Fish is a past Chair of the ABA TIPS Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Committee and the immediate past President of the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network. He was selected by his peers as Birmingham Business Journal’s “Best of the Bar for Workers’ Compensation” in 2005 and 2006, “Best of the Bar” in 2021 and “Top 40 under 40” in 2009. He was selected as one of LexisNexis’ “Workers’ Compensation Notable People for 2010” and was only one of two defense attorneys selected in the nation. In 2012, 2013, and 2016, Fish was selected by his peers as one of Birmingham Magazine’s “Top Attorneys” in the field of workers’ compensation. Fish was the fourth Alabama lawyer to ever be inducted into the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers.

Judge Claude E. Hundley, III graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1984. He represented plaintiffs in Workers’ Compensation claims through his own practice in Guntersville, Alabama, and later companies and businesses at a defense firm in Huntsville, Alabama. He has been handling Workers’ Compensation claims through his appointment to the District Court bench in 2011, and in 2018, his appointment to the Circuit Court bench.

Mr. Nomberg has been a member of the Alabama State Bar since 2002. David primarily represents injured workers throughout Alabama in on the job accidents and workers’ compensation cases. David has earned an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell’s peer-review rating in civil practice, personal injury, and workers’ compensation. He has been selected as a Super Lawyer (2013-2022) for workers’ compensation. David serves as Secretary for the Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group.

WILLIAM E. PIPKIN, JR.

Bill is a partner in the Mobile, Alabama office of Austill, Lewis, Pipkin & Maddox, P.C.  He has a general civil practice, focusing on the defense of workers’ compensation, personal injury, and general liability matters.  Admitted to practice in Alabama and Florida, he is an experienced trial attorney in both state and federal courts throughout Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.  He is a member of the Alabama State Bar and served as Chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Section from 2006-2007.  He is AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been regularly selected for inclusion in “Best Lawyers” and “Super Lawyers”.  His other memberships include, the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association, the Defense Research Institute (Construction Law, Trucking Law and Workers’ Compensation Committees), National Retail & Restaurant Defense Association (NRRDA), and the Claims & Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) (Instructor, Claims College; Workers’ Compensation Advisory Board).  He earned the Certified Litigation Management Professional certification through CLM.  He served as Chair for the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Defense Research Institute from 2009 – 2011 and is a frequent speaker at professional education seminars on workers’ compensation, medical, and ethics topics.  He is Co-Chair of the National Workers’ Compensation Review Program for the WCI Conference.  Bill is an Eagle Scout and member of the Executive Committee for his local Council.  He is a founding member of the Faith Based Claims Association and is instrumental in organizing prayer breakfasts at claims events.  He is a Fellow to the American College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers.

Over forty years in Alaska, Michael Jensen has exclusively represented claimants. He has appeared before the ECAB and numerous times before the Alaska Supreme Court. Significant cases include melanoma caused by trauma and cancers caused by toxic exposure. He served on the Alaska Legislature’s Workers Compensation Task Force. He started the Kaladi Group consisting of claimant’s counsel advocating for workers. He presented at the Bar’s Annual Review of Workers Compensation.

I am an Administrative Law Judge for the State of Arizona and have worked in this capacity in Tucson Arizona since 1999. Prior to moving to Arizona, I worked as a defense lawyer in workers’ compensation in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

R. TODD LUNDMARK has been a member of the State Bar of Arizona since 1981. He received his B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Arizona in 1978, and his J.D. in 1981 from Arizona State University College of Law. Certified by the Arizona Bar as a workers’ compensation specialist since 1991, he is a co-editor and co-author of the Arizona Workers’ Compensation Handbook (State Bar of Arizona, 1992). He is also a Fellow of the American College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers.

Since graduating Law School, Jason has represented the residents of Northwest Arkansas in hundreds of depositions and bench trials. He has tried numerous cases to jury in Arkansas Circuit Courts and Federal Courts and have successfully reversed trial court rulings at the Arkansas Supreme Court and the Arkansas Court of Appeals.

Jason has a passion fighting for justice and fairness for Arkansans who have been injured at no fault of their own. Additionally, he has worked long hours attempting to educate legislators on the negative effect proposed workers’ compensation bills would have on injured workers and have testified multiple times to legislative committees in an attempt to keep a level playing field.

Mr. Zuerker’s practice is focused primarily on advising and defending insurance carriers and self-insured employers in workers’ compensation cases.

Ericka Dunn is a current partner in the San Francisco office of Hanna Brophy California, one of the original workers comp defense firms in California. Ericka received her undergraduate degree from UCLA and JD from Santa Clara University. She is certified for appearances before the California Supreme Court, 9th District Court of Appeals and US Supreme Court. She is currently serving as Vice President for the NWCDN.

Admitted to practice in 1974, Barry Harris Hinden has been protecting the rights and dignity and helping restore the self esteem of Injured Workers for 46 years. Currently he is Vice President of WILG (Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group), Past President of CAAA
(California Applicants’ Attorneys Association). He has authored over 75 books or publications and has conducted more than 100 seminars & podcasts teaching the principles of practicing Workers Compensation. He has been a Super Lawyer and Top Attorney for the last 12 years and a Fellow in The College since 2015. He was an Adjunct Professor at Southwestern University, an Arbitrator and a Certified Judge Pro-Tem. As the founding and managing partner of Hinden & Breslavsky, his passion is helping restore the dignity and self esteem to those who’s occupations and lives have been altered due to an industrial injury.

After Loyola Law School and the California Bar in 1999, Dan was appointed President of a group that merged with Workers Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG) to form a muchneeded powerful resource for federal employment law attorneys. Dan continues to serve with WILG leadership today, committed to making the FECA process better for everyone. He’s the president and managing partner of Brown & Goodkin, a federal employment law firm located in Southern California.

Mr. Marcus’ practice has been exclusively devoted to the injured workers in Sacramento and surrounding areas since 1976. He is known for his aggressive approach and his tireless fight for the rights of injured workers. He is a certified specialist in workers’ compensation per the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He is the past president of the California Applicants’ Attorneys Association (CAAA) and continues to actively serve on a number of committees, including CAAA’s Board of Directors and Legislative Committee. Mr. Marcus was named as the 2010 Applicant’s Attorney of the Year by the State Bar of California. In 2013, he was presented with the Eugene Marias Lifetime Achievement Award by the California Applicants’ Attorneys Association, the highest honor given by the organization. He is proud to practice alongside his son, Jason Marcus, who joined the firm in 2008.

John Parente is currently “Of Counsel” in the San Francisco office of Laughlin, Falbo, Levy and Moresi. Previously John was the founding partner of Parente & Christopher, a defense practice in San Rafael, California. He is a Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation having practiced workers’ compensation law for 43 years. He is a Judge Pro Temp at the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board since 1983 and serves as an Arbitrator and Mediator. John has extensive experience in representing self-insured employers, carriers and uninsured employers on regular workers’ compensation claims as well as 132a and Serious and Willful defense. John has served as a lecturer to the California Self-Insurers Association, California Continuing Education of the Bar, the California Lawyers Association Workers’ Compensation Section and the American Bar Association Tort and Workers’ Compensation Section.

Barry Pearlman, who founded Pearlman, Brown & Wax, LLP with a loan from his parents, started the firm as a sole practitioner on June 1st, 1984, specializing in employment litigation and workers’ compensation.

In addition to maintaining a full case load, he is the managing partner of the firm. Barry specializes in the litigation of complicated employment law and workers’ compensation defense matters, representing employers, insurance carriers and third party administrators. Barry also manages the firm’s “sport teams” unit, defending NFL, NHL and other teams for claims made in California. He is also recognized as an expert on coverage issues involving employment litigation and workers’ compensation coverage. He is exclusive counsel on LC132a discrimination claims and Serious and Willful Misconduct claims for a multinational employer. He is an experienced litigator with numerous successes before the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board and the Appellate and Superior Courts of the State of California.

As a respected member of the Employment Law and Workers’ Compensation communities, Barry is a frequent lecturer, speaker and instructor on current trends in procedure, law and strategy. His comprehensive approach in preventing claims has made him a popular speaker nationally to employers and insurance carriers. In recognition of his contributions and achievements in the field, Barry has been the recipient of the Warren H. Hanna Life Time Achievement Award and the Most Influential People in California Workers’ Compensation Award. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been selected as a Super Lawyer by Los Angeles Magazine for multiple years.

Out of his commitment to the legal profession, Barry has served as an Arbitrator for the State Bar of California for over 10 years. He has served on the Governor’s Workers’ Compensation Community Task Force and the Administrative Director’s Committees on Permanent Disability and Medical Provider Networks. Barry is a certified provider for continuing education by the Division of Workers’ Compensation Medical Unit and the California Department of Insurance.

In 2020, Barry received the highest possible rating in both legal and ethical standards from Martindale Hubbell (AV Preeminent).

Leslie Tuxhorn has been as Workers’ Compensation attorney since 1991. She has appeared before most of the boards throughout California representing public entities, self-insured employers and insurers. Her experience includes managing a statewide law firm with 14 offices. She now is devoting all of her time to a caseload and enjoying working with her clients.

Alexander Wong is a partner at Jones Clifford and is a certified specialist in workers’ compensation. He has worked as both a defense and applicant’s attorney. He primarily represents public safety officers and firefighters. He has served as the Chair of the California State Bar Executive Committee on Workers’ Compensation and has been recognized as Applicant’s Attorney of the Year by both the State Bar and California Applicant’s Attorney’s Association.

Katherine Poirier is a partner at BLG, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She practices Workers’ Compensation on the defence side and is a NWCDN member. She is a past Chair of ABA TIPS Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Committee. French-Canadian, proud McGill University Alumni, she also is a Chartered Human Resources Practitioner and a Best Lawyers honoree. Her practice also includes OHS, Labor and Employment Law & Privacy and Data Protection.

Attorney Andrew J. Morrissey is a partner in the Law Firm of Morrissey, Morrissey & Rydzik in Naugatuck, CT. Andy is a 1988 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law, and served four years in the United States Marine Corps. He has practiced in Connecticut since 1992. Andy and his wife Kathleen reside in Naugatuck, CT and are proud parents of Jake, PJ, and Amy Morrissey.

Richard L. Aiken, Jr. is a partner at Strunk Dodge Aiken Zovas. He is a certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist. Attorney Aiken is the recipient of the Connecticut Bar Association 2022 Pomeranz-O’Brien Award. He is a past Chair of the Connecticut Bar Association Workers’ Compensation Section and serves on the Legal Advisory Committee. Attorney Aiken is included in Best Lawyers in America and is designated as a New England/Connecticut Super Lawyer.

Donna Civitello is a partner at Carter and Civitello in Woodbridge, Connecticut. She concentrates her practice on workers’ compensation. She graduated from Yale University in 1978 and from the University of Connecticut School of Law in1986.

She is an author of Westlaw’s Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Law, and authored Injured on the Job, a handbook for injured workers and union representatives.

She is a Fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers and serves on the Chairman’s Legal Advisory Committee to the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission. She has been Editor-in-Chief of the Compensation Quarterly, a magazine for Connecticut workers’ compensation practitioners, and is currently a member of its Editorial Board. She is appointed to the Connecticut Legislature’s task force on undue delay in Workers’ Compensation.

She is a former member of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Workers’ Compensation Certification and now serves on its Examining Committee. She has been an adjunct professor of law at the University of Connecticut School of Law , where she taught a workers’ compensation course.

Donna has been listed annually in Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, since 1995 to the present, has been named a member of The Outstanding Lawyers of America, is named in The Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, and is a New England Super Lawyer. She has been AV rated by Martindale Hubbell for many years. She is a recipient of the 2006 ConnectiCOSH Irving Selikoff award. In 2016, Donna was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Connecticut Law Tribune.

Donna is married to her law partner Bob Carter.

Retired Chair of Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission.
Presently a Partner in firm engaged primarily in mediating Worker compensation cases.

Attorney Lawrence Morizio is president and CEO of Morizio Law Firm, PC. Lawrence graduated from Rutgers University (BA 1994) and Quinnipiac University, School of Law (JD 1997), respectively. Attorney Morizio has dedicated his practice to advocating for the rights of injured workers throughout Connecticut. He is accredited as a “Board-Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist” consistent with the qualifications outlined by the Connecticut Bar Association (2005-present).

Joseph J. Passaretti Jr. is a graduate of Rutgers University and Quinnipiac University School of Law. He is admitted to Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Attorney Passaretti is a Partner at the Montstream Law Group and has specialized in workers’ compensation defense since 1995. He has chaired the workers’ compensation section of the Connecticut Bar Association, and has been Editor-in-Chief of Compensation Quarterly. Attorney Passaretti has lectured for Lorman Education Services, NBI, Sterling and the State of Connecticut in the area of Workers’ Compensation practice and procedure and has been a Board Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist since 2001.

Attorney Passaretti was named Best Lawyers® Best Lawyer of the Year in 2014 – Workers’ Compensation. In 2019, Attorney Passaretti was inducted into the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers®.

Attorney Passaretti is the Editor of Connecticut Workers’ Compensation After Reforms, Sixth Edition (2015), Centennial Edition (2012), and Fourth Edition (2010).

Of Counsel to Morrissey Morrissey & Rydzik

Ms. Zovas is a founding partner at Strunk Dodge Aiken Zovas LLC, a firm specializing in workers’ compensation defense. She represents municipalities, self-insurers, and insured employers before the Workers’ Compensation Commission. She has an “AV” preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been named in New England Super Lawyers magazine. She holds leadership roles in the Hartford County Bar Association and is a J. Cooper Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation.

Anthony Frabizzio, is a partner with the law firm of Heckler & Frabizzio and concentrates his practice on the defense of workers’ compensation matters for carriers and self-insured employers. He graduated from Salesianum High School, obtained his B.A. degree from the University of Delaware and his J.D. degree from Dickinson School of Law. Mr. Frabizzio is a past Chair of the Delaware State Bar Association’s Section on Workers’ Compensation and is presently serving on the Workers’ Compensation Oversight Panel, Data Collection Sub-Committee, and Fee Schedule Sub-Committee. He previously served on the Governor’s Workers’ Compensation Task Force and is a member of the Defense Counsel of Delaware, Delaware State, and American Bar Associations. He has received the Community Service Award from the Delaware Bar Association. Anthony is a past Deputy Attorney General and has lectured on workers’ compensation for seminars sponsored by the Delaware State Bar Association, the Industrial Accident Board.

Maria Paris Newill is one of two Managing Directors for the Firm of Heckler & Frabizzio where she has worked since 1990 representing Employers and Insurance Companies in Workers’ Compensation matters before the Delaware’s Industrial Accident Board, Superior Court and/or Supreme Court.

Ms. Newill has held many positions within the Workers Compensation Section and Women and the Law Section of the Delaware State Bar Association including Chairpersons of each of these Sections. Ms. Newill also served on The Delaware State Bar Association Nomination Committee (3 year term). Ms. Newill has been a voluntary judge for the Delaware’s High School Moot Court Competitions and has worked pro bono as a Guardian ad Litem in Delaware’s Family Court representing children in foster care.

Stephen (Steve) Barbas graduated in 1979, in the top 10% of his class, and was a published member of the Loyola Law Review from Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans Louisiana. He has been licensed to practice Law in his home state of Florida since 1979. He is a Fellow in the College of Workers Compensation Lawyers since 2011, and has been Board Certified in Workers Compensation since 1994 to the present date. His practice initially consisted of representing Employer/Carriers , but evolved into doing both claimant and defense work, primarily because of him being bilingual in Spanish and English. He was the Senior Partner of the law firm which was started in 1982, until January 1, 2019 when he semi-retired and sold his ownership interest in the firm to his partners.

Geoff Bichler is founder and managing partner of Bichler & Longo and has represented First Responders in Florida for over thirty years. His firm played a prominent role in significant cases involving cardiac, PTSD, cancer, and repetitive trauma injuries for First Responders. Geoff spends much of his time in Tallahassee supporting legislation specific to First Responders and was instrumental in passing the PTSD bill in Florida.

Jacqueline Blanton Steele graduated with honors from FSU College of Law in 1994. She spent twenty-five years as a defense attorney and shareholder in the law firm of McConnaughhay, Coonrod, Weaver & Stern, PA. In 2020, she was appointed to the county court bench in Manatee County, Florida where she currently serves. Judge Steele chairs the Zehmer National Moot Court program to encourage student interest in workers’ compensation.

Terrence D. Delehanty is General Counsel of NCCI Holdings, Inc. His expertise is workers’ compensation, corporate, antitrust, and intellectual property. He’s a member of the Florida Bar and Michigan Bar. B.A. from Michigan State University, J.D. from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and L.L.M. from Boston University School of Law.

Jon L. Gelman is nationally recognized as an author, lecturer, and skilled trial attorney in the field of workers’ compensation law and occupational/environmental disease litigation. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has been involved in complex litigation involving thousands of clients challenging the mega-industries of asbestos, tobacco, and lead paint. Gelman is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (Thomson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (Thomson-Reuters). He is the former Vice-President of The Workers Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG) and a charter member of The College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. Jon L Gelman is a former member of the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI). He is also an avid photographer. Blog: workers-compensation.blogspot.com

Robert Grace is an equity partner in the Florida based law firm of Bleakley Bavol Denman & Grace. His defense practice includes workers’ compensation, personal injury and other casualty litigation. He is a graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law and subsequently received his LL.M from Boston University School of Law. His firm is the Florida member of the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network (NWCDN).

Judge Grindal graduated from Wake Forest University in 1991. He graduated cum laude from St. Thomas University School of Law in 1998, where he was placed on the Dean’s list for six semesters, received the Book Award in Workers’ Compensation Law, and graduated in the top 10% of his class. Judge Grindal is Board Certified in Workers’ Compensation and was appointed as a Judge of Compensation Claims in 2020.

Jeffrey I. Jacobs, a Board-Certified Workers’ Compensation Lawyer, is a Florida Judge of Compensation Claims. He previously practiced workers’ compensation law. Judge Jacobs served as Chair of The Florida Bar Workers’ Compensation Section, President of the Richard A. Sicking Inn of Court, and as a chair and a member of numerous other state and local bar committees. He is a member of the Florida Workers’ Compensation Hall of Fame.

Wayne Johnson is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of Michigan Law School. He has practiced workers’ compensation law since 1992. He became board-certified in workers’ compensation by the State of Florida in 1998. He handles state claims, longshore/defense base act claims and claims under the Federal Employees Compensation Act. Since 2012, his practice has primarily consisted of representing injured federal workers.

Judge Kerr was appointed as a Judge of Compensation claims in 2013. Prior to her appointment, she practiced as a workers’ compensation attorney in Miami for twenty years. Judge Kerr is a regular speaker and presenter at educational panels on Workers’ Compensation law and has a particular interest in promoting and mentoring emerging leaders to help ensure the strength of the profession for the future.

David W. Langham is Florida Deputy Chief Judge of Compensation Claims, a position he has held since 2006. His legal experience includes workers’ compensation, employment litigation, and medical malpractice. He has delivered in excess of 1,300 professional lectures, published over 40 articles in professional publications, and has published over 1,200 substantive blog posts regarding the law, technology, and professionalism. David is a student, a teacher, a critic, a coach and a leader. He lives in Pensacola, Florida with his wife Pamela Langham, Esq.

HONORABLE JOHN J. LAZZARA was a Florida Judge of Compensation Claims (JCC) for 28 years until retirement in May 2018. He served as President of the Florida Conference of JCCs (1997-99); The Florida Bar’s Workers’ Compensation Rules Committee (Chair) (1994-95); Appellate Court Rules Committee (2001-07), and Standing Committee on Professionalism (2007-13).

He was nominated twice for appointment to the First District Court of Appeal and appointed Interim Deputy Chief Judge (2005-06). In 2008, he co-founded and was Inaugural President of the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary (NAWCJ) and on its Board of Directors until 2018. In 2009, he was inducted Fellow of ABA-founded College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, sat on its Board of Governors (2011-16), and inducted Charter Member of the Florida Workers’ Compensation Institute’s Hall of Fame in 2012.

Judge Lazzara teaches Workers’ Compensation Law at Florida State University College of Law as adjunct professor and is a frequent speaker on a variety of workers’ compensation topics. He received his B.A. (’65) and J.D. (’67) degrees from the University of Florida, and is a certified circuit civil mediator available for private mediation, consulting, and speaking engagements on workers’ compensation matters.

Judge Lewis has been privileged to serve the people of Florida for the past thirty-five years. He has lectured extensively in the area of workers’ compensation law for The Florida Bar, voluntary associations and other legal organizations. Judge Lewis has also served as a moot court judge for legal competitions. In 2015, Judge Lewis was awarded the inaugural Vance B. Moore Professionalism Award by the Broward County Bar Association.

Mr. Longo is a partner in the Orlando office. A native Floridian, Mr. Longo has spent his legal career representing Florida’s injured, specializing in the representation of law enforcement and fire fighters. Mr. Longo received his BA from the University of Alabama and JD from St. Thomas University School of Law.

William H. Rogner was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 14, 1965. “Bill” was a 1987 honors graduate of the Warrington School of Business Administration at the University of Florida. He went on to the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law where he graduated, again with honors, in 1990. While at the University of Florida, Mr. Rogner was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha social fraternity, Florida Blue Key, and the Justice Campbell Thornal National Moot Court Board. After graduation Mr. Rogner practiced briefly with another firm before founding Hurley & Rogner, P.A. in 1992. The firm, now known as HR, Law, P.A., has grown to include six offices and nearly 100 employees. Mr. Rogner became a Florida Bar Board Certified Workers’ Compensation lawyer in 1996. Three years later he achieved Florida Bar Board Certification as an Appellate Lawyer. He continues to represent employers, carriers, and servicing agents in an active trial practice. In addition, he has handled nearly 500 appeals addressing myriad legal issues before the District Courts of Appeal, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Florida. Mr. Rogner is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is annually recognized as a “Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics. He was Chairman of the Florida Bar’s Workers’ Compensation Section of the Florida Bar from 2014- 2015 and he was inducted into the Workers’ Compensation Institute’s Hall of Fame in 2018. Mr. Rogner resides with his wife, Carmen, in Orlando. His daughter Sofia is an HR Law associate. His son Nicolas managed to avoid the practice of law. Mr. Rogner is an avid traveler, golfer, and sailor.

Howard obtained his JD with Honors from Florida State University. After clerking at a District Court of Appeals, he practiced with several insurance defense firms before starting a law practice representing injured workers. Mr. Scheiner was appointed as Judge of Workers’ Compensation Claims in 1995. Judge Scheiner obtained his certification as a Circuit Civil Mediator after leaving the bench and founded The Mediation Group. Howard is recognized as AV rated preeminent by Martindale Hubbell.

Board certified; American Inns of Court (workers compensation Chapter (founding President)

Richard S. Thompson is Vice President, Claims-Legal, for Zenith’s Florida operation and has managed the Claims-Legal department in Florida since 2004. He is Board Certified by The Florida Bar as a specialist in Workers'
Compensation law; AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell; and has practiced workers’ compensation law statewide for 25 years, including over nine years of service as a Judge of Compensation Claims in Orlando.  Over his
career, he has tried hundreds of cases as an attorney and has presided over more than 1,500 trials as a judge. Mr. Thompson served as president of the Florida Conference of Judges of Compensation Claims and is a past Chair of the Florida Bar’s Workers’ Compensation Section.

In 2011, he was elected as a Fellow in the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, a national organization recognizing the most accomplished workers’ compensation lawyers in the country. He is a frequent lecturer and author on the topic of Florida Workers’ Compensation law and has testified before and at the request of the Florida Legislature regarding workers’ compensation issues.

Education JD, Florida State University College of Law, (1988)
BS (Business), Clemson University, (1985)

Memberships
Florida Conference of Judges of Compensation Claims (1995-2004, President 1999-2001)
Workers’ Compensation Section of the Florida Bar (Executive Council Member 2004 to present, Chair 2010-2011)
Fellow, College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers (2011 to present)
Florida Insurance Council (Board of Directors 2005 to present, Executive Committee 2010-2014)

Mark A. Touby is a Board-Certified Workers’ Compensation attorney and the managing partner of Touby, Chait & Sicking, PL in Miami, Florida. Mr. Touby was the lead Trial Counsel and Appellate Co-Counsel in the 2016 landmark case Castellanos v. Next Door Company. He was inducted into the Florida Workers’ Compensation Institute Hall of Fame in 2019. In 2020, he became a fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. Mr. Touby is the recipient of the 2021 Justice Anstead Award for The Florida Bar Board Certified Lawyer of the Year.

Mr. Touby currently serves as Chair of Florida Bar Workers’ Compensation Section. He is the immediate past Chair of the Florida Bar’s Workers’ Compensation Board Certification Committee. In 2017, Mr. Touby became a member of the panel counsel for the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). He is a Past-President of the Florida Workers’ Advocates.

Dawn received her Bachelor’s degree from Washington & Jefferson College in 1992 and her Juris Doctorate degree from D.C. Law in 1995. She is a member of The Florida Bar, the U.S. District Court for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States. Dawn concentrates her practice in the defense of workers’ compensation, and labor and employment matters. Dawn is the Managing Partner of the Miami/Fort Lauderdale Office of Eraclides, Gelman, Hall, Indek, Goodman Waters & Traverso.

Dawn is a Past Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Section of The Florida Bar, a member of the Executive Council of the Workers’ Compensation Section of The Florida Bar and is Continuing Legal Education Chair for the Workers’ Compensation Section of The Florida Bar. Dawn has been named as a Fellow in the prestigious National College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. She is a member of the Broward County, Dade County and Monroe County Bar Associations.

Dawn is certified by The Florida Department of Financial Services as an instructor in Workers’ Compensation, and has lectured on multiple occasions at numerous conferences including The Florida Bar’s Workers’ Compensation Forum, The Florida Workers’ Compensation Institute (FWCI), The Risk Management Society (RIMS), PRIMA (Public Risk Management Association) and International Association of Rehabilitations Professionals (IARP) on various topics including ethics, and the administration and defense of workers’ compensation claims.

Dawn was previously the Vice-Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Rules Committee. Dawn is a Trustee with the Friends of 440 Scholarship Fund, and former Chair of the South Florida Chapter. Dawn is a founding member and Master at The Richard A. Sicking American Inn of Court. In 2017, Dawn was the first woman to have received the Frierson-Colling Professionalism Award.

Ann has practiced almost exclusively representing employers and insurers in workers’ compensation matters since 1981. Ann was President of the Boards of both Kids’ Chance of Georgia and Kids’ Chance of America. Ann chaired the Executive Committee of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the State Bar of Georgia, was editor of the Section newsletter, was vice-chair of the Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Committee of TIPS, was the recipient of the 2017 Distinguished Service Award by the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Georgia Bar and the 2018 Justice Benham Community Service Award from the State Bar of Georgia. Ann, also, serves on the Boards of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers and the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America.

Judith Ashe Blackwell is a 1984 graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law. She began her practice representing Employers and served as an Administrative Law Judge with the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation for six years. She currently works with Hasner Law representing injured workers throughout Georgia. She is a member of the Georgia Injured Workers’ Advocates and an avid volunteer for Kids’ Chance of Georgia.

Robert Bourne, a University of Georgia graduate,  earned his law degree at Georgia State University. While in law school, he worked for Governor Joe Frank Harris. He also worked as legal counsel for the Judiciary Committee of the Georgia House of Representatives. He has represented injured workers for 35 years and devoted much of his career lobbying for injured workers at the state legislature and executive branch of government.

Ms. Clarke began her workers’ compensation practice in 1983. She served on Governor Barnes Workers’ Compensation Advisory Commission, serves as a member of the SBWC Advisory Council and has served as a worker’s compensation Special Assistant Attorney General. She has also served as Chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the Georgia Bar. Ms. Clarke co-founded Mediated Dispute Resolutions in 2008 and has mediated hundreds of disputed worker’s compensation claims.

Mr. Eddings is past Section Chairman of the Georgia Workers’ Compensation Section, past recipient of “Plaintiff ’s Attorney of the Year” award, appointed by former Governors Harris and Miller serving on worker’s compensation study committees, member of the State Board’s “Advisory Council” Rules Committee, a founding member of the “Workers’ Compensation Claimant’s Association.” Mr. Eddings is a graduate of the University of Alabama and the Cumberland School of Law, Samford University.

John Ferguson, Jr., partner, Drew, Eckl & Farnham, workers’ compensation defense; B.A. with distinction 1973 University of Virginia; J.D. University of Georgia 1976; research editor Georgia Law Review; Chairman, Workers’ Compensation Section 1989; Chairman’s Advisory Council 1990-2012; Super Lawyer 2004-2012; Best Lawyers in America; co-author Workers’ Compensation Desk Manual. Married, three children, three grandchildren.

Marquette University 1971; Emory University School of Law 1976; Savell & Williams 1976 – present. Chairman GA SBWC Advisory Council Rules & Mediation Committee 1996 – present; Former Chair State Bar of GA WC Section and Atlanta Bar WC Section. Defense attorney.

Ben Gerber is a founder and currently the managing partner of the law firm Gerber & Holder. His practice is dedicated to representing individuals who have been injured while working. He is a frequent speaker on a variety of subjects related to workers’ compensation, is an active board member of WILG co-chairing conferences throughout the country, and is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia and George Washington University Law School.

We represent injured workers all over the State of Georgia.

Mark J. Goodman defends self-insured employers, insurance companies and governmental entities in Georgia workers’ compensation claims. With forty years of experience, he has handled hundreds of mediations and hearings. A recognized speaker and Best Lawyers in America honoree, Mark serves on the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation Chairman’s Advisory Committee. In 2024, he received the State Bar of Georgia’s Workers’ Compensation Law Section Distinguished Service Award.

Julie John has been practicing law for over 30 years and concentrates her efforts in the defense of Workers’ Compensation claims for employers, insurers, self-insurers, and self-insured funds throughout Georgia. She serves clients in many industries and has particular experience in city and county government, transportation and carriers, healthcare providers, manufacturing, small entrepreneurial organizations as well as charitable groups.
She has taken and defended hundreds of depositions including those of expert witnesses, injured workers, and employer witnesses. During her career, she has also handled hundreds of hearings and mediations throughout Georgia. She is a Certified Mediator and frequent speaker and author in the area of Workers’ Compensation law and mediation including topics on the defenses to workers’ compensation claims, limiting workers’ compensation claims, return to work issues, legislative and Board Rule changes, statutory employer issues, best practices for hearings and mediations, and handling catastrophic claims. Julie has served on the Rules And Mediation Committee of the Chairman’s Advisory Council of the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation since 2003 and is currently the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the State Bar of Georgia.
Between her tenures at Drew Eckl & Farnham, Julie worked at the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation from 1996-2002. During that time she was a Mediator and Public Information Officer from 1996-1998; an Administrative Law Judge from 1998-2002; and served as the Executive Director from 2000-2002. She was also on the Medical Committee of the Chairman’s Advisory Council from 2000-2003. Julie re-joined the firm in 2002 as a Partner and has been acknowledged as a Georgia Super Lawyer every year since 2004. She has also received an AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale Hubbell for her high ethical standards and professionalism. She has served on the Board of Directors for Drew Eckl & Farnham since 2014 and served as the Chair of the Board in 2016 and 2017. Julie is also a member of the Defense Research Institute and GDLA. In 2017, she was elected into the National College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. In 2018, she was selected by her peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America© 25th edition in the field of Workers’ Compensation in Atlanta.
EDUCATION
Samford University, Cumberland School of Law, J.D., 1987, cum laude
University of Tennessee, B.S., 1984, highest honors

Retired attorney formerly representing injured workers for 35 years

Mr. Leonard is the managing partner of the Atlanta, GA office of Cipriani & Werner, and defends workers’ compensation matters in Georgia. He is a member of the Georgia State Bar and admitted before all state courts in Georgia. Mr. Leonard is AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been included in Georgia “Best Lawyers” and “Super Lawyers” since 2007.

Ralph has been practicing workers’ compensation for over 40 years, primarily representing injured workers. He handles cases under Georgia WC. He handles cases nationwide for Longshoremen, Non-Appropriated Fund workers and those under the Defense Base Act. He has argued at all levels of these cases and has spoken for many years on topics covering the workers he represents. He has been selected as a Super Lawyer in Georgia for over 15 years. He is on many advisory boards involving wc.

Current Director and Appellate Judge for Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation (SBWC). Recipient of 2019 National Judge Comp Laude Award from WorkCompCentral. Previous Chairman of the Georgia SBWC (8 yrs.) Past President of the Southern Assoc. of WC Administrators (SAWCA). Served on Board of Directors for the IAIABC. Served on Board of Directors for the National Assoc. of WC Judiciary (NAWCJ). Serves on the Advisory Board for the WCI. Serves as an Advisory Committee member for WCRI in Georgia. Serves on Georgia’s Statewide Opioid Task Force. Served on Georgia’s Kids’ Chance Board of Directors.

I am a graduate of Northwestern University and Mercer University Law School. I have been practicing workers compensation law in Savannah, Georgia since 1986. I opened my firm in 1999 and since then my practice has consisted primarily of representing injured workers in both Georgia and Longshore claims. I also represent claimants in Social Security Disability claims.

Lynn Olmert’s practice focuses on workers’ compensation defense in the firm’s Atlanta office. She has extensive trial experience in general liability cases on behalf of insurance companies and their commercial insureds in both Georgia and Maryland. Lynn has significant first-chair jury trial experience and has tried numerous workers’ compensation cases. She frequently presents on workers’ compensation issues to employers, insurers and colleagues at the State Bar of Georgia. Lynn was selected to the Governor’s short list of nominees for the position of Administrative Law Judge for the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation. Prior to joining MGC, Lynn practiced law in both Atlanta and the Baltimore-Washington area. She currently serves on the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion committee.

Outside of the office, Lynn can be found crossing the finish line at a marathon or triathlon, as well as raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through Team-in-Training. She is also an active member of Mount Paran Church.

Jason Perkins received his JD from the University of Georgia. He is a partner at Perkins Studdard LLC with offices in Carrollton and LaGrange, Georgia. He focuses his practice on representing injured workers in workers’ compensation claims. He is a past President of the Workers’ Compensation Claimants Lawyers Section of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and a past Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the State Bar of Georgia.

Mr. Potter is a native of Atlanta. A 1970 graduate of Mercer University, he served as an officer in the U.S. Navy before returning to the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer where he served as editor-in-chief of the Law Review. Upon graduating magna cum laude in 1977, he joined Swift, Currie, McGhee &  Hiers where he has practiced since.  

His practice has included legislative and regulatory representation and defense of workers’ compensation and liability claims. Mr. Potter is past Chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the State Bar of Georgia, a member of the Defense Research Institute, and a member of the Atlanta Claims Association. He is a Fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers.  He has been recognized as a Georgia Super Lawyer annually since 2004, and as a Best Lawyer in America annually since 1999. 

He is co-author of Georgia Workers’ Compensation Law and Practice, first published in 1981 and now in its sixth edition, which he annually supplements.  He is Chairman of the Chairman’s Advisory Council at the State Board of Workers’ Compensation and frequent speaker at seminars.  

Mr. Potter is an avid golfer, has served as President of Druid Hills Golf Club, and has served in almost every role at Haygood Memorial United Methodist Church. 

Mr. Price has been practicing in the field of workers’ compensation since 1978 and during that time has earned many distinctions including the 2012 Distinguished Service and Professionalism Award by the Workers’ Compensation Section of the State Bar of Georgia and he received the first Kid’s Chance Volunteer of the Year Award.

A graduate of the University of Georgia (BA and JD), Gail Pursel practices workers’ compensation defense at Swift Currie in Atlanta, Georgia. She has an AV Preeminent Rating and is a Fellow in the Lawyers’ Foundation of Georgia, which recognizes attorneys whose careers demonstrate outstanding legal abilities and public service. She has volunteered for over fifteen years for Kids’ Chance, which provides educational scholarships to children of seriously injured workers.

Bryan Ramos is the founder of Ramos & Law, a litigation firm in Atlanta dedicated to Georgia’s working class. He is a fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, and is a registered neutral with the Georgia Commission of Dispute Resolution. Mr. Ramos serves on the Georgia Advisory to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, as well the Boards of Asians Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta; Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, and the North Georgia Low Income Tax Clinic.

Mr. Ramos is also the current Secretary for the National Filipino American Lawyers Association, and serves as the General Counsel to the National Federation of Filipino American Associations. He is also a Regional Director for the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project.

He graduated from Florida State University and earned his Juris Doctorate and Certificate in Advanced Legal Drafting at Mercer University.

Honorable Sharon Hurt Reeves is the Deputy Chief Administrative Law Judge of the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation. Before her appointment in 2017, she spent more than twenty years in private practice specializing in workers’ compensation and general litigation. She is a Board Member of the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary (NAWCJ). She is a graduate of the University of Georgia and the University of Georgia School of Law.

Ms. Sadow received her B.A. Magna Cum Laude in History and French from Tufts Univ. in 1978 and her J.D. from Emory Univ. School of Law in 1981. She founded Susan J. Sadow, P.C., now known as Sadow & Froy, in 1992. Ms. Sadow concentrates her practice on representing workers with serious or Catastrophic injuries. She has the distinction of settling a number of seven-figure cases. She was awarded a listing in The Best Lawyers in America from 2003 – 2025 and 2024 Lawyer of the Year – Georgia Claiments’ Workers’ Compensation. She was also named a Georgia Super Lawyer from 2005 – 2024. Ms. Sadow proudly served as Chair of the Atlanta Bar Workers’ Comp. Section and on the Board of Directors of both the Atlanta Bar Association and Kids’ Chance. She was appointed to the State Board Chairman’s Advisory Council Public Education Committee and proudly served in that capacity for 15 years. Ms. Sadow frequently lectures on workers’ compensation topics. She is a Registered Neutral with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution and serves as a workers’ compensation mediator for JordanADR throughout the State of Georgia

Represent employers and insurance companies in Florida and Georgia in the defense of workers compensation and legislative matters. Have served as the second President of the College as well as a member of the Board of Governors. Was a member of the Charter Class of the College following induction in 2007.

Born in the New York metropolitan area, Alex Wallach grew up in the Washington, DC suburbs of greatly influenced by the coverage of the Watergate scandal in the Washington Post.
He graduated cum laude with a BA in Political Science from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio in 1984. He is a 1987 graduate of the Emory University School of Law.
Alex has practiced the entirety of his career with the firm now known as GEORGE & WALLACH, LLLP and has concentrated his practice on representing applicants in Workers’ Compensation and Social Security cases. He has been named a Super Lawyer annually since 2008 and was inducted as a Fellow of the ABA’s College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in 2016.

Joe Amarilio is an Arbitrator with The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, appointed by Governor JB Pritzker and confirmed by the Illionis Senate. Previously, Joe was a partner at Elfenbaum Evers Amarilio & Zielinska, P.C., representing injured workers and their families. Joe’s commitment to Pro Bono services was acknowledged with an award for 20 years of distinguished service with The Center For Disability and Elder Law as a volunteer attorney and as a Board Member, as well as volunteer attorney with The Latino Union of Chicago and Chicago Volunteer Legal Services. Joe graduated from Northwestern University and UIC John Marshall Law School where he was the associate managing editor of The John Marshall Law Review. Joe is married and the proud father of three children, three granddaughters and a dog named Ziggy.

Howard Ankin is the founder of Ankin Law with a staff of 75 members concentrating in Petitioner’s workers’ compensation and liability injury cases throughout Chicagoland and the State of Illinois. Howard is a board member of ITLA and co-chairs the WC section, Governor for AAJ and VP WC Section, ISBA WC Board Section Member, and President of UIC Law Alumni.

I have represented injured persons for 40 years.

Appointed IWCC Chairman by Governor Pritzker in 2019, Michael J. Brennan led the creation of the agency’s paperless filing system, virtual status calls and pre-trial hearings. Practicing since 1977, with cases reported by the Illinois Appellate, Supreme and the US Supreme Court, he co-authored Larson’s Illinois and other publications. He is a qualified expert, recognized by his peers’ multiple times and a member of the WCLA and the CBA.

Rosario Cibella has been practicing in the area of workers’ compensation defense in Illinois and Indiana for 39 years. He is currently the owner of Rosario Cibella & Associates LTD which employs five attorneys all practicing Workers Compensation defense. While in law school, he worked as a clerk for a firm handling workers’ compensation claims and has been practicing in that area since that time. The firm represents self insureds, insurance carriers and TPAs.

During his education process, he worked in the grocery industry, sales, and construction industry as a laborer in the summers gaining invaluable experience in the subtleties and day-to-day experiences of those employees and their employers. He has been able to translate that experience into formulating practical every day vigorous defenses to workers’ compensation claims.

He has been nominated as a LEADING LAWYER since 2009 and has received the Martindale-Hubble AV rating, which is the highest possible peer review rating in legal ability and ethical standards, since 1995.

Ron was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1983. Since that time he has practiced Workers Compensation, Social Security Disability and Personal Injury Law. He has successfully represented thousands of working people. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been recovered helping to support working families.

Ron has served as technical adviser to the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives on Workers Compensation legislation. He has served on the Board of the Illinois Trial Lawyers and spoken at their seminars. Ron was elected to a Fellowship in the National College of Workers Compensation Lawyers. This College is an honor for those lawyers who have demonstrated a lifetime commitment to teaching and developing the law of Workers Compensation.

Mr. DeVriendt attended DePaul University and received his JD in 1976. He was admitted to Federal Court in March 1984. He practiced Workers’ Compensation, representing both Petitioners and Respondents. Mr. DeVriendt was appointed to Illinois Workers’ Compensation Arbitrator from 2004 to 2011 and to the Commission from 2011 to 2019. He is married to Judith DeVriendt, attorney and owner of DeVriendt & Associates in Joliet IL. They have four wonderful children.

Mr. Doerries has specialized in the field of workers’ compensation law over the past 37 years, representing clients in a variety of industries, including hospitals, municipalities,  staffing agencies, national restaurant chains, and manufacturers. He served as president of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Association in 2011, presents tutorials on workers’ compensation law to third-party administrators and insurance carriers, and is a contributing author for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE).

Joseph A. Garofalo is a dedicated husband, brother, partner, mentor, friend, trial lawyer, and writer.

He is a graduate of North Park College (magna cum laude, 1974) and DePaul University School of Law (1977). He was admitted to practice law in Illinois before the US District Court, Northern District of Illinois, in 1977 (subsequently including the Federal Trial Bar). He was admitted to practice before the US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, in 1989. After working as an associate in a firm for seven years, in 1984 he co-founded his own law firm, now called Garofalo, Schreiber, Storm & Grant, Chartered.

Throughout his career, he concentrated his practice in the area of workers’ compensation and employers’ liability, defending employers and insurance companies. He has extensive litigation experience before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, the circuit court, the appellate court, and the Illinois Supreme Court. He has lectured on the topic of workers’ compensation defense before the Chicago Bar Association and a variety of business groups and has presented seminars for insurance professionals and self-insured professionals. He also served as an arbitrator in the Circuit Court of Cook County mandatory arbitration program (1990–present).

He is “AV Preeminent” as rated by Martindale-Hubbell, and his firm’s biography is presented in Best’s Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys. He has been selected as one of Illinois’s Leading Lawyers, where he is an advisory board member (2006–21) and one of Illinois’s Super Lawyers (2008–21). He was inducted into the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in 2011. Old Republic Construction Program Group named him as the 2014 Midwest Region’s Workers’ Compensation Attorney of the Year. In 2018 Leading Lawyers selected him as the 2nd Highest Ranked Illinois Workers’ Compensation Defense Attorney in Illinois. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association, and the Justinian Society of Lawyers.

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he lives with his wife, Toni, residing in Park Ridge, Illinois.

Toney Tomaso, a shareholder at Heyl Royster, led the Workers’ Compensation Practice Group for ten years and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Committee for DRI. He emphasizes a collaborative defense strategy for workers’ compensation claims, actively engaging with insureds and carriers/TPAs to optimize outcomes. Additionally, Toney is a committed member of the Foundation Board for the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club, fostering hope and opportunity for children in need.

Christine Jagodzinski is an accomplished trial attorney with over twenty-two years of experience in workers’ compensation matters. She serves Nyhan, Bambrick, Kinzie, and Lowry as a member of the Board of Directors. Her competitive nature drives her to consistently obtain favorable outcomes in all of her cases. Christine is continuously recognized by Law Bulletin Media as a “Leading Lawyer in Workers’ Compensation Defense Law.”

Richard K. Johnson dedicates his practice to assisting injured workers’ obtain benefits under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act. He practices throughout the State of Illinois. Mr. Johnson’s law firm represents several prominent unions and he is especially adept at coordinating the benefits of the union contract with Workers’ Compensation benefits. He is AV rated by his peers, which reflects his deep understanding of the law and his high ethical standards. Mr. Johnson played an important role in developing the theory of repetitive trauma in Illinois. He has lectured throughout the US to lawyers in continuing education seminars. He is the Author of the Chapter, “Occupational Diseases Act” for the Illinois Trial Lawyers Notebook and Author of the Chapter, “DIsability Evaluation” for the IICLE Workers’ Compensation Handbook. Additional awards include being named to “Best Lawyers in America”, Illinois Super Lawyers and Leading Lawyers.

Since graduating law school in 1976, Mr. Marszalek has represented injured workers throughout the state of Illinois. Having been a union member and walked picket lines for several years before becoming a lawyer, Mr. Marszalek is very familiar with the problems associated with a workers’ compensation claim being fought by a “difficult” employer. He has prosecuted workers’ compensation cases for injured workers throughout the state of Illinois before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission on arbitration and review, before the Circuit Courts throughout Illinois, the Illinois Appellate Court, and even the Illinois Supreme Court.

Bar/Professional Association Involvement:

• Illinois Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association
• Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
• Chicago Bar Association
• Workers’ Compensation Law Committee of the Chicago Bar Association
• Social Security Disability Law Committee of the Chicago Bar Association
• NOSSCR (National Organization Of Social Security Claimant’s Representatives)

I was raised in NYC, graduated from Cornell and Boston University. I am admitted in Illinois the Central and Northern District., including the trial bar. and the United States Supreme Court. I am an ABA life Fellow. My practice is concentrated in advising employers on all labor and employment issues. I also represent C suite executives in separation from their employer an in their new executive employment agreement

My specialty is occupational disease defense.

I am in my 45th year of practice and my 15th as a sole practitioner representing claimants only in workers’ compensation claims. I am a Board member of WILG and a panel member on the NFLPA, MLS, and PHPA panels of attorneys. I was selected as a Leading Lawyer and enjoy an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Sonia Das Sturm defends employers before the Worker’s Compensation Board of Indiana. She has experience advising clients and litigating all disputes before the Board. She guides employers and insurance adjusters on compliance with the requirements of the Worker’s Compensation Act, mediates settlements, tries claims in formal hearings, makes argument to the Full Board, and handles all aspects of any appeals. She also has experience litigating worker’s compensation issues in civil courts, including the exclusive remedy defense, threshold questions (employee vs independent contractor, secondary liability), and coverage. She is a frequent author and speaker on worker’s compensation topics, and has served as the Chair of the Worker’s Compensation Section of the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana. In 2017, she also began representing employers before the Workers Disability Compensation Agency in Michigan. Sonia practices at the law firm of Lewis Wagner in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Experienced litigator with dual-state licensure (IN, IL) and practice-area expertise spanning worker’s compensation, personal injury and general civil law. Passionately represents client interests, working to provide positive resolutions to complex legal matters. Proven success achieving favorable verdicts, awards and settlements.

Mr. Fanning limits his practice to Indiana Worker’s Compensation law. He authored the Worker’s Compensation Handbook published by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Layman’s Guide to Worker’s Compensation published by the Indiana Manufacturer’s Association. He is a frequent speaker regarding worker’s compensation issues and has authored numerous articles for business, medical and insurance groups as well as for the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum. Mr. Fanning was a resource panel Chairman for the Governor’s Task Force on Worker’s Compensation and Occupational Disease Law Reform, a founder of the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Defense Association, a past Chairman of the Worker’s Compensation Section of the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana and a past Executive Director of the Indiana Self-Insurers Association.

ROGER B. FINDERSON

Roger Finderson has practiced law in Indiana since October of 1993.  His firm, Finderson Law LLC, is working to open a new office in St. Augustine, Florida.  Mr. Finderson is a plaintiff’s lawyer, focusing his practice on Personal Injury, Workers Compensation, Social Security Disability and Adoptions.  He is admitted to practice in Indiana and Florida.  He earned his undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Brandeis University in 1990, where he played varsity basketball, and his law degree from Indiana University, Bloomington in 1993.  Happily married, he and his wife Terra have three children, Delaney, Zaira and D’Artagnan.

Roger is a member of the American Association for Justice, Worker’s Injury Law & Advocacy Group currently serving as its Treasurer, College Of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, Florida Justice Association, Indiana State Bar Association and the Florida Bar.

Roger has presented at multiple CLE seminars for the American Association For Justice, the Worker’s Injury Law & Advocacy Group, the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Foundation and Allen County Bar Association on topics such as Ethics of Social Media Advertising, the Paperless Office, the Top 10 tips for Opening Your New Firm, Workers’ Comp in a GIG Economy, and Work Comp Case Selection.

Daniel G. Foote, born in 1969 in Rockford, Illinois, has practiced law for over twenty-five years. A National Merit Scholar, he completed undergraduate work with the Honors Division at Indiana
University, earning a B.A. in Political Science, a Certificate in Latin American Studies, and a minor in Spanish. He graduated as a member of the Mortar Board Senior Honor Society. In 1993, Dan enrolled as a part-time evening student at the Indiana University School of Law, earning his J.D. and passing the Indiana bar examination in 1997.

In 1997, Dan began his legal career at the Indianapolis firm of Locke Reynolds, LLP, where he focused his practice on worker’s compensation and occupational disease cases, civil litigation, and appeals.

In 2005, Governor Mitch Daniels appointed Dan to the Worker’s Compensation Board of Indiana, where he serves as an Administrative Law Judge. He hears work injury and occupational disease cases in the northeastern region of Indiana and, with his fellow Board members, hears administrative appeals.

Since his appointment to the Board in 2005, Dan has maintained a private practice devoted to
civil litigation, appellate matters, and alternative dispute resolution. He has tried numerous
civil cases, appeared in over fifty appellate matters, and argued before the Indiana Court of
Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court.

In 2016, Dan completed mediation training and became a Registered Civil Mediator. He enjoys public speaking and is a frequent lecturer on Indiana law. In 2020 and 2021, Dan presented a series of training courses to newly-hired Administrative Law Judges. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the I.U. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis, where he teaches Federal Administrative Law.

Over the years, Dan has served in a wide variety of civic roles. He was accredited as an observer of transitional elections in Nicaragua (1990) and El Salvador (1994). In the late 1990s, Dan produced and hosted a weekly public radio program dedicated to international music. From 2012 and 2018, Dan used his Spanish skills as a volunteer with Operation Walk Midwest, a not-for-profit group of orthopedic surgeons providing joint replacement surgeries to patients in Nicaragua and Guatemala. Dan is also a member of the Indiana Council on World Affairs.

Chair, Worker’s Compensation Board of Indiana

Representation of injured Workers, Mediation and Adjunct Professor Valparaiso University School of Law.

Mike is an active member in workers’ compensation specific organizations, including the Indiana Workers’ Compensation Institute and the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana, workers’ compensation section. He has taken an active leadership role in the DTCI work comp section by serving as President on two separate occasions, writing articles and doing seminars and presentations to various Workers Compensation groups and clients. He regularly attends DTCI work comp section meetings and functions, and interacts with other lawyers in the State that defend workers’ compensation claims. As a registered civil mediator, Mike enjoys working with both the plaintiff and defense bars, in resolving complicated disputes. Additionally, he regularly works with the Workers’ Compensation Board members and representatives, as they development new policies and procedures, and implement modernization of the handling of claims at the Workers’ Compensation Board.

Karl Veracco is a partner with Carson, LLP, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Mr. Veracco represents employers and also serves as a mediator. Mr. Veracco has been named a Super Lawyer and a Best Lawyer for several years. He graduated from Purdue University (1988) and earned his Masters of Public Administration from the Indiana University School of Public and Environment Affairs (1992). He earned his law degree from Indiana University School of Law, Bloomington (1992).

Mr. Kearney, a partner with Hunt Suedhoff Kearney LLP, has been representing employers and insurance companies before the Worker’s Compensation Board of Indiana for more than thirty years. He is a member of the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana (DTCI) and is a frequent speaker at Continuing Legal Education seminars on worker’s compensation topics. He is a 1986 graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law.

Mr Maudlin graduated from the Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis cum laude in 1995. He associated with a large Firm in Indianapolis where he represented employers in worker’s compensation matters for 7 years. In 2003, he moved to New Harmony, Indiana, a small town, where he now represents employees. He also served as Town Attorney for New Harmony for 10 years. He is licensed to practice in Indiana and Illinois.

Sharon Murphy has represented a wide range of employers throughout the state of Indiana in defense of workers’ compensation claims at all levels of litigation. She represented primarily small governmental units, schools, fire and police departments. She was an original founding member of the College (inducted in 2007) and served as its President from 2011-2013. She has been a leader in the ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section for many years.  Sharon retired from the practice of law in April of 2022.

Craig Van Schouwen graduated from the DePaul College of Law in 1991. He was admitted to the Indiana bar that same year. He concentrates his practice on plaintiffs’ Workers’ Compensation law. He takes pride in helping people get the medical treatment and benefits they need. He serves on the board of directors of Kids’ Chance, a national organization committed to scholarship funding for children with a parent who has been injured in catastrophic workplace accidents. He lives and works in Valparaiso Indiana.

Diana Wann has practiced law since 1990, primarily in the defense of worker’s compensation claims in Indiana. She is counsel with Jackson Kelly, PLLC, the charter Indiana member of National Worker’s Compensation Defense Network for which she served as board member and president, a fellow in the College of Worker’s Compensation Lawyers, Chair of the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana, former co-chair of the ABA Labor and Employment Law Worker’s Compensation Committee, and a founding member of Kids Chance of Indiana.

She is a graduate of Indiana University McKinney School of Law and has a B.S. from Indiana University – Purdue University.

Steve Spencer obtained his JD with distinction from the University of Iowa in 1980. Steve Spencer is a problem solver and finds great pleasure in being an attorney when he is able to assist clients in reaching a prompt and fair resolution of their disputes. He focuses his time and energy on workers’ compensation matters. Steve has practiced law solely in the area of workers’ compensation for over thirty years.

Washburn Law 1971; University if Kansas 1968. Past chair Kansas City Metro Bar Workers committee and past chair of the Missouri Bar Workers compensation committee. Contributor to Mo Bar workers compensation desk book. Frequent speaker to bar and business groups regarding workers compensation and related issues.

Eric Lanham has been representing employers and insurance carriers in defending workers’ compensation claims since 1993. His experience encompasses all areas of workers’ compensation practice, and he works with clients to identify and implement ways to reduce the number and severity of workers’ compensation claims. His expertise is in handling complex workers’ compensation claims, defining the limits of workers’ compensation and employer’s liability policies, and protecting his clients’ subrogation interests.

Mr. Lanham is a shareholder with the firm. He has served as the firm’s President and CEO and has been its managing partner. Mr. Lanham is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell and is admitted to practice law in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. He has served on numerous boards and committees.

Chris McCurdy is a shareholder and Workers’ Compensation Department head at Wallace Saunders, a medium-sized law firm headquartered in Overland Park, KS, with offices in Kansas and Missouri. Chris is a 1995 Washburn University Law School graduate. Chris has focused his practice upon representation of employers, insurance carriers and self-insureds in workers compensation matters.

After graduating from Law School from the University of Kansas School of Law and being admitted to the bar, I pursued a general civil and criminal trial practice, including both prosecution and defense of workers’ compensation claims, for approximately eleven years before moving to a new community and serving as a prosecutor. After four years as a prosecutor, I joined the Kansas Department of Human Resources (now, Kansas Department of Labor).

I have been serving the agency as an Administrative Law Judge since 1995. I joined the faculty of the National Judicial College in 2009, and became a Fellow in 2016. I am a past President of the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary.

Cliff Stubbs focuses his practice on representing self-insured employers, third-party administrators, and insurance carriers in the defense of workers’ compensation claims in Kansas and Missouri. This includes public and private employers, school districts, manufacturers, restaurant chains, retail employers, distribution companies, medical and pharmaceutical companies, security providers, hotel chains, service providers, and others.

Mr. Stubbs handles complex matters involving medical causation, permanent total disability, work disability, Medicare Set-Aside, medical bill liens, and social security disability offset issues. He is responsible for the largest single fraud fine ever against a claimant in a Kansas-litigated workers’ compensation case.

Mr. Stubbs has chaired the American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Law General Committee. He has served on the Executive Counsel and Board of Governors for the Wyandotte County Bar Association, the Kansas Bar Association, the American Bar Association-YLD, and the American Bar Association-TIPS.

Bill Townsley practices workers’ compensation law at Fleeson, Gooing, Coulson & Kitch in Wichita, Kansas primarily representing employers and insurance carriers. He is a past-president of the Wichita Bar Association, the Kansas Bar Association Litigation and Insurance sections, and the Wesley Brown Inn of Court. He is listed in Kansas/Missouri Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America.

Chris Evensen graduated from the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville with honors, Cum Laude,  in 1999.  In October of 1999, Mr. Evensen was admitted to practice Law in Kentucky and began with a local firm representing injured people in workers’ compensation claims and other personal injury matters.  In 2008, Mr. Evensen began the Evensen Law Office focusing his practice on helping individual with workers’ compensation claims.  Since then, Mr. Evensen has represented over a thousand individuals in workers’ compensation claims.  Mr. Evensen served as the Chair of the Kentucky Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation Section for 2014-2015, and has been President of the Kentucky Workers’ Association since 2020.  Mr. Evensen received a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating 2011; has been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 2009; has been named a “Top Lawyer” in the Louisville Magazine in Workers’ Compensation since 2010; has been listed in Kentucky’s Best Lawyers in the field of Workers’ Compensation since 2011; has been recognized in Super Lawyers Magazine since 2013; and, in 2024, was selected by his peers as the 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” in Workers’ Compensation Law for injured workers in Louisville.

Areas of Concentration

• Workers’ Compensation
• Governmental Affairs

Education

• University of Kentucky, B.A. (Journalism), 1978
• Salmon P. Chase College of Law, J.D.,1982 

Admitted to Practice

• Commonwealth of Kentucky, 1982
• United States District Court, Eastern District, 1984

Associations

• Kentucky Bar Association,  Workers’ Compensation Section, President (1994-1995);
• Northern Kentucky Bar Association; Kentucky Bar Foundation, Charter Life Fellow  

Faculty Appointment

• Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Adjunct Professor (Ky. Workers’ Compensation Law), 1986-1996

Memberships/Achievements 

• Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent Rated
• 50 Most Influential People Nationally, Workers’ Compensation, 2014 (SEAK)
• College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, Fellow, Inaugural Class, 2007 
• The Best Lawyers in America, 2003-2023          
• U.S. News– Best Law Firms, H. Douglas Jones, 2016-2022
• LexisNexis Workers’ Compensation Law Center, “Workers’ Compensation Notable People, 2009”
• National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network (NWCDN.com), Charter Member, 2006-present; Board of Directors, 2007-2010
• Kentucky “Super Lawyers,” 2008-2024
• Kentucky Chamber of Commerce; Leadership Kentucky Graduate, 1993
• Global 100 – Workers’ Compensation Attorney of the Year, Kentucky 2015-2019
• Corporate USA Today – Workers’ Compensation Attorney   of the Year, Kentucky 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019
• America Registry – Top Attorneys, Kentucky 2015, 2017
• Lawyer International, Legal 100, Workers’ Compensation Attorney of the Year, Kentucky, 2017, 2019, 2021
• Best Lawyers in America – Kentucky 2021

Publications 

• Co-Author, “Legal Causation,” Workers’ Compensation in Kentucky, Chair, Planning Committee, Third Edition, University of Kentucky Press, 2002
• Co-Author, Kentucky Workers’ Compensation Handbook, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Third Edition 2008; Second Edition 2002; First Edition 1999
• Co-Author, “House Bill 1, Kentucky’s New Workers’ Compensation Act: A Comparison of Injury Disability Determinations Under the Old and New Acts,” Northern Kentucky Law Review, 1997
• Co-Author, “Legal Causation,” Workers’ Compensation in Kentucky, Chair, Planning Committee, Second Edition, University of Kentucky Press, 1996
• Co-Author, “Cumulative Trauma Disorders: A Repetitive Strain on the Workers’ Compensation System,” Northern Kentucky Law Review, 1993
• Co-Author, “Legal Causation,” Workers’ Compensation in Kentucky, Member, Planning Committee, First Edition, University of Kentucky Press,1991
• Author, “Preparation and Presentation of the Kentucky Workers’ Compensation Defense Case,” Kentucky Bench and Bar, 1986
• Kentucky Editor, Workers’ Compensation Monthly, 1990-2005

Presentations

• Speaker, SEAK National Workers’ Compensation Conference, Hyannis, Ma.: 33rd  Annual, 2013; 30th Annual, 2010; 27th Annual, 2007; 25th Annual, 2005; 24th Annual, 2004; 20th Annual, 2000
• Speaker, National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network  (NWCDN) Seminars: Nashville, TN, 2015; Chicago, Il., 2014, 2010; Overland Park, Ka., 2009;  Denver, Co., 2007; Atlanta, Ga., 2006;  Covington, Ky., 2005
• Moderator/Speaker, Annual Workers’ Compensation Adjusters’ Training Workshops, Louisville, Ky.: 2008; 2009; 2010
• Speaker, “A Little DNA: Are Privacy and Discrimination Issues Raised?,” American Bar Association Seminar, Chicago, Il., March, 2008
• Speaker, AMA Guides Sixth Edition, American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians (AADEP) Seminar, Louisville, Ky., February, 2008
• Speaker, “Staying Out of Court,” American Academy of Disability   Evaluating Physicians (AADEP) Seminar, Louisville, Ky., November, 2007
• Speaker, Kentucky Administrative Law Judge Training Seminar, Frankfort, Ky., September, 2006
• Moderator/Speaker, Biennial Workers’ Compensation Institutes, University of  Kentucky, 1986-2017; Planning Committee Chair, 1992-2017
• Moderator/Speaker, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Workers’ Compensation Annual Seminars, 1987-present

Civic Activities

• Shoulder-To-Shoulder, Inc. (inner-city relief), President/CEO, 2006-2010
• Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Member 1983-2004; Board of Directors, 1997-2000
• Kentucky Baptist Convention, Executive Board Member, 1995-1998
• Kentucky Independent College Fund, Board of Trustees, 1987-1989
• Baptist Convalescent Center, Board of Directors; 1993-1999, Executive Committee, 1997-1999
• Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky, Board of Directors, 1994-1997

Alan G. Brackett is a Founding Member and the Managing Member of Mouledoux, Bland, Legrand & Brackett, LLC, representing employers and carriers in the defense of workers’ compensation claims, with particular focus on the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, Defense Base Act, and War Hazards Compensation Act. He obtained a B.A. in history from Tulane University in 1982 and his J.D. from the Tulane School of Law in 1984.

As supported by the many peer honors he has received, including CWCL, The Best Lawyers in America, and Super Lawyers, Alan has developed a reputation as an extremely skilled litigation attorney, who maintains the highest standards of professionalism, qualities that have attributed to him being widely recognized as one of the top litigators in the industry.

He is a fellow of the Louisiana Bar Foundation, American Bar Foundation and Claims and Litigation Management Alliance. Alan has been a contributing author to The Longshore Textbook and has served as Chairman of the Advisory Board and Seminar Moderator for the Loyola University College of Law Annual Longshore Conference since 1998. He has lectured at numerous maritime, labor, and workers’ compensation law seminars around the country and abroad.

Alan currently serves as President of the Louisiana Bar Foundation, the primary funder of civil legal aid in the State of Louisiana.

He serves as Chancellor and the principal Verger for Christ Church Cathedral, and previously served two terms as Senior Warden. He serves as Treasurer and on the Executive Board of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana and previously served two terms as President of the Disciplinary Board. He is a past chair of the Board of Trustees of St. Martin’s Episcopal School.

Shannon Bruno Bishop is a District Judge of the Louisiana Office of Workers’ Compensation.  As District Judge, Judge Bishop conducts judicial hearings and trials by presiding over workers’ compensation claims and rendering final judgments that are appealable to the state appellate courts.

Judge Bishop is a native of New Orleans who graduated from Tulane University with a B.A. in Sociology and The University of Mississippi School of Law with a J.D.  She is admitted in all state and federal courts in Mississippi and Louisiana.  She began her legal career representing plaintiffs in personal injury, medical malpractice, employment discrimination, and workers’ compensation cases in Mississippi.  She later returned to Louisiana where she worked as an insurance defense attorney prior to joining the Office of Workers’ Compensation as a staff attorney and mediator.  After serving as a mediator for nine years, she was appointed District Judge, but she also served as Chief Judge for two years during her tenure.

Judge Bishop has served as a panelist for various seminars with the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary (NAWCJ), Southern Association of Workers’ Compensation Administrators (SAWCA), American Society of Workers’ Compensation Professionals (AMCOMP), International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC), and the Louisiana State Bar Association.   She is a fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers and serves as a Panel Advisor to the American Medical Association AMA Guides® Editorial Panel.  Judge Bishop is President of the NAWCJ and she serves on the SAWCA Steering Committee, and the IAIABC Board of Directors.

Joe’s extensive experience representing both employers and insurance companies for the last 38 years has equipped him with the industry knowledge, personal communication tools, patience, and strategy to be an effective mediator. His defense practice of predominantly workers’ compensation cases naturally led to mediation with the Prism Group, which he joined in 2022 as the 4th member of our mediation team. Outside of his work life, Joe is a member of the very active Dawnbusters Kiwanis Club in Metairie, Lector at St. Clement of Rome Church, self-employed bourbon and scotch taster on weekends, and a very involved “Papa Joe” to his four grandchildren.

Christopher M. Landry graduated from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law in 1989. He became a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association in 1989 as well. He has represented insurance companies and self-insureds in the defense of longshore claims, state workers’ compensation claims and general casualty claims since that time. He has also defended numerous insurance companies and product manufacturers as a result of personal injury claims. He has been a speaker and moderator at many seminars over the years on varying subjects, including seminars in Louisiana Workers’ Compensation law, United States Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation law and general casualty issues. He is currently admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Louisiana, all Louisiana District Courts, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and all United States District Courts in Louisiana. He also regularly appears before the United States Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, and Office of Administrative Law Judges. He is currently a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, and the Claims & Litigation Management Alliance. He is also a Fellow in the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers.

Workers’ Compensation Judge

Jeff is a director in the law firm of Juge, Napolitano, Guilbeau, Ruli, & Frieman in Metairie, Louisiana. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude from Louisiana State University in 1982. He was a member of the Loyola Law Review, and he received his JD from Loyola University School of Law in 1985. Jeff represents employers and insurers in Louisiana workers’ compensation and employer’s liability. He has successfully litigated cases before the Louisiana district courts, OWC courts, appellate courts and Supreme Court. He is a member of the CLM, is a fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers and carries Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating (AV Preeminent). Jeff has served as Chair for the Workers’ Compensation Committee of the Defense Research Institute (DRI). Jeff has been a featured speaker of numerous seminars including DRI, WCI, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), and the LSBA.

Steve Wanko graduated from Tulane University in 2001 and founded the Wanko Law Firm in 2004. He is a member and past president of the Louisiana Workers’ Advocates Group. His firm won a seminal case to keep “Choice of Physician” in Louisiana. He continues to fight each year in the Louisiana State Legislature to avoid further loss of benefits to the injured, a fight that seems to get harder each year.

Elizabeth Connellan Smith practices in the areas of workers’ compensation, labor, and employment law counseling and litigation. Her articles on workers’ compensation law have appeared in various local and national publications and she regularly lectures on employment law topics. Beth’s practice includes representing clients with diverse employment-related concerns, including in proceedings pending before the Maine Human Rights Commission, the Maine Unemployment Commission, the Maine Workers’ Compensation Board, and the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Beth was graduated cum laude from Bowdoin College in 1987 and was graduated in 1992 from the University of Maine School of Law.

Beth is the Maine member of the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network and is Board Secretary of that organization. Beth is currently Chair of the ABA Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice Section’s Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Committee and she is a Fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers.

Jonathan Beiser has been practicing law for 31 years, concentrating on Defense Base Act, Longshore & Harbor Workers Compensation and Maryland Workers Compensation

Michael H. Daney, a founding partner of Erlandson, Vernon & Daney, LLC, is AV rated and defends workers’ compensation claims in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Mr. Daney is a board member and treasurer of the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Educational Association and has been a moderator for programs the past 4 years.

Graduated Law School in 1960, University of Baltimore, received the degree of Juris Doctor. Admitted to practice in State of Maryland 1960 followed by attendance in Officer Candidate School in Newport , Rhode Island. 5 years active service 16 years reserve and retired as a Naval Commander. 1965 entered into private practice and have continued to date representing victims of industrial accidents, motor torts and medical malpractice . Has lectured on trial tactics, advocacy and workers compensation. Past President of Maryland Trial Lawyers Assoc., Member of WILG, AAJ, and State and City Bar Associations.

Ms. Harrison is a senior field counsel with the Liberty Mutual Group and concentrates her practice in representing the interests of employers and insurers. She is a board member and past president of the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Educational Association and past co-chair of the Workers’ Compensation Section for Maryland Defense Counsel. Ms. Harrison lectures regularly in the Section’s annual “Hot Tips in Workers’ Compensation” program as well as other venues.

Jim Lanier is an attorney member of Warnken, LLC. His practice focuses on representing individuals who sustain work-related injuries and other personal injury actions. He has advocated for his clients at all levels of the Maryland federal and state judicial systems. Mr. Lanier is 2021 inductee to the College of Workers’ Compensation Attorneys. He is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) and is the 2021-2022 President of the Negligence, Insurance and Workers’ Compensation Section (“NIWC”). Jim is a member of the Maryland Association for Justice (MAJ) and is a member of the Legislative Committee and a past Co-Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Section. Mr. Lanier has written legal articles on various topics, mostly involving Maryland workers’ compensation law. He has organized and/or spoke at workers’ compensation seminars for the MSBA’s NIWC Section, the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Education Association (MWCEA), and the MAJ.

Maureen Quinn is the Chair of the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission, having been appointed by Governor Wes Moore in 2023. She served as a Workers’ Compensation Commissioner from 2002 until her elevation to Chair. Her accomplishments as Chair include enhanced courthouse security, deployment of a new computer system, revamping of the unit that penalizes businesses who fail to carry workers’ compensation insurance on their employees and correcting the discriminatory pay policies of the state related to internal promotions.

Founding partner at Agnelli Law Offices, PC in Worcester, Mass. Representing injured workers for over 40 years. Member of CWCL since 2011. Author of book, “The Board – A History of the First Century of the Mass. Industrial Accident Board and Workers’ Compensation Act” (2011). Long-time chair (since 1996) of the workers’ compensation update programs for Mass. Continuing Legal Education. Graduate of Suffolk Univ. Law School (1980).

Ms. Calnan is a founding partner of Calnan, Freeley & Pellegrini, a women-owned law firm established in August 2017. The firm specializes in workers’ compensation law and is the Massachusetts representative for the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network. She is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association and serves on its Workers’ Compensation subcommittee. In 2018, she was awarded the James Garretson Advocacy Award by the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys.

Joseph J. Durant joined TKCK as Counsel in 2007. Joe received a B.A. degree in History & Political Science cum laude from Boston College in 1977 and earned his Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1980. He is a graduate of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy Teacher Training Program at Harvard University and repeatedly served on the faculty of Liberty Mutual Insurance Company’s Advanced Advocacy, Workers’ Compensation, SIU, and Subrogation training seminars. He has lectured in evidence and criminal law at Boston State College and the University of Massachusetts Boston. He has served on the faculty of the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Workers Compensation “Day with the Experts” seminar for the last 5 years.

Attorney Durant was a Partner at Kaufman & Durant since 1992, where he was the Senior Trial Attorney for a major insurer handling both Workers Compensation and Liability Litigation. Atty. Durant has tried both jury and jury waived cases in the District and Superior Court Departments and has argued successfully at the Appeals Court. He has also been Designated Counsel for several Large National Insureds and Self Insurers and has tried hundreds of Workers’ Compensation cases. Mr. Durant has been an elected member of the Board of Selectman in his home town for over twenty seven years.

Joe has many years of experience as SIU counsel, in which he successfully recouped losses incurred in insurance fraud cases, and also participated in the criminal prosecution of the perpetrators.

Jane Eden is a founding partner of EdenRafferty. She has zealously represented injured workers in all phases of workers’ compensation litigation at the MA Department of Industrial Accidents for forty years. She is a 1978 graduate of the College of Holy Cross and a 1983 cum laude graduate of Suffolk University Law School. She is a published author and frequent speaker in workers’ compensation and Social Security Disability law.