Prof. Elizabeth Chamblee Burch
Fuller Callaway Chair of Law, University of Georgia School of Law
Athens, Georgia
Elizabeth Chamblee Burch joined the School of Law faculty in 2011. She was promoted to the rank of full professor in 2015 and served a visiting professor at Harvard Law School in 2017. After holding the Charles H. Kirbo Chair of Law for two years, she assumed the Fuller E. Callaway Chair of Law in 2019. She is the author of Mass Tort Deals: Backroom Bargaining in Multidistrict Litigation (Cambridge University Press 2019) and her teaching and research interests include civil procedure, class actions and mass torts.
She is an award-winning scholar whose groundbreaking work on multidistrict litigation and class actions won the American Law Institute’s Early Career Scholars Medal in 2015, the Fred C. Zacharias Memorial Prize for Professional Responsibility Scholarship in 2016 and the Mangano Dispute Resolution Advancement Award in 2019.
Burch has published over 30 articles and essays in respected journals such as the New York University Law Review, Yale Law Journal, Cornell Law Review, Virginia Law Review, Vanderbilt Law Review, Washington University Law Review, Boston University Law Review and George Washington Law Review, among others. She co-authors a casebook titled The Law of Class Actions and Other Aggregate Litigation with the late Richard A. Nagareda, Robert G. Bone, Charles Silver, and Patrick Woolley.
Before joining the School of Law's faculty, she was an assistant professor at Florida State University College of Law, where she received the university-wide Graduate Teaching Award and was voted “Professor of the Year” by second- and third-year students. Burch began her academic career in 2006 at Cumberland School of Law, part of Samford University, where she received the Harvey S. Jackson Excellence in Teaching Award and the Lightfoot, Franklin & White Faculty Scholarship Award. In 2014, she received the School of Law’s John C. O’Byrne Memorial Award for Significant Contributions Furthering Student-Faculty Relations.
Before entering the legal academy, Burch worked as an associate at Holland & Knight in Atlanta, where she practiced in the area of complex litigation, including securities class actions. She has served as the mass torts subcommittee chair for the American Bar Association's Class Action and Derivative Suits Committee, on the executive board for the Association of American Law Schools’ Scholarship Committee and as a co-editor of the Mass Tort Litigation Blog.
She earned her bachelor's degree cum laude from Vanderbilt University and her Juris Doctor cum laude from Florida State University, where she served as the writing and research editor for the Florida State University Law Review.
Hon. Christopher C. Cross (Ret.)
JAMS
Denver, Colorado
Christopher C. Cross (Ret.) is a JAMS DENVER neutral. He served as a county and district court judge for 18½ years in the most populous judicial district in the State of Colorado. He presided over domestic relations, civil, and criminal dockets. Prior to his appointment, he practiced complex civil litigation, professional disciplinary administrative actions, both criminal defense and prosecution, and family law.
As noted by the Judicial Retention commission in its most recent evaluation, Judge Cross “received some of the highest ratings of any judge ... in the State,” and “Attorneys [and] litigants all have a high degree of admiration for his courteous and professional demeanor in the court room.” One appellate judge commented, “He is one of our best.” Judge Cross is known for his fairness, ability to listen, in-depth preparation, and the ability to resolve complex legal and factual issues—all with compassion and a sense of humor.
Edgar C. Gentle III
Gentle, Turner, Sexton & Harbison LLC
Hoover, Alabama
Ed Gentle is the Founding Partner of Gentle, Turner, Sexton & Harbison, LLC. He is a Rhodes Scholar and has 5 college degrees, 3 in law. He has practiced law for 37 years, spending 90% of his professional time serving as Special Master in Mass Tort litigation and settlements. He has helped create and administer over $2 billion in Settlements during the past 25 years.
His specialties are MDL Special Master for both sides, MDL and Mass Tort Common Benefit Master to help Plaintiffs run the case as a business, community mass tort settlements involving chemical spills, fires, train derailments, smelters and factories, Aggregate Settlements, and Appeals Master.
Deborah E. Greenspan
Blank Rome, LLP
Washington, DC
Deborah Greenspan is a leading advisor on mass claims strategy and resolution. Her practice focuses on class actions, mass claims, dispute resolution, insurance recovery, and mass tort bankruptcy. She has extensive experience in mass products liability matters, class actions, analysis of damages and future liability exposure, insurance recovery, alternative dispute resolution (“ADR”), claims evaluation and dispute analysis, settlement distribution design and implementation, claims management and risk analysis.
Deborah has been appointed by judges and government institutions to serve as a Special Master. She served as the court-appointed Special Master responsible for developing and implementing a settlement program to distribute funds to over 100,000 Vietnam veterans. She served as the Deputy Special Master for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001, and she was responsible for conceiving the policies and for facilitating the distribution of over $9 billion to victims of the September 11 attacks. She currently serves as the Special Master in the Flint Water Cases litigation.
Deborah has extensive experience in private mediation, and she is currently the Chair of the Dispute Resolution Committee of the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association.
Marla N. Greenstein
Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct
Anchorage, Alaska
Marla N. Greenstein is Executive Director of the Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct, a position she has held since 1989. She previously served as senior staff attorney for the Alaska Judicial Council and as senior staff attorney for the American Judicature Society in Chicago. Ms. Greenstein served from 1996-97 as Chair of the Lawyers Conference of the American Bar Association’s Judicial Division, has served on the American Judicature Society’s Board and Executive Committee. Ms.
Greenstein also serves as Secretary of the Board of the Association of Judicial Disciplinary Counsel. She is a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago School of Law and holds an undergraduate degree in American Government and Philosophy from Georgetown University. Ms. Greenstein has published articles in the areas of judicial selection and judicial discipline, including “Judicial Disqualification in Alaska Courts," Alaska Law Review, June 2000. She serves on the Alaska Bar’s Ethics Committee and Judicial Independence Committee. Most recently, Ms. Greenstein became the first Ethics Column Editor for the American Bar Association’s Judges Journal. She has lectured widely in the area of judicial ethics and has served as faculty for international judicial ethics seminars in Micronesia and Russia. Currently she serves as co-chair for the Khabarovsk-Alaska Rule of Law Partnership.
Chris T. Hellums
Partner, Pittman, Dutton & Hellums, P.C.
Birmingham, Alabama
Chris Hellums received his undergraduate and law degrees from The University of Alabama. He and entered private practice in 1993 and has been with Pittman Dutton & Hellums for 26 years. As a practicing civil trial attorney, his practice has covered a wide variety of litigation to include products liability, mass torts, insurance fraud and bad faith, as well as tax shelters and commercial disputes. He has been appointed as co-lead, executive committee member, plaintiff steering committee member and liaison counsel in a variety of national MDLs. He has held leadership positions in: In Re: Total Body Essential Nutrition, Inc., In Re: Stryker Rejuvenate and ABGII Implant Products Liability Litigation, In Re: Community Health System, Inc., and In Re: Abilify (Aripiprazole) Products Liability Litigation. He has also been involved in significant antitrust litigation to including Edward C. O’Bannon, Jr. v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, In Re: Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation and In Re: Diisocyanates Antitrust Litigation.
Merril Hirsh, FCIArb
HirshADR PLLC
Washington, D.C
Merril Hirsh is the principal of HirshADR PLLC in the Washington, D.C, and has more than 36 years of litigation experience, first with the US Department of Justice Civil Division and then in private practice. Merril has practiced before the federal or state courts of more than 40 states and in both commercial and labor arbitration, representing both plaintiffs and defendants. He is also the co-chair of the American Bar Association Judicial Division Lawyer’s Conference Committee on Special Masters, the convener of the Special Masters Working Group that drafted the ABA Guidelines for the Use of the Special Masters in Federal and State Court Civil Litigation, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a member of the International Task Force on Mixed Mode Dispute Resolution, and a Hearing Examiner for the District of Columbia Board of Professional Responsibility and a member of the Mediation panel for the DC Court of Appeals. He has authored numerous articles on how to provide efficient dispute resolution – in particular focused on making much greater and creative use of special masters in courts across the country, as well as antitrust, insurance, and telecommunications issues. In addition to speaking to the Academy of Court Appointed Masters and testifying before the Senate Judicial Committee, he has presented many programs including presentations at the American Bar Association (ABA) Annual Meeting, the Spring Meetings of the ABA Dispute Resolution, Business Law, Antitrust and Administrative Law Sections.
Cary Ichter
Ichter Davis, LLC
Atlanta, Georgia
Cary Ichter’s is a story of the American Dream come true, with hard work, tenacity, and determination at its core. Cary’s family settled in Douglasville, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, where he attended high school. Cary began debating as a high school junior, and upon graduation, he was offered a full debate scholarship at the University of West Georgia (then known as West Georgia College). West Georgia has historically had one of the best debate programs in the United States. With tuition and books covered, Cary funded the balance of his college and living expenses by working at Kroger, where he unloaded trucks and stocked shelves at night.
While at the University of West Georgia, Cary participated in debate for four years, maintained a rigorous class schedule during the day, and, at night, drove from Carrollton to Douglasville to work at Kroger.
In his final year of school, Cary accomplished two impressive feats. First, Cary ran for President of the West Georgia Student Government Association, making the campaign promise that he would quit his job at Kroger and dedicate that time to running Student Government and tending to the interests of his fellow students. Cary won that election, and true to form, he resigned from Kroger so that he could devote his time to tending to his duties as President of Student Government.
Additionally, as a college senior, Cary and his partner were ranked number seven (#7) in the country and received a first round bid to the National Debate Tournament. That same year, Cary received the Southern Debater of the Year from Stamford University.
Cary moved on to great success at the University of Georgia Law School where in 1984 he graduated magna cum laude, became a member of the Order of the Coif, was a member of the Georgia Law Review, and was published in Volume 18 of the Georgia Law Review.
While at Balch & Bingham, Cary handled business litigation throughout the country and was a rising star in the Atlanta legal community. In 2003, Cary acted as lead trial counsel for EarthLink in a three-week jury trial in Columbus, Ohio. Cary’s local counsel in that case was Thompson Hine, a firm that had recently opened an office in Atlanta. Thompson Hine recruited Cary to join its Atlanta office as its lead litigator.
As Ichter was contemplating an offer of partnership with Thompson Hine, he was approached by Adorno Yoss of Miami, Florida, then the largest minority-owned law firm in the country, and offered a partnership. Unfortunately, with the financial crisis that followed, Adorno was unable to pay its producers. So, Cary decided to leave with colleague, Jim Thomas (formerly of McKenna Long) and two other lawyers to establish Ichter Thomas in 2009.
Although the firm was formed at the beginning of the financial crisis, Ichter Thomas flourished, representing large and small businesses and individuals. Cary quickly became high profile for his handling of cases other lawyers would not touch. In particular, Cary represented guarantors in collection cases–an area of considerable demand after the financial crisis. In what was virtually unprecedented performance, Ichter beat back motions for summary judgment in those cases, took the cases to jury trials, and obtained results for his clients that resulted in their having to pay nothing to the plaintiff banks.
Ichter also successfully represented a number of franchisees in litigation seeking to rescind their franchise relationships with various franchisors, obtaining awards worth millions of dollars to his clients.
Cary has represented the Development Authority of Fulton County in litigation since 2009. In particular, Cary prevailed in a case in which individual taxpayers challenged and sought to unravel $5 billion of development bond transactions. Cary won that $5 billion case by way of summary judgment, which the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed in SJN Properties, LLC v. Fulton County Board of Assessors, 296 Ga. 793 (2015).
In connection with his development bond work, Cary was able to persuade the Georgia Court of Appeals to overrule a fourteen-year-old precedent. Additionally, Cary has been lead counsel in bond validation hearings in which over $2 billion of development bonds have been validated, financing projects that have brought thousands of jobs to Fulton County.
When Jim Thomas decided to return to McKenna Long, Cary formed Ichter Kresky, LLC with Caroline Kresky, a well-respected family law practitioner. Together they tried divorce cases involving a multi-million-dollar marital estate in a bench trial; they successfully handled a dispute involving the removal of the trustee from a family trust worth more than $70 million; and Cary successfully tried a divorce case to a jury–quite an unusual occurrence. As a consequence of this experience, today Cary has the expertise to handle family law matters and issues related to trusts and estates.
In 2016, Ichter Davis, a boutique litigation firm in Atlanta, was formed to handle commercial litigation, trust and estate disputes, and family law litigation for high net worth individuals. Cary Ichter, as Managing Partner, coupled with William Daniel Davis have extensive experience in the courtroom, in corporate settings and in championing alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. This expertise sets them apart from other litigation firms. They work tirelessly to deliver results for their clients and are fiercely dedicated advocates both in and outside of the courtroom.
Cary has also been active acting as a court-appointed Special Master in various matters since 2005. Cary is typically appointed to act as a Special Master in complex commercial matters and mass tort and class action cases. In 2005, Cary joined the Academy of Court Appointed Masters (ACAM), the only national organization dedicated to educating the bench and bar on the appointment and use of Special Masters. In 2011, Cary was elected to the Board of ACAM. In 2014, he was elected President of the Academy, and in 2016 he became the first ACAM President ever to be re-elected.
Megan E. Jones
Hausfeld
San Francisco, California
Megan is a partner at Hausfeld LLP and focuses on recovering damages for corporate victims of antitrust cartels for price-fixing, tying, restraints of trade, and other competition violations. Megan performs cartel analyses for her corporate clients, surveying purchase records for potential anti-competitive losses. She then makes recommendations about which losses can be recovered. Recoveries from the cases she has been involved in total well over half a billion dollars. Megan is adept at representing both classes of businesses that were harmed as well as individual businesses.
Megan has been recognized locally and globally as a leader in the Antitrust and E-Discovery bars. In 2014, independent researchers at Global Competition Review and Who's Who Legal selected Megan as one of just three women represented on their list of "The International Who's Who of Competition Lawyers & Economists." In 2013, Global Competition Review named Megan as one of the 100 successful Women in Antitrust globally. She was one of just 23 U.S. Lawyers selected for this global honor and the only U.S. lawyer who exclusively focuses her practice on pursuing recovery for victims of cartels. In 2012-2015, The Legal 500, which provides comprehensive worldwide coverage on legal services, selected Megan as one of the top 10 "Leading Lawyers" in the U.S. in plaintiffs’ representation for antitrust. It also recommended Megan in both Antitrust-Cartel Enforcement and Civil Litigation/Class Actions categories. In 2011, the publication recommended Megan for having a “good understanding of business and operational environments.” In 2012, Megan was selected by Law360 as a "Rising Star" in the Competition category. Law360 selected just five attorneys in each category as top legal talent under 40 in the U.S. and internationally, whose accomplishments in major litigation or transactions belie their age. For years 2012-2014, she was chosen by her peers as a Washington, DC Super Lawyer in Antitrust, reserved for those attorneys who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Based on her experience, Megan has been asked to speak on antitrust matters around the world, including Munich and Sydney.
Megan is also a member of The Sedona Conference®, which is composed of leading jurists, lawyers, experts, academics and others, at the cutting edge of issues in electronic discovery. She is co-author of two Sedona publications: "The Sedona Conference Glossary: E-Discovery and Digital Information Management" (2nd edition), December 2007, and co-author of "Navigating the Vendor Proposal Process: Best Practices for the Selection of Electronic Discovery Vendors," published by The Sedona Conference®. Megan is also part of the team that is updating the Westlaw Casebook on electronic discovery in 2014. She also testified before the Federal Rules Committee in 2014 on the impact of the changes of the rules on electronic discovery. In 2014, she also chosen to speak at the American Bar Association's 8th National E-Discovery Institute, where nationally-acclaimed e-discovery professionals convened for a full day to analyze and discuss the latest developments and best strategies for managing the e-discovery process. Megan also was invited to attend the Duke Law Conference on Implementing Discovery Proportionality Standard, an invitation only conference that brings together prominent bench leaders, government officials, senior-level lawyers, technical experts, and academics to address emerging legal issues and develop consensus positions that will guide government policy-makers and decision-makers.
Megan’s competition litigation efforts on behalf of clients have resulted in recoveries of over half a billion dollars, including: In re Polyester Staple Antitrust Litigation (W.D.N.C.) ($63.5 million on behalf of class); In re Compact Disc Antitrust Litigation (C.D. Cal.) (over $50 million on behalf of class); In re Rubber Chemicals Antitrust Litigation (N.D. Cal.) (over $100 million on behalf of class); In re MMA Antitrust Litigation (E.D. Pa.) (over $20 million on behalf of class); In re EPDM Antitrust Litigation (D. Conn.) ($81 million on behalf of class). Megan was also involved in the negotiation of a $300 million global settlement with Bayer (which resolved three cases: EPDM, Rubber Chemicals and NBR), and drafted the innovative settlement agreement itself.
Megan is the founder of Women Antitrust Plaintiffs’ Attorneys, a national organization dedicated to exchanging best practices and information for women who primarily practice cartel law on behalf of victims. Speakers at the organization’s conferences have included Wendy H. Waszmer, Counsel to Assistant Attorney General Christine A. Varney from the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, federal judges, and the Honorable Judge Daniel Weinstein (Ret.).
Hon. Frank Maas (Ret.)
JAMS
New York, New York
The Hon. Frank Maas (Ret.) served for 17 years as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of New York, including a two-year term as Chief Magistrate Judge. Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Maas was a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, a partner in the New York City office of a large commercial litigation law firm headquartered in upstate New York, and First Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation, where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of an internal affairs agency and oversaw the City’s internet security efforts.
Judge Maas is nationally known for his expertise in electronic discovery issues. He is a frequent speaker at the Conference on Preservation Excellence and at the E-Discovery Institute Leadership Summit, among others. He is a founding member of the Executive Committee of the New York State Bar Association Commercial and Federal Litigation Section. Judge Maas also holds memberships to the Executive Committee of the Federal Bar Association, S.D.N.Y. Chapter; the Federal Bar Council; the Federal Magistrate Judges Association; and the New York City Bar Association.
Wayne B. Mason
Partner, Faegre Drinker
Dallas, Texas
Wayne Mason is the quintessential trial lawyer who knows how to deliver solutions for your business needs, from legal matters to thoughtful counsel on a range of issues that contribute to the results you care about. This lawyer is different – this trial lawyer delivers peace of mind through innovation and efficiency so you can focus on your bottom line and business objectives.
Wayne has tried cases from coast to coast. However, well aware that only a small percentage of cases are actually tried, the value Wayne adds in litigation goes well beyond trial work, and his clients appreciate his instinct for a solid win. He has saved clients huge sums of money not only by obtaining defense verdicts but also by having the unique ability to evaluate risk based on more than 35 years of looking jurors in the eye. A testament to his success trying a diverse array of complex matters, Wayne has been admitted to try cases pro hac vice in over 30 states.
Wayne’s prowess rests on his “Three I’s” foundation – Integrity, Intelligence (IQ & EQ), Intensity – qualities rarely found in one person. A master of the power of narrative in litigation, his story-based approach to presenting information entertains, instructs, and most importantly, persuades his audiences.
A firm believer in the value that different perspectives bring to the table, Wayne makes a conscious and deliberate effort to engage and collaborate with colleagues from diverse backgrounds on client matters. Wayne is also passionate about helping the next generation of lawyers reach their full potential. He is committed to mentoring diverse lawyers within the firm and is currently involved in a two-year Faegre Drinker sponsorship of a diverse protégé, in which the two work together and meet regularly to facilitate the young lawyer’s path to success.
In Wayne, clients find the trial lawyer they want when they need a steady hand on the tiller. His exceptional communication skills and “cut-to-the-chase” style give him a clear edge when dealing with the media and protecting his clients’ reputation and corporate brand. A quick study, regardless of the subject matter, Wayne makes the complex clear and simple for any audience.
Wayne is recognized for his advocacy gifts by, among others, Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation (Litigation Star), Lawdragon 500, Litigation Counsel of America, American Board of Trial Advocates and Best Lawyers in America. A client described him saying, "Wayne is a multidimensional strategist who balances litigation needs and risks with a settlement strategy. He spends time so that he can understand very complicated issues and is then able to explain them to a judge and jury in a very simple, straightforward way." (Chambers USA — Texas, Litigation: General Commercial, 2020).
Hon. R. David Proctor
United States District Court, Northern District of Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Robert David Proctor is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Judge Proctor received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Carson–Newman College, (now Carson–Newman University), in 1983 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1986. He was a law clerk to H. Emory Widener, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 1986 to 1987. He was in private practice in Birmingham, Alabama, from 1987 to 2003.
On May 1, 2003, Judge Proctor was nominated by President George W. Bush to a new seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 17, 2003, and received his commission on September 22, 2003.
Randi Ilyse Roth, Esq.
Complex Settlements, PC
St. Paul, Minnesota
Ms. Roth has served in a judicial adjunct role in one of the largest civil cases and one of the largest criminal cases in America that have involved claims processes.
From 2000 to 2012, Ms. Roth worked as the independent court-appointed monitor in the Pigford v. Vilsack settlement. In Pigford, a class of approximately 22,000 African-American farmers sued the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), alleging race discrimination in the administration of federal agricultural credit programs. With a staff of nearly 40 full-time employees and additional lawyers on contract, the Pigford monitor’s office: (1) wrote more than 5,800 fact-specific, detailed appeals decisions regarding individual farmers’ claims; (2) managed the scripting and quality control for a call center that took thousands of calls per month; (3) traveled throughout the South, meeting with claimants and their farm organizations to solve problems and disseminate information about the case; (4) at the federal court in Washington, DC, led frequent working meetings of the parties’ lawyers (plaintiffs’ civil rights lawyers, the Justice Department, and USDA’s General Counsel staff), and the neutrals (adjudication and arbitration neutrals and the class action administration firm); and (5) filed dozens of court reports regarding the implementation of the consent decree.
Ms. Roth worked as the Claims Facilitator in a criminal case, U.S. v. Fata. Ms. Roth contracted with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the E.D. of Michigan to support DOJ by designing and implementing a claims process to distribute funds to victims of a former hematologist-oncologist who pleaded guilty to health care fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to pay or receive kickbacks. As part of the defendant’s scheme, he deliberately administered medically unnecessary injections and infusions to patients, including chemotherapy, iron, cancer treatment drugs, and other medications. He also administered unnecessary diagnostic tests involving the injection of radiological material into patients. U.S. District Judge Paul D. Borman imposed a sentence of 45 years in prison and ordered the defendant to forfeit assets. As Claims Facilitator, Ms. Roth, in collaboration with DOJ, designed claim forms and supporting documents, conducted focus groups with victims to obtain their input into design of process, built a claims web site for case (www.fataclaims.com), and conducted claimant information meetings in the community. Additionally, Ms. Roth prepared written reports to the Court, prepared scripts for and oversees work of phone agents who respond to claimants’ calls, appeared in Court to provide status reports, and decided all claims (producing a set of recommended outcomes for DOJ and the Court).
Paige Sharpe
Partner, Arnold & Porter
Washington, DC
Paige Sharpe's practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, primarily mass torts and product liability actions involving consumer products and prescription drugs. She represents major US companies in defending against personal injury claims in state and federal court and at both trial court and appellate court levels, and she also advises clients on their response to government investigations. Her experience includes counseling clients on litigation risks, coordinating discovery and trial strategies across multiple jurisdictions, and helping manage the litigation and regulatory matters that arise out of product safety issues.
Ms. Sharpe maintains an active pro bono practice. Her current matters include a Fourth Amendment appeal in a criminal case and representation of a death row inmate asserting religious liberty claims against a state prison system.
Corey M. Stern
Levy Konigsberg
New York, New York
Corey is an advocate for the environment and children’s’ rights. He represents individuals who have been catastrophically injured, with an emphasis on children that have suffered brain damage from lead poisoning or individuals that have suffered from sexual abuse. Corey has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients in verdicts and settlements and has garnered a national reputation for his work on lead poisoning and sexual abuse cases.
Corey regularly serves as “first chair”/lead trial attorney in complex personal injury trials.
In addition to his trial work, Corey has written, argued, and won important legal rulings throughout the United States while prosecuting his cases.
Corey is an innovator in national lead poisoning cases. He is currently representing more than 2500 children (on an individual, case-by-case basis) who were lead poisoned in Flint, Michigan, from the consumption of water from the Flint River.
On November 15, 2016, Corey was appointed “Lead Counsel” for all plaintiffs maintaining claims in the Circuit Court of Genesee County for personal injuries and property damage sustained as a result of the Flint Water Crisis. Eight months later, on July 27, 2017, Corey was appointed “Liaison Counsel” in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, for all individual personal injury and property damage cases pending before the Court arising out of the crisis.
On August 12, 2020, Corey signed a settlement agreement with the State of Michigan for 600 million dollars. As an architect of the settlement, Corey successfully advocated for children, insisting that the majority of the money paid by the State be paid to the most vulnerable, specifically kids age six and younger. Corey also successfully fought for the kids being treated individually, and NOT as part of a class action. The settlement marked the largest paid by the State in its history, and represented a watershed moment for the under-served community, particularly for its children.
On September 30, 2017, Corey filed a Class Action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against New York City, the New York City Housing Authority, its Chairperson Shola Olatoye, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, for their collective failures regarding inspections of 178,000 public housing apartments for lead-based paint over the course of at least five years. At least 400,000 people, including children, that live in New York City public housing may have been exposed to lead-based paint hazards, as have up to 200,000 people, including children, that receive financial assistance through the Housing Choice Voucher Program of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1978, also known as Section 8.
On February 14, 2019, Corey filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York representing sexual assault victims of Dr. Reginald Archibald during his employment at Rockefeller University Hospital. The lawsuit alleges that during his four decades as a pediatric endocrinologist at Rockefeller, Archibald had more than 9,000 patients, many of whom were boys who were unable to grow normally. Corey also presently represents dozens of Archibald’s sexual abuse victims, on an individual, case-by-case basis.
Prior to joining LK, Corey practiced extensively in the areas of complex negligence, including sexual abuse, civil rights and product liability cases throughout Georgia and the Southeastern United States, with a strong emphasis on cases involving children.
Corey routinely speaks around the United States at seminars and conferences on topics related to his work. Corey has testified before New York’s City Council on the subject of lead poisoning and the City’s public housing crisis.
Corey has spent half his life in New York and half his life in Georgia, having grown up in Mount Sinai, New York, and then attending the University of Georgia for his undergraduate degree in history and his juris doctorate. Corey practiced law in Atlanta for twelve years before coming “home” to New York in 2014, where he continues to fight for individuals, including children, who don’t have an adequate voice.
Despite his New York roots and his deep love for New York City, Corey will always be a Georgia Bulldog, and strives daily to be and remain a Damn Good Dawg!
Corey traveled the world for one year after graduating from high school, including visits to concentration camps in Poland, where he was moved by the stories of children that perished during the Holocaust. Since then, Corey has tried to live his life in a way that honors those who died, which permeates his law practice today.
David M. Tenner
Ridley, McGreevy & Winocur P.C.
Denver, Colorado
David Tenner is a trial lawyer, an arbitrator and a special master appointed by Denver-area trial courts. His trial practice focuses on the representation of businesses and individuals in both state and federal court and in arbitrations. He tries complex business, intellectual property and tort cases to both judges and juries. He also tries complex claims in both domestic and international arbitrations. Mr. Tenner regularly provides clients with pre-litigation advice focusing on the resolution of disputes prior to the initiation of formal claims. He represents a broad range of clients; from Fortune 500 companies, to closely-held businesses to individuals.
In addition to being a trial lawyer, Mr. Tenner is an arbitrator, a special master to area courts and a trained mediator. He is a member of the commercial panel of the American Arbitration Association. Mr. Tenner has been appointed on numerous occasions as a special master in complicated matters pending before both the Denver and Arapahoe District Courts. These matters range from complicated business and real estate cases to multi-state product liability litigation to employment claims. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Court Appointed Masters and in 2015 he was appointed to the Academy’s Board of Directors. He currently serves as President-Elect.