Speakers: ILR In-Person Summit 2023

Harold H. Kim was elected president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) in December 2019, after nearly 12 years of holding a senior leadership position within ILR. While president, Kim also acted as general counsel for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce from January – October 2022. Under Kim, the Institute will continue to be a comprehensive, multifaceted global legal reform campaign with cutting-edge advocacy, research, communications, and voter education initiatives. Kim is responsible for providing strategy, policy guidance, programmatic management, and leadership for ILR’s comprehensive program aimed at improving the nation’s litigation climate. Before joining ILR, Kim was special assistant to the president in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. There he served as former President George W. Bush’s liaison to the Senate on matters involving national security, the judiciary, civil justice reform, intellectual property, and criminal law enforcement. During his tenure, he helped win confirmation for several of President Bush’s judicial and executive nominees and worked closely with Congress to advance the administration’s policy priorities. From 2003 to 2007, Kim served as counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, deputy chief counsel to the late ranking member Arlen Specter, and senior committee counsel for then-Chairman Orrin Hatch. During the passage of the 2005 Class Action Fairness Act, Kim was the committee’s chief civil counsel and advised Republican members during the bill’s committee markup and Senate floor action. He also advised committee members in the areas of asbestos, class action, medical malpractice, and bankruptcy litigation reform.

As executive vice president, chief policy officer, and head of strategic advocacy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Neil Bradley is responsible for the organization’s overall advocacy efforts. In addition to managing policy development for the Chamber, Bradley oversees its government affairs activities, political program, and relations with other business organizations. At the Chamber, Bradley has led the national discussion on hundreds of high-profile policy issues, influencing legislation at the federal, state, and local levels. He frequently appears on broadcast and cable news networks to present the business community’s priorities. Prior to joining the Chamber, Bradley spent nearly 20 years working in the House of Representatives, including 11 years working for the House Republican leadership. He served as deputy chief of staff for then-Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA) where he developed the legislative agenda for House Republicans, oversaw policy formulation in the leader’s office, and coordinated committee activity in the House. Bradley held the same position for Eric Cantor (VA) during his tenure as majority leader. Before that, he was policy director for House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (MO). After leaving Capitol Hill, Bradley founded Chartwell Policy Solutions, LLC, a research, analysis, and advisory firm focused on public policy issues. While working on Capitol Hill, Bradley was regularly named to Roll Call’s list of 50 top congressional staffers. The Hill recognized Bradley on its list of top lobbyists, and the Washingtonian magazine listed him as one of the Most Influential People in Washington. Bradley, a graduate of Georgetown University, resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with his wife, Kiki, and their son, Peter. He is a native of Sapulpa, Oklahoma

Arjan Waayer is Managing Counsel Europe, Middle-East and North-Africa (EMENA) in Shell’s Global Litigation team. He and his team are responsible for Shell’s litigation portfolio across Europe and the MENA region. His team is based in The Hague, The Netherlands, and Hamburg (Germany). Arjan read law at Leiden University (2000) and graduated in 2008 cum laude in Business Administration (MscBA) at Rotterdam School of Management. In 2000, Arjan started his career as a litigator in private practice and dealt with major construction disputes. In 2005 he joined the French energy company TotalEnergies, first in the Hague and later in Paris. In 2010 Arjan joined Shell in the legal corporate department and held various roles as commercial lawyer and legal manager. Arjan has worked in Paris, Brussels, the Middle East and Russia and he currently lives in The Hague where he is admitted to the Bar. Arjan Waayer is Managing Counsel Europe, Middle-East and North-Africa (EMENA) in Shell’s Global Litigation team. He and his team are responsible for Shell’s litigation portfolio across Europe and the MENA region. His team is based in The Hague, The Netherlands, and Hamburg (Germany). Arjan read law at Leiden University (2000) and graduated in 2008 cum laude in Business Administration (MscBA) at Rotterdam School of Management. In 2000, Arjan started his career as a litigator in private practice and dealt with major construction disputes. In 2005 he joined the French energy company TotalEnergies, first in the Hague and later in Paris. In 2010 Arjan joined Shell in the legal corporate department and held various roles as commercial lawyer and legal manager. Arjan has worked in Paris, Brussels, the Middle East and Russia and he currently lives in The Hague where he is admitted to the Bar.

David Meyerson serves as Director for State and International Affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform (ILR). In that capacity, he is responsible for legal reform advocacy efforts in state capitols throughout the western and mid-western portions of the US. Additionally, David is engaged in ILR’s work to curtail America’s broken legal system from spreading across the world – including efforts to ensure the successful launch of a new legal reform initiative in the UK. Before joining ILR, David was a public affairs consultant in London. Prior to that, he served as a Regional Political Director for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Mountain West and Pacific Northwest, where he oversaw AIPAC’s political and policy operations in the region. David is a graduate of the University of Arizona. He holds a JD from the University of Pacific-McGeorge School of Law and is a member of the Washington, D.C. Bar Association.

Based in Brussels, Belgium, Carolyn Blake offers bespoke consulting services for clients looking to navigate the complex web of EU legislative and regulatory processes. With a strong commitment to advancing the objectives of her clients, Carolyn excels in crafting strategic solutions that bridge the gap between government, private sector, and civil society. Before moving to Brussels, Carolyn worked for the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) in Washington, D.C., where she advocated for civil justice reform measures that promote economic growth and opportunity. Before joining ILR, Carolyn worked as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence as part of Break the Cycle. Carolyn holds a master’s degree in public policy from the McCourt School at Georgetown University and a B.A. in political science with honors from Texas A&M University. Carolyn is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa society.

Ken Daly focuses his practice on EU competition and EU regulatory matters across a wide variety of industries and business sectors, including film, music, media, broadcasting, professional and financial services, pharmaceuticals, sports, consumer goods, automotive parts, and transport. Ken has over 20 years’ experience in competition law, including advising on European Commission investigations in mergers, cartel and abuse of dominance cases, advisory work in relation to selling practices and market behavior, and all aspects of competition litigation. He is an experienced advocate and has advised clients in a variety of high-profile cases before the European Commission and national competition authorities and has represented clients in litigation before the EU Courts and national courts of EU Member States. In addition to his case work, a significant part of Ken’s practice relates to advising companies on how to interpret and navigate the EU’s law-making processes and regulatory regimes, including how to participate in the development of EU policy.  Ken’s practice includes advising on EU legal issues related to media, entertainment and sports, and he regularly counsels clients in contentious and non-contentious matters involving the protection and exploitation of intellectual property, the sale of media rights, single supply arrangements, governance issues, disputes, EU free movement rules, and disciplinary and regulatory investigations, as well as in relation to drafting and litigating commercial agreements. Ken served a four-year term as Secretary General to the International Court of Appeal of the world motorsports regulator, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). He has written extensively on EU law and policy topics, including distribution, competition law criminalization, cartel enforcement, and sports law. Ken is a regular speaker and contributor to conferences, including those organized by the American Bar Association, the Antitrust and Trade Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA), the IBA’s Global Forum for Competition Policy, and the IBA’s Eastern European Forum.  The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) awarded Ken the “Research and Policy Award” for his work on third-party litigation financing and class actions, as well as helping guide ILR’s efforts in the EU and the UK at its 17th Annual Legal Reform Summit. Notable practitioner Ken Daly is best known for his handling of EU merger filings. “He always manages to put his advice in simple terms and to find pragmatic solutions, and the way he addresses the issues is clear and succinct,” report clients.

Kate Shires is competition counsel at Google. During her career at Google she has worked on both national and European proceedings, including, most recently, on the CJEU Shopping appeal. Kate has also worked on Google's UK regional team, were she advised on a number of UK competition cases -- including leading on Google's first European competition class action. Aside from litigation, Kate advises on the DMA, provides strategy counsel on multi-jurisdictional claims, and manages regulatory competition matters across Europe.

Mr. Beisner regularly handles appellate litigations and has appeared in matters before the U.S. Supreme Court. Over the past 35 years, he has defended major U.S. and international corporations in more than 600 purported class actions filed in federal courts and in 40 state courts at both the trial and appellate levels. Those class actions have involved a wide variety of subjects, including antitrust/unfair competition, consumer fraud, RICO, ERISA, employment discrimination, environmental issues, product-related matters and securities. He also has handled numerous matters before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, as well as proceedings before various federal and state administrative agencies, particularly the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Mr. Beisner has advised on numerous high-visibility corporate crisis situations, including congressional hearings, federal agency investigations, state attorneys general inquiries and General Accounting Office reviews. Among others, he represented Merck in its Vioxx litigation. He also negotiated a settlement with state attorneys general regarding the Countrywide Finance/Bank of America mortgage lending practices investigation, resulting in a creative loan modification program intended to help more than 400,000 families maintain ownership of their homes. He was named Litigator of the Week by The American Lawyer for his role in this case. Mr. Beisner is a frequent writer and lecturer on class action and complex litigation issues. In 2013, he received the Burton Award for Legal Achievement, which recognizes excellence in legal scholarship. Mr. Beisner also has been an active participant in litigation reform initiatives before Congress, state legislatures and judicial committees. He has testified numerous times on class action and claims aggregation issues before the U.S. Senate and House Judiciary Committees (particularly with respect to the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005) and before state legislative committees. For his integral role in crafting the Class Action Fairness Act, Mr. Beisner was recognized with the 2011 Research and Policy Award by The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform.

Professor Maya Steinitz teaches civil procedure, international arbitration, international business transactions and corporations. Her research focuses on a wide range of topics including the intersection of civil litigation and corporate law, public and business international law, transnational dispute resolution, and the global legal profession. She is one of the nation’s leading experts on litigation finance. Her articles have been published by leading law reviews and law journals published by Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, Stanford Law School, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Vanderbilt Law School, Oxford University, and others. She has recently published a book about cross-border mass tort litigation titled “The Case for an International Court of Civil Justice” (Cambridge University Press 2019) and her next monograph, “Litigation Finance, Law Firm Ownership & The Future of the Legal Profession” has been accepted for publication by Cambridge University Press. She has recently been elected as a Member of the American Law Institute.Prior to joining Boston University Law School, Professor Steinitz held a dual appointment as an Associate-in-Law and Lecturer at Columbia Law School and served as a Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School, Tel Aviv University, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Prior to joining academia, Professor Steinitz served as a litigator at Latham & Watkins, LLP (2003-2009) and Flemming, Zulack & Williamson LLP (2001-2002). She also clerked for the Hon. Esther Hayut, currently the Chief Justice of the Israeli Supreme Court (1998-1999). While in private practice, Professor Steinitz led the representation of the emerging government of Southern Sudan in drafting its national and sub-national constitutions and provided legal advice on various aspects of the Sudanese peace process in what The Deal described as “one of the most ambitious international pro bono undertaking ever by a commercial law firm.” Today, Professor Steinitz remains active in international dispute resolution. She regularly serves as an arbitrator, expert, and counsel in international and domestic arbitrations and has served as a Member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and on the inaugural bench of the Israeli-Palestinian ICC Jerusalem Arbitration Center (JAC).

John K. Abegg serves as executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR). He is responsible for providing advocacy, strategy, policy development, and administrative leadership to support ILR’s extensive initiatives, particularly with respect to its federal program. Before joining ILR, Abegg was chief counsel to then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. There he managed the passage of multiple reforms to our civil justice system, including class action and bankruptcy reform legislation. He also worked on medical liability reform, immigration policy, intellectual property legislation, and law enforcement matters. In addition, Abegg oversaw the judicial confirmation process, including for six Supreme Court justices. Earlier in his career, Abegg served as legal adviser to a member of the Federal Election Commission, clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and was in private practice specializing in campaign finance litigation. Abegg received his law degree cum laude from Indiana University Mauer School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Indiana University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa

Deirdre Kole

Assistant General Counsel, Johnson & Johnson

Deirdre R. Kole is Assistant General Counsel, Litigation at Johnson & Johnson. She joined the company in 2016 and is responsible for the management of product liability litigation involving certain medications, medical devices, and biologics. Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, Deirdre was a partner at Drinker Biddle & Reath where her practice focused on the defense of pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers in product liability litigation.

Prasad Sharma’s practice focuses on state and federal legislative and regulatory advocacy work and an array of regulatory compliance issues. From the Firm’s D.C. office, Sharma leads legislative support initiatives and provides a legal liaison function to Firm clients seeking transportation and logistics industry national and state association outreach. He spearheads outreach efforts within the Firm’s network of industry leaders to align efforts to achieve legislative outcomes that protect the future of the transportation industry. He also counsels transportation clients on the complexities of arbitration in light of the Federal Arbitration Act’s transportation worker exemption and the challenges of complying with clean air and sustainability mandates. Prior to joining the Scopelitis, Sharma spent fifteen years as in-house counsel at American Trucking Associations, Inc., where he spent his last four years as ATA senior vice president and general counsel as well as ATA Litigation Center executive vice president and general counsel. During his time at ATA, Sharma helped craft numerous pieces of legislation at the federal level and, at the state level, most notably conceived the motor carrier anti-indemnification legislation that more than 40 states have since enacted. Before attending law school, Sharma worked for Senator Bob Dole (R-KS), assisting with foreign policy, trade, and defense issues. Sharma frequently presents on independent contractor issues, motor carrier regulations, and legislative and regulatory developments to businesses and organizations across the country. He is active in a number of national transportation trade associations and has served as outside counsel to the National Home Delivery Association, the National Tank Truck Carriers, and the Truck Rental and Leasing Association.

David J. Battisti is the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Penske Transportation Solutions, a leading transportation provider with approximately 45,000 associates and more than 400,000 vehicles and 1,300 locations worldwide. He leads the company’s legal team and supports across enterprise functions, including corporate, finance, mergers and acquisitions, international business operations, human resources, marketing, privacy, bankruptcy and real estate. He also serves as the company’s chief compliance officer, manages government relations, and is a member of the Executive Leadership Team. Battisti joined Penske in 1996 as corporate counsel. In the years that followed, he took on several successive leadership roles, including vice president and senior vice president, and has served as general counsel since 2015. He came to Penske from Duane Morris, a Philadelphia-based global law firm, where he specialized in complex corporate transactions and securities law. Battisti holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and finance from Susquehanna University and a juris doctor degree from The Dickinson School of Law at the Pennsylvania State University. He serves on Dickinson’s Trusted Advisor Group and is a long-time active participant in several industry associations throughout the country.A frequent presenter at professional educational seminars, Battisti has presented on numerous topics, including handling sophisticated mergers and acquisitions, negotiating foreign transactions and investments, transportation litigation strategies, drafting complex agreements, navigating COVID-19 and managing a company’s relationships with law firms. Battisti lives with his wife and two children in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Nathan Morris serves as the senior vice president, legal reform advocacy at the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform. He is responsible for legal reform advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. and in state capitols throughout the country. Before joining ILR, Morris served as Legal Assistant to the General Counsel of the United States Sentencing Commission and as Professional Staff to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where he advised legislators on antitrust, asbestos, bankruptcy, class action, data privacy, intellectual property, and other civil law and litigation issues. Morris is a graduate of Brown University. He holds a J.D. from American University’s Washington College of Law and is admitted to practice law in Washington, D.C.

Shannon Bream currently serves as anchor of FOX News Sunday with Shannon Bream on the FOX Broadcast Network. She joined FOX News Channel in 2007 as a Washington D.C- based correspondent covering the Supreme Court. In addition to her role as anchor, Bream is Chief Legal Correspondent for FNC and host of Livin’ the Bream, a podcast on FOX News Radio where she shares inspirational stories, personal anecdotes and an insider's perspective on actions and rulings from the high court. She is also a founding author for FOX News Books, the publishing imprint of FOX News Media. Notably, her debut title, The Women of the Bible Speak: The Wisdom of 16 Women and Their Lessons for Today was 13th bestselling book in adult nonfiction in 2021, according to Bookscan, and spent 15 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, five of which at number one. In March 2022, she published the second book in the franchise, Mothers and Daughters of the Bible Speak, which also rose to number one on the New York Times bestseller list, moving 200,000 copies within the first five weeks. The third book of the trilogy, Love Stories of the Bible Speak was released in March of 2023, and also spent multiple weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Prior to joining FNC, Bream worked as a weekend anchor for WRC-TV (NBC-4) in Washington, D.C., anchored the evening and late-night news for WBTV (CBS-3) in Charlotte, NC and held writing and reporting positions at WFTS-TV (ABC-28) in Tampa, FL. Before entering the world of media Shannon practiced law, specializing in race discrimination and sexual harassment cases. She is an Honors graduate of the Florida State University College of Law, and obtained her Bachelor of Science in Business Management magna cum laude from Liberty University. She and her husband, Sheldon, enjoy traveling, fly fishing and they describe themselves as “a tad obsessive” about college football. Their home is run by English Labrador Retriever, Biscuit Bream.

Tara Morrissey is senior vice president and deputy chief counsel at the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center, the litigation arm of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Morrissey has extensive government and private sector experience, with a particular focus on appellate litigation. Most recently, Morrissey worked at the U.S. Department of Justice as an attorney on the Appellate Staff of the Civil Division. At the Department of Justice, Morrissey argued numerous cases in federal circuit courts across the country. She served as lead government counsel in cases involving administrative law, constitutional law, health care, transportation, defense, and the False Claims Act. Morrissey also practiced law at Jones Day, where she was an associate in the Issues & Appeals practice. Morrissey’s practice focused on legal analysis, briefing, and strategy in complex trial and appellate litigation. She represented clients on a variety of matters, including intellectual property disputes, constitutional challenges, antitrust claims, and False Claims Act litigation. During the 2010 Term of the Supreme Court of the United States, Morrissey served as a law clerk to the Honorable Samuel A. Alito, Associate Justice. She also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Jeffrey S. Sutton, Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Morrissey graduated summa cum laude from Notre Dame Law School, where she served as Executive Managing Editor of the Notre Dame Law Review and received the Colonel William J. Hoynes Award. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in journalism from Ohio University’s Honors Tutorial College.

Oriana Senatore is senior vice president, research and strategic development at the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR). She oversees the research function of ILR and provides strategy, policy development, and legal analysis for its comprehensive program aimed at improving the nation’s litigation climate. She also leads and manages ILR’s annual Legal Reform Summit, which highlights civil justice topics affecting the business community. In addition to research and policy, Senatore manages a variety of ILR initiatives, including its trial lawyer advertising and data privacy projects. Before joining the Chamber, Senatore was a senior associate in the Washington, D.C., office of Drinker, Biddle & Reath, LLP, where she focused on directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and other professional liability insurance issues. She also worked as an associate for Shaw Pittman, LLP’s insurance group. Senatore received a Bachelor of Science degree in public relations, summa cum laude, from Boston University and her Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University School of Law. She is a member of the Georgia and District of Columbia bars. She resides in Northern Virginia with her husband and three sons.

Bill Dodero is Head of U.S. Law, Patents & Compliance (LPC) at Bayer. Bill was appointed to this role on Jan. 1, 2023. Bill is also a member of the U.S. Country Leadership Team.    In his role, Bill oversees six Centers of Expertise in U.S. LPC – Compliance, Corporate Law, Litigation, Safety and Environmental Law, Employment and Labor Law, and International Trade Services. Bill and the U.S. LPC team are responsible for ensuring compliant and innovative growth, reducing and intelligently managing litigation, protecting Bayer’s reputation and integrating business partnering.    Bill has spent his entire career with Bayer either as his client or as his employer. He has deep knowledge of the healthcare and agriculture industries, specializing in litigation, pharmaceutical, OTC drug and dietary supplement law, pesticide law, compliance and risk management, corporate transactions and business strategy.    Bill previously held leadership roles across businesses both globally and locally in the U.S. He served as Vice President and Global Head, Litigation, a role he took on in 2018. During this time, Bill led major litigations, including the U.S. glyphosate litigation.    From 2011 to 2018, Bill was Vice President and Global Head Consumer Health (CH) Legal where he served as the global chief legal counsel for the Consumer Health division, overseeing a global legal team of internal and external counsel in various countries and encompassing a broad range of applicable laws globally for OTC products, dietary supplements, medical devices, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.   Earlier in his tenure at Bayer, Bill held leadership roles of increasing responsibility including Senior Counsel, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, focusing on the Cardiology and Hematology, and the Women’s Healthcare franchises (2006-2011) and Senior Litigation Counsel for Bayer Corporation (2002-2006).  Before joining Bayer, Bill was an attorney at O’Connor, Cohn, Dillon & Barr (1996-2002) where he served as national trial counsel for Bayer.  Bill received his J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law. He resides in Boonton Township, NJ with his wife, Keri. Their daughter attends Penn State and is planning to attend veterinary school. Bill served on the Boonton Township, NJ school board for 9 years. He enjoys traveling, scuba diving, skiing, and hunting waterfowl.  

Dr. Meihls has worked as a trial consultant for over 40 years, having owned her own firm (Trial Partners) for 20 years before joining DecisionQuest. Lee is recognized nationally for her expertise in jury selection, witness preparation, and developing effective trial strategies. She has consulted on over 2,500 cases and selected over 400 juries around the country. She also served as an expert witness in a federal conspiracy trial. She has assisted clients in all types of litigation, including antitrust, aviation, bad faith, construction, contracts, criminal conspiracy, defamation, employment, environmental, fraud, insurance, intellectual property, legal insanity, murder, patent infringement, professional negligence, products liability, securities, sex-related crimes, toxic tort, trade secrets, and wrongful death. Lee selected the juries in many high-profile criminal cases, including People v. Michael Jackson (for the defense), People v. Danny Masterson (for the prosecution), People v. Robert Durst (for the prosecution), USA v. Michael Lacey, et al. (the "Backpage" case for the defense), Illinois v. Robert Kelly (for the defense in 2005), People v. Robert Blake (for the defense before trial started over), People v. Kelly Soo Park (for the defense, and featured on 48 HOURS), The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. John E. du Pont (for the defense), U.S.A. v. Governor Fife Symington (for the prosecution), and many others. In addition, she has worked on several civil matters with bet-your-company verdicts at stake and picked the juries for MGA Entertainment against Mattel ("Barbie v. Bratz") and for MGA in TI Harris et al v. MGA; for Kevin Spacey in Rapp v. Spacey; for Wi-LAN adv. to Apple, for plaintiffs Kohan & Mutchnick adv. to NBC (the Will & Grace case); for the defense in Wells Fargo v. USA; for defendants in Brian Stow v. Dodgers and Frank McCourt; and for Union Carbide (adv. Kelly-Moore Paint Co.) in which the plaintiff was seeking $6 billion dollars.

Sean Tarantino

Associate General Counsel, Litigation, Koch Capabilities LLC

Sean Tarantino is Associate General Counsel, Litigation at Koch Capabilities, LLC. In that role, he manages litigation and arbitration matters for Koch Industries, Inc. and its affiliates, including Georgia-Pacific, LLC. Prior to joining Koch in 2011, Sean practiced law in the Chicago office of the law firm Jenner & Block LLP, focusing on complex commercial litigation, white-collar defense, and investigations. He also previously served in the military as a trial attorney in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps, with assignments as a prosecutor in Fort Rucker, Alabama (concurrently serving as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama), and as a defense attorney in Fort Drum, New York. Originally from upstate New York, Sean earned a bachelor’s degree and a juris doctor degree from the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana. He is admitted to practice in Illinois and Kansas. Sean and his wife, Kathleen, live in Wichita, Kansas and have four children. Sean was honored in 2017 with a Top Litigation Counsel award from the First Chair Awards for In-House Counsel. He also received a 2010 Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service, awarded by the Judges of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

Tripp Haston chairs Bradley’s Life Sciences Litigation team and chairs Bradley’s Litigation team’s Client Engagement & Advancement efforts. He represents a broad spectrum of clients on regional, national and international engagements. He has been recognized nationally and internationally for his Life Sciences and Products Liability experience in numerous leading attorney directories, including The Best Lawyers in America^®, Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, and The International Who’s Who of Product Liability Defence Lawyers. Tripp has served numerous clients as national trial and coordinating counsel and as a national team member in individual actions, as well as in mass tort and multidistrict litigation. His experience has involved matters throughout the United States as well as matters in Canada, Europe, Asia and South America. Tripp is also active in the leadership of several legal and civil justice organizations. He is the past president of the International Association of Defense Counsel, an invitation-only, peer-reviewed organization of approximately 2,500 attorneys from more than 50 countries around the world. He has served as a member of DRI’s Board of Directors, the nation’s largest organization of defense counsel, as well as on the Board of Directors of Lawyers for Civil Justice, an organization comprised of leading corporate counsel and defense bar practitioners dedicated to promoting fairness in the U.S. civil justice system. He is the past chair of the Alabama State Bar’s Leadership Forum and the past president of the Young Lawyers Section of the Birmingham Bar Association. Finally, he is active in service to the United Way of Central Alabama and has served as an officer and board member of his community’s charitable foundation for its public schools.

Suzanne P. Clark is president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a director on two corporate boards, a former business owner, and an entrepreneur at heart. With a global perspective and a fierce commitment to free enterprise, Clark’s experience in the private sector deeply informs her leadership of the U.S. Chamber—the world’s largest business organization representing employers of every size and sector in Washington, D.C., across the country, and around the globe.  She is a vocal proponent for policies that enable businesses to innovate, invest, and grow and helps lead the fight against government proposals that undermine America’s economic strength and competitiveness. Under her leadership, the U.S. Chamber champions constructive solutions and builds coalitions around the issues most important to the business community. The U.S. Chamber’s work with leaders on both sides of the aisle helped deliver bipartisan passage of the most significant infrastructure investment in decades. The organization works closely with lawmakers to shape policy in some 300 issue areas, including workforce, legal reform, global trade, energy, and technology. Clark spearheaded efforts to dramatically increase support for small businesses through the creation of CO—, the U.S. Chamber’s award-winning digital home for small business. When the pandemic hit, the U.S. Chamber launched a massive mobilization to save America’s small businesses by proposing key policies included in the CARES Act, lobbying for and securing replenishment of the Paycheck Protection Program, producing dozens of practical guides used by millions of businesses, and creating the #SaveSmallBusiness grant program. In addition, Clark has helped drive the national conversation on issues central to managing, recovering from, and moving beyond the pandemic through the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s award-winning Path Forward program. In interviews with dozens of thought leaders and experts, Path Forward has reached tens of millions of viewers with practical information, insightful guidance, and forward-looking strategies. Clark’s commitment to free enterprise and understanding of the challenges facing America’s businesses stem from her experience creating and running a growing company. Prior to rejoining the U.S. Chamber in 2014, she acquired and led a prominent financial information boutique—Potomac Research Group. Before that, Clark was president of the National Journal Group (NJG), a premier provider of information, news, and analysis for Washington’s political and policy communities. Through 2010, Clark led NJG through a period of rapid digital transformation, resulting in record-level profits and multiple journalism awards. Earlier in her career, Clark served in multiple leadership positions at the U.S. Chamber, including chief operating officer, and as chief of staff at a major transportation association. Clark serves on the public company boards for AGCO, a Fortune 500 global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of agricultural equipment, and TransUnion, a provider of global risk and credit information. She also serves on the board of The Economic Club of Washington, D.C.  Other awards and recognitions include So Others Might Eat (SOME) Humanitarian of the Year (2019), the National Association of Corporate Directors Directorship 100 honoree (2020), the Baldridge Foundation’s Award for Leadership Excellence (2021), Washingtonian magazine’s Most Powerful Women in Washington (2019 and 2021), Washingtonian magazine’s inaugural Most Influential List (2021), Forbes 50 Over 50 (2021), and The Fund for American Studies Business Leadership Award (2021). Clark earned a B.A., magna cum laude, and an M.B.A. from Georgetown University. She lives in Virginia with her husband and their daughter.

Featured Speakers

Introductory Remarks

Panel 1: You Can’t Handle the Truth! Free Enterprise and The Rule of Law at Risk

Panel 2: We’re Not in Kansas Anymore: Curbing Liability Expansion in the UK and EU

Panel 3: Show Me the Money: Third-Party Litigation Funding Trends in the U.S

Panel #4: You Shall Not Pass: Commercial Trucking Under Attack

Panel #5: I’ll Be Back: Issues Facing the U.S. Supreme Court

Panel #6: If You Build It, They Will Come: Digital Trial Lawyer Advertising and Lead Generators

Panel #7: What, Like It’s Hard? Litigation Best Practices From the Experts