West Virginia Association for Justice
63rd Annual Seminar Online
Seminar Faculty
Paul Byrd
Paul Byrd established his Little Rock, Arkansas practice in 1988. He has more than 30 years of litigation experience, with an emphasis on representing consumers in product liability actions, both individually and in mass tort litigation. A self-proclaimed "Republican trial lawyer," Paul is one of the country's leading experts on how to frame cases and communicate effectively with conservative jurors. He is the featured speaker on the Trial Guides DVD, "How to Talk to Conservatives" and has presented on the subject to state and national audiences for more than 10 years. Paul is a past president of the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association and is a board member of the American Association for Justice. He is a past chair of AAJ's products liability section. Paul is a graduate of the University of Arkansas School of Law. He began his legal practice as a law clerk to the Honorable Tom F. Digby.
Jonathan Clark
Jonathan Clark is a senior client development consultant with FindLaw, a Thomson Reuters business. He has more than 20 years of experience in advertising and marketing, including Internet-based marketing strategies. He works with law firms and attorneys in West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky to assess current and necessary firm development efforts and their online marketing. In 2012, he was recognized by FindLaw as its Eastern Division Rookie of the Year. Prior to joining FindLaw, he worked for more than 15 years for Verizon in Yellow Pages and Internet marketing, rising to the rank of division manager in the corporation’s D. C. office. Jonathan earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a specialization in Marketing, from Roanoke College.
Scott Edwards
Scott Edwards is the owner and CEO of Netranom, which he established in 1998 to provide IT management, cybersecurity, data recovery and other technology solutions for small and medium sized businesses in the tri-state area. Scott attended Virginia Tech and is a graduate of Marshall University. Scott has been elected and served as mayor of Hurricane since 2008.
Bibi Fell
Bibi Fell began her legal career in the San Diego office of what was then the largest law firm in the world. After working as a defense attorney for several years, she moved to a civil plaintiffs' practice. She opened her own firm, Fell Law, in 2019. Her primary practice areas are wrongful death and catastrophic injury. She is the director of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy Deposition Skills and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Bibi is a founding member of Athea Trial Lawyers, which was established by six of the leading women trial lawyers in America. She has taught Advanced Trial Advocacy at the University of San Diego School of Law since 2015, and she is a teaching fellow for the ABOTA Trial College of the Harvard School of Law. Bibi is a graduate of the University of California at San Diego and earned her J. D. from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Cheryl Fisher
Cheryl Fisher is an attorney with the Charleston firm of Tiano O’Dell. She earned a B. S. in public administration from Miami University of Ohio and earned her J. D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. For the first 14 years of her legal career, Cheryl practiced as a defense attorney. Since 2008, her practice has focused on representing victims of medical malpractice. Cheryl has volunteered her legal services to West Virginia Lawyers for the Poor and representing client seeking protection and refuge from violent abusers. She is a board member of the West Virginia Association for Justice.
Justice Evan Jenkins
Justice Evan Jenkins was appointed to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia in 2018 and was elected to his seat later that year. In 2021, Justice Jenkins is serving as Chief Justice. At the time of his appointment to the bench, Justice Jenkins was serving in the United States House of Representatives, representing West Virginia’s Third Congressional District. Justice Jenkins served in the West Virginia House of Delegates 1995 – 1999, and served in the West Virginia State Senate 2003 – 2014. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and earned his J. D. from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. He began his legal career as an attorney with the Huntington firm of Jenkins Fenstermaker.
Randall Kinnard
Randy Kinnard is a partner with the Nashville firm of Kinnard, Clayton and Beverage and is one of Tennessee's leading attorneys. His primary practice areas are personal injury and medical malpractice. Randy is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, which is comprised of the nation's top 100 trial lawyers, and he was the 2020 recipient of the American Bar Association's Pursuit of Justice award. A past president of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, he was named TTLA's "Trial Lawyer of the Year" in 2016. His current projects include the establishment of the Children's Justice Center, a nonprofit organization that provides free legal help, advice, and court representation for children who have been abused and neglected. Randy is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne and was awarded the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Air Medal. Randy earned his J. D. from the Memphis State University School of Law.
Judge Thomas S. Kleeh
Judge Thomas Kleeh was appointed to the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia in November 2018. Judge Kleeh is a graduate of West Virginia University and earned his J. D. from the WVU College of Law. He served as the 1998 – 1999 editor in chief of West Virginia Law Review. Judge Kleeh began his legal career as an associate with Steptoe and Johnson. He was a partner with the firm from 2006 until his appointment to the bench. Judge Kleeh worked as per diem counsel for the West Virginia State Senate Judiciary Committee 2015 – 2017. In 2018, he served in the Office of General Counsel to the president of the West Virginia State Senate.
Jim Lees
Jim Lees is an attorney with the Charleston firm of Hunt and Lees. He has tried more than 250 jury trial to verdict in both civil and criminal cases. Jim is nationally recognized both as a trial attorney and as a communications consultant to attorneys and businesses. As a jury consultant, he specializes in the use of psychology and focus groups to formulate messaging strategies for trial. He is the co-creator of the five-part DVD Commanding the Courtroom, a video series on case development and litigation strategies. Jim is a graduate of West Virginia University and earned his J. D. from the Wake Forest University School of Law. He is a past board co-chair of the American Association for Justice National College of Advocacy.
Phillip Miller
Phillip Miller is a nationally recognized attorney who specializes in representing plaintiffs and their families in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. As part of his practice, Phillip is a trial consultant, assisting law firms with their biggest, most significant cases. He is a nationally certified civil trial specialist and pre-trial specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and he is a leading consultant on deposition and case strategy and juror learning. He has lectured on these topics throughout the country. Phillip is the co-author of Advanced Depositions: Strategies and Practice. Phillip earned his B. S. and M.P.A. from Pennsylvania State University and is a graduate of the Nashville School of Law. He is a past president of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association.
Mike Mooney
Mike Mooney is the senior vice president and professional practice leader for USI Affinity in Philadelphia. He has nearly 20 years of experience in professional liability insurance. Mike has worked with USI for more than 10 years, including serving as director of sales for USI’s lawyers' professional liability insurance program. He is a graduate of Rowan University.
Michael Neff
Michael Neff's Atlanta law firm handles catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases, specializing in premises liability, trucking and products liability cases. He is the author of the book, Premises Liability: A Guide to Success, a practical, step-by-step guide to trying and winning premises liability cases. He is a leading national speaker on premises liability and trial tactics. Michael serves on the executive committee of the American Association for Justice's Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group. He has been recognized as an Advocate by the National College of Advocacy. He is a member of the Southern Trial Lawyers Association, the National Brain Injury Trial Lawyers Association, and the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. Michael earned his J. D. from the Dickinson School of Law at Pennsylvania State University.
Richard Ogrodowski
Richard Ogrodowski is a partner with the Pittsburgh firm of Goldsmith and Ogrodowski. His practice areas include admiralty and maritime law, railroad and FELA, serious personal injury, wrongful death and products liability. He practices in both Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Rich began his legal career as a defense attorney, working with his future law partner Fred Goldsmith. The two moved to a second defense firm and then established their own practice to represent plaintiffs. Rich is a graduate of Westminster College and earned his J. D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He is also a graduate of the National Trial Advocacy College held at the University of Virginia School of Law.
Paul Page
Paul Page has worked as a solutions engineer with Netranom for 12 years. His work with technology began in the United States Marine Corps where he worked in military database management. He is a graduate of West Virginia State University, with a degree in computer aided design and drafting. Prior to joining Netranom, Paul worked for Marshall University Graduate College as an information systems specialist for more than 13 years.
Rodd Santomauro
Rodd Santomauro is the senior vice president for business development for Synergy Settlement Services. Prior to joining Synergy, Rodd practiced for 25 years as a plaintiffs’ attorney focusing on personal injury and consumer advocacy. He earned a B. A. in legal studies from the University of Central Florida and earned his J. D. from the Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law.
Chris Wallace
Chris Wallace has more than 20 years of experience in personal injury, social security disability and workers compensation. A graduate of the University of New Mexico, Chris earned his J. D. from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in Cleveland. He began his legal practice with a plaintiffs’ firm in Cleveland and opened The Wallace Firm in Weirton in 2013. He handles cases in West Virginia, Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Chris is a member of the Ohio Association for Justice and a member and board member of the West Virginia Association for Justice.
WVAJ AFFINITY PARTNERS
.jpg)
.jpg)
.png){kind=spacer}
CONTACT WVAJ
Telephone: (304) 344 - 0692
Fax: (304) 343 - 7926
WVAJ OFFICE
208 Capitol Street, Suite 100
Charleston, WV 25301
QUICK LINKS