Speakers

Benjamin Allen

Benjamin T. Allen Partner, Holland & Knight, LLP Mr. Allen focuses his practice on a wide range of transportation accident investigation and litigation matters, including aviation, maritime, railroad, pipeline, highway, hazardous materials and commercial space. Mr. Allen brings a distinct perspective built from more than 20 years of aviation experience, including more than a decade with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and involvement with federal investigations conducted by U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) agencies, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Office of Inspector General (OIG), and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), foreign civil accident investigation authorities, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and other military departments. EDUCATION American University, Washington College of Law, J.D. Trinity University, B.A., Communications BAR ADMISSIONS/LICENSES District of Columbia Maryland Virginia COURT ADMISSIONS U.S. Supreme Court U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Supreme Court of Virginia Supreme Court of Maryland District of Columbia Court of Appeals

Shelley Bennett

Shelley is responsible for Lytx’s legal, legislative affairs, and regulatory compliance matters and also serves as corporate secretary and chief privacy officer. Lytx is a leading provider of video safety, telematics, analytics, and productivity solutions for commercial, public sector, and field service fleets.

Shelley has over two decades of legal experience and has served in numerous leadership roles. Prior to joining Lytx in 2011, she practiced corporate and transactional law both at SAIC and a national law firm, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, public and private financing, joint ventures, licensing arrangements, and corporate governance matters. Shelley received a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from University of Michigan Law School.

Steve Block

Steve Block has more than 35 years of experience in all modes of transportation and logistics. His practice also focuses on general commercial litigation before courts and administrative bodies across the U.S. He counsels and represents local and national transportation service providers and consumers, and companies involved in a wide array of complex commercial disputes.  

Steve represents domestic and international maritime, trucking, aviation and railroad companies in litigation concerning:

  • lost and damaged cargo;
  • licensing and regulatory matters before state and federal agencies;
  • freight broker liability;
  • freight charge disputes;
  • employment and independent contractor matters; and
  • insurance coverage.

He also prepares documentation and provides consultation regarding:

  • transportation and logistics;
  • freight brokerage, and shipper/carrier contracts;
  • interline and sub-haul agreements;
  • owner-operator leases and employed driver contracts; and
  • shipping and warehousing documentation.

As a general commercial litigator, Steve is experienced in business, real estate and land use, intellectual property, and employment law.

Steve is an exceptional writer. He has authored several articles as the Western U.S. member of ForwarderLaw, an internet-based repository of legal resources of interest to the shipping community, and as co-editor of the Motor Column of Association of Transportation Law Professionals Highlights. He is also a frequent contributor to The Transportation Lawyer, published by the Transportation Lawyers Association.

David Cades

David Cades, Ph. D. Principal Scientist – Human Factors, Chicago, IL BS Engineering Psychology, Tufts University 2003 MA, Ph. D. Psychology, Human Factors and Applied Cognition Program, George Mason University 2011 Dr. Cades specializes in human factors investigations of vehicle and aircraft operator behavior, including perception response time, visual perception, nighttime visibility, and distractions and has investigated the effects of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and highly automated vehicles (HAVs) on driver behavior. He also has expertise in the evaluation and development of warnings and instructions for a wide range of consumer and industrial products.

Callie Castillo

Callie Castillo is a Shareholder with Lane Powell PC where she assists clients with complex litigation, regulatory advice, and appeals. Callie represents both public and private entities in matters related to commercial disputes; civil rights and election laws; consumer protection, antitrust and regulatory defense; class actions including wage and hour; and state and local tax controversies. In addition to handling litigation matters from start to finish, Callie has successfully briefed and argued numerous cases in front of the Washington Court of Appeals, the Washington Supreme Court, and the Ninth Circuit.  

Before joining Lane Powell in 2019, Callie spent twelve years with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office with her last position as Deputy Solicitor General. During her time there, she independently handled and oversaw appellate cases at all levels of state and federal courts, and served as advisor to elected officials. Callie’s experience included defending Washington state, both in state and federal litigation, against constitutional challenges to various laws and initiatives.  

Callie received her B.A. from the University of Washington and J.D. from George Mason School of Law. 

Justin Daniels

Justin’s corporate practice consists of representing domestic and international businesses and business owners in all aspects of their growth cycles, from structuring new ventures, raising capital, deploying technology, and advising about acquisitions and divestitures to reviewing and negotiating key vendor, employment, and customer contracts. He has closed M&A transactions valued collectively at more than $2 billion.

Justin advises his corporate clients on the deployment and scaling of technology ranging from SaaS, fintech, data centers to autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, mobile edge computing, drones, and cryptocurrency. Since data is critical to every transaction, he helps clients make informed business decisions while managing data privacy and cybersecurity risk.

When it comes to cybersecurity, Justin uses a pragmatic business approach to addressing cyber as a business enterprise risk at every stage in the business lifecycle. He specifically advises the C-suite and boards on identifying and managing cybersecurity risk with respect to mergers and acquisitions, investment capital transactions, lending, vendor and customer contracts, and cyber insurance. He leads breach incident response teams on ransomware and wire fraud cases in industries ranging from medical IT, health care SaaS, and logistics to manufacturing. Companies regularly seek Justin’s advice about preparing to handle breach response and proactively managing cybersecurity risks.

In October 2022, Justin and his wife Jodi co-authored and released the book “Data Reimagined: Building Trust One Byte at a Time,” which helps business executives create trust with their customers through their privacy and cybersecurity business practices. The book became a Wall Street Journal and USA Today best seller. The Daniels also co-host together the “She Said Privacy/He Said Security” podcast, which is consistently ranked as a top podcast in the privacy space.

Smart city technology is a focus area for Justin. He represents the Curiosity lab in Peachtree Corners that began by helping it build cybersecurity and privacy into the DNA of their infrastructure as part of its launch. The innovation lab has a 5G-enabled three-mile autonomous vehicle test track, a 25,000-square-foot innovation center and an intelligent network of connected IoT devices. The representation expanded into advising Peachtree Corners on the deployment of smart city technology ranging from autonomous vehicles, drones, SaaS-based civic apps, and digital cameras. Justin is an FAA-licensed Part 107 Commercial UAS (drone) pilot.

Justin is currently the co-chair of Baker Donelson’s Blockchain and Digital Assets practice. Since 2017, he has also provided strategic advice to clients relating to blockchain technology. He represents a publicly traded company that is one of the largest crypto mining operations in the United States. He has extensive and significant experience in negotiating and drafting power contracts, crypto mining hosting agreements, and related critical data center and infrastructure necessary to engage profitably in cryptocurrency mining.

Justin also counsels clients about creating non-fungible token (NFTs) exchanges, through the creation and iteration of business models that address regulations including federal and state money transmitter laws, AML/KYC, privacy and cybersecurity, as well as whether tokens are considered securities.

Justin is also a nationally recognized keynote speaker. He spoke at RSA, the world’s largest cybersecurity conference event in 2022, on the topic of “Autonomous Vehicles and Drones: Privacy and Security vs. Surveillance” and in 2021 on leading breach incident response with law enforcement. He has given numerous keynote presentations on topics including cybersecurity and M&A risk, artificial intelligence, integrated blockchain solutions, and balancing technological innovation versus privacy and security.

Gordon Hearn

Gordon Hearn represents international and domestic interests involved in the transportation, supply chain and distribution of goods in litigation, regulatory and contractual matters.

He advises shippers, receivers, carriers, logistics providers (3PL’s, supply chain and “fulfillment” providers, freight forwarders, load brokers, customs brokers and warehousemen) and their insurers on their legal interest and exposure in the international, cross-border and domestic carriage of goods by all modes of carriage.

Gordon provides advice and representation in the following areas:

Litigation: Cross-Border and Domestic Commercial Litigation, Cargo Claims, Products Liability, Insurance and Casualty Claims
Contracts: Drafting and Negotiation
Insurance: Coverage and Related Issues
Regulatory Compliance: Operational and Licensing Issues
Sale of Goods (Domestic and International)
Multi-Modal (ocean, air, rail + road) and Inter-modal (rail + road) carriage

Gordon is a Past President of the Transportation Lawyers Association, an independent, international bar association whose members assist providers and commercial users of transportation and logistics services.

Gordon is a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars throughout North America on the above matters. Gordon has authored numerous related papers and articles.

Representative Work
Gordon has represented manufacturing, consumer products, agri-business and pharmaceutical “Fortune 500” companies in the preparation of and implementation of international and domestic supply chain agreements

Gordon has been successful in the enforcement of contractual limitations of liability in favor of carrier clients involving transit losses such as those of high value artwork, the shipment of manufacturing plant components and precious metals

Gordon successfully defended a warehouse operation wrongly implicated with the systemic pilferage of cargo over years of operation

Gordon has successfully represented manufacturing and agri-business interests in disputes with rail and ocean carriers over service levels and the assessment of detention, demurrage and accessorial charges

Gordon has assisted numerous clients in the preparation of and implementation of website based transport and service trading conditions

Expertise
Litigation and Dispute Resolution
Transportation & Logistics
Insurance

Latasha Johnson

An avid baker, Latasha brings the technical precision and attention to detail learned from over two decades as a pâtissiere to her legal practice. A legal artisan, crafting results by combining the right resources, facts and law, Latasha earned a reputation for successfully resolving complex business disputes through litigation and arbitration, skillfully negotiating commercial real estate and corporate transactions, and deftly navigating complex government investigations. In addition to corporate law and business torts, Latasha has substantial knowledge of financial institutions, the transportation industry, and government contracting.

Before joining Ehrenstein|Sager, Latasha served as Assistant General Counsel for the Florida Department of Transportation, an $11 billion transportation agency, where she served as the agency’s Chief Legal Counsel for Contracts and Special Projects, representing the agency in complex transactional matters, negotiating and drafting contracts and commercial leases, advising the agency on construction, maintenance and utility claims, preparing grant and federal aid agreements, and managing outside litigation counsel. Prior to her role at the Florida Department of Transportation, Latasha was a litigation partner in a boutique business law firm where her practice included all areas of dispute resolution including litigation, trial, mediation, and arbitration. Latasha began her legal career in New York City, gaining invaluable complex commercial litigation experience at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and Shearman & Sterling.

Edwina Kessler

Edwina V. Kessler Principal Dickie McCamey & Chilcote EDUCATION Nova Southeastern University, College of Law, J.D., 1994 University of Florida, B.A. History,1989 ADMISSIONS Florida Bar 1994 Federal Bar Association admitted to the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, 1995 Admitted to the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 2008; Admitted to the U.S. District Court, Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, 2009 Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator Circuit and County Court Florida Supreme Court Qualified Arbitrator AV Rated Martindale Hubbell MEMBERSHIPS AND COMMITTEE AFFILIATIONS Broward County Bar Association (President of Young Lawyers Section, 2001-2002); President of the Broward County Bar Association 2018-2019; Broward County Lawyers Association/Florida Women Lawyer Association, Treasurer 2022 -2023 Conference of Freight Counsel Steven Booher Inns of Court- Counselor Defense Research Institute, Trucking Committee – Women In Trucking Chair Florida Defense Lawyers Association St. Thomas Moore Society Trucking Industry Defense Association Transportation Lawyers Association International Association of Defense Counsel Federal Bar Association of Broward County

Brian Lipson

Brian Lipson is a Partner in the Transportation and Logistics group. His practice focuses on mergers & acquisitions, commercial agreements, regulatory compliance, and licensing, primarily in the areas of road and rail transportation, warehousing and supply chain. Brian has provided advice in respect of numerous Canadian and cross-border purchase and sale agreements, reorganizations, and investments, and provides licensing advice in respect of cross-border transportation in the rail and road modes. He offers contractual solutions and advice on liability and risk exposure to warehousemen and storers, to rail carriers and owners of rail rolling stock, to motor carriers and brokers of freight, to shippers and benefical cargo owners in all modes, to governments and municipalities, and to providers of public transportation, including in the areas of autonomous vehicles and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (drones). Brian also has extensive experience with licensing and permitting requirements for commercial motor vehicles (NIR/CVOR/NSC/IRP/IFTA), and for motor vehicle dealers throughout Canada, including obtaining licences from the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC) and other similar regulators in the context of cross-border acquisitions and expansions.

Brian assists the firm’s clients in preventing, handling and contesting moving and other violations under federal and provincial laws and regulations, regularly representing rail carriers in respect of administrative monetary penalties before the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada, and representing motor carriers and their drivers before the courts. He appears before the Canadian Transportation Agency in connection with railway crossings and provides advice in respect of Final Offer Arbitration, accessibility to public transportation and various other disputes related to rail transportation. Brian also advises several companies with respect to their regulatory compliance and contractual matters including Day & Ross Inc., Canadian National Railway Company, TransX Ltd., Uber Canada Inc. and VersaCold Logistics Services.

Brian’s recent experience includes advising:

  • Canadian National Railway Company in respect of freight agreements, regulatory compliance, access to information requests, and disputes before the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada, the Canadian Transportation Agency, and the Federal Courts of Canada.
  • CSX Transportation Inc. in the sale to the Canadian National Railway Company of its Massena rail line and of terminal assets located in Quebec and New York.
  • La Coop fédérée and its Olymel and Sollio Agriculture divisions in their agreement to acquire all of the assets of F. Ménard.
  • Composites One, LLC in the acquisition of Canadian-Based Polynt Composites Distribution Business.
  • Day & Ross Inc., Canadian National Railway Company, Plains Midstream Canada, TransX Ltd., Uber Canada Inc. and VersaCold Logistics Services in respect of regulatory compliance and contractual matters.
  • Via Rail Canada Inc. in connection with matters before the Canadian Transportation Agency.

Brian obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from Université Laval in 2013 and was called to the Quebec Bar in 2014. He also received, in 2001, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Music Composition and Improvisation from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), and has been working as a composer and trumpet player since 1999. His original score for the play The Bacchae received the 2013 Montreal English Theatre Award for Outstanding Sound Design.

Brian is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the (Ontario) Criminal Lawyers Association, the Canadian Transport Lawyers Association, the (U.S.) Transportation Lawyers Association, the Association Québécoise des avocates et avocats de la défense (Quebec Defence Lawyers Association) and the Association des avocats de la défense de Québec (Quebec City Defence Lawyers Association). From 2014 to 2015, he served on the board of directors of the Jeune Barreau de Québec (Québec City Young Bar Association).

CAROLE MCAFEE WALLACE

Carole represents both domestic and international trucking and bus companies on a wide range of transportation matters including regulatory compliance, defence of provincial offences, contract drafting and commercial litigation.


Carole also practices employment law, advising both federally and provincially regulated employers in Canada, and employers internationally, on compliance with employment standards, the management of human rights issues, including the duty to accommodate, and on occupational health and safety compliance including responding to workplace harassment complaints. She also drafts employment contracts, independent-contractor agreements, non-disclosure, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, workplace policies, procedures and employee handbooks. Carole also assists her clients with the preparation of termination packages, and responding to wrongful dismissal claims, unjust dismissal complaints, and human rights applications.


She appears on her clients’ behalf before the Ontario Court of Justice, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Licence Appeal Tribunal, the Ontario Labour Relations Board, Canada Industrial Relations Board, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.

Erin O'Brien

Erin has more than 10 years of experience representing private companies of all sizes with startup and formation issues, employment matters, technology transactions, management agreements, leasing, and other complex commercial negotiations.

Erin focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions, commercial real estate acquisitions, sales and financings, employment matters, and general corporate matters.

She was named a “Rising Star” by Illinois Super Lawyers in 2020 and 2021, recognizing her as one of Illinois’ top up-and-coming attorneys. The Rising Stars list recognizes no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state.

coby page

Coby Page is the Chief Legal Officer of MegaCorp Logistics, a freight broker based in Wilmington, NC. As CLO, Coby oversees legal, risk, and compliance matters, including corporate law, commercial transactions, governance, employment law, regulatory issues, claims, insurance, intellectual property, M&A, and litigation. His responsibilities include advising and coordinating with executive leadership on significant business and legal issues, where he helps balance strategic risks and corporate objectives. Prior to MegaCorp, Coby was General Counsel at Nolan Transportation Group (NTG), a third-party logistics provider based in Atlanta. During his 2.5-year tenure, he collaborated with the C-suite, led numerous cross-functional projects, and streamlined the contract intake, review, and approval process. Before joining NTG, Coby spent 10 years as in-house counsel at Knight-Swift Transportation where he specialized in commercial transactions and general corporate matters. Coby began his career in government and private practice roles. Coby is a member of the Arizona State Bar. He received his Juris Doctor in 2006 from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. He received his Bachelor of Arts in German in 2001 from Brigham Young University. Coby has been co-chair of TLA’s Corporate Counsel Committee since 2016.

Greg Reed

Greg Reed is Executive Director and Transportation Industry Counsel to the National Star Route Mail Contractors Association (NSRMCA), one of the oldest transportation trade associations in the United States. It is comprised of transportation companies, including some of the largest trucking companies in the U.S., that contract with the United States Postal Service to move mail and parcels throughout the country. Greg advocates for the interests NSRMCA members with the Postal Service and federal agencies, provides regulatory and legal guidance to members at the state and federal levels, and works with the Postal Service to implement new contracting practices. Prior to joining NSRMCA, Greg was outside litigation and regulatory counsel to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). He began his legal career representing small businesses in state and federal court in challenges to onerous, anti-competitive laws.

Melissa Richardson

Melissa Richardson President of Richardson Law Group, PLLC Education University of Kentucky, College of Law, Lexington, Kentucky, Juris Doctor, May 2007 Centre College, Bachelor of Arts Classical Studies and History, summa cum laude, May 2004 Accomplishments, Honors, and Affiliations Named as a Superlawyer for the State of Kentucky KTCR Defense Attorney of the Year (2021) Centre College Alumni Board of Directors (2019-2021) Transportation Lawyers Association (TLA) (2017 to present) TLA Young Lawyers Committee Chairperson (2018 – 2019) TLA Motor Carrier Committee (2021) TLA Executive Committee, Member at Large (2020 – 2022) TLA Annual Conference Planning Committee (2021) TLA Annual Conference Planning Committee Co-Chair (2022) Speaker at the Energi Summit (2017, 2019) KLEO Mentor (2017, 2019) DRI — Women in Law Committee (WITL) (2015-2016) DRI — WITL Liaison to Legal Project Management (LPM) Committee (2016) Selected to the 2016 Kentucky Rising Super Lawyer Stars List issued by Thomson Reuters Kentucky Trial Court Review, Most Prolific Attorney (2015) Member, Claims Litigation Management (2014 to present) Member, Trial Attorneys of America (2015) DAR Member Bar Admissions U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Kentucky Federal Court for the Southern District of Indiana Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky Commonwealth of Kentucky

Daniel Sbanotto

Daniel has served as in-house counsel in varying capacity for leading transportation companies for nearly 10 years. He is currently the VP of Legal at Uber Freight US, a leading provider of transportation management services and logistics technology in North America and Europe. He is responsible for complex contracting, leases, litigation management, risk mitigation, corporate management and governance, and insurance management across the company. Prior to Uber Freight, he worked as the director of legal affairs for ER Assist, a software development company focused on emergency grant management. Mr. Sbanotto earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Central Arkansas and his J.D from the University of Arkansas School of Law where he contributed to the Arkansas Real Estate Review. He is currently an active member in the Conference of Freight Counsel and Transportation Lawyers Association. Located in Northwest Arkansas, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children and the various activities that region has to offer.  

 

 

Robin Squires

Within his transportation, class actions and defence practice, Robin Squires provides advice to private and public sector clients 

He has extensive experience representing: 

  • ship owners and P&I Clubs in actions involving domestic and international shipping 
  • aviation insurers in collision and casualty claims 
  • OEMs in the defence of class actions and product liability claims 

His defence experience includes complex casualty matters and class actions involving multiple parties and inter-jurisdictional and cross border insurance issues. 

In addition to Robin’s court experience, he advises transportation clients on corporate matters and liability and risk management issues, including: 

  • drafting of service agreements 
  • contracts 
  • liability releases 
  • indemnity agreements 
  • governance issues 
  • labour and employment matters 

 Robin is the National Leader of BLG’s Transportation Focus Group and the Toronto Leader of BLG’s Maritime Focus Group. 

 

Tomas Tobin

Tom is an attorney in the New York offices of the Wilson Elser Law Firm. Wilson Elser is a full service law firm with more than 1,000 attorneys and offices in most major markets. Tom has been successfully litigating complex transportation-related negligence, product liability and commercial matters for over 30 years. An engineer as well as a lawyer, Tom routinely consults with transportation providers and manufacturers as to operational and product safety issues. He has lectured extensively on these topics in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan. Tom has tried cases in more than a dozen states, and has defended clients in almost every state. He frequently coordinates clients’ defenses of generic claims and “pattern litigation” around the country. While he is admitted to the New York State Bar, he has been admitted pro hac vice in Alaska, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington State and Washington D.C. For the past 15 years, Tom has been extensively involved in counseling clients that become parties to NTSB investigations arising out of calamities of all sorts, including highway, rail, marine, aviation and pipeline accidents. Tom has assisted many railroads, motor carriers and manufacturers in NTSB investigations. Tom is widely published concerning NTSB investigations and has given dozens of related lectures and seminars before natural gas suppliers, transportation providers, manufacturers and component part suppliers. Tom and his wife live in Rye, New York, one of the northern suburbs of New York City. His three children are all out of the house, the two oldest with careers in Boston and San Francisco and the youngest just beginning a career as an Investigative Counsel with the Senate Finance Committee in Washington, D.C. When Tom is not actively litigating or assisting companies in NTSB investigations, he is frequently off the northeast coast sailing or racing his F&C 44 ketch with family, friends and sometimes clients as well. He has completed three Newport-to-Bermuda races, over 1,200 open-ocean miles for each race and return (he holds a 50-ton U.S. Coast Guard Master’s License). Tom can be reached at 914-872-7246 (office), 914-262-2891 (cell) or thomas.tobin@wilsonelser.com.

Stephen Uthoff

Stephen Uthoff is the founder of The Uthoff Law Corporation. For nearly 30 years Mr. Uthoff has represented clients domestically and abroad involved in the transportation of cargo including steamship lines, stevedores & marine terminal operators, NVOCC’s, ocean transportation intermediaries, air and surface freight forwarders, property brokers, draymen, motor carriers, warehouse operators, and customs brokers. He has been recognized as a Certified Admiralty and Maritime Law Specialist by the State Bar of California; as a Proctor in Admiralty by the Maritime Law Association and is A.V. rated by Martindale Hubbell.

In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Uthoff is also an accomplished mediator with hundreds of cases successfully mediated. He also serves as a volunteer Attorney Settlement Officer for the United States District Court for the Central District of California. For more information on Mr. Uthoff’s mediation services, please see our Mediation page.

Jacob Wegrzyn

Jacob Wegrzyn currently serves as the Vice President of Caribbean for Trailer Bridge supporting the company’s Puerto Rican sales and operational efforts. He began with the company in 2012 and has held various positions including General Manager and Director of Government Affairs in Puerto Rico. Under his leadership, Trailer Bridge serves the needs of Puerto Rico with consistent, weekly barge service handling all types of essential goods. 

Jacob is instrumental in the facilitation and execution of the annual Rally for Puerto Rico charity golf tournament held in partnership with ATS International to support the important work of Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico. With his partners and sponsors, the event has raised nearly $300,000 for charity.

Born in Poland, Jacob moved to Puerto Rico in 1969 with his parents who were University Professors at the University of Mayaguez.  He grew up in Puerto Rico and holds a degree in Psychology and Biology from Yale University. Jacob began his career in transportation and logistics in 1991 and has gained knowledge in expertise in all aspects of the supply chain, both trucking and ocean operations. Before working with Trailer Bridge, he served as the Senior Vice President and General Manager for the Puerto Rico for Horizon Lines.

Jacob has been married to his wife Mildred for 32 years and has 2 children, Isabel and Jacob Mathew. When not facilitating the transportation of goods to and from the island, his hobbies include golf and tennis.

Shannon Wheeler

General Counsel Shannon Wheeler joined Tenstreet in 2018. Prior to joining Tenstreet, Shannon spent a decade representing ‎clients in litigation in both federal and state courts. She received her bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University and ‎graduated with highest honors from the University of Tulsa College of Law. Shannon regularly provides education and ‎industry compliance information to carriers and employers through webinars and speaking events. She has presented on ‎nuanced compliance topics including the practical challenges of FMCSA regulations and the Fair Credit Reporting Act, steps to ‎reduce the risks associated with nuclear verdicts, and managing the various state regulations that affect the owner-operator ‎model.‎

Matt Arbour

Matthew Arbour, P.Eng., is a professional engineer who has been with HRYCAY Consulting Engineers ‎since 2013. Prior to his time with HRYCAY Mr. Arbour was a forward model test engineer for Ford ‎Motor Company and also the team leader for an engineering consulting firm which specialized in the ‎design, build and commissioning of prototype heavy equipment such as nuclear waste ‎transporters. He currently is a team leader within HRYCAY where he oversees many files, as well as ‎acts as lead engineer on complex motor vehicle accidents and leads the company’s vehicle fire origin ‎and cause division. Mr. Arbour also spearheads the company’s research and development activities.‎

Troy Bettencourt

Troy Bettencourt is the Global Head of IBM’s X-Force Incident Response consultancy practice. He is a technically skilled, people- and process-oriented leader with more than a decade of supervisory experience in the DFIR, law enforcement, and military spaces; three of those years as a member of the Executive Leadership Team of a government agency. Troy has approximately 18 years of digital forensics/incident response experience and three years of eDiscovery experience, to include an assignment as the national eDiscovery Program Manager for a federal government agency.

 

 

Marc Blubaugh

Marc S. Blubaugh is a Partner and Co-Chair of the firm’s Transportation & Logistics Practice Group, which has been designated by U.S. News & World Report as the “Transportation Law Firm of the Year” numerous times. Mr. Blubaugh has also been recognized as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” in the area of Transportation Law and has been ranked in Band 1 (the highest ranking) on a national basis by Chambers. He is a Past President of the Transportation Lawyers Association (and a recipient of TLA’s Distinguished Service Award), currently serves as outside General Counsel to the Intermodal Association of North America as well as to the Transportation Intermediaries Association, and is a Past President of the Columbus Roundtable of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (where he currently serves on the board). He is active in a variety of other industry trade associations, such as the American Trucking Associations, the National Home Delivery Association, the International Warehousing Logistics Association, the Specialty Carriers & Rigging Association, the Ohio Trucking Association, and the Transportation Logistics Council. Mr. Blubaugh represents carriers of all modes, international and domestic third-party logistics providers (transportation brokers, freight forwarders, etc.), warehouse operators, commercial shippers, and other stakeholders in the supply chain in a wide variety of disputes in courts throughout the country including, but not limited to, high-dollar cargo claims, freight charge and pricing controversies, breaches of transportation, logistics, and warehousing agreements, prosecution of subrogation claims, insurance coverage disputes, trade-secrets and unfair competition litigation, and class action defense. He also defends carriers and third-party logistics providers in catastrophic injury actions arising out of the transportation of goods. In addition to litigating matters, he also consults with clients regarding contracting practices and operating procedures, helps clients navigate the changing regulatory landscape, and provides strategic and business advice to help clients minimize liability and maximize growth opportunities.

Shannon Butler

Shannon Butler currently serves as the Vice President of Human Resources for Montgomery Transport, LLC. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and earned her J.D. from the Birmingham School of Law followed by admission to the Alabama State Bar. Shannon also serves as the 2nd Vice-Chairman on the Safety & Maintenance Management Council for the Alabama Trucking Association. Prior to joining the Montgomery Transport Team, Shannon served as the Vice President of Human Resources and In-House Counsel for B.R. Williams Trucking, Inc. where she played a pivotal role in navigating the complex legal landscape surrounding transportation & employment law. Her keen understanding of the intersection between law and human resources has been a key asset in mitigating risks and fostering a legally sound workplace.

scott carey

Scott Carey is a Shareholder in Baker Donelson’s Nashville office. Scott is a former Office Managing Shareholder and the current Chair of the Firm’s Transportation Group. He concentrates his practice in complex business and tort litigation, with a special emphasis on transportation-related litigation. He represents transportation brokers, freight forwarders, motor carriers, warehouses, and shippers in a variety of matters including catastrophic injury cases, cargo loss and damage claims, freight charge disputes, insurance coverage matters, and breach of transportation and logistics contracts. He also counsels motor carriers on safety issues and provides training to for-hire and private carriers in a variety of areas. Mr. Carey is AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation and Transportation Law, and in Mid-South Super Lawyers. He graduated from Vanderbilt University and received his J.D. from the University of Tennessee. He is a frequent speaker on the subject of Transportation Law and is an active member in various transportation organizations. Scott is also an experienced mediator and has helped to resolve a wide variety of transportation and logistics-related cases throughout the United States.

Stephanie Chesney

Stephanie is an experienced litigator, focusing on business and commercial litigation matters, including catastrophic injury, employment, general liability, education, products liability, construction, and premises liability matters. Stephanie also has experience in defending health care providers and institutions in professional liability matters. She represents clients from pre-suit through trial and has extensive courtroom experience defending claims across Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire state and federal courts. She also has additional experience providing risk transfer and tender advice to clients and advising regarding risk mitigation strategies.

With over a decade of experience, Stephanie was most recently a partner with a national litigation firm where she defended catastrophic and large-scale complex commercial and general liability claims. Before that, she was in-house claims counsel and director of claims for a Boston-based construction contracting company, where she was the chief coverage specialist on all Builder’s Risk, General Liability, Worker’s Compensation, and Completed Operations claims.

Stephanie earned her bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s College of Maryland and her law degree from the New England School of Law and is a graduate of the International Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy. She regularly speaks at industry events across the country, discussing hot topics within her practice areas. She also enjoys mentoring new associates and organizing pro bono efforts. She was an adjunct professor at New England Law Boston from 2011–2019, where she enjoyed teaching first-year law students legal research and writing.

Kristen Johnson

Kristen MJ Johnson is Chief Legal Officer, Transportation Affairs, of Cargomatic. She is a legal strategist and thought leader, providing deep transportation industry knowledge and business partnership to oversee risk management, litigation and corporate strategy, and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining the Cargomatic executive team, Kristen was a partner managing the litigation group at Taylor Johnson PL, a transportation specialty law firm with a national footprint, and she now serves of counsel to the firm. In 2020, Kristen was the only private practice attorney selected as a Top Woman to Watch in Transportation by the Women In Trucking Association. She advises on risk management, case and witness preparation, regulatory response, compliance programs, and critical strategy. Kristen was a Fulbright Scholar and is active in her industry and community. She is a member of Women in Trucking, the Transportation Lawyers Association, the American, California, and Florida Trucking Associations, and the Conference of Freight Counsel. When she is not practicing law, she advocates for children and those in need.

Robert LeDoux Jr.

Robert Ledoux is Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Florida East Coast Railway. He is responsible to manage legal, environmental, risk management, safety, security, and human resources. He has more than 30 years of legal and management experience in corporate law and business and transportation transactions. Prior to joining FECR, Mr. Ledoux worked at CSX Transportation for nine years in various legal positions including Assistant General Counsel for public project initiatives, engineering, passenger services, and intermodal. Mr. Ledoux currently serves on the Executive Committee of the American Shortline and Regional Railroad Association and on the Board of the American Association of Railroads. He also service as Chair of the Broward MPO Freight Transportation Advisory Committee and the Florida Department of Transportation Freight Advisory Committee. He graduated with a BS degree in Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire, a JD degree from George Mason University, and an MBA from Virginia Tech. Mr. Ledoux is a member of the Virginia State Bar, the Maryland State Bar, the Florida State Bar and the American Corporate Counsel Association.

EYCK O. LUGO RIVERA‎

Eyck is a Senior Partner at EDGE Legal, LLC in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he leads the firm’s Litigation, Real Estate, and Title Insurance practice groups. Eyck routinely serves as lead counsel in a diverse array of commercial, corporate and insurance industry litigation matters for before the courts of Puerto Rico and the United States.  His practice also includes creditor’s rights, Federal Bankruptcy and insolvency. 

 

Eyck holds a BA in International Relations from Boston University and a JD from Pace University School of Law. He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department, as well as various federal courts. 

 

Eyck is actively involved in professional organizations such as the Puerto Rico Bankruptcy Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association – Puerto Rico Chapter, the Transportation Lawyers Association, and the Claim Litigation Management Alliance.

Meghan Meurer

Meg Meurer serves as Chief Commercial Officer of Tenney Group. Tenney Group’s core business is sell-side representation services for trucking and logistics companies with annual revenues ranging from 20M to 300M. Meg is responsible for driving growth in dynamic markets by establishing sell-side engagements through the coordination of commercial activities to meet the personal and financial objectives of her clients. Meg graduated from Stephens College with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, minor in Finance, and Master of Business Administration. She started her career at Schneider National in driver recruiting before moving into sales. She has held several executive roles at carriers with fleet sizes ranging from 300-6,000 power units and revenue of $70M to $1.5B. Throughout these roles, Meg has successfully managed commercial transformation and integration initiatives, overseeing inside/outside sales teams, driver recruitment, customer service, international sales and operations, contact center operations, as well as rating and contract management. Meg also serves on several boards and advisory committees and co-hosts the industry M&A podcast “In the Hot Seat with the Tenney Group.” Meg resides in St. Louis, Missouri with her husband Rob, and their two children, Mabel and Charlie. She enjoys watching her children play sports, traveling, teaching, and volunteering in her community.

Alycen Moss

Alycen is Vice Chair of the Global Insurance Department at Cozen O’Connor, and she is Office Managing Partner of the Atlanta office. She concentrates her practice in civil litigation and has extensive experience litigating transportation and logistics matters. She has participated in all phases of the defense of transportation matters, from initial discovery through dispositive motions, expert discovery, settlement negotiations, and trial practice. She also advises companies on risk management strategies.

More specifically, Alycen represents trucking companies, brokers and logistics companies in disputes involving commercial transportation accidents, federal and state safety regulations, commercial insurance coverage disputes, and other disputes involving trucking companies. She is experienced in transportation law and has represented transportation clients in litigation scenarios involving truck accident litigation, employment issues (drivers and other personnel), and contract disputes. Additionally, Alycen has experience in intermodal matters and works with intermodal equipment providers, container and leasing companies, and maintenance and repair vendors in defending intermodal claims and lawsuits. She also regularly advises companies on indemnification issues and transfer of risk. Alycen has a unique ability to advise trucking companies on proactively assessing and addressing risk both internally and externally.

Alycen is an active member of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), and sits on the FDCC’s Board of Directors. The FDCC comprises U.S. and international peer-reviewed leaders of the civil defense, corporate legal, and insurance industries. Membership in the FDCC is limited, selective, and by nomination only, and admission requires a rigorous peer review. Alycen has been named as a Georgia Super Lawyer from 2019-2024, and she is recognized nationally by The Best Lawyers in America© and Chambers USA.

Alycen regularly speaks throughout the country, and she also provides training on handling transportation matters, risk management issues, and updates regarding case law. Additionally, Alycen frequently writes articles on hot topics and emerging issues.

Bryan Nelson

Bryan J. Nelson is a partner with Taylor Nelson PL, practicing in its Tampa Bay office. He graduated from Florida State University in 2006 with degrees in Accounting and Finance from Florida State University, earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Stetson University in 2009, and graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 2009. He is licensed to practice law in the state of Florida. Prior to joining Taylor Nelson, Bryan practiced as general counsel and served as a chief administrative officer in the transportation industry for over a decade, representing a family of companies that included a motor carrier, a third-party logistics corporation, and a transportation management system provider. His practice focuses on developing, reviewing, and negotiating transportation agreements, processing, mitigating, and resolving cargo claims, guiding and assisting clients in selecting, securing, and auditing insurance policies, and analyzing and implementing the corporate structure and risk management policies of transportation entities in order to mitigate risk and develop scalability of operations.

Joelle Nelson

Joelle G. Nelson Equity Partner, Vice-Chair, National General Liability Practice, Vice-Chair, National ‎Transportation Practice ‎
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South Texas College of Law, Jruis Doctor University of Southern Maine, Bachelor of Science ‎
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Admissions: ‎
State Bar of Texas ‎
United States District Courts – Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western ‎
United States Bankruptcy Courts – Southern ‎
United States Court of Appeals – Fifth Circuit ‎
United States Supreme Court

Christian Nieves

Christian Nieves is a Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), currently assigned to the San Juan Field Office. Since joining the FBI in 2017, SSA Nieves has been assigned to investigate a variety of complex cyber, violent, and economic crimes both in the FBI Miami and San Juan Field Offices. As part of the FBI Cyber
Task Force, SSA Nieves investigates Nation State and Criminal lead computer intrusions with federal nexus which are often integrated with vulnerability exploits, email phishing schemes, financial fraud, and account takeovers.
As a Certified FBI Crisis Negotiator, SSA Nieves has over five years of crisis negotiation training and experience. SA Nieves negotiation skills have been tested as he has lead multiple negotiation events to include three real-world Kidnap for Ransome negotiation events which resulted in the successful release of the hostages.
Prior to joining the Bureau, SSA Nieves worked in the private sector as a Product Manager for a software development company. Combined Law Enforcement and private sector experience has provided SA Nieves with a holistic understanding of cyber threats.

Dr. Marco Remiorz

  • Admitted to the German Bar in 2001, joined ARNECKE SIBETH DABELSTEIN in 2004, Managing Partner
  • Advisor and service provider to the (transportation) industry; extensive knowledge in drafting and negotiating project-, supply- and logistics contracts for forwarders, ship owners, airlines, airports, offshore companies, the trading and the manufacturing industry; solution-oriented advice on transport liability, transport- and hull loss damage in respect of all modes of transport insurers and P&I clubs; experienced litigator, arbitrator
  • Diverse professional experience with a focus on transport/commerce/insurance at Dabelstein & Passehl, Hamburg (2004–2018), Bodis, Gienapp & v. d. Decken, Hamburg (2001–2004) and with the law department of a large German automotive supplier (1998–1999)
  • Legal clerkship in Hamburg, Flensburg and Fresno, California, USA (1999–2001)
  • Studied in Bonn, Lausanne (1993–1998)
  • PhD in law from Dresden Technical University (2005); lecturer on insurance law at Hamburg University

Eliseo Roques-Arroyo

Mr. Eliseo Roques serves as Managing Partner at EDGE Legal LLC, one of Puerto Rico’s leading multidisciplinary law firms. He began his journey towards becoming a highly accomplished corporate lawyer by obtaining his B.A. in Government from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in 1993, followed by a Juris Doctor from the InterAmerican University School of Law in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1997. Since then, he has gone on to be admitted to several bars such as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and Washington, District of Columbia. In addition, Mr. Roques has also obtained a Management and Leadership Principles Certification from Harvard Business School. Currently, he is a law professor at the School of Law of the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, where he teaches Artificial Intelligence and Law. He has served as a member of the Membership & Nominating Committee of Globalaw, an international legal network, and has also been recognized multiple times for his work in the legal industry, including being selected as one of Puerto Rico’s top business leaders under forty years old by Caribbean Business in 2002 and being recognized in Chambers and Partners Global Guide as a Foreign Expert in Corporate/Commercial (Foreign Expertise-US). Mr. Roques’ expertise extends beyond his legal work, he is a sought-after guest speaker on corporate matters in Latin America and Artificial Intelligence and Innovation in the Legal Industry.

Manuel San Juan

Manuel San Juan is a graduate of Princeton University (B.A., 1984) and Stanford ‎Law School (J.D., 1988) who served as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Juan ‎Pérez Giménez before embarking on a career as an advocate spanning 35 years. He ‎taught Ethics and the Interamerican University School of Law and served on the ‎American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility ‎and Standing Committee on Lawyer Discipline. Mr. San Juan regularly lectures on ‎Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility and has represented lawyers in ‎disciplinary proceedings before the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico and the U.S. ‎District Court. ‎

Peter Shelton

Peter focuses his practice on transactional and corporate work. Peter has significant experience in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, as well as private debt and equity financings. In addition, he counsels clients with respect to general contract drafting and negotiation matters, joint ventures, partnership agreements, shareholder agreements and other day-to-day corporate matters.

Elle Slattery

Elle is a Partner at the boutique transportation law firm of Taylor Nelson, PL, specializing in regulatory compliance and corporate restructuring. She enjoys creating practical legal and operational solutions for clients that minimize exposure while taking into account the realities of a competitive, complex industry. She routinely handles mergers and acquisitions of transportation entities from both the buyer and seller side, ensuring the fair valuation of companies and the smooth transition of operations throughout the transaction process and beyond. The challenges of balancing the frameworks of state and federal transportation regulations, employment classification requirements, insurance policy provisions, and general business law make this work particularly exciting and fulfilling. Prior to her career in transportation law, Elle served as a litigator and special adviser in the Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Employment, Litigation, and Information at the United States Department of Commerce. There, she specialized in defending the work-product and privileged communications of the Executive Office of the Secretary and represented the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Freedom of Information Act litigation.  She is well-versed in federal regulatory procedure, and is a frequent speaker at industry events, presenting on the importance of holistic Enterprise Risk Management for transportation companies. 

Steve Stanaszak

Steven Stanaszak, a partner at Scopelitis Garvin Light Hanson & Feary’s Milwaukee office, specializes in trial court litigation and employment law counselling. His focus includes catastrophic injury, disfigurement, wrongful death claims, and the defense of employment-related claims against employers. His experience also involves coordinating emergency response for accident investigations, reconstruction and evidence preservation, and pre-suit claim analysis and valuation for catastrophic injury claims.

Stanaszak is a member of several professional organizations, including the Trucking Industry Defense Association, the Transportation Lawyers Association, and the National Transportation Employee Relations Association. He has served in various roles within the Milwaukee Bar Association, including as Chair and Vice Chair of the Civil Litigation Section. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association.  Steve is a graduate of Marquette University School of Law.