks and other financial institutions in a wide variety of litigation matters. He represented the Resolution Corporation and the FDIC in litigation on a regional basis during the S&L bailout in the early 1990s. Mr. Crockett has also represented officers and directors in a variety of cases involving derivative claims, disputed dissolutions, shareholder litigation, and corporate governance issues. In the environmental arena, Mr. Crockett has represented a national food processing company in major Clean Water Act cases in state and federal courts. Mr. Crockett regularly handles Clean Water Act cases for companies. Mr. Crockett also has represented coal companies in litigation resulting from significant mining disasters, including wrongful death actions.

Mr. Crockett has represented clients in more than 30 appeals in various United States Courts of Appeal and state appellate courts and argued 21 of those appeals. He also tried a contempt charge in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Mr. Crockett is AV® Preeminent™ Peer-Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®, their highest distinction. He is consistently listed in Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation, litigation in banking & finance law, litigation in environmental law, and litigation in construction law. He is also regularly recognized by Super Lawyers for business litigation and environmental litigation. Mr. Crockett received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Virginia Tech. He earned his J.D. from Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary. He is admitted to practice in West Virginia and Virginia. He plays a mean guitar.

Mr. Crockett is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and a co-founder and technology chair of the LCA’s International Institute of Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law. He is a member of the Trial Law Institute and the Diversity Law Institute.

 

DeMouraKenneth J. DeMoura
DeMoura|Smith LLP
Boston, Massachusetts

Ken DeMoura is an accomplished trial attorney and counselor to individuals and businesses. Since 1986, he has appeared before all state and federal courts in Massachusetts and handles a wide range of matters including commercial disputes, product liability, employment, intellectual property, partnership, banking, construction, professional liability, criminal, and bankruptcy cases. He has successfully tried dozens of cases to verdict, handled over fifty arbitration matters, and obtained multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients. Mr. DeMoura is a certified mediator and commercial arbitrator. He is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia.

Mr. DeMoura has been recognized by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America since 2012. Since 2005, Mr. DeMoura has been recognized as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer and included in the Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel edition in the area of business litigation since 2010. He is AV® Preeminent™ Peer-Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®. In 2014, Mr. DeMoura was selected as “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in America in the mass tort litigation and class action defense category for Boston.

Mr. DeMoura is the founder of the Boston-based law firm DeMoura|Smith LLP. He was previously a litigation partner at a national law firm and managed the Boston office of a regional law firm from 2001 to 2007. He was appointed as a Special Prosecutor for the Plymouth County District Attorney’s office in 1987 trying criminal matters. From 1987 until 2013, Mr. DeMoura was an adjunct professor of law at New England School of Law. He has also served as an advisor to the Trial Advocacy Workshop at Harvard Law School since 1991. Mr. DeMoura received his J.D., magna cum laude, in 1986 from New England School of Law and a B.A. in political science, summa cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell in 1983. While a law student, Mr. DeMoura interned at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office.

Mr. DeMoura is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and chair of the LCA’s Complex Commercial Litigation Institute. He is a member of the Trial Law Institute, and the Diversity Law Institute.

 

Fasi

Joseph M. Fasi II
Gass Weber Mullins LLC
Miami, Florida

Joseph M. Fasi II has been a trial attorney for over 32 years. He represents self-insured corporations and insurers as national trial and supervising counsel. Mr. Fasi has been lead counsel in over 100 jury trials with numerous defense verdicts in areas such as product liability, medical product liability and pharmaceutical defense, defense of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, food contamination issues, professional malpractice, and medical malpractice defense. He serves as first chair trial counsel for Philip Morris in Florida Engle Progeny cases throughout the state.

Mr. Fasi is an active member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC) where he served as chair of the Drug, Device, and Biotechnology Section (2009-2012). Mr. Fasi is active in DRI, where he is the past board member liaison to the Drug and Medical Device Committee (2008-present), was elected to the Board of Directors (2001-2004), and served as Chair of the Medical Liability and Health Care Committee (1999-2001).

Mr. Fasi has been chosen as one of the Best Lawyers in America in Litigation and Product Liability Litigation. He has also been selected for inclusion on the Wisconsin Super Lawyers list each year since 2005 and the Florida Super Lawyers since 2015. He enjoys an AV Preeminent® rating in Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™, and he was selected as a “2013 Wisconsin Top Rated Lawyer” in Litigation and General Practice law based on his rating. Mr. Fasi was elected as a Class of 2013 Fellow of the Wisconsin Law Foundation, an honorary program recognizing members of the profession who are known by their peers for high achievements in their profession and outstanding contributions for the advancement and improvement of the administration of justice in Wisconsin.  He was also selected as a Leader in the Law in 2013.

Mr. Fasi started his law practice in the state of Florida in 1984. In 1989, he moved to Wisconsin where he met Ric Gass who became a role model and mentor to him. In 2011, Mr. Fasi returned to Florida as a resident and in 2016, joined his longtime friend as a partner at Gass Weber Mullins, leading the Miami trial team where he has tried eight trials in the past twelve months.

Mr. Fasi is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. He is a member of the Trial Law Institute and the Diversity Law Institute.

 

FishmanRoss Fishman
Fishman Marketing, Inc.
Highland Park, Illinois

Of Counsel magazine wrote “Many people consider Ross to be the nation’s foremost expert on law firm marketing.”

Ross Fishman is the CEO of Fishman Marketing, an international marketing consulting company specializing in strategy, branding, websites, and marketing training and retreats for law firms.  Ross was a litigator, Marketing Director, and Marketing Partner before launching Fishman Marketing in 1998.

A recipient of the Legal Marketing Association’s first Lifetime Achievement award (1998), and Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management, Ross was the first member inducted into LMA’s international Hall of Fame.  An entertaining presenter, he has given 300 speeches to law firms and legal organizations worldwide, and written 250 bylined articles.  Ross’s powerful, revenue-generating marketing initiatives have received countless international awards, including the LMA’s grand prize, the “Best of Show” honor, five times.

A 1986 member of the Federal Trial Bar (N.D., Illinois), he received his J.D. from Emory University School of Law.  Fishman Marketing is a Diversity Partner of the Litigation Counsel of America.

He has written two popular legal marketing books, both available on Amazon: “The Ultimate Law Firm Associate’s Marketing Checklist” and “We’re Smart. We’re Old. And We’re the Best at Everything.” He can be reached at ross@fishmanmarketing.com or 1.847.921.7677. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rossfishman Twitter: @rossfishman. Blog: fishmanmarketing.com/blog

Fishman Marketing is a Diversity Partner of the Litigation Counsel of America.

 

hamrickSharon P. Hamrick
Elliott Davis
Chattanooga, Tennessee

Sharon Hamrick currently serves as a Director at Elliott Davis in its Forensic, Valuation and Litigation Support service area. The majority of Ms. Hamrick’s time is devoted to the practice areas of commercial litigation support and consulting and forensic accounting. Ms. Hamrick has extensive experience in financial analysis and preparation of expert reports for state and federal courts, especially related to litigation involving contract disputes, breach of contract, manufacturing and supply disputes, wrongful termination, personal injury and wrongful death. She has provided litigation consultation services to both plaintiff and defendant attorneys in these matters.

Another practice area expertise of Ms. Hamrick’s involves forensic accounting matters, especially the deterrence and investigation of suspicions of corporate fraud. Ms. Hamrick has provided internal control assessments and suggested improvements for strengthening those controls, especially to non-profit organizations. She has investigated allegations of fraud in numerous businesses including manufacturing, check-cashing, financial institutions and medical practices. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and regularly attends the AICPA’s National Forensic and Valuation Services Conference, as well as other seminars and conferences related exclusively to litigation support, fraud prevention and investigation. She is also a member AICPA’s Business Valuation and Forensic Litigation Services Section, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), and the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA). Ms. Hamrick has made presentations on fraud prevention and risk assessment and has written numerous articles on these topics.

Ms. Hamrick has served on boards of directors of various not-for-profit organizations in Chattanooga, most recently serving on the Board Development Committee of the Girl Scouts of the Southern Appalachians.  She has also served as Senior Warden, Junior Warden and Treasurer of the Vestry at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, Signal Mountain, Tennessee.

Ms. Hamrick earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Middle Tennessee State University.

Elliott Davis is a Diversity Partner of the Litigation Counsel of America.

 

McDade

Brent A. McDade
Elliott Davis
Chattanooga, Tennessee

With more than 20 years of experience in the fields of business valuation and economic damages, Brent provides corporate valuation, litigation support, and investment banking services to companies in a variety of industries. His experience includes valuation services related to buy-sell agreements, employee stock ownership plans, estate and gift tax matters, fairness opinions, financial statement reporting, marital dissolutions, mergers and acquisitions and shareholder disputes. Brent specializes in the appraisal of equity securities, debt instruments and derivatives. He also serves as an expert witness in disputes regarding business valuation and economic damages in state and federal courts.

Brent is a recognized leader in the business valuation profession, as well as a noted presenter and speaker on the subjects of business valuation and economic damages. His speaking credits include presentations before the Institute of Business Appraisers (IBA), the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA), and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He assisted in the technical review of the AICPA’s Introduction to Business Valuation course, and he has served on the Valuation Forum Committee for the annual NACVA/IBA national business valuation conference.

His business valuation experience includes the appraisal of equity securities, debt instruments, and derivatives. He has provided valuation services related to buy-sell agreements, Employee Stock Ownership Plans, estate and gift tax matters, fairness opinions, financial statement reporting, marital dissolutions, mergers and acquisitions, and shareholder disputes. He has served as an expert witness in disputes regarding business valuation and economic damages in federal and state courts. His clients include public and private companies, and they range in size from local mom and pop operations to multi-national conglomerates.

Elliott Davis is a Diversity Partner of the Litigation Counsel of America.

 

Lea Carol Owen
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell &
Berkowitz, PC
Nashville, Tennessee

Carol Owen is a Shareholder in Baker Donelson’s litigation department. She handles complex civil litigation matters for clients in the financial services, automotive manufacturing, and healthcare industries.  In recent years, she has successfully defended a government entity against allegations that carcinogenic toxins had leaked from a landfill into the local water supply,  requiring $135 million in environmental remediation; two multi-national automotive manufacturers against toxic tort claims; a financial institution against claims alleging $20 million in damages based on the bank’s failure to implement anti-money laundering protections; and a hospital company in a $35 million breach of contract dispute, to name a few.

Ms. Owen received her B.A., cum laude, from Yale University, and her law degree from Vanderbilt University where she was managing editor of the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law and a recipient of the Grace Wilson Sims Medal for Editorial Excellence.  She served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert L. Echols, former Chief Judge, M.D. Tennessee.

She is licensed in Tennessee and Alabama and admitted to all federal district courts in Alabama, Tennessee, and Arkansas, as well as the 6th and 11th Courts of Appeals.  Ms. Owen is rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell®, has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2013, and in 2010 was one of 30 lawyers named “Best of the Bar” by the Nashville Business Journal.

Ms. Owen is a Senior Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a co-founder of the LCA’s Complex Commercial Litigation Institute, and the 2013 recipient of the Peter Perlman Service Award. She a member of the Trial Law Institute and the Diversity Law Institute.

 

PetruccelliMichael A. Petruccelli
Petruccelli & Osher, Attorneys at Law
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Michael A. Petruccelli received his J.D. from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, in 1987, and enjoys an AV Preeminent® rating in Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™, the highest rating this entity awards to attorneys. Mr. Petruccelli has been Board Certified in Civil Trial Law since 1998. Board Certification is the Florida Bar’s highest level of recognition of the competency and experience of attorneys in the area of Civil Trial Law.

Mr. Petruccelli has focused his practice in the area of medical negligence, trying many cases to conclusion before juries and arbitration panels. He also practices in the areas of health law, employment/whistleblower matters, and other high exposure civil matters, including legal malpractice. Mr. Petruccelli has also tried many cases to conclusion in the areas of premises liability, automobile liability, and civil rights.

Mr. Petruccelli is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has been recognized for the past several years as one of the top attorneys in South Florida and Florida in the area of medical malpractice litigation. Mr. Petruccelli is licensed to practice law in Florida and Tennessee, and is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida. He has published articles in the areas of medical negligence and other healthcare related topics, and also gives lectures on trial related matters as well.

Mr. Petruccelli is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. He is a member of the Trial Law Institute and the Diversity Law Institute.

 

WillisMarguerite S. Willis
Nexsen Pruet
Columbia, South Carolina

Marguerite S. Willis is a member of the Columbia, South Carolina, office of Nexsen Pruet, LLC. Mrs. Willis graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan and cum laude from the Stetson University College of Law. Following two federal clerkships, she joined the firm of Howrey, LLP in Washington, D.C., where she became the first woman partner in 1981. Mrs. Willis joined Nexsen Pruet in 2000 following her marriage to the then-Mayor of Florence, South Carolina, Frank Willis.

Mrs. Willis practices complex commercial litigation with a focus in the antitrust field. She has substantial experience in class action practice as well, practicing in both state and federal courts throughout the United States. Mrs. Willis’ experience includes serving as national counsel for a Fortune 100 company in its asbestos property damage litigation and for a major pharmaceutical company in over 4,000 cases involving claims of price-fixing and price discrimination under federal and state law.

Mrs. Willis is a member of the bars of the states of Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia. She has served as Out-of-State Governor of The Florida Bar, president of the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia, and president of the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association.

Mrs. Willis is President Elect of the Litigation Counsel of America, serves on the LCA Advisory Board, is a co-founder and Chair of the LCA’s Academy of Antitrust Law, and is a member of the Trial Law Institute and the Diversity Law Institute.

 

Approximately 8 hours of MCLE credit has been or will be requested, including at least 1 hour of ethics credit.  Certificates of Attendance will be provided to each attendee at the conclusion of the General Session.

If you have any questions regarding MCLE credit, please contact Julia Land at Julia.Land@litcounsel.org or 212.724.4128.

Sponsorship Opportunities Fall 2017

ARRIVING BY AIR

Bal Harbour is conveniently located between Miami International and Fort Lauderdale International airports, as well as the Miami and Everglades cruise ports.

Click here for directions from Miami International Airport.

Click here for directions from Fort Lauderdale International Airport.

PARKING

Valet Parking is available at the following rates plus tax and prices are subject to change without notice:

  • Overnight Parking: $44 USD per night
  • Day Parking: $25 USD

The 14,000-square foot Remède Spa is a masterpiece of style and refinement. Remède Spa offers a comprehensive menu of unique customized and results-oriented treatments. An oasis of refinement and tranquility, Remède Spa transports guests through its exceptional design and indulgent treatments. Featuring a striking design, unique and luxurious materials, Remède Spa sets a new standard for Miami spas, offering an exclusive treatment menu that embraces Bal Harbour’s chic, fashionable vibe and spectacular seaside location.

Remède Spa offers 11 spacious treatment rooms, as well as a Vichy rain shower room, Finnish saunas, and aromatic steam rooms. Additionally, guests can make use of separate men’s and women’s lounges and the state-of-the-art St. Regis Athletic Club with ocean views. If you prefer to enjoy your spa treatment outdoors, we offer private poolside cabanas; relax and immerse yourself in the warm sunshine and cool Miami Beach breezes.

Signature experiences at Remède Spa include the Bal Harbour 24-Karat Designer Facial, which begins with a copper-enriched peel and ends with a bejeweled sprinkling of luxury gold oil. The Bal Harbour Body Wrap employs Hungarian moor mud and nourishing sea salts to achieve softer skin. Additional spa services include massages, manicures, pedicures, and waxing.

Remède Spa has generously extended a 10% spa discount off regular treatments to our conference attendees and guests. (Please note discount may not be used in conjunction with any other specials or on already discounted menu pricing.) You must advise that you are with the LCA at the time of booking in order to receive the discount. Due to the high demand for the resort’s state-of-the-art spa facilities, you are strongly encouraged to make arrangements in advance. Should you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment, please notify the spa at least 24 hours in advance to avoid being charged the full service fee.

Please call 305.993.3300 extension 3600 or email BalHarbour.RemedeSpa@stregis.com to schedule a spa appointment.  

Please click here to view the spa menu and guidelines.

Events

2024 LCA Spring Retreat

April 17-19, 2024
Perry Lane Hotel
Savannah, Georgia

Event Registration

Commentary

Where are the Women's Voices by LCA Senior Fellow Sheryl L. Axelrod

Where are the Women's Voices by LCA Senior Fellow Sheryl L. Axelrod Read on

Awards

Thomas A. Mesereau Cup

Each year the LCA awards the Thomas A. Mesereau Cup to a deserving lawyer practicing in the area of criminal law. The award recognizes excellence and commitment at the highest level.

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LCA Scene

2022 Fall Conference & Celebration of Fellows

2022 Fall Conference & Celebration of Fellows Read on