HarrisMartin's MDL Conference: The Current Mass Tort Landscape - Infant Formula, Philips CPAP, Hernia Mesh And More Speaker Profiles



Co-Chair W. Mark Lanier, The Lanier Law Firm, Houston Show/Hide Bio

Co-Chair W. Mark Lanier

Mark Lanier is consistently recognized as one of the top civil trial lawyers in America. Best known as a zealous advocate for individuals in personal injury and product liability claims against major corporations, Mark brings passion, creativity and an unparalleled ability to connect with juries in courtrooms across the nation.

Co-Chair Jayne Conroy, Simmons Hanly Conroy, New York Show/Hide Bio

Co-Chair Jayne Conroy

Jayne Conroy is a named shareholder at Simmons Hanly Conroy and oversees practice areas in the Complex Litigation Department. Under her leadership, the firm has become one of the country’s largest plaintiff law firms dedicated to helping those injured by corporate wrongdoing.

Co-Chair Richard J. Arsenault, Neblett, Beard & Arsenault, None Show/Hide Bio

Co-Chair Richard J. Arsenault

The Wall Street Journal has described Arsenault as having "national notoriety," BusinessWeek described him as "a Dean of the Louisiana Tort Bar," and The New York Times described him as one of the "big players" in the legal community. He has been involved in over 25 Multidistrict Litigation proceedings, often serving in leadership capacities. In the Actos MDL, he served as Co-Lead Counsel, where a jury rendered a $9 billion verdict. He subsequently served on the negotiating team that secured a $2.4 billion settlement, which is the largest single mass tort settlement for a drug that is still on the market.

Arsenault was also appointed to the Pinnacle MDL Executive Committee and was a trial team member where three Bellwether trials resulted in $502 million, $1 billion and $247 million verdicts. He has been recognized as one of America's 50 Most Influential Trial Lawyers by Trial Lawyer magazine, nominated for the Trial Lawyer of the Year Award by the Public Justice Foundation, and recognized by the National Law Journal as one of America's Elite Trial Lawyers. Arsenault will also become one of the first practitioners in the nation to become Board Certified in Complex Litigation. He was also recently appointed by the Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice to serve on the Rules of Professional Conduct Class Action, Bench Book, and State MDL Exploratory Committees.

Co-Chair Eric D. Holland, Holland Law Firm, St. Louis Show/Hide Bio

Co-Chair Eric D. Holland

Eric Holland and the Holland Law Firm are all about trials. Eric and his team have consistently handled and tried the largest and most important civil cases in the country, achieving record setting verdicts and settlements in courtrooms in St. Louis and across the country. Taking on American and international corporate giants, Eric’s litigation results are not only measured in the billions of dollars recovered for clients but also in measurable societal good like getting unsafe firearms off the streets, triggering governmental investigations, and fighting against court secrecy. His work has been featured in Reuters, Bloomberg, the New York Times, NPR, CBS, the L.A. Times, and CNBC to name just a few, and he has been described to the media as a “legal mastermind” by his corporate opponents.

Aaron Heckaman, Bailey Cowan Heckaman PLLC, Houston

Adam Pulaski, Pulaski Kherkher, PLLC, Houston

Aimee H. Wagstaff, Wagstaff Law Firm, Denver

Amelia Frenkel, Keller Lenkner LLC, Washington, DC

Chad Finley, TorHoerman Law, Edwardsville, IL

Chase Gore, Neblett, Beard & Arsenault, None

David Cates, Cates Mahoney, LLC, Swansea, IL

Dustin C. Carter, Neblett, Beard & Arsenault, None

Elizabeth Koenig, Senior Litigation Consultant, International Litigation Services (ILS), Boston

Erin K. Copeland, Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs, Houston

Fidelma L. Fitzpatrick, Motley Rice Attorneys at Law LLC, Providence, RI

Gale Pearson, Fears & Nachawati, Minneapolis

Hon. Glenn A. Norton (Ret.), Norton Dispute Resolution, LLC, St. Louis

Hon. John Garvey (Ret.), Carey Danis & Lowe, St. Louis

Hunter J. Shkolnik, Napoli Shkolnik PLLC, New York

Jaime L. Dodge, Director, The Institute for Complex Litigation and Mass Claims, Emory University School of Law, Atlanta

J. Gerard Stranch IV, Branstetter Stranch & Jennings PLLC, Nashville, TN

Kathryn Snapka, The Snapka Law Firm, Corpus Christi, TX

Leigh O’Dell, Beasley Allen Law Firm, Montgomery, AL

Lindsey Cheek, The Cheek Law Firm, LLC, New Orleans

Lynn Luker, Adjunct Professor of Law, Tulane University Law School, New Orleans

Majed Nachawati, Fears & Nachawati, Dallas

Matthew J. Sill, Fulmer Sill, Oklahoma City, OK

Michelle L. Kranz, Zoll & Kranz, LLC, Toledo, OH

Mildred Conroy, The Lanier Law Firm, New York

Patrick C. Galligan, Neblett, Beard & Arsenault, None

Patrick Luff, Luff Law Firm, PLLC, Dallas

Raymond C. Silverman, Parker Waichman LLP, New York

Stephen Herman, Herman Herman & Katz, L.L.C., New Orleans

Steven C. Babin, Babin Law, LLC, Columbus, OH

Thomas R. Anapol, Anapol Weiss, Philadelphia

Todd Campbell, Neblett, Beard & Arsenault, None

Vicki J. Maniatis, Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, PLLC, New Jersey

Yvonne M. Flaherty, Lockridge Grindal Nauen P.L.L.P., Minneapolis