LEX Summit 2025 Speakers
Odenkirk brings a wealth of experience across genres and generations. He is widely known for his portrayal of criminal defense attorney Saul Goodman, in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, roles that earned him two Critics Choice Awards and multiple nominations across the Emmys, Golden Globes, and SAG Awards. He also served as a producer on the series.
In recent years, Odenkirk has continued to lead groundbreaking projects—starring in AMC’s Lucky Hank, the feature film Nobody, and lending his voice to Disney Pixar’s Incredibles 2. His filmography includes collaborations with renowned directors such as Steven Spielberg (The Post), Greta Gerwig (Little Women), and Alexander Payne (Nebraska). As a creator and contributor Odenkirk has influenced the worlds of television, film, literature, and live performance, including writing for Saturday Night Live for four years.
Alex Spiro, renowned for his vast roster of high-profile clients that includes Elon Musk, Mayor Eric Adams, and Alec Baldwin, is one of the top litigators and trial attorneys in the country. A graduate of Harvard Law school, he is a partner at a leading law firm and a former Manhattan prosecutor with a background in psychology. With the same charisma and conviction he brings to the courtroom, Spiro offers lessons in crisis management, insights on the art of negotiation, and discussions of First Amendment rights in the age of social media.
“The First Amendment doesn’t [just] protect compliments and happy speech. It protects unfavorable speech. It protects all speech. And if we start policing speech, we’re in a bad place in our society.”
Much of what makes Spiro successful in the courtroom has widespread applications in business and life. His mastery of crisis management, honed through years of high-stakes litigation, offers valuable insights for leaders navigating corporate challenges. Drawing from his background in psychology and extensive courtroom experience, Spiro shares techniques for reading people, building rapport, and crafting persuasive narratives. His
approach to negotiation teaches audiences to advocate for their positions while maintaining strategic relationships. Whether addressing C-suite executives or emerging leaders, Spiro demonstrates how the analytical rigor and strategic thinking essential to legal success can be leveraged to achieve breakthrough results in any professional context.
Early in his legal career, Spiro served as a Manhattan prosecutor and developed a passion for criminal justice reform. He worked with the Conviction Integrity Unit investigating potential wrongful convictions, served on the faculty of Harvard’s Trial Advocacy Program, and is Chairman of the Board of Harvard's criminal justice initiative, The Fair Punishment Project. He has also served as counsel to REFORM Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to probation, parole, and sentencing reform founded by a roster of prominent figures.
A member of Phi Beta Kappa, he has received several academic and professional citations, including the Albert Imlah writing award and the ACC Northeast Ethics Lawyering award. He also sits on several company boards, both private and public.
Prior to becoming a lawyer, Spiro studied bio-psychology and worked at Harvard’s Psychiatric Facility, McLean Hospital. He worked for more than five years at McLean, supervising a program for children with autism and Asperger’s syndrome, before deciding he could do more to help people through the justice system.
Vanessa Van Edwards is the Lead Investigator at Science of People and a bestselling author known for transforming how we understand human behavior. Her books Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People and Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication have been translated into 18 languages, with her YouTube tutorials and TEDx Talk amassing over 70 million views.
As a behavioral science expert, Vanessa shares science-backed frameworks that help individuals communicate with confidence—whether leading teams, navigating high-stakes conversations, or building trust in complex situations. She has taught audiences at Harvard, SXSW, MIT, and Stanford, and regularly delivers trainings for companies like Google, Facebook, Comcast, Frito Lay, Microsoft, Amazon, and Univision.
She has keynoted on major stages including Dave Ramsey’s Entreleadership Summit, Lewis Howes’ Summit of Greatness, and the Global Leadership Summit. Her insights have been featured on CNN, BBC, CBS Mornings, Fast Company, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, USA Today, and The Today Show. Through her website, LinkedIn Learning courses, and her advanced training program, People School, she reaches millions of professionals seeking to master the hidden dynamics of people."
As a former litigator, Ryan Anderson designed Filevine with the end user in mind, focusing on unlocking customer and user efficiency by optimizing automation of technology. Today, Filevine is rated as one of the top automation tools for legal work for a diverse range of organizations by size and function, and is set on a continual path of growth. Ryan led Filevine’s acquisition of both Lead Docket, the top lead intake management solution for law firms, and Outlaw, the most innovative contract and document platform on the market. In 2020, Ryan was named CEO of the Year by Utah Business. Ryan is a proud husband and father of six children and resides in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ryan earned his law degree from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. His goal is to provide a comprehensive solution to business leaders in search of a workflow transformation solution.
Michael Anderson is the Chief Product Officer at Filevine. Michael has had a career in digital transformation work straddling technology and finance industries. He specializes in analytics, technology solutioning, and implementation. Prior experience includes leadership roles in global credit risk analytics at Goldman Sachs and product support at Qualtrics. Michael holds a BA from Brigham Young University in International Relations and an MA in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.
Gabrielle is a fourth-year attorney currently serving as an in-house staff attorney at GPM Investments, LLC—the sixth-largest convenience store chain in the United States, operating over 3,200 locations across thirty-three states. In this role, Gabrielle specializes in contract drafting and negotiation within the fuel distribution space, providing strategic legal counsel in a fast-paced, high-stakes industry.
Her diverse legal background spans criminal law, commercial real estate, disaster relief, and personal injury litigation. Gabrielle’s experience includes positions with the Lubbock District Attorney’s Office, The Killion Personal Injury Law Firm, and Community National Title, where she served as an in-house commercial real estate attorney. At the Small Business Administration, she was instrumental in crafting critical disaster relief agreements during national emergencies.
Gabrielle’s legal education reflects her coast-to-coast perspective: she studied at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago and St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, graduating during the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020.
Outside of the office Gabrielle is an avid sports fan, foodie and travel lover. Gabrielle’s husband, Juan, is an accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers who specializes in asset wealth management audits, which aids and encourages Gabrielle’s analytical nature and attention to detail in her legal career.
John S. Berry is a decorated attorney, Army veteran, and dedicated advocate for empowering fellow veterans. His career reflects strong leadership, dedicated service, and an unwavering commitment to those who have served the nation.
Berry began his military journey as an infantry officer after graduating from the College of William and Mary. He completed Airborne and Ranger Schools and served in Bosnia in 1999 during Operation Joint Forge. He later commanded a company in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and retired as a lieutenant colonel after serving as a battalion commander in the Nebraska Army National Guard. In 2019, he was inducted into the Nebraska National Guard Regional Training Institute Hall of Fame.
Transitioning to civilian life, Berry brought his leadership to the legal field. A graduate of Creighton University School of Law and the Trial Lawyers College, he has been named among the National Trial Lawyers’ Top 100 for over a decade. He holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the Best Lawyers in America.
As CEO of Berry Law Firm, he leads a nationwide team dedicated to securing back pay for disabled veterans. Under his leadership, the firm has recovered over $450 million for more than 15,000 veterans. Berry Law’s commitment to veterans has earned it the HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion, the ESGR Pro Patria Award, Military Times’ Best for Vets Employer recognition, and the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for Ethics.
Berry also hosts the Veteran Led podcast, encouraging veterans to become leaders in their communities. As an author, he amplifies the voices and experiences of America’s veterans through powerful storytelling.
To learn more, read The Next Battle: A Guide to Veterans Disability Benefits by John S. Berry, or Those Gallant Men: On Trial in Vietnam, written by his father and Berry Law founder, John S. Berry Sr.
Dan Bilotti is the Senior Vice President of Delivery at Filevine, where he drives product development for marquee initiatives such as ImmigrationAI, the platform’s deadline-creation engine, and new AI-powered workflows that automate legal practice. Most recently, he led Filevine’s enterprise rollout for New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services. Before Filevine, Dan built and scaled customer-facing teams at high-growth SaaS companies—including Everlance, Avalara, and Alarm.com—using data-driven strategies to accelerate revenue. He began his career in complex civil litigation as a U.S. Army JAG Captain and later served as a White House Military Social Aide to President and First Lady Obama. Dan holds an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School, a J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law, and an A.B. in Economics from Harvard University. Passionate about democratizing access to justice through technology, he is committed to bringing the next generation of AI tools to Filevine’s users.
Jacqueline R. Bretell is a nationally recognized speaker on the topic of practice management, scaling your law firm, and running an 8-figure law firm. Jacqueline was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and moved to Nashville, Tennessee with her parents and brother in 1995. Jacqueline attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she was a member (and later Captain) of the UTC Mock Trial Team. Jacqueline graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Political Science at the age of 20. Upon completing her undergraduate studies, Jacqueline attended Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law in Macon, Georgia. After graduating law school Jacqueline relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, where she went on to pass the Nevada bar exam at 23 years old. Jacqueline began her legal career as an insurance defense litigator, where she practiced for 2.5 years. In 2013, Jacqueline joined Bighorn Law, focusing her practice exclusively on representing those who have been injured. On March 11, 2020 Jacqueline stepped into the role of “CEO” of Bighorn Law. Together with her amazing partners and team of “Unicorns”, Jacqueline has led Bighorn Law to become a nationally recognized eight-figure firm specializing in catastrophic injury cases. Bighorn Law has offices in Las Vegas, Nevada and Provo, Utah. You can find Jacqueline on Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn where she frequently posts on the topics of practice management, growth, and law firm culture.
Jose is the son of immigrant parents from Mexico and is fluent in Spanish. He grew up in Houston and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin before returning home to attend law school at South Texas College of Law. In between undergrad and law school he volunteered, interned, and worked at a several non-profits in Austin for several years.
He spent the first 5 years of his practice representing catastrophically injured clients around the country in various types of personal injury cases. In 2022 he opened his own firm, in part to better serve the Spanish speaking community in Houston and beyond.
His wife is also an attorney and leads the firms litigation team. They have two young daughters and enjoy traveling, being in nature, and eating and cooking in their spare time.
Rowe has been a legal professional since high school, when she organized an office and established processes and procedures for a family friend. With experience spanning from criminal defense to estate and tax law, she found her professional home in corporate law. Outside of her legal work, she is a freelance editor and the author of a bestselling poetry collection.
Mr. Cole practices with an emphasis in hospitality and retail industry defense. He has civil trial practice in the areas of commercial litigation, professional liability, insurance defense, automotive and trucking accidents, premises liability, liquor liability, negligent security and the defense of catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims. Mr. Cole represents insurance carriers in Uninsured Motorist claims and in matters pertaining to insurance coverage, extra-contractual exposure and bad faith litigation. His practice is statewide throughout Florida and southern Georgia, in state and federal courts. He has handled numerous cases through verdict and judgment, as well as post-trial and appellate matters.
Jared D. Correia, Esq. is a former practicing lawyer, who has been a business management consultant, exclusively for law firms, since 2008. In that time, Correia has worked with 1000s of law firms, all over the world, ranging in size from solo offices to Big Law firms. He is an internationally recognized legal technology expert. Correia is the founder and CEO of Red Cave Law Firm Consulting, which offers services directly to lawyers, as well as through bar associations, for member attorneys. Correia was the host of the ‘Legal Toolkit’ podcast on Legal Talk Network, from 2009 to 2025. He is currently the host of the ‘Legal Late Night’ podcast on the Legal Broadcasting Company, and the host of the ‘Adventures in LegalTech’ podcast for Above the Law, in addition to contributing to the ATL Tech Center 2025. Correia is a regular presenter for legal organizations, and writes often for law firm business management publications.
Guy D’Andrea is an experienced civil trial lawyer and former homicide prosecutor.
Guy regularly handles cases nationally involving sexual and physical assaults in institutional settings including boarding schools, residential treatment facilities, hospitals, universities, sports organizations, day care centers, and schools.
He litigates cases against religious organizations who have allowed children to be abused for decades, if not longer, including cases against the Catholic Church (in multiple states), Seventh-Day Adventists, Evangelical Lutheran Churches of America, various Cults, and Scientology, among others.
Prior to joining Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan, Guy served as an assistant district attorney in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. During his time in the Homicide Unit, he prosecuted dozens of homicide defendants, including the infamous “Philadelphia Craigslist killer” and murderers who targeted transgender women.
He serves as Adjunct Professor at the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, teaching a course in advanced trial advocacy with an emphasis on courtroom technology as well as a deposition course with an emphasis on using technology.
Dr. Cain Elliott is the Chief Legal Futurist at Filevine, the leading legal work platform for law firms and businesses across the United States of Canada. Cain develops solutions to bring Filevine to clients in a variety of professional services. He previously served as the CIO at Margolis Edelstein and taught philosophy at a variety of institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania, the Polish Academy of Sciences, and the University of Warsaw. Cain is a philosopher and technologist, skilled in knowledge management, leadership, and technology. His work happens at the intersection of innovation and best-practices. With a Doctorate in Philosophy (Ph.D) focused on building, creating, and finding new ways to learn, Cain advances a big-picture view on the future of legal work.
Beatriz Galindo is the Senior Compliance Paralegal for Adtalem’s Integrity & Compliance (I&C) division, where she leads the design, implementation, and oversight of global compliance programs across key areas including ethics, international law, anti-bribery and corruption, privacy and information governance (with a focus on Artificial Intelligence), and marketing legal compliance. She supports the enterprise-wide Code of Conduct and manages Adtalem’s ethics reporting hotline, fostering a culture rooted in integrity and accountability.
With a strong emphasis on the role of compliance in organizational success, Beatriz collaborates across internal teams to align standards and deliver impactful training and communication initiatives. Her previous roles include Director of Compliance in the telemedicine, healthcare, and pharmaceutical industries, as well as extensive experience in credentialing, training, litigation, and corporate governance.
Brian Glass is a trial lawyer, entrepreneur, and marketing strategist dedicated to helping small law firms scale profitably while maintaining work-life balance. As a shareholder at BenGlassLaw, he grew the firm’s auto accident division by an astonishing 383% in just four years—demonstrating that smart systems, intentional marketing, and streamlined processes can drive explosive growth without relying on expensive digital ads.
Brian is a recognized leader in the Virginia legal community, securing record-breaking results including a $4.2 million auto accident verdict—the largest in the state in 2022—a $3.4 million medical malpractice verdict in 2019, and the largest child wrongful death settlement in Virginia history. His excellence in advocacy has earned him honors such as Top 40 Under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers Association and Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2017 to 2023, an honor awarded to only 2.5% of attorneys in Virginia.
A member of the Fairfax Bar Association, Virginia Bar Association, and Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, Brian is committed not only to litigation success but also to redefining what it means to run a modern law firm. He believes that attorneys can—and should—build businesses that attract premium clients, create financial freedom, and align with their personal values and lifestyle.
Outside of the courtroom, Brian is a real estate investor, ultra-runner, and proud father of three. He co-authored Renegade Lawyer Marketing with his father, Ben Glass, to share the exact frameworks that helped them—and other attorneys nationwide—build client-centric, profitable practices without relying on agencies or referrals.
📖 Get Brian & Ben Glass’s latest book, Renegade Lawyer Marketing, for just the cost of shipping: 🔗 renegadelawyermarketing.com
Craig Goldenfarb is the CEO and founder of GOLDLAW, a Personal Injury Firm in Palm Beach County, Florida. His firm handles cases throughout Florida and the United States.
He currently owns and manages ten businesses in a variety of industries, including his law firm (GOLDLAW) at GOLDLAW.com.
Employing 12 attorneys and about 80 team members, Mr. Goldenfarb stopped practicing law about in 2005, to focus on growing his practice. He has not handled a case since 2005.
Mr. Goldenfarb lectures nationally on how to brand, manage, grow, and scale a successful Personal Injury Practice. He is also an active national speaker to community organizations, lawyers, and other legal professionals on a variety of topics concerning personal injury law, litigation, and the justice system.
He is the founder of several charitable causes, including the Emanuel McMiller Scholarship for Higher Education (for underprivileged students looking to pursue a legal career), and Heart of the Game (HOTG). HOTG provides free Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to community and youth athletic associations across Florida. These devices can save the lives of young athletes who have experienced a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) while participating in athletic activities.
Raised in Clearwater, Florida, Craig earned his undergraduate degree at Duke University, where he briefly played NCAA Division I soccer. Motivated to pursue a career in Law by his mother, Sondra, a Harvard Law School graduate and the first female teaching fellow at Harvard Law, he received his Juris Doctorate from the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida.
Craig and his wife, Colleen, live in Palm Beach Gardens and are the proud parents of two adult daughters, who have no interest in business or law, which is fine with Craig.
When not strategizing GOLDLAW’s future, you can find Craig playing on a local soccer pitch or enjoying his favorite food, popcorn, while watching any movie in the Star Wars franchise.
As Managing Director for the Philadelphia-based immigration law firm Landau, Hess, Simon, Choi & Doebley, Ben oversees all business processes firm-wide, including H.R., Finance, Information Systems, and Operations. As the instigating force behind the firm’s move to Filevine, Ben was hands-on throughout the build and implementation process, utilizing his Computer Science background and 15+ years of immigration case management expertise to directly build project sections, taskflows, and document templates to support the firm’s case work and legal practice management.
Ben has been with the firm since 2008. He graduated from Haverford College in 2006 with a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, and studied Computer Science at Drexel University. He lives in Malvern, PA with his wife, Ashley, and their three children, Eleanor, Tilde, and Tevya.
The path to leadership at Pace Johnson Law Group was not a conventional one for its CEO. Marked by resilience, strategic foresight, and an unwavering dedication to justice, the journey was shaped by personal trials and a deep-seated commitment to reforming the legal system. While not a licensed attorney in Utah, the CEO leads one of the state's most client-centered law firms, demonstrating an exceptional ability to bridge legal expertise with compassionate advocacy.
A pivotal moment came when they fought tirelessly to secure a friend's freedom, an experience that revealed the systemic flaws within Utah’s justice system. This encounter with injustice illuminated the profound and far-reaching consequences of wrongful convictions—not only for individuals but for families, careers, and communities. Through determined advocacy, meticulous legal effort, and a steadfast belief in justice, the conviction was overturned. However, this victory marked only the beginning. It sparked a broader mission: to ensure that no one faces the legal system alone. Under their leadership, Pace Johnson Law Group has become a stronghold for the wrongfully convicted, dedicated to overturning unjust outcomes and restoring lives.
The firm distinguishes itself through a commitment to personalized advocacy, strategic clarity, and outcome-focused solutions. Its services span from Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning to post-conviction representation, Pardons, and Parole advocacy. The recent addition of Keith N. Hamilton—an attorney with more than 37 years of experience in Utah’s Board of Pardons & Parole—has further strengthened the firm’s ability to serve those pursuing justice and rehabilitation.
For the CEO, leading a law firm goes beyond business; it is about transforming lives and empowering the community with the legal resources they need to thrive. Whether assisting with estate planning, championing second chances, or safeguarding businesses, they believe clients deserve not only legal expertise but a genuine investment in their long-term success.
Josh Hostilo stands at the forefront of legal tech innovation as the Product Leader at Filevine/Lead Docket, where his primary mission is to refine and elevate law firm intake management practices. With an impressive background in law firm management, Josh has demonstrated his prowess by significantly expanding a law firm’s reach to ten distinct office locations, alongside tripling its revenue.
His journey in the legal sector is marked by a deep understanding of the intricacies involved in Marketing, Legal Intake, and Conversions. This expertise is not just theoretical but is backed by years of hands-on experience, making Josh a well-respected figure in the legal tech community. His approach is holistic, considering every facet of law firm operations to ensure efficiency and growth.
Josh’s commitment to excellence and innovation in legal tech is evident in his role at Lead Docket, where he leverages his extensive experience to streamline operations, enhance client intake processes, and ultimately, drive law firms towards achieving higher conversion rates and securing more signed cases. His strategies are not just about growth but about ensuring sustainable and scalable success for law firms in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Throughout his legal career, Pace has navigated a diverse range of practice areas, from complex commercial litigation and civil rights claims to criminal defense and corporate transactions. For Pace, no client or matter is too large or small; he has adeptly represented clients both in small claims lawsuits and multi-million-dollar international business negotiations. This breadth of experience gives him a unique perspective on the law and its crucial role in solving complex problems and in protecting individual rights.
Pace is a graduate of the University of Utah, where he studied economics, Spanish and business. He commenced his legal studies in Washington D.C. at the Washington College of Law, and graduated from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah where he was selected as a Lassonde Institute Scholar. He is admitted to practice in Utah before the Utah State District Court and the Federal Court for the District of Utah.
A Utah native, Pace was born and raised as a middle child in close-knit family with five siblings. He now calls the Heber Valley his home, where he lives with his wife, children and their dog. In addition to long walks on the beach, Pace enjoys tinkering in his garage, skiing, flying his drone and following Formula 1 racing. His life and career are a testament to his dedication to justice, community service, and the transformative power of effective legal advocacy.
Kimball grew up in a small Arizona town, the youngest child in a large family. After graduating from high school he went on to graduate magna cum laude with a degree in economics from BYU-Idaho in 2005. While in college Kimball also founded the Pre-Law Society, served as student body president, and completed an internship with a U.S. senator—all while balancing his studies and a part-time job. Kimball went on to graduate from BYU Law School, where he received the prestigious Dean's Scholarship for academic merit each year.
Professionally, Kimball has ascended to national prominence as one of America's top trial lawyers. Kimball has obtained several record-setting jury verdicts on behalf of his clients, including three separate 9-figure verdicts in less than one year. Kimball's $550 million verdict in 2024—the largest single-plaintiff award in Nevada history—stands out among a long list of courtroom accomplishments.
Outside the courtroom, Kimball's dedication to service is exemplified through his distinguished tenure in the U.S. Army, where he served as both a soldier and officer. Kimball also cherishes his role as a family man. Kimball and his wife, Ashley, recently celebrated 21 years of marriage, and together they take pride in raising their four extraordinary children.
Marie Kerr serves as the Director of Digital Intelligence Automation at Morgan Lewis & Bockius, where she leads a team focused on the implementation and delivery of automation, AI, and technology solutions. With over a decade of experience in the legal industry, she brings a deep understanding of law firm operations, attorney expectations, and the cultural dynamics that shape digital transformation in professional services.
Marie began her career in customer service before transitioning to the legal field, where she developed a strong foundation in responsiveness, empathy, and solutions-oriented thinking. These principles continue to guide her approach today and uniquely position her to bridge the gap between technical innovation and practical application. Marie is known for her passion for learning and problem solving, her collaborative leadership style, and her commitment to helping attorneys embrace technology in ways that elevate, rather than replace, the human expertise at the core of legal services.
Paul R. Kiesel received his Juris Doctor from the Whittier College School of Law in Los Angeles in 1985. In 2005, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Law from Whittier Law School. His practice is devoted to representing consumers in personal injury, class action, pharmaceutical and environmental tort litigation.
Mr. Kiesel has been repeatedly recognized by the Daily Journal as one of the 100 most influential attorneys in the State of California. He has been selected as one of the nation’s top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers and has been selected as one of the top 500 attorneys in the United States by Lawdragon. He has been voted by his peers as being a “Super Lawyer” and has been recognized as being among their top 100 attorneys over the last ten years. The American Bar Association has recognized him as one of the 12 “techiest” lawyers in America. He was recognized in the Los Angeles Daily Journal’s inaugural Top 25 Plaintiff Lawyers in California. Mr. Kiesel was named a Senior Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers, dedicated to promoting superior advocacy, professionalism and ethical standards in the legal profession.
Mr. Kiesel is also very active in the legal community. He is Past President of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and was the former Chair of its Litigation Section. Mr. Kiesel was the Co-Chair of the Open Courts Coalition (“OCC”), a bipartisan committee of attorneys from throughout California advocating for full-funding of the civil justice system. He has received the State of California Judicial Council’s Stanley Mosk Defender of Justice Award and the California State Bar’s Access to Justice Award for his work on behalf of the OCC. He was appointed by former Chief Justice Ronald George to the State of California Judicial Council Civil and Small Claims Advisory Committee. He served on the Board of Governors for the Consumer Attorneys of California and the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles for over ten years. In recognition of his service, Mr. Kiesel was elected an Emeritus (lifetime) Board Member of both organizations. From 2001-2005, Mr. Kiesel sat on the Board of Governors of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers.
Mr. Kiesel has extensive experience in complex litigation, including environmental torts, construction and product defect, as well as pharmaceutical and medical device mass tort actions. Mr. Kiesel served as national Lead Counsel in both the federal Multi-District Litigation in MDL 1871 against GlaxoSmithKline for injuries caused by its pharmaceutical drug, Avandia, and in MDL 2329 In Re: Wright Medical Technology, Inc., Conserve Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation for injuries caused by its Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Systems. Mr. Kiesel served as Liaison Counsel in the Porter Ranch JCCP litigation involving over 36,000 residents who were affected by a gas blow-out at a Southern California Gas Company storage facility. He is also currently co-lead counsel of the JUUL Labs Product Cases JCCP 5052 in which thousands of consumers were injured by the JUUL e-cigarette. Mr. Kiesel is also Liaison Counsel in an environmental action against Prologis for the sickening of over 10,000 residents due to a chemical fire at one of its warehouses. Mr. Kiesel is currently Liaison Counsel in the Social Media JCCP 5255 and a member of the Executive Committee.
Mr. Kiesel is also a frequent presenter at continuing legal education programs. As an early advocate for the use of technology in the practice of law, Mr. Kiesel writes and speaks on technology-related subjects. In addition, he is a co-author of two legal treatises for Lexis Nexis, “California Pretrial Civil Procedure” and “California Civil Discovery.”
Jeff, again nominated in 2023 as a Southern California Super Lawyer, has been a civil litigator on behalf of plaintiffs for his entire career handling complex matters in federal and state courts, and arbitration. With experience in all aspects of civil trial and appellate practice, he has concentrated on consumer class actions in courts throughout the country representing consumers against large corporations and now does the same in financial services litigation and mass torts.
In the area of class actions, Jeff recently represented several notable musicians, among them, The Temptations and The Motels, in class actions seeking compensation relating to the payment of digital download royalties from their record labels including Universal Music Group, Capitol EMI and Warner Brothers. Jeff has also represented various Hollywood notables, including the estates of Charles Bronson, Peter Sellers and Richard Pryor, seeking payment of home video royalties from major movies studios including Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, and Sony Pictures. The settlements with the studios resulted in payments to class members exceeding $51 million. He has also been active against major automobile manufacturers such as BMW relating to the timing chain in MINI Cooper vehicles, Toyota for HVAC systems, GM for braking issues and Mazda for water pump failures. Jeff also litigates on behalf of individual investors as a result of wrongdoing by their financial services advisors including currently litigating a $10+ million loss suffered by an Indian Tribe.
Shervin Lalezary is one-half of The Law Brothers®, along with his brother Shawn Lalezary. Shervin is known to be a tenacious litigator who leaves no stone unturned.
Shervin began his schooling at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Business-Economics. While in college, he also attended the Universidad de Salamanca and Universidad de Carlos III – both in Spain. Shervin attended the University of Southern California Gould School of Law with both a scholarship and fellowship to earn his juris doctorate.
At USC, Shervin was an extern at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Compton Hardcore Gang Unit. During this externship, Shervin was able to meaningfully participate in complex and high stakes litigation, furthering his passion for litigating in court. Upon graduation, he joined DLA Piper US, LLP, one of the largest law firms in the world with a presence in over 40 countries. During his time at DLA Piper, Shervin gained extensive experience practicing law and representing Forbes 500 clients.
As a managing attorney at The Law Brothers®, Shervin is known for his passionate and caring approach to each and every case he handles. Shervin has played a key role in helping his clients recover hundreds of millions of dollars in complex and catastrophic personal injury cases.
Shervin’s passion for the law extends beyond his work as a lawyer. Shervin proudly serves as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for the LA County Sheriff’s Department. Through this position, he has extensive experience investigating and handling traffic collisions – experience that gives him an incredible insight in his role as a personal injury attorney. Shervin was honored by the United States House of Representatives, the California State Assembly, and numerous state and local agencies for his service after arresting a serial arsonist who was responsible for more than 50 fires in the Southern California area.
Thanks to his background in both personal injury and law enforcement, as well as his unparalleled dedication to clients, Shervin is the attorney thousands of clients have turned to for advice in difficult and catastrophic cases.
Personal Injury Attorney Glen Lerner is a founding partner of Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys and Lerner and Rowe Law Group. Attorney Glen Lerner is only licensed to practice personal injury law in the State of Nevada and has been doing so since 1991. He has successfully built not just a local name, but a national reputation. Glen Lerner deals with a large network of attorneys all over America to provide legal services in cases of personal injury, medical malpractice, hazardous products, and more. Glen prides himself in fighting for the “little guy” against big insurance companies and large corporations. “I grew up fighting every day of my life against bullies and I was the one who the other kids turned to. Now I do it as a grownup, and I get paid for doing what I love to do… fight!” Lerner attended Dartmouth College for one year and graduated from Duke University in 1987 with a major in Religious Studies. Glen also prides himself on being a member of Duke’s 1986 NCAA Division I Men’s National Championship soccer team. Glen Lerner is a 1990 graduate of Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He worked odd jobs throughout his life including being a Teamster and a garbage man to better understand many of the people he would someday represent. “I was number one in my class and got accepted at Harvard, Dartmouth, Stanford, and Duke.” “How could I ever represent people and really know how they feel if I have never had to work hard like them? Most of the people we represent are hardworking people and so many people that are privileged to get the education I have received never learn what it is like to really work and get their hands dirty,” says Glen Lerner. “I wanted to work hard jobs to be able to appreciate what I have and show that appreciation when I am with my clients.”
Emily Lippincott is the Senior Legal Futurist at Filevine, the leading legal work platform for law firms and businesses across the United States and Canada. Emily designs solutions to bring Filevine and its suite of products to clients in a variety of legal disciplines. She is an attorney with over 16 years of experience in the Silicon Valley, both in-house and at law firms, counseling corporate clients from incorporation to public offering or acquisition. Emily is skilled in the law, knowledge management, and technology, allowing her a unique perspective on the future of legal tech.
Suzanne Masó is a highly accomplished legal operations and contract management professional with over 15 years of experience in commercial and government transactions.
Currently, Suzanne serves as the Director of Legal Operations at Adtalem Global Education, Inc., where she is responsible for developing and executing the legal department's mission and operations plan. Her role includes managing the legal operations team, overseeing the department budget, and coordinating with finance, HR, IT, and supply chain partners.
Prior to her current role, Suzanne held various positions at OneSpan Inc., Hill-Rom Holdings, Orbitz Worldwide and Jet Support Services. Her experience includes managing global teams, corporate governance, leading ESG programs, and implemented company-wide contract lifecycle management systems.
Suzanne holds a Master of Science in Law from Pritzker School of Law Northwestern University, a Master of Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from DePaul University.
Mr. Mauro graduated from the University of Utah College of law in 1988. After law school, he clerked at the Utah Court of Appeals before accepting a public defender job at the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association (SLLDA) as a trial attorney. During the seven years he worked at SLLDA, he tried a number of serious felony cases to verdict. In 1997, he opened his law office focusing on criminal defense representation in state and federal court. He worked extensively on the representation of persons charged with capital homicide offenses outside of Salt Lake County. For the past nine years, Mr. Mauro has been the executive director of the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association.
He has worked as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah College of law teaching trial advocacy and is the past president of the Utah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He presently serves on the Utah Indigent Defense Commission, the Utah Sentencing Commission, the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, and the Salt Lake County Criminal Justice Advisory Council.
A proud Las Vegas native with a B.S. in Hotel Administration from UNLV, I’ve spent over 20 years driving results through strategic leadership at industry leaders like Four Seasons and The Venetian. I’ve seen firsthand that when you invest in people, you don’t just improve morale; you elevate outcomes. My leadership style blends empathy with accountability, fostering teams that are both empowered and performance-driven. Today, as Head of HR at Bighorn Law, I’m building a workplace where top talent thrives, and that energy carries through to every client we serve.
Anaiah Palmer has been working in the field of immigration law for 20 years, in every role from file clerk to attorney. She has experience in family-based, employment-based, humanitarian, affirmative, and defensive immigration applications. Currently Anaiah works as in-house U.S. immigration counsel for Concentrix Corporation, where she focuses on maintaining employment authorization and status for the company’s non-citizen workers in the U.S. Anaiah regularly presents at regional immigration law conferences.
Ruby L. Powers, a Board-certified immigration attorney and founder of Powers Law Group, P.C., has over 16 years of expertise in law practice management. Author of AILA's Build and Manage Your Successful Immigration Law Practice (Without Losing Your Mind) and her book "Power Up Your Practice" available on Amazon. Ruby shares invaluable knowledge on law practice management and small business consulting. Through Powers Strategy Group, LLC, she provides strategic consulting services and hosts the informative podcast "Power Up Your Practice," launched in 2024. With a commitment to excellence and empowerment, Ruby inspires legal professionals to succeed in their practices and businesses.
Mike Rafi is the founder of Rafi Law Firm, a national personal injury firm based in Atlanta. Mike built the firm because he wanted to create the kind of place he’d want to work at—a firm where great lawyers and staff want to be, and where clients know they’re being treated like people who deserve respect, communication, and compassion.
Mike is also one of the most followed lawyers on social media, with more than a billion social media view and 850 million followers across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Mike’s daily videos are about laws, courts, litigating, operating a law firm, marketing, and whatever else crosses his mind. Mike’s longform weekly videos do a deep dive about a specific area of the law or a recent event that involves legal issues.
At Lex Summit, Mike brings a perspective that blends trial lawyer grit with content creator reach. He’s focused on building a modern law firm grounded in trust, transparency, and results—and he’s always open to partnering with like-minded lawyers who want to do great work, together.
John Rizner, a graduate of The University of Chicago Law School with a Juris Doctor, has an extensive background in corporate law and a strong focus on legal technology. His expertise includes practicing as an attorney in New York and Utah, guiding companies through complex mergers and acquisitions, as well as advising on financing transactions.
John has played a crucial role in evaluating and implementing technology solutions, including machine learning and generative AI products, at a major law firm. His insights into the integration of AI in legal practice were showcased in his public continuing legal education presentations, particularly on the use of large language models and machine learning in corporate legal practice. Currently, as the Head of AI Legal Drafting at Filevine, John combines his legal expertise with a deep understanding of AI to innovate in the field of legal technology.
Gabriel is the founder of Lexamica, a legal marketing platform that connects lawyers with plaintiff claims on a referral basis. Lexamica is built to handle the distributed, national nature of lead gen from traditional media, digital, and legal creators. Gabriel’s career journey, a diverse blend of hands-on operations and creative strategy, has uniquely positioned him to realize this vision. His expertise spans legal operations, fundraising, management, and technology.
After building a multi-state nonprofit, Gabriel led a national employment law firm creating technology solutions and relationships with other top plaintiff firms. Here, Gabriel learned the intricacies of the legal industry, gaining invaluable insights into case strategies and client relationships. He also found a complete lack of transparency and accountability in legal referrals.
Gabriel built Lexamica to connect lawyers and consumers in a way that reflects the national scope and real-time nature of legal case referrals. Lexamica is a B2B platform where lawyers can refer claims to each other and co-counsel across states and practice areas. With Lexamica, law firms can place, track, and get paid on referrals nationwide, increasing brand ROI and revenue.
