Peder Batalden is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Our latest featured speaker is Peder Batalden from Horvitz & Levy!

Peder will be speaking at our upcoming 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts Webinar on September 26 & 28. He most recently spoke at our 8th Annual Advanced Appellate Practice Seminar in California and was praised by the attendees for his knowledge and insight.  He also spoke at our 2021 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Boot Camp to rave reviews.

We’re excited to have you with us again, Peder!

Peder is a partner at Horvitz & Levy. He has successfully petitioned for review in the U.S. Supreme Court, and he has argued and won numerous appeals in the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Ninth and Tenth Circuits. He routinely assists clients in responding to large money judgments, drawing upon a deep knowledge of federal jurisdiction and procedure to assist in staying enforcement of judgments and preparing post-trial motions so that issues for appeal are not lost.

Additionally, Peder is co-author of the leading treatise on civil appeals before the Ninth Circuit, the Rutter Group’s Ninth Circuit Civil Appellate Practice. Because Peder is speaking at our 9th Circuit program, along with co-author John Querio, the Rutter Group will give attendees at that program 40% off the Guide.  Attendees will learn how to take advantage of this discount during the program.

He is also a past Chair of the State Bar of California’s Standing Committee on the Federal Courts, which works to enhance bench-bar relations and studies proposed changes to federal rules. He also routinely comments on proposed amendments to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure and to the Ninth Circuit rules.

Throughout his career, Peder has represented many significant companies, including AutoNation, Bank of America, Chevron, Ford Motor Company, Honeywell, Hospital Corporation of America, Lyft, Media News Group, The Sherwin-Williams Company, Newell Brands, Sempra Energy, TASER International, Travelers, and Toyota Motor Sales. He has also represented government entities and employees in federal civil rights actions; major medical providers in healthcare matters; and insurers in coverage actions.

Thank you for joining us again, Peder!

Hugh Griffin is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Our latest featured speaker is Hugh Griffin from Hall Prangle and Schoonveld!

Hugh will be speaking at our upcoming Preserving the Trial Record for Appeal in Illinois Civil Cases Two-Part Webinar on July 18 & 20, 2023. This will be his first time speaking with us. We are looking forward to it, Hugh!

Hugh is co-chair of HPS’ Appellate Practice Group at Hall Prangle and Schoonveld. He is among the country’s most experienced and distinguished appellate attorneys. He has also served nine years on the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee and was appointed by the Supreme Court as the Committee’s Vice Chairman from 2003-2006. 

Over the course of his career, Hugh has handled more than 500 appeals in the Illinois Appellate Court and the Illinois Supreme Court, arguing nearly 50 times before the Illinois Supreme Court. He also has handled appeals in more than two dozen other state courts, as well as in federal Courts of Appeals across the country. Based on his decades of experience in handling all kinds of civil appeals, Hugh is able to bring fresh analysis, seasoned insight and often an innovative approach to appeal issues. 

Hugh has been selected as an “Illinois Leading Lawyer,” an Illinois “Super Lawyer,” a “Best Lawyer” in appellate practice and was named as the “2011 Chicago Best Lawyers Appellate Lawyer of the Year.” He also has been honored repeatedly as one of the top “100 Super Lawyers in Illinois.”

Thank you for joining the program, Hugh!

Christopher Bellows is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Our latest featured speaker is Christopher Bellows from Holland & Knight!

Christopher will be speaking at our upcoming Preserving the Trial Record for Appeal in Florida Civil Cases Webinar on August 1 & 3, 2023. He most recently spoke at in 2022 at our Advanced Appellate Practice Seminar for Florida and attendees loved him!  We’re glad to have you with us again, Chris.

Christopher is a Partner at Holland & Knight. He is an appellate attorney who has handled complex civil appeals in the Supreme Court of Florida, all Florida District Courts of Appeal and the federal appellate courts.

Christopher has significant experience in complex commercial litigation, including areas of contract law, Uniform Commercial Code, business torts, foreclosures, receiverships, replevins, construction disputes, landlord-tenant litigation, product liability, personal injury, first amendment, employment discrimination, housing discrimination, environmental law, professional malpractice, antitrust, securities fraud and shareholder disputes.

Thank you for joining us once again, Christopher!

Hon. Gerald Cope, Jr. (Ret.) is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Our latest featured speaker is Hon. Gerald Cope, Jr. (Ret.) from Akerman!

Judge Cope will be speaking at our upcoming Preserving the Trial Record for Appeal in Florida Civil Cases Webinar on August 1 & 3, 2023. He has taught this class several times before to rave reviews! Judge Cope always provides a detailed outline and walks attorneys carefully through the topic.

It’s so good to have you back with us, Judge Cope!

As the former Chief Judge of Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal and member of the court for 22 years, Gerald Cope is the chair of Akerman’s Appellate Practice. He represents clients in appellate litigation at the state and federal levels. He was recognized by the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar for his contributions toward the 2013 enactment of the Revised Uniform Arbitration Act in Florida. As a member of the Court of Appeal, he participated in approximately 60 appeals involving arbitrability of disputes, interpretation of arbitration clauses, proceedings to enforce or vacate awards, and comparable proceedings involving appraisal clauses in insurance contracts.

Judge Cope is a founding member of Akerman Bench, an innovative practice including former appellate and trial court judges providing the perspective of both sides of the bench. He conducts practice oral arguments for attorneys appearing in state and federal appellate courts, serves as a consultant on appeals, and provides support to trial counsel.

Additionally, Judge Cope has served as an adjunct professor teaching federal and Florida arbitration at the University of Miami School of Law. He is a member of the Executive Council of the Florida Bar’s International Law Section and Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section. Judge Cope also serves as a special master.

Thank you for joining us, Judge Cope!

Catherine Basque Weiler is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Our latest featured speaker is Catherine Basque Weiler from Swanson, Martin & Bell!

Catherine will be speaking at our upcoming Preserving the Trial Record for Appeal in Illinois Civil Cases Two-Part Webinar on July 18 & 20, 2023. This will be her first time speaking with us. We are looking forward to it, Catherine!

Catherine is a Partner and the chair of Swanson, Martin & Bell’s Appellate Practice Group. Her practice area focuses on trial practice and appeals. She has briefed more than 200 cases involving a wide range of litigation topics in various state and federal courts of appeal, including the Seventh Circuit, all Illinois Appellate Districts, the Colorado Appellate Court and the North Carolina Appellate Court.

In addition to her appellate practice, Catherine actively represents clients in the state and federal trial courts through all phases of litigation, from case inception through trial, primarily defending legal malpractice, commercial, product and premises liability claims. Catherine’s wide-ranging appellate practice and knowledge of procedure gives her a unique perspective on case strategy.

Prior to joining the Swanson, Martin & Bell, Catherine acted as an Assistant Illinois Attorney General in the Civil Appeals Division, representing state agencies and representatives, and the People of Illinois, before all Illinois Appellate Courts and the Seventh Circuit.

Thank you for joining the program, Catherine!

Gretchen Harris Sperry is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Our latest featured speaker is Gretchen Harris Sperry from Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani!

Gretchen will be speaking at our upcoming Preserving the Trial Record for Appeal in Illinois Civil Cases Two-Part Webinar on July 18th & 20th (2023). This will be her first time speaking with us and was recommended as a speaker by multiple appellate attorneys.

Welcome, Gretchen!

Gretchen is a partner and Co-Chair of the Appellate Group in Gordon & Rees’ Chicago office. She frequently represents government agencies and elected officials in constitutional litigation as a court-appointed Special Assistant State’s Attorney. 

Additionally, Gretchen represents private sector clients before various governmental, legislative, and regulatory agencies, counseling them on pending legislation and regulatory compliance matters. Gretchen is experienced in white collar criminal matters, having represented entities in federal criminal prosecutions and investigations, as well as conducting internal investigations in anticipation of government involvement. 

Gretchen is an active member of the legal community. She was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve as a member of the Character and Fitness Committee of the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at two Chicago law schools teaching Appellate Advocacy. She also serves as the Secretary of the ABA Council of Appellate Lawyers and is a Past President of the Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association.

Prior to joining Gordon & Rees, Gretchen was a partner at a national law firm where she served as chair of the firm’s nationally recognized Appellate Practice Group.  She was also a Judicial Clerk to the Honorable Mary Jane Theis and the Honorable Maureen E. Connors in the Illinois Appellate Court.

Thank you for joining the program, Gretchen! We look forward to it.

Michael Sachs is our Latest Featured Speaker!

michael

Our latest featured speaker is Michael Sachs from Clark Hill PLC!

Michael will be on the faculty panel at our upcoming 13th Annual California Superior Court Boot Camp in San Francisco on November 8!

Michael has previously spoken for us at our 12th Annual CA Superior Court Boot Camp, and our 2018 Mastering the Deposition seminars, where seminar attendees raved about his presentations. Welcome back, Michael!

Michael’s practice focuses on a variety of civil litigation matters, including toxic tort and product liability, Proposition 65, lemon law and employment law. He has handled these matters in all phases of pre-litigation, litigation and appeal. Michael has tried several matters to verdict in the various Bay Area Superior Courts and the Northern District of California and has argued before the California Court of Appeal. Michael is devoted to his clients and seeks to find cost-effective ways to manage their cases while still vigorously defending their interests in and out of the courtroom. He has achieved numerous successful results for his clients through settlement negotiations, mediations, dispositive motions and trial.

Steven Hart is our Latest Featured Speaker!

steven

Our latest featured speaker is Steven Hart from Hart McLaughlin & Eldridge!

Steven will be on the faculty panel at our upcoming The Art of Jury Selection: Getting it Right in Chicago on November 29! This is Steven’s first year speaking with us, and we can’t wait for his presentation!

A seasoned trial lawyer with more than two decades of experience, Steven litigates a wide variety of civil matters including class action, mass torts, personal injury, products liability, toxic tort, environmental, automotive, and transportation cases. He also has a record of success representing both defendants and plaintiffs, from Fortune 500 companies, medium, and small businesses to individuals, in class action cases. Most recently, Steven obtained a $100 million-plus settlement for a class of farmers and small businesses in an antitrust class action suit in the Northern District Federal Court in Chicago. Steven received a 2013 Jury Verdict Reporter Trial Excellence Award for his work on this case, the highest reported Illinois verdict/settlement in 2013.

Steven has tried cases to successful jury verdict throughout the country and has argued before State and Federal courts of appeal. His practice includes State and Federal trial work in construction and premises liability actions. It was Steven’s work in the latter arena that led Kohl’s to nominate Steven’s firm as a “Go-To” Litigation Law Firm in American Lawyer’s 2012 survey. Steven also represents corporations and individuals in employment-related matters.

Steven serves as National Coordinating and Trial Counsel for several Fortune 500 companies in asbestos and environmental litigation. He is National Coordinating and Trial counsel for DHL transportation litigation. He has tried cases in Illinois, New York, Texas, Indiana, California, and Wisconsin for manufacturers and premises owners. He has developed extensive experience in epidemiology, medical causation, industrial hygiene, accident reconstruction, and biomechanics.

Steven is a published legal author and frequent lecturer. His writings have been published by the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, including “Using Expert Witnesses: Principles and Pitfalls.” Steven is also an adjunct professor in trial advocacy at Chicago-Kent College of Law. Numerous bar associations and legal organizations have asked him to speak at distinguished events.

Steven was recently appointed to the 47th Ward Democratic Organization Judicial Review Committee, where his committee will be responsible for interviewing, vetting and slating Cook County Judicial Candidates for election.
A resident of Chicago, Illinois, Steven is married to Jill Hart, and together they have two daughters and a son.

Brian Eldridge is our Latest Featured Speaker!

brian

Our latest featured speaker is Brian Eldridge from Hart McLaughlin & Eldridge!

Brian will be on the faculty panel at our upcoming The Art of Jury Selection: Getting it Right in Chicago on November 29! Brian first spoke for us at our 9th Annual Federal Court & Litigation Boot Camp, where seminar attendees raved about his presentation. Welcome back, Brian!

Brian Eldridge is a trial lawyer who devotes 100% of his practice to civil litigation. Brian has a wide range of experience successfully litigating multi-million dollar, high-stakes cases on behalf of his clients. He concentrates his practice in products liability, construction/construction defect, transportation, premises liability, commercial litigation, mass torts, and class action matters. He has handled numerous cases involving death and catastrophic injuries, including paralysis, traumatic brain injuries, amputations and other significant permanent disabilities.

Within the commercial litigation context, Brian has successfully litigated cases involving breach of contract and allegations of fraud and bad faith. He has also handled numerous consumer class action lawsuits under federal statutes including the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). In addition, Brian has litigated cases involving alleged environmental exposure to mold, vinyl chloride, and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB).

Brian was selected for inclusion in the Illinois Rising Stars list for eight straight years, from 2008 to 2015. No more than 2.5% of lawyers under the age of 40 in the state of Illinois are selected for this honor. In 2013, Brian was honored to be named to Chicago Daily Law Bulletin’s “40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch” list. In 2015 and 2016, Brian was named an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers. The distinction of being named an Emerging Lawyer is reserved for the top 2% of Illinois lawyers who are 40 years old or younger and have been identified by their peers as proving themselves to be professional, ethical, and experienced at an early point in their legal career. In 2017, Brian was selected as an Illinois Super Lawyer, which is limited to 5% of attorneys in the state.

Brian’s practice philosophy focuses on being accessible and responsive to clients at all times. He is on the rapid response team for several clients and is frequently called upon to orchestrate immediate investigations. Through his years of practice, Brian has developed an extensive expert network, having worked with consultants in various specialized areas including medicine, engineering, construction, epidemiology, pharmacology, economics, federal regulations, safety standards, risk assessment and psychology.

Brian lives in Highland Park with his wife, Jodi, and their three daughters.

Nick Callahan is our Latest Featured Speaker!

nick

Our latest featured speaker is Nick Callahan from Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg!

Nick will be on the faculty panel at our upcoming The Art of Jury Selection: Getting it Right in Chicago on November 29! This is Nick’s first year speaking with us, and we can’t wait for his presentation!

Nick is a trial lawyer. He has tried more than 30 jury trials, bench trials and arbitrations, including nine jury trials as lead attorney. He splits his time between the Firm’s Chicago and Minneapolis offices.

Nick’s practice is national. In recent years he has handled cases in 15 states and appeared in proceedings conducted abroad. Clients often come to him when needing assistance with disputes involving finance, accounting, valuations, securities, real estate, corporate governance and shareholder claims, merger and acquisition claims (both pre- and post-closing), bankruptcy litigation, and internal and government investigations. He regularly presents Continuing Legal Education classes to other lawyers on these topics.

Nick’s clients range from publicly-traded companies and large investment funds to individuals, and he represents them in cases ranging from bet-the-company class actions to smaller disputes. Many of those he advises are in the financial industry, including banks, private equity firms, hedge funds, mortgage companies and investment advisers.

For jury trials first-chaired by Nick, many times jurors have ranked Nick the highest rating of “excellent” in all categories on anonymous juror questionnaire forms supplied by the court.

Nick rejoined the Firm in 2015 and helped open its first satellite office, which is located in Minneapolis, his hometown where he had moved several years before. He is married with three young kids who, like him, are loud.  When his kids are older he plans on resuming hobbies he used to enjoy: international travel, attending outdoor music shows, scuba diving and spontaneous adventures.