Case Status CX Summit 2026 – Track I (Presented by Case Status)

Andy Seavers, Chief Executive Officer | Case Status

Andy Seavers is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Case Status, a client engagement platform focused on transforming how consumer law firms communicate with their clients.

• Education & Credentials

He attended Belmont University.

• Recognition & Leadership

Under his leadership, Case Status has earned national recognition, most recently ranked the 430th fastest-growing private company on the Inc. 5000 list and placed on that list for three consecutive years.

• Experience

A technology entrepreneur known for pairing empathetic leadership with a sustained commitment to innovation, he has guided the company’s rapid rise in the legal tech industry, raising more than $27 million in venture capital.

Nikki Montlick, President | Montlick Injury Attorneys

Nikki Montlick is an attorney and the President of Montlick Injury Attorneys.

• Education & Credentials

She earned her J.D. from the University of Miami Miller School of Law and her B.A. in English from the University of Miami, completing her undergraduate studies in three years through a dual-degree program. She is admitted to practice in all trial courts of Georgia.

• Professional Involvement

She is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association.

• Experience

She grew up in the firm her father, founder David Montlick, built, starting in the mailroom as a teenager and working across communications, intake, operations, and marketing, and serving as a legal assistant and law clerk before becoming President, where she shapes the firm’s strategy around client-centered service, operational excellence, and sustainable growth.

Rob Wilhite, Attorney and Shareholder | The Wilhite Law Firm

Rob Wilhite is the owner and lead litigation attorney at The Wilhite Law Firm, where he represents injury clients across Colorado and Texas.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law and his B.A. in political science from the University of Colorado Boulder, and is licensed in Colorado and Texas.

• Recognition & Leadership

He has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers since 2012 and was elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates for his work as a trial lawyer.

• Professional Involvement

His memberships include the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, and the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations.

• Experience

In more than 20 years of practice he has handled complex, high-value injury cases spanning wrongful death, automobile and trucking accidents, insurance bad faith, premises liability, and defective products; he has tried cases in state and federal courts, oversees the firm’s trial strategy, and leads its continued growth in Colorado and Texas.

Bridget Long, Attorney | Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen

Bridget Long is a trial attorney with Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen whose career pairs courtroom practice with sustained leadership across the national and Virginia trial bar.

• Education & Credentials

She earned her J.D. from the University of Richmond’s T.C. Williams School of Law and her B.A. from Mary Washington College.

• Recognition & Leadership

She has been named to Virginia Super Lawyers annually since 2008, recognized as a Top 50 Richmond Super Lawyer since 2023 and a Top 50 Virginia Women Super Lawyer since 2024, and included in The Best Lawyers in America since 2022.

• Professional Involvement

She serves as Treasurer of the American Association for Justice’s (AAJ) Trucking Litigation Group, served as the 2025 Chair of AAJ’s Women Trial Lawyers Caucus, and is a former president of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association.

• Experience

Practicing since 1998, she has handled hundreds of cases involving car accidents, tractor-trailer collisions, drunk driving, premises liability, dog bites, wrongful death, and other catastrophic injuries, and has litigated cases to verdict in jury and bench trials in state and federal courts throughout Virginia.

Brian Page, Chief Legal Officer | Trust Guss Injury Lawyers

Brian Page is the Chief Legal Officer of Trust Guss Injury Lawyers, and his practice focuses exclusively on personal injury.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his J.D. from the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and a B.S. in political science from Northern Illinois University, and is licensed in all Louisiana state courts and in the Eastern District of Louisiana.

• Recognition & Leadership

He is a Super Lawyers nominee.

• Professional Involvement

His professional involvement includes the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Access to Justice program and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association.

• Experience

With more than 20 years of experience and thousands of claims handled, he has practiced in New Orleans since law school, concentrates on motor vehicle and commercial trucking cases, and has tried cases before both judges and juries.

Jordan Couch, Partner | Palace Law

Jordan Couch is a partner and workers’ compensation attorney at Palace Law.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his J.D. from Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law, where he was awarded membership in the Order of Barristers, and his B.A. in liberal arts from St. John’s College.

• Recognition & Leadership

As the firm’s Cultural Ambassador, he champions innovative, technology-driven legal services.

• Professional Involvement

He serves on the Washington State Bar Association’s Board of Governors in an at-large seat representing new and young lawyers, first elected in 2021 and re-elected in 2024, and is active in local, state, and national bar associations.

Matthew Rosenberg, Owner and Attorney | Handler, Henning & Rosenberg LLC

Matt Rosenberg is the owner of Handler, Henning & Rosenberg LLC and a personal injury and trial attorney who takes on insurance companies and negligent parties on behalf of injured clients.

• Education & Credentials

He is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and earned his B.A. from Pennsylvania State University.

• Recognition & Leadership

He has been selected to Super Lawyers and its Rising Stars list, named among the National Trial Lawyers’ Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers, and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

• Professional Involvement

He serves on the boards of the American Association for Justice and the Pennsylvania Association for Justice.

• Experience

He began his career as a law clerk to the Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, litigated at the Philadelphia firm Klehr Harrison, and joined Handler, Henning & Rosenberg in 2011, where his practice covers personal injury, motor vehicle, mass tort, and Social Security litigation.

David McDivitt, Chief Executive Officer | McDivitt Law Firm

David McDivitt is the Chief Executive Officer of McDivitt Law Firm and a nationally recognized trial lawyer.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his B.A. in economics magna cum laude from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and his J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law, where he served as an editor of the University of Colorado Law Review and won the Carrigan Cup Mock Trial Competition.

• Recognition & Leadership

He has been selected to Super Lawyers and its Rising Stars list and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

• Experience

Before joining McDivitt Law Firm he served as a Deputy Public Defender with the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender, and earlier worked for several years as an investment banker in London. In addition to managing the firm’s day-to-day operations, he leads its litigation and trial group, where he is responsible for both trying and supervising jury trials through verdict.

Travis Howard, Partner and Chief Operating Officer | CGH Injury Lawyers

Travis Howard is Partner and Chief Operating Officer of CGH Injury Lawyers, where he builds the systems that allow the firm to make good on its promises to every client.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law, where he received a Sustainable Development Scholarship and was recognized on the Dean’s List, following undergraduate studies at Colorado State University.

• Experience

His work centers on resources, culture, and pursuing justice in cases others decline to take on, and he brings a background spanning technology, community housing, and legal cannabis regulation to his personal injury practice.

Shawn Lehocky, Chief Executive Officer | Pond Lehocky Giordano

Shawn Lehocky is the Chief Executive Officer of Pond Lehocky Giordano, where he sees his central responsibility as future-proofing the firm. His professional passions are technology and physics.

• Education & Credentials

He earned an MBA with a concentration in data analytics from Drexel University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Westminster College.

• Experience

Since the firm’s founding he has helped scale it into a national workers’ compensation and disability practice, overseeing its transition into a data-driven firm and championing AI integration, strategic partnerships, and one of the country’s largest referral networks.

Melissa Graham, Chief Operating Officer | Richard Harris Law Firm

Melissa Graham is the Chief Operating Officer of the Richard Harris Law Firm.

• Education & Credentials

She attended the University of San Diego, graduating at the top of her class in its paralegal program.

• Professional Involvement

She is a co-founder of Ascend Consulting and serves on the customer advisory board of the legal AI platform Supio.

• Experience

An operations executive who began working in a law firm at 19, she served Richard Harris as a litigation paralegal and pre-litigation case manager before rising to Chief Operating Officer, and has helped grow the firm and its sister entities into Nevada’s largest personal injury practice with more than 100 attorneys and staff.

Michelle Thompson, Chief Operating Officer | The Godsey Law Firm, P.C.

Michelle Thompson is the Chief Operating Officer of The Godsey Law Firm, P.C., a high-volume personal injury practice in the Dallas area. She runs the firm’s operations with a Six Sigma, process-first mindset, turning everyday client communication into repeatable, measurable systems rather than one-off heroics. Her focus is the operational data that actually moves a modern firm: response times, staff performance, technology adoption, and the integrations that keep the case management stack working as one. Michelle is a strong believer that consistency is what scales client experience, and she pushes her team to move from reactive firefighting to proactive, data-driven management so every client gets the same standard of care as the firm grows.

• Professional Involvement

Active in the client experience community and a regular at the CX Mastermind thinktank.

• Experience

Michelle has served as Chief Operating Officer of The Godsey Law Firm, P.C. since August 2025. She previously served as an Executive at Sweet James LLP from May 2024 to August 2025. Before that, she spent thirteen years as Chief Information Officer of Godsey Martin Law Firm, from May 2011 to May 2024.

Michael McCready, Managing Partner | McCready Law

Michael McCready is the Managing Partner of McCready Law and consults with law firms on management, technology, automation, and artificial intelligence.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Richmond in three years and his J.D. cum laude from its T.C. Williams School of Law in 1992, and is licensed in Illinois, Indiana, and Virginia as well as in federal courts including the United States Supreme Court.

• Recognition & Leadership

He is the author of Built to Run – Designing a Business Which Thrives Without You and a frequent lecturer on law firm management, technology, automation, and AI.

• Professional Involvement

His memberships include the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois and Indiana Trial Lawyers Associations, and the American Association for Justice.

• Experience

After clerking for a federal judge in Virginia, he practiced at a Chicago personal injury firm and rose to partner before founding his own firm in 1999 and growing it into a multistate personal injury practice.

Marina Bradley, Executive Director | Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers

Marina Bradley is the Executive Director of Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers, a role she has held since joining the firm in June 2022.

• Education & Credentials

She attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy and the University of Pennsylvania.

• Recognition & Leadership

While with Montgomery County she was part of the team that won the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania’s Excellence in Website Design Award.

• Professional Involvement

She serves as Vice President of the Association of Legal Administrators’ Independence Chapter.

• Experience

She oversees the firm’s day-to-day operations, administrative functions, and internal systems; before joining the firm she managed a Blue Bell insurance-defense practice and served as Montgomery County, Pennsylvania’s Web Editor and Social Media Coordinator.

Tom Giordano, Founding Partner | Pond Lehocky Giordano

Tom Giordano is a Founding Partner of Pond Lehocky Giordano, one of the nation’s leading workers’ compensation and disability firms.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his J.D. from Rutgers School of Law–Camden and his B.A. cum laude in communications studies from Towson University, and is admitted in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and before the U.S. District Courts for the District of New Jersey and the Northern District of Texas.

• Professional Involvement

He was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives for the Third Circuit and speaks nationally on Social Security disability law.

• Experience

He heads the firm’s Social Security disability department, which under his leadership has grown into a nationwide practice of more than 100 specialists that has secured benefits for over 50,000 disabled Americans, and he assists in running the firm’s day-to-day legal operations.

Jeff Robbins, Client Experience Officer | Poulin Willey Anastopoulo

Jeff Robbins, MS, CPXP, is the Client Experience Officer at Poulin Willey Anastopoulo.

• Education & Credentials

He holds an MS and the CPXP credential.

• Experience

With a background in patient and client experience leadership, he builds feedback-driven client experience programs and coaches legal teams toward trust, communication, and empathy across the client journey; he previously served as Director of Client Experience at DM Injury Law.

Erik Montaña, Chief Strategy Officer | Smith Clinesmith LLP

Erik Montaña is the Chief Strategy Officer of Smith Clinesmith LLP, where he leads AI implementation and firmwide systems.

• Education & Credentials

He holds an M.S. in data analytics from Butler University and a B.A. in mathematics from Texas Tech University, is certified in Tableau, and is pursuing a Doctor of Engineering in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

• Experience

He oversees firmwide systems — including Salesforce administration, Microsoft infrastructure, cybersecurity, and reporting tools — along with AI implementation and business process optimization, and drives strategy across marketing, technology, data analytics, and growth.

Andrew Coleman, Attorney | Hughes & Coleman

Andrew Coleman is an attorney at Hughes & Coleman, where he launched his legal career and has practiced since.

• Education & Credentials

He earned a B.S. in accounting from Western Kentucky University and his J.D. from Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law, graduating in 2017 and passing the Kentucky Bar Examination.

• Experience

During law school he interned with the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy; over his years in practice he has seen firsthand the tactics insurance companies use to pressure injured victims into accepting lower settlements than they deserve.

Jay Stefani, Managing Partner | Levinson and Stefani Injury Lawyers

Jay Stefani is a Managing Partner at Levinson and Stefani Injury Lawyers, where his trial practice focuses on representing individuals and families affected by the negligence of others, including truck crash and wrongful death cases.

• Education & Credentials

He graduated from DePaul University in 1997 and earned his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 2004.

• Recognition & Leadership

He has been recognized by Super Lawyers among the Top 100 Lawyers in Illinois for five consecutive years and was earlier named an Illinois Rising Star.

• Professional Involvement

Within the American Association for Justice he is a past chair of the Sole Practitioner & Small Firm Section, serves as Content Curator of the Motor Vehicle Section, and is an active member of the Trucking Litigation and Ride Share Litigation Groups; he also belongs to the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the Chicago Bar Association.

• Experience

He previously practiced at Joseph, Lichtenstein & Levinson from June 2005 to May 2014, concentrating on litigation involving trucking, catastrophic injuries, and nursing home negligence.

Bill Biggs, Chief Strategy Officer | Angel Reyes & Associates

Bill Biggs is the Chief Strategy Officer at Angel Reyes & Associates, where he leads the firm’s operational strategy and day-to-day business functions.

• Professional Involvement

He founded The Master Plan, a consulting practice, and is a frequent conference host and keynote speaker in the personal injury space.

• Experience

He brings more than 15 years of law firm executive leadership, including a decade as Chief Operating Officer of Daniel Stark Injury Lawyers and service as Chief Team and Culture Officer at Pond Lehocky Giordano, before joining Angel Reyes & Associates in July 2026; his focus spans operational excellence, client experience, leadership development, team development, and scalable systems.

Chris Keller, Attorney and Legal Services Leader | Ascend Legal Partners

Chris Keller is the Founder and CEO of Ascend Legal Partners, a management services and advisory firm that helps personal injury firm owners scale operations, systems, and leadership without giving up ownership or control of the practice of law. In July 2026 he formed Ascend Legal Partners MSO, LLC, which delivers marketing and intake support, financial management, human resources, IT infrastructure, and case management systems through Advisory, Managed Systems, and Fully Managed engagement models.

• Education & Credentials

He graduated cum laude from the University of Kentucky and earned his law degree from Ohio Northern University’s Pettit College of Law, and is licensed in Florida and Kentucky.

• Recognition & Leadership

He was recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2014 through 2019.

• Professional Involvement

He has served on the Board of Directors of the Palm Beach County Justice Association, as Chair of the Florida Justice Association’s Young Lawyers Section, and as Board Chair of the Children’s Healing Institute.

• Experience

He built and exited a personal injury firm, growing it from a solo operation into a multi-state business with more than 80 employees, and personally carried the weight of intake, staffing, cash flow, case movement, leadership, and exit readiness along the way. He began his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties, where he tried well over 150 jury cases.

Chris Reade, Chief Operating and Technical Officer | Certum Legal Solutions

Chris Reade is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer of Certum Legal Solutions — a management services organization built inside the law firm Sbaiti & Company to serve mass tort and personal injury firms — where he helps firms run smarter, scale faster, and devote more of their energy to their clients. He concurrently serves as Director of Mass Tort Operations at Sbaiti & Company.

• Education & Credentials

He studied business administration and management at William Paterson University of New Jersey and electrical technology at Union County Vocational Technical School, and holds a State of New Jersey electrical technology license.

• Experience

He has spent the past 16 years improving how the business of law runs, including more than eight years at the national plaintiffs’ firm Seeger Weiss, where he rose from facilities manager to Operations Manager and Salesforce Administrator, before joining Sbaiti & Company in 2023 to direct mass tort operations and taking on the Certum leadership roles in October 2025. An operations leader focused on scaling organizations through strategic process optimization, cross-functional leadership, and thoughtful technology integration — with deep experience in data architecture and workflow design — he believes operational excellence comes from aligning a firm’s people with its AI and broader technology stack so that human insight and machine intelligence reinforce one another, building organizations that are agile, resilient, and future-ready.

Mark D. Prince, Founding Attorney | Prince Law Firm

Mark Prince is the Founding Attorney of Prince Law Firm, where he represents people harmed by the wrongful conduct of others.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his J.D. summa cum laude from Southern Illinois University in 1988, receiving several scholastic awards for consumer-protection-oriented studies, and his B.A. in political science from the University of Illinois–Springfield in 1985.

• Recognition & Leadership

He has been selected to Super Lawyers each year from 2019 through 2026.

• Professional Involvement

He is a past president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (2018–19), has served on its Board of Managers and Executive Committee, and serves on the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice.

• Experience

He has practiced in southern Illinois since 1988 and has been the principal of Prince Law Firm since 2004; his practice covers a wide range of personal injury matters, from auto and motorcycle accidents to medical malpractice and wrongful death, and he commits full effort and resources to every client regardless of case size.

Jesse M. “Jay” Tillman, III, Attorney | Marcari, Russotto, Spencer & Balaban

Jesse M. “Jay” Tillman, III is an attorney with Marcari, Russotto, Spencer & Balaban, where he focuses on representing injured people and on consumer rights.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his J.D. from Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, where he received the Trial Advocacy Award from the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers; he is admitted in North Carolina and South Carolina, the U.S. District Courts of both states, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

• Professional Involvement

He served eight and a half years as a Deputy Commissioner for the North Carolina Industrial Commission before returning to private practice.

• Experience

A litigator with more than twenty years of civil litigation experience in Charlotte, Raleigh, and Rock Hill, he has tried numerous jury and bench trials in the courts of North and South Carolina; he is also a retired U.S. Navy Captain who flew EA-6B Prowlers in Operation Desert Shield, commanded several reserve units, and was mobilized for operations including Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom before retiring in 2017.

Ryan McKeen, Founding Attorney | McKeen Law, LLC

Ryan McKeen is the Founding Attorney of McKeen Law, LLC and a co-founder of Best Era, LLC, where he consults with some of the top law firm owners in the country.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his J.D. from Western New England University School of Law and his B.A. in history from Framingham State University and is admitted in Connecticut and before the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.

• Recognition & Leadership

He led Connecticut Trial Firm to a landmark $100 million jury verdict, three Inc. 5000 rankings, and recognition by the Hartford Business Journal as the third best place to work in Connecticut, and he co-authored the best-selling Tiger Tactics: Powerful Strategies for Winning Law Firms and its CEO Edition.

• Professional Involvement

He teaches legal entrepreneurship as an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law.

• Experience

He spent 20 years as a trial lawyer and law firm owner.

Patrick Iyampillai, Co-Managing Partner | Hale Law

Patrick Iyampillai is Co-Managing Partner of Hale Law and has devoted his career to representing injury victims.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his J.D. from Stetson University College of Law and completed the Executive Education Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, and is admitted in Florida.

• Recognition & Leadership

His recognitions include an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, selection to Florida Super Lawyers Rising Stars from 2021 through 2026, and the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division’s 36 Under 36 Professionalism Award.

• Professional Involvement

He is a former Director of the Manatee County Bar Association, a past President of its Young Lawyers Division, and a guest speaker at Stetson University College of Law.

• Experience

He has handled hundreds of personal injury cases through negotiation, litigation, mediation, and trial, recovering millions of dollars for individuals and families harmed by negligence, including wrongful death cases, with a commitment to strong results and personal attention for every client.

Sam Pond, Managing Partner | Pond Lehocky Giordano

Sam Pond is the Managing Partner at Pond Lehocky Giordano, focused on delivering innovative legal services that improve outcomes for injured workers alongside operational excellence and firm growth.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his J.D. from Temple University School of Law in 1984 and a finance degree from Drexel University in 1981.

• Recognition & Leadership

He was the inaugural “Friends of Labor” inductee into the Legends of Labor Hall of Fame, has been inducted into the Temple University Gallery of Success, and has been selected to Super Lawyers every year since 2004.

• Professional Involvement

He teaches workers’ compensation at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, is a former president of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association, chaired the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation Section, and has served on the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners.

• Experience

He has concentrated on workers’ compensation litigation since 1984, trying thousands of cases with results that include some of the largest settlements in Pennsylvania and the nation, and co-founded Pond Lehocky Giordano in 2010, building it into one of the country’s largest workers’ compensation and disability firms.

Jason Sweet, Chief Customer Officer | Case Status

Jason Sweet is the Chief Customer Officer at Case Status, where he leads the company’s customer organization, Customer Success, Implementation, Training, and Enablement and is accountable for what happens after the contract is signed: whether firms achieve the results they were promised, whether their clients feel cared for during a genuinely stressful chapter of their lives, and whether the partnership grows more valuable year over year.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his B.A. in psychology, magna cum laude, from The Ohio State University, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Omega.

• Professional Involvement

He has spoken on AI and client experience at the New Jersey Association for Justice’s Boardwalk Seminar, has served on the Injury Board’s events committee since 2019, and has been a member of Lions Clubs International since 2014.

• Experience

He came to the role through marketing, strategic partnerships, and sales leadership across the legal, insurance, and engineering sectors, joining Case Status in early 2026 after serving as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Assembly Software, Director of Business Development at GAVL, and in national business development at Robson Forensic, where his sales strategies produced a 22% increase in client acquisition and more than 30% revenue growth over two years. His focus is client experience as a business discipline rather than a slogan: helping firms use AI to expand capacity instead of replacing people, building teams that own outcomes, and keeping the work grounded in data rather than anecdote.

Ben Leader, Partner Attorney | Elrod Pope

Ben Leader is a partner at Elrod Pope, where he oversees the firm’s intake and marketing.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his B.A. in political science with a minor in legal studies from Clemson University in 2010 and his J.D. from Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in 2013, where he was named a Webster’s Scholar; he is admitted in North Carolina and South Carolina.

• Recognition & Leadership

He has been selected to South Carolina Rising Stars from 2023 through 2026 and named a National Trial Lawyers Top 100 civil plaintiff attorney.

• Professional Involvement

He speaks frequently at legal conferences and is a member of the York County Bar Association, the South Carolina Association for Justice, the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, and South Carolina Injured Workers’ Advocates.

• Experience

A second-generation attorney whose father, Jack Leader, joined Elrod Pope in 1989, he clerked for the Honorable John C. Hayes III of South Carolina’s Sixteenth Judicial Circuit, joined the firm in 2014, was named a partner in 2019, and has resolved more than 750 personal injury cases.

Brittany Green, Co-Founder | Best Era, LLC

Brittany Green is a co-founder of Best Era, LLC, where she works with law firms across the country on brand positioning, marketing strategy, and team development, helping owners build lasting, values-driven businesses.

• Professional Involvement

She speaks and facilitates workshops at legal conferences and masterminds nationwide, and is known for a practical, no-fluff approach.

• Experience

As Marketing Director of Connecticut Trial Firm, she drove the content, SEO, and campaign work behind the firm’s record growth and national recognition.

Lawrence LeBrocq, Managing Partner | Garces, Grabler & LeBrocq, P.C.

Lawrence LeBrocq is a practicing attorney and the Managing Partner of Garces, Grabler & LeBrocq, P.C.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his J.D. from Mississippi College School of Law in 1988, an Advanced Diploma from the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law in 1989, and an LL.M. from the University of London in 1990.

• Recognition & Leadership

With decades of experience, he is widely recognized as an authority on personal injury law and is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney.

• Professional Involvement

He serves as a Superior Court Arbitrator and as a Mediator for the Supreme Court of New Jersey, and presents nationally on the attributes of top litigators and on growing a successful law firm.

• Experience

A personal injury attorney since 1989 and the first in his family to attend college, he has led the firm as CEO and Managing Partner since 2007, heading a practice that serves clients across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Renée Williams, Chief Executive Officer | National Center for Victims of Crime

Renée Williams is an attorney and the Chief Executive Officer of the National Center for Victims of Crime, and a dedicated advocate and leader in the field of victim services.

• Education & Credentials

She earned her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and her B.A. in theatre arts from Point Park University.

• Recognition & Leadership

She has been named one of Pittsburgh’s 40 Under 40, recognized as an Athena Young Professional Finalist, and received a Jefferson Award for community service.

• Professional Involvement

She serves as an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center, previously directed the National Crime Victim Bar Association, has served on the boards of Athena International and Voices in Action, and volunteers as a court-appointed special advocate and a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor.

• Experience

She brings more than 15 years of experience across the nonprofit and legal sectors; before joining the National Center for Victims of Crime, she served as executive director of a Pittsburgh legal services organization focused on the legal rights of victims of domestic violence and other indigent clients.

Aaron Hatten, Director of Co-Counsel Partnership | DM Law

Aaron Hatten is the Director of Co-Counsel Partnerships at DM Injury Law, an award-winning personal injury firm serving communities across Kansas City, Wichita, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Topeka, Columbia, and Tulsa that has recovered more than $1 billion for its clients. He maintains the firm’s nationwide network of law firm partners open to inbound and outbound co-counsel opportunities, optimizing the referral process and expanding the firm’s reach to clients across a wide range of case types.

• Education & Credentials

He earned his MBA in business administration (2013) and his B.A. in economics (2010) from Rockhurst University.

• Experience

His background spans asset recovery, tech startups, and client acquisition: he spent more than seven years as a Senior Manager at MarketSphere Unclaimed Property Specialists, led partner growth at REPLICA, drove business growth at the mobile-marketing startup Pound Two Fifty (#250), and directed client acquisition at the professional services firm e2E before joining DM Injury Law in July 2025, bringing a blend of strategy and relationship-building to the role.

Joy Avila, Creative Director | Law Offices of James Scott Farrin

Joy Avila is the Creative Director at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, where she helps lead marketing at one of the largest plaintiffs’ firms in the Southeast.

• Education & Credentials

She earned her B.A. from Bryan College.

• Professional Involvement

She serves as a strategic advisor to legal technology platforms, including the legal intake and case management platform GrowPath and Jove Legal.

• Experience

Over 12 years with the firm she has risen from content writer to creative manager to Creative Director, helping grow it into a marketing operation supporting more than 270 employees; she has produced award-winning TV commercials and billboards, created direct mail campaigns generating 24 times typical conversion rates, and helped draw tens of thousands of website visitors per month — work that ultimately contributes to more than 4,000 leads per month.

DAY 1, Tuesday, October 13, 2026

SESSION 1 – The Year of the Client | 9:00am – 10:00am

Client service is genuinely hard. It asks more of your people, your systems, and your leadership than almost anything else in the firm. This opening session makes the case that the effort is worth it: when the client sits at the center of how you hire, operate, market, and adopt technology, every other decision gets easier to prioritize. Attendees leave with a shared vocabulary for the summit and a clear sense of why client experience is the throughline connecting growth, efficiency, and reputation.

Speakers: Andy Seavers

SESSION 2 – The Hire You’re Getting Wrong and What It’s Costing You | 10:00am – 10:30am

Building the right team is one of the hardest jobs in a growing firm, and it is where a lot of money quietly disappears. Bringing on a young technologist or promoting an inexperienced paralegal and expecting big results often produces more confusion than progress. This session helps leaders build for the role: defining who can reach the firm’s data, who has the expertise to synthesize problems from it, and who can carry organizational change through the team. Attendees leave able to define the outcome first and hire or promote to match it.

Speakers: Nikki Montlick, Rob Wilhite, Bridget Long

BREAK| 10:30am – 10:35am

SESSION 3 – Spirit Airlines Filed for Bankruptcy: A Law Firm’s Cautionary Tale | 10:35am – 11:05am

There is a place for the low-cost provider, right up until the low-cost provider goes out of business. Using the collapse of a well-known budget airline as a lens, this session explores why some firms and clients gravitate to the cheapest option and what that choice quietly costs in experience, loyalty, and durability. Attendees leave thinking differently about where price competition helps and where it becomes a trap.

Speakers: Jordan Couch, Matthew Rosenberg, David McDivitt

SESSION 4 – Buy, Build, or Partner? A Framework for Your Perfect Tech Stack | 11:05am – 12:05pm

The pace of new technology makes buy versus build versus partner decisions harder than ever and getting them wrong is expensive. This session introduces the CIRC framework, which weighs Context, Innovation, Risk, and Community to guide better technology and business decisions. Rather than chasing every new tool, attendees learn a structured way to decide what belongs in their stack and why, so their technology investments actually serve the firm and its clients.

Speakers: Shawn Lehocky, Melissa Graham, Michelle Thompson

LUNCH | 12:05pm – 1:15pm

SESSION 5 – Is Your AI Just Working or Performing? Prove It! | 1:15pm – 1:45pm

It is easy to buy AI. It is much harder to know whether it is working. This session helps leaders move past the assumption that activity equals value, showing how to calculate the true cost to carry AI projects and the return they generate for both the top line and the bottom line. It also reframes staffing: much of what burdens a team is client dependent work rather than legal work, so AI can build capacity instead of forcing layoffs. Attendees leave able to hold AI to the same standard as any other business decision

Speakers: Michael McCready, Marina Bradley, Tom Giordano

BREAK | 1:45pm – 1:50pm

SESSION 6 – The Dehumanization Trap: When AI Costs You Clients | 1:50pm – 2:20pm

The worst client experiences in legal often come from firms that automated the wrong things and let the human relationship disappear. It is a real temptation, and it is a trap. This session makes the case for a disciplined approach: use AI to remove friction and repetitive work while keeping people in charge of the moments that build trust. Done well, this supervised model lets firms grow quickly without sacrificing the client relationship that drives referrals and reputation.

Speakers: Brian Page, Andrew Coleman, Jay Stefani

BREAK | 2:20pm – 2:30pm

SESSION 7 – Sell, Partner, or Get Left Behind? The MSO & ABS Reality | 2:30pm – 3:30pm

The rise of MSOs and alternative business structures has a lot of firm owners asking hard questions. Should I be trying to sell? Should I be partnering? What happens to my firm and my clients if I do nothing? This session gives leaders an honest look at the macro forces and the real threats, while also mapping the opportunities to build durable competitive advantage where larger, capital driven players tend to fall short. Attendees leave better equipped to make a deliberate choice rather than a reactive one.

Speakers: Bill Biggs, Andrew Coleman, Chris Keller, Chris Reade,

BREAK | 3:30pm – 3:45pm

SESSION 8 – Your Next Competitor Might Be an AI. Winning Isn’t Optional | 3:45pm – 4:15pm

Some AI companies are betting that client communication no longer needs a human. If they are right and firms cede that ground, the legal industry loses something important. This session makes the case that good lawyers who genuinely care for clients, supported rather than replaced by technology, are the ones who win. Attendees leave with a clearer view of the competitive stakes and how to keep the human relationship at the center of their firm’s value.

Speakers: Mark D. Prince, Jesse “Jay” Tillman, Ryan McKeen

BREAK | 4:15pm – 4:30pm

SESSION 9 – The Big Ship Problem: Drive Firm-Wide Change That Sticks | 4:30pm – 5:30pm

The larger the firm, the harder it is to change direction, and rolling out new technology across an organization can be genuinely painful. This closing Main Stage session shares how leaders navigated that tightrope, scaling their brand and adopting new tools without giving up the personal touch that made them successful. Attendees leave with practical approaches to change that actually holds.
Speakers: Sam Pond

DAY 2, Wednesday, October 14, 2026

SESSION 1 – CX Playbook that drives excellence | 9:00am – 10:00am

A practical playbook of client experience outcomes and the plays that drive them.

Speakers: Jason Sweet

SESSION 2 – Your Acquisition Costs Are Lying to You: The Real ROI of Client Relationships | 10:00am – 10:30am

Marketing spend keeps rising and acquisition costs keep climbing, which leaves a lot of firm leaders uneasy about their return. The problem is that acquisition cost ignores the most valuable asset a firm builds: relationships. This session reframes the math around lifetime value, showing how firm to firm referrals, client referrals, and client experience led marketing generate returns that a single acquisition number can never capture. Attendees leave with a healthier way to evaluate where their growth actually comes from.

Speakers: Ben Leader, Alex Hilliard, Jeff Robbins, Brittany Green

BREAK | 10:30am – 10:40am

SESSION 3 – Grow Fast Without Dropping the Ball on Quality | 10:40am – 11:10am

Rapid growth is a blessing, but it puts real strain on the client experience, and cracks in quality eventually show up in the firm’s reputation. This session draws on the experience of leaders who have grown quickly without letting standards slide, covering the people, process, and communication habits that keep quality intact at scale. Attendees leave with practical ways to grow the top line without dropping the ball on the client.

Speakers: Lawrence LeBrocq

SESSION 4 – Close the Loop: Turn NPS Into Reviews, Referrals & Revenue | 11:10am – 11:40am

A lot of firms gather NPS and stop there. The value comes from closing the loop: responding to feedback, following up with clients, and turning promoters into reviews, referrals, and revenue. This session moves teams beyond simply having the data and into acting on it, so client sentiment actually drives growth. Attendees leave with a repeatable loop they can run every week.

Speakers: Nikki Montlick, Renee Williams, Aaron Hatten, Joy Avila