2021 WVAJ Mid-Winter Seminar Online
Featured Speakers & Faculty
Zoe Littlepage
Zoe Littlepage is a partner with the Houston firm of Littlepage, Booth and Leckman. Her practice areas include mass torts, defective medical products and pharmaceuticals, and human rights cases throughout the country. In 2011, she was inducted into the Inner Circle of Advocates as one of the 100 best trial lawyers in the country. Both American Lawyer and Fortune magazines have named her as one of America’s premier lawyers. She is a nationally recognized and frequent speaker in the areas of the use of visual evidence and demonstrative aides at trial and defective drug litigation issues. She was a featured speaker for "Using the Rules of the Road," presenting on how to use visuals to present your case. She was a contributor to Drug Injury: Liability, Analysis and Prevention, 2nd edition, and she has served as a peer review editor for the American Association for Justice’s Trial magazine since 2008. She is an adjunct professor for the University of Houston Law Center. Zoe was raised in the Caribbean and earned a B. A. from Rice University. She attended Emory University Law School and earned her J. D. from the University of Houston, where she served on Houston Law Review.
Joe Fried
Joe Fried is a partner with the Atlanta firm of Fried Goldberg. He is considered by many to be the preeminent truck accident attorney in the country and has handled cases in more than 35 states. He is the founder of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys, the founding chair of the National Board of Truck Accident Lawyers, and a past leader of both the American Association for Justice Truck Litigation Group and the National Trial Lawyers Association Trucking Trial Lawyers. In addition to his expertise in trucking, Joe is a former police officer with advanced training in crash investigation and reconstruction, human factors, psychodrama, storytelling and neurolinguistic programming. He is a board member of the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Joe has authored books, DVDs and articles on trucking and litigation best practices and has presented more than 600 education programs to attorneys and judges. Joe is a graduate of Oglethorpe University and earned his J. D. from the University of Georgia College of Law. After law school, Joe clerked for the Honorable B. Avant Edenfield, Chief U. S. District Judge for the Southern District of Georgia before entering private practice. He served as a Fulton County magistrate before he was appointed to the Fulton County bench, the youngest judge in Fulton County history. He served for 20 years as a part-time judge while building his practice.
Thomas Scolaro
Tom Scolaro is a partner with the Miami firm of Leesfield Scolaro. He has more than 20 years of experience in the practice areas of personal injury, products liability, medical malpractice, maritime law and wrongful death cases. He is a leader in negligent security cases and an advocate for crime victims deserving civil justice. He received statewide recognition in Florida for his role in improving public safety in the area of carbon monoxide detectors. He is a member of the American Association for Justice and the Florida Justice Association. He has lectured extensively in the areas of personal injury and law marketing. Tom is a graduate of Manhattan College and earned his J. D. from the University of Miami School of Law.
Additional Faculty
Judge Michael Aloi
Judge Michael Aloi has served as a United States Magistrate Judge for West Virginia's Northern District since his appointment in 2015. He serves as a judge for the district's drug court. He also established a diversion program for military veterans in federal small claims court. Prior to his appointment to the federal bench, Judge Aloi served as a judge for Marion County's 16th Circuit Court. Judge Aloi is a graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College and earned his J. D. from the West Virginia University College of Law. He was in private practice in Fairmont for 28 years. During that period he served as president of the West Virginia State Bar, chairperson of the West Virginia State Bar Commission on Judicial Independence, and the West Virginia State Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee.
Joseph Anderson, CMSP
Joe Anderson is the vice president for business development for Medivest. Joe is a Certified Medicare Secondary Payer Professional (CMSP), and is also an associate in commercial underwriting (AU). He is a frequent speaker on MSP compliance nationwide. His expertise covers both workers’ compensation and liability insurance, with experience ranging from single incident cases to class actions. His additional experience in the MSP industry includes leading a national structured settlement planning firm. Joe is a member of the National Alliance of Medicare Set-Aside Professionals Liability MSA Committee. He served as a member of the National Strcutured Settlement Trade Association's Special Needs Task Force. Joe earned a B. A. from the University of San Francisco.
Rachael Fletcher Cipoletti
Rachael Cipoletti has served Chief Lawyer Disciplinary Counsel for the West Virginia Office of Disciplinary Counsel since April 2008. Prior to being named chief, she served as assistant disciplinary counsel for more than five years and as interim chief. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from West Virginia University and is a graduate of the WVU College of Law. After completing law school, she worked for Legal Aid of West Virginia as a Violence Against Women Act attorney. Her admissions include West Virginia, the U. S. District Court – Northern District of West Virginia, U. S. District Court – South¬ern District of West Virginia, the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States of America.
Sean Coleman
Sean Coleman is the president of Forge Consulting and Forge Capital. He has more than 25 years of experience with the settlement industry. He is a graduate of Princeton University and earned his J. D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. His past experience includes serving as president and CEO of Structures, Inc. and COO and general counsel for Integrated Financial Settlements, Inc. He was a partner and head of the corporate securities and general practice group of Hartman, Simons, Spielman and Wood in Atlanta. Sean is a member of the Georgia Bar Association and the National Structured Settlements Trade Association.
John Cooper
John Cooper has practiced law in West Virginia for 50 years, and he retired from active practice and litigation in 2017. His practice with Cooper and Preston in Davis, West Virginia, included personal injury, medical malpractice, insurance bad faith, products liability and criminal law. He has worked as a mediator since 1987. John served 12 years on the West Virginia Lawyer Disciplinary Board, 1986 – 1992 and 2010 – 2016. He was Brooke County Prosecuting Attorney 1977 – 1981. John earned his undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University and is a graduate of the West Virginia University College of Law.
Judge Jason Cuomo
Judge Jason Cuomo was appointed to the bench in West Virginia's First Judicial Circuit in 2015, and he was re-elected in 2016. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Cuomo practiced at the Wellsburg firm of Cuomo and Cuomo with his father. He earned a B. A. from Allegheny College and is a graduate of the West Virginia University College of Law. While in law school, Judge Cuomo served as the executive editor of Volume 98 of Law Review.
Harry Deitzler
Harry Deitzler is a partner with the Charleston firm of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee and Deitzler. A graduate of West Virginia University and the WVU College of Law, Harry has been a practicing attorney since 1976. Prior to entering private practice, he served as the prosecuting attorney for Wood County and served as president of the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Association. In 2005 Public Justice, the nation's public interest law organization, named Harry and his partners Trial Lawyers of the Year for their work in the DuPont C8 case. Harry is a past president of Public Justice and a past president of the West Virginia State Bar. Harry writes the "Motor Cycle Justice" column for Motorcycle Consumer News and manages the "Motorcycle Justice" website.
David Duffield
David Duffield is the managing partner of the Huntington law firm of Duffield, Lovejoy and Boggs. His practice areas include personal injury and death claims, product liability, workplace injury, automobile and motorcycle accidents and insurance claims. Dave has been a state leader in law office technology since the 1980s. He chaired the effort that created Technet, the first pre-Internet legal research and email system for state attorneys. He was selected by the West Virginia Supreme Court to advise and assist its technology committee, which developed video conferencing for state courtrooms. David has presented numerous programs on law office technology since 1993. David is a graduate of West Virginia University and the WVU College of Law.
Joe Gonzales, MD, FAAPMR, CPLCP
Dr. Joe Gonzales is the founder and medical director of Physicians Life Care Planning. Dr. Gonzales specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation, pain medicine and occupational and environmental medicine. He has practiced in Texas since 1985, and he is board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the American Board of Pain Medicine, and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Dr. Gonzales is the president of the Texas Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Institute. He is a fellow and board chair of the American Academy of Physician Life Care Planners, and he is a member of the Certified Physician Life Care Planner Certification Board. Dr. Gonzales is a graduate of Baylor University and earned his M. D. from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. He completed his residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.
Michael Gunn
Michael Gunn is a partner with FORGE Consulting in 2005, and he was promoted to a principle and senior settlement consultant in 2012. Michael assists with complex litigation on a myriad of issues for both plaintiffs and attorneys. Prior to joining FORGE, Michael worked in government relations and as a lobbyist to the South Carolina General Assembly, regulatory agencies and the governor’s office for more than 20 years, including serving at the chief lobbyist for the South Carolina Association for Justice. Michael continues to assist SCAJ with its policy positions and legislative advocacy. He is a graduate of Newberry College, where he was an endowed scholar of political science.
Judge David Hammer
Judge David Hammer was elected to the bench in West Virginia's 23rd Judicial Circuit in May 2018 and serves as the Supervising Judge of Jefferson County as well as its Drug Treatment Court Judge. Judge Hammer is a graduate of Temple University and earned his J. D. from the William and Mary College of Law. Prior to his election to the bench, he practiced for 26 years with the Martinsburg firm of Hammer, Ferretti and Schiavoni. He is a past president of the West Virginia Employment Lawyers Association and the West Virginia Association for Justice.
R. Edison Hill
Ed Hill is a partner with the Charleston firm of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee and Deitzler. Ed began his legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable K. K. Hall, Judge of United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. He practiced with a Charleston firm for three years before establishing his own practice in 1980. That practice evolved to the present firm in 1991. In 2005, he and his law partners were named Trial Lawyers of the Year by Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. Ed earned his undergraduate degree from West Virginia University and is a graduate of the WVU College of Law. Ed is the current chairperson of the Central West Virginia Regional Airport Authority, which is the governing board for Yeager Airport. He is a past president of the West Virginia Association for Justice.
Donald Jowers, CSSC
Donald Jowers is a settlement consultant with FORGE Consulting, assisting the plaintiffs’ bar in personal injury, wrongful death, mass tort, discrimination and complex cases. Don is a Certified Structured Settlement Consultant (CSSC) from the National Structured Settlements Association, conferred by the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. He is the co-founder of Tort IQ and was a partner at Asbury Newton prior to joining Forge. Don served as a congressional aide to U. S. Congressman Jack Brooks, a former chairman of House Judiciary. Don earned a B. A. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Allan Karlin
Allan Karlin has practiced law in West Virginia for nearly 50 years. He began his legal career with Legal Aid of West Virginia in 1974 and opened his Morgantown practice in 1981. His practice areas include employment law, personal injury, serious workplace injury and death, civil rights, and ethics and personal responsibility. Al has also worked with the Innocence Project, which exonerates people wrongfully convicted of crimes. Al served on the West Virginia Lawyer Disciplinary Board for six years and was its chairperson 2000 – 2003. He has served as an adjunct professor for the West Virginia University College of Law, and he is a board member of the West Virginia Fund for Law in the Public Interest. Al is a graduate of Yale University and earned his J. D. from Boalt Hall, the University of California Berkeley School of Law. He is a past president of the West Virginia Association for Justice.
Judge James Matish
Judge James Matish has served as a judge for Harrison County's 15th Judicial Circuit since his election to the bench in 2000. He earned his undergraduate degree from West Virginia University and his J. D. from the WVU College of Law. Judge Matish had a general law practice in Clarksburg from 1978 - 2000. He is a founding member and past president of the West Virginia Society for Criminal Justice. Judge Matish has been an adjunct professor for Salem International University and has served as a judge for the WVU College of Law Moot Court Board.
Stephen New
Stephen New began his legal career as one of the first 10 judicial law clerks employed by the West Virginia Supreme Court. He later clerked for the Raleigh County Circuit Court judges and practiced with a firm in his native Mingo County before he establishing his Beckley law practice in 2004. His practice areas include workers compensation, coal mining accidents, employment law, personal injury and wrongful death cases. Stephen received a B. A. in Political Science from Marshall University and earned his J. D. from the WVU College of Law, where he graduated Order of the Barristers. He is a U. S. Army veteran and retired as a major with the West Virginia Army National Guard in 2009. He is a member of the Workers Injury Litigation Group, the American Association for Justice and a past member of the AAJ board of governors. Stephen is a past president of the West Virginia Association for Justice.
Donald O'Dell
Don O’Dell is an attorney and mediator. At his Huntington firm of O’Dell Law and Mediation, Don focuses his mediation practice on multi-party, multi-issue litigation including class actions, coal mining disasters, pharmaceutical, automotive product liability, medical malpractice, labor and employment law and major personal injury cases. Don is a fellow of the West Virginia Bar Foundation and a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. Don earned his undergraduate degree from West Virginia University and earned his J. D. from the WVU College of Law. He completed the Advanced Mediation course at Pepperdine University’s Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution.
Tony O'Dell
Tony O'Dell is a partner with the Charleston firm of Tiano O'Dell, which was established in 2011. Tony has nearly 30 years of experience in personal injury cases including medical malpractice, nursing home neglect and abuse, wrongful death, and automobile and truck accident cases. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in American in the area of medical malpractice as well as a West Virginia Super Lawyer in plaintiff's medical malpractice. Tony is a graduate of Marshall University and earned his J. D. from the West Virginia University College of Law. He is a member of the West Virginia Association for Justice Board of Governors.
Peter Pentony
Peter Pentony is a partner with the Leesburg, Virginia firm of WilliamsFord. Prior to joining that firm he practiced for more than 20 years in Jefferson County, West Virginia. Peter's practice areas include medical malpractice, wrongful death, insurance law, environmental contamination and serious workplace injury. He has substantial experience in dram shop litigation, and two of his cases have been featured in the National Crime Victims Bar Association Reporter. He practices in West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland in both state and federal courts. He is a graduate of West Virginia University and earned his J. D. from the Dickinson College of Law of the Pennsylvania State University, where he was editor-in-chief of the Dickinson Journal of International Law.
David Romano
David Romano opened his law practice, Romano Law Office, in Clarksburg in 1986. His practice includes insurance claims, consumer class actions and wrongful death. He has also served as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Harrison County since 2003. Prior to opening his own practice, David served as law clerk to Judge Charles Haden, U. S. District Court Judge for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia. David is a past president of the West Virginia Association for Justice as well as the Harrison County Bar. He is also a founding member of the Civil Justice Foundation. David earned a degree in accounting from West Virginia University and is a graduate of the WVU College of Law.
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