Business and Corporate Litigation Subcommittees

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Chairs

Abrams, Hon. Jerome
Iannazone, Hon. Joseph

Vice-Chairs

Wilkes, Hon. Christopher

Mission Statement

The Alternative Dispute Resolution Subcommittee serves the Committee and the Section by monitoring and disseminating applications of negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and other methods of resolving business disputes outside the courts. It creates panel presentations, articles, and other work products to assist transactional attorneys in negotiating contracts that include commercially efficient methods to resolve disputes arising from those deals, and also to assist litigation attorneys in avoiding protracted, risky, and costly judicial proceedings whenever possible.

Email Listserve: [email protected]

Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain Subcommittee

Chair

Newman, Brad
Scarpulla, Hon. Saliann

Vice-Chair

Blunk, Rachel

Mission Statement

Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) and related technologies are transforming the workplace and many industries, including consumer technology, healthcare, retail, transportation, financial services, and insurance. The AI Subcommittee monitors the rapid development and deployment of artificial intelligence and automated systems across industries, and involves attorneys, regulators, and judges in dialogue and education about the legal implications. The Subcommittee closely tracks the evolving AI regulatory landscape on the local, state, federal, and international levels, and the increasing wave of AI-related litigation. Through the active participation of its members, the Subcommittee’s twin focuses are on elevating the level of discourse and scholarship surrounding the vexing legal issues facing those involved in this evolving area of the law, and serving as a resource for regulators seeking to establish AI public policy.

Bankruptcy Litigation

Chairs

Rubenstein, Michael
Fitzgerald, Edward

Vice-Chairs

Stong, Hon. Elizabeth
Stulman, Aaron

Mission Statement

The mission of the Bankruptcy Litigation Subcommittee of the Business and Corporate Litigation Committee of the ABA Business Law Section is to educate jurists, practitioners, and scholars on current developments in commercial bankruptcy law. The Subcommittee strives to keep its finger on the pulse of the practice to provide timely, relevant information and analysis to ABA members for their use in developing and mastering their understanding and application of the law.

Business Courts

Chairs

Allf, Nancy
Welch, Hon.

Vice-Chairs

Edward Hermes
Henry DuPont Ridgely
Carmen Thomas

Email Listserve: [email protected]

Business Governance and Divorce

Chair

Popke, Hon. Lit

Co-Chair

Milby, Eric

Vice-Chairs

Greenlee, Paige
Dressen, Janel
Jacobs, Neal
Licht, Hon. Richard
Seo, Byeongsook
Sciaccotta, John

Mission Statement

The Business Governance and Divorce Subcommittee provides a forum for attorneys to discuss this newly recognized practice area that is quickly gaining traction in the legal field. The Subcommittee endeavors to address the variety of practice areas implicated by a Business Divorce, ranging from transactional work in negotiating and executing buyouts, to contract litigation, to corporate and alternative entity litigation, and even the psychology of the litigants, with timely and informative presentations and discussions led by members of the Subcommittee. This is one of the fastest-growing groups in the Committee and provides a venue for seasoned Business Divorce attorneys and new practitioners to network with and learn from one another. The group welcomes all attorneys who are interested in this growing practice of law.

Email Listserve: [email protected]

Business Torts

Chairs

Miller, Hon. Kathleen
Owens, Hon. Denise
Sozio, Michael

Vice-Chairs

Kanan, Stephanie

Cannabis and Alcoholic Beverages Litigation

Chairs

Branch, KC
Dickens, Kristina

Vice-Chair

Sava, Christina

Mission Statement

The mission of the Cannabis and Alcoholic Beverage Law Subcommittee is to provide a forum for and to educate attorneys, regulators, and judges about the complex legal issues facing those involved in these highly regulated areas of the law. The Subcommittee is focused on raising the level of discourse and scholarship on the topics of alcohol and cannabis through the active participation of its members in remaining engaged with the rapidly changing landscape and resulting implications of the federal, state, and local regulation of cannabis and alcohol both in the U.S. and in Canada.

Class and Derivative Actions

Chairs

Brabander, J R Kristian
Templer, Deborah

Vice-Chairs

Dressler, Erica
O'Brien, Michael
Tomkowiak, Sarah

Communications and Technology

Chairs

Readinger, Laura
Crawford, Jomaire

Vice-Chair

Wang, Mian

Mission Statement

The Communications and Technology Subcommittee works at the Committee and Subcommittee levels to assist with communicating the mission, content, and activities of the Business and Corporate Litigation Committee and its Subcommittees. We welcome those who wish to become Subcommittee members. If you have an inclination for working on websites, listservs, creating podcasts, using social media, etc., participating in the Subcommittee’s work is a great opportunity to use your skills and fulfill these interests, while networking across the Committee and its Subcommittees in supporting their efforts.

Corporate Counseling and Litigation

Chairs

Steadman, Anne
Butcher, Rebecca

Vice-Chairs

Potts, Benjamin
O'Dell, Julie

Diversity Clerkship Program

Chairs

Bach, Mitchell
Tiradentes, Vanessa
Ward, Hon. Christine

Vice-Chairs

Wang, Mian

E-Discovery

Chairs

Readinger, Laura
Wilkes, Hon. Christopher

Vice-Chairs

Stemerman, Jonathan
Allf, Hon. Nancy

Employment Litigation

Chairs

Baldocchi, Jennifer
Berle, Hon. Elihu

Vice-Chairs

Garcia, Tomas
Masinter, Eve

Email Listserve: [email protected]

Ethics, Professionalism and Civility

Chairs

Owens, Hon. Denise
Schuster, Hon. J Stephen

Vice-Chairs

Berle, Hon. Elihu
Halaby, Andrew

Financial Institutions Litigation

Chairs

Cameron, Cara
Riley, Karl

Vice-Chairs

Henson, Courtney
Pastore, Michael

Former Chairs Advisory

Chairs

Riback, Stuart
Clendenen, Patrick
Staudenmaier, Heidi

In-House Litigation Management

Chairs

Eyre, Douglas
Newman, Hon. Clifton

Vice-Chairs

Gray, Jennifer
Kim, Patricia
Pinkston, Arnold
Zabat-Fran, Christina

Indemnification and Insurance

Chair

Zeberkiewicz, Krysten
Welch, Hon. Heather

Vice-Chair

Dorelli, Michael

Mission Statement

The mission of the Indemnification and Insurance Subcommittee of the Business and Corporate Litigation Committee of the ABA Business Law Section is to focus on the latest developments in the law regarding indemnification and advancement of directors and officers in connection with the defense of lawsuits and investigations against them. The Subcommittee also covers director and officer liability insurance and developments in that area of the law. Each year, the Subcommittee writes a chapter in a book on the law in our area that covers the recent developments and recent cases for the ABA publication entitled: "Recent Developments in Business and Corporate Litigation."

Intellectual Property Litigation

Chairs

Vrana, Robert
Bolling, Jesse

International Business Litigation and Cross-Border Discovery

Chairs

Barber, Steve
Trapp, Hon. Randa
Rovira, Alfredo

Vice-Chairs

Mestre, Jorge
Cameron, Cara

Investigations, Enforcement, and White Collar

Chairs

Rollins, James
Levitske, John

Vice-Chairs

Dubow, Jay
Welch, Ben

Email Listserve: [email protected]

Judicial Designees

Berle, Hon. Elihu

Damien, Hon. Melissa
Driscoll, Hon. Timothy
Yates, Hon. Christopher
Licht, Hon. Richard
Owens, Hon. Denise
Scarpulla, Hon. Saliann
Stong, Hon. Elizabeth
Thompson, Hon. Alvin
Adams, Hon. Meghan

Meetings and Programs

Chairs

Templer, Deborah
Witte, Robert
Heyman, Kurt
Trapp, Hon. Randa

Vice-Chairs

Riback, Stuart
McCoy, Hon. Mac
Burton, Emily

Membership

Chairs

Fitzgerald, Edward
Stong, Hon. Elizabeth

Vice-Chair

Cameron, Cara
Blunk, Rachel

Mission Statement

The Membership Subcommittee works to recruit, retain, and engage members for the Business and Corporate Litigation Committee. Our leadership includes a former Committee chair and former Section Fellows, and all are welcome. We especially seek the input of new members of the Committee and Section and new lawyers, as we support the Committee's efforts to reach out to and to serve the needs of business litigators at every stage in their careers.

Network Newsletter

Chairs

Dibella, Bianca
Swift, Kristen

Vice-Chairs

Steadman, Anne
Doshi, Sonali
Bolling, Jesse

Mission Statement

The Business and Corporate Litigation Committee's Network Newsletter is a regular online publication that is the Committee's primary method of communicating with its members. The Network Newsletter includes a message from the BCLC Chair; reports from the BCLC's Subcommittees, Task Forces, and Working Groups; substantive feature articles about hot topics in business and corporate litigation; information about past and future BCLC programming at ABA meetings; and various other articles about topics of interest to BCLC members. All BCLC members are encouraged to contact the Subcommittee Chair to volunteer in the Network Newsletter's editing process, particularly as a way to learn more about the Committee's work and engage with other members.

Partnerships and Alternative Entities

Chairs

Brauerman, Stephen
Murphy, Kathleen

Pro Bono and Public Service

Chairs

Iannazzone, Hon. Joseph
Letcher, Kate

Vice-Chair

Metzinger, Walter

Mission Statement

The Business and Corporate Litigation Committee's Pro Bono Subcommittee’s three principal activities are co-sponsoring the Section's Spring Meeting public service project, co-sponsoring the Section's Annual Meeting public service project, and contributing the "Pro Bono: Nonprofit Law and Litigation" chapter to the annual section publication, the Annual Review of Developments in Business and Corporate Litigation.

Publications

Chairs

Mendelson, Jessica
Steadman, Anne
Adams, Hon. Megan

Vice-Chairs

Park, Erin
Stover, Emily

Receiverships and Fiduciaries

Chairs

Riela, Michael
Bledsoe, Hon. Louis
Licht, Hon. Richard

Vice-Chairs

Damian, Melanie
Stong, Hon. Elizabeth

Mission Statement

The Receiverships and Fiduciaries Subcommittee focuses on professionals who work in or are interested in learning about the areas of receivership, insolvency, restructuring, and international asset recovery. Our mission is to provide a forum through which receivers, their professionals, and others seeking to become involved in receivership work may obtain receivership education and enjoy networking opportunities. We intend for receivers and the professionals who support them to share insights on securing receivership appointments, working with courts, receivership entities, and targets of receiver and fiduciary litigation, and to provide solutions to legal and practical issues receivers and fiduciaries commonly face. We offer educational programs and networking opportunities through meetings and panel presentations and share information regarding qualifications for appointments at the state and federal levels.

Securities Litigation & Arbitration

Chairs

Sherman, Meredith
Lapierre, Stephanie

Vice-Chairs

Reid, Ghillaine
Weeks, Mary

Email Listserve: [email protected]

Sports-Related Disputes

Chairs

Metzinger, Walter
Martin, Tate

Vice-Chairs

Iannazzone, Hon. Joseph

Trial Practice

Chairs

Donimirski, Melissa
Johnston, Hon. Mary
Masinter, Paul

Vice-Chairs

Harmon, Kate
Eyre, Doug

Mission Statement

The Trial Practice Subcommittee of the BCLC provides an opportunity for judges and attorneys to share ideas, techniques, and resources for effective trial practice in a collegial setting. The Subcommittee focuses on the development and dissemination of practical resource materials for members who wish to enhance their effectiveness, and those of their colleagues, in court to maximize their chances for a successful outcome at trial.

Tribal Court Litigation

Chairs

Dreveskracht, Ryan
Sebrin, Corinne

Vice-Chairs

Rand, Kathryn
Staudenmaier, Heidi

Wellness, Life Balance & Time Management

Chairs

Formeller, Dan
Sherman, Meredith

Vice-Chairs

Stong, Hon. Elizabeth
Smith, Jennifer
Szwimer, Morris

Mission Statement

Business lawyers, judges, and law students face many demands from countless sources, including clients, colleagues, and personal responsibilities. Newer methods of communication (e-mail, texting, etc.), along with continued reliance on the billable hour model, may impose additional demands on time, both in and out of “working hours.” The Wellness, Life Balance & Time Management Subcommittee provides a forum for all attorneys, judges, and law students in the Committee to learn from one another and discuss strategies for promoting physical and emotional well-being. The Subcommittee addresses a wide range of topics, including physical health, mental health, substance abuse, diversity in the legal profession, and methods for promoting effective time management and life balance. The Subcommittee encourages and welcomes the participation of all attorneys, judges, and law students who are interested in discussing and finding effective solutions to these important issues.

Email Listserve: [email protected]

Women Business and Commercial Advocates

Chairs

Heyman, Kurt
Sozio, Michaela
Damian, Hon. Melissa

Vice-Chairs

Letcher, Kate

Mission Statement

The Women Business and Commercial Advocates Subcommittee provides a forum for all attorneys in the committee to come together to celebrate and support the advancement of women business litigators. This is one of the fastest-growing groups in the committee and provides a venue for business litigators to network with one another and learn from prominent women business lawyers and judges. The committee also seeks to increase the number of women who practice in business and commercial litigation by providing mentoring and programming geared toward women business advocates. In addition, the subcommittee annually hosts a program or reception recognizing and celebrating the accomplishment of women in the profession, particularly in the judiciary. The group welcomes all attorneys who are interested in promoting participation of women business lawyers and judges in the legal profession.

Email Listserve: [email protected]

Sponsorships Working Group

Chairs

Masinter, Paul
Johnston, William