Partner, King & Spalding PLLC
Will Barnette is a partner in the Atlanta office of King & Spalding, where he is a member of the firm’s business litigation practice and class action defense group. During his 30-year career, Will has consistently led clients to successful outcomes in their most sensitive and high exposure class action, MDL, and related regulatory matters. From litigating high-stakes tobacco class actions at the turn of the century, to defending massive data breach litigation in the last decade, and winning several lucrative antitrust opt-out settlements more recently, Will has played a key role in much of the leading complex litigation of the era and led clients to tremendous success on both sides of the “v.” In particular, he has deep experience in litigating consumer, products, and antitrust class actions, commercial disputes, and managing internal investigations.
Prior to rejoining King & Spalding, where he worked earlier in his career, Will served as Associate General Counsel for The Home Depot and was a member of the company’s Legal Senior Leadership Team. As leader of The Home Depot’s commercial litigation team for more than ten years, he was responsible for the company’s most significant commercial and business litigation, which frequently challenged core aspects of the company’s business. During his 21-year tenure with The Home Depot, Will led the successful defense of several hundred class actions, created and led the company’s recovery litigation program, and successfully managed multiple high-profile investigations and favorably resolved significant related regulatory matters, including with the United States Department of Justice, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and multi-state Attorney General groups.
A recognized thought leader in complex litigation, Will argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in the 2019 term—one of the few in-house counsel to do so. He received the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Corporate Counsel Award for Advocacy in 2016 and has authored seven law review articles. His recent works, Misunderstanding Original Jurisdiction and There Is No Conservative Case for Class Actions, ranked among the top SSRN downloads in Federal Courts and Jurisdiction. He frequently lectures on class actions, MDL litigation, and internal investigations, and teaches Complex Litigation at the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law, where he earned the Harold C. Warner Outstanding Adjunct Professor Award in 2025.
Will chairs the Board of Georgians for Lawsuit Reform, which was instrumental in passing Georgia’s 2025 tort reform legislation. He also serves as Chair of the Class Actions Section for the State Bar of Georgia and is a former President of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. Will played varsity college basketball at Sewanee.
Partner, Patrick Doerr
Mr. Rando has represented clients in matters involving computer hardware and software, silicon chip manufacturing, biotechnology, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, chemical compounds, food additives, alternative energy, AI, autonomous vehicles, blockchain, consumer electronics, communications, internet, and e-commerce. He has appeared in courts across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and multiple U.S. Courts of Appeals.
As appellate counsel, Mr. Rando has served as counsel of record or co-counsel in more than 30 amicus briefs filed before the U.S. Supreme Court and Federal Circuit on issues of patent law, statutory interpretation, separation of powers, and constitutional law. Noteworthy filings include eBay Inc. v. MercExchange (2006), Oil States v. Greene’s Energy (2017), American Axle v. Neapco (2021), Amgen v. Sanofi (2023), and Cellect v. Vidal (2024).
Mr. Rando is a Fellow of the Academy of Court-Appointed Masters, having served by judicial appointment as Special Master in numerous complex patent cases, including multi-day Markman hearings and post-discovery proceedings. He also serves as a court-appointed Mediator and Neutral in both patent and commercial disputes.
He has played an active role in judicial and legislative engagement. Mr. Rando co-developed and conducted lecture series for the SDNY and EDNY Patent Pilot Program Judges and Clerks, covering the America Invents Act and Section 101 eligibility post-Alice and Mayo. He represented both the Federal Bar Association (FBA) and New York Intellectual Property Law Association (NYIPLA) at the Tillis/Coons Section 101 Patent Reform Roundtable, and submitted written testimony to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in 2019.
Mr. Rando is a former president of the NYIPLA (2023–2024) and has held nearly every leadership position in the organization. He also served as Chair of the FBA’s Intellectual Property Law Section and was a founding member and president of the FBA’s EDNY Chapter. He is a founding member of the Association of Amicus Counsel, and an active contributor to the Federalist Society IP Practice Group Executive Committee.
He frequently lectures at CLE programs, universities, and legal associations on IP, constitutional law, and appellate advocacy. He has been quoted extensively in publications such as Law360, Bloomberg Law, WIPR, and National Law Journal. His scholarly publications include articles in The Federal Lawyer, Touro Law Review, and IPWatchdog.
Partner, Patrick Doerr
Mr. Rando has represented clients in matters involving computer hardware and software, silicon chip manufacturing, biotechnology, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, chemical compounds, food additives, alternative energy, AI, autonomous vehicles, blockchain, consumer electronics, communications, internet, and e-commerce. He has appeared in courts across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and multiple U.S. Courts of Appeals.
As appellate counsel, Mr. Rando has served as counsel of record or co-counsel in more than 30 amicus briefs filed before the U.S. Supreme Court and Federal Circuit on issues of patent law, statutory interpretation, separation of powers, and constitutional law. Noteworthy filings include eBay Inc. v. MercExchange (2006), Oil States v. Greene’s Energy (2017), American Axle v. Neapco (2021), Amgen v. Sanofi (2023), and Cellect v. Vidal (2024).
Mr. Rando is a Fellow of the Academy of Court-Appointed Masters, having served by judicial appointment as Special Master in numerous complex patent cases, including multi-day Markman hearings and post-discovery proceedings. He also serves as a court-appointed Mediator and Neutral in both patent and commercial disputes.
He has played an active role in judicial and legislative engagement. Mr. Rando co-developed and conducted lecture series for the SDNY and EDNY Patent Pilot Program Judges and Clerks, covering the America Invents Act and Section 101 eligibility post-Alice and Mayo. He represented both the Federal Bar Association (FBA) and New York Intellectual Property Law Association (NYIPLA) at the Tillis/Coons Section 101 Patent Reform Roundtable, and submitted written testimony to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in 2019.
Mr. Rando is a former president of the NYIPLA (2023–2024) and has held nearly every leadership position in the organization. He also served as Chair of the FBA’s Intellectual Property Law Section and was a founding member and president of the FBA’s EDNY Chapter. He is a founding member of the Association of Amicus Counsel, and an active contributor to the Federalist Society IP Practice Group Executive Committee.
He frequently lectures at CLE programs, universities, and legal associations on IP, constitutional law, and appellate advocacy. He has been quoted extensively in publications such as Law360, Bloomberg Law, WIPR, and National Law Journal. His scholarly publications include articles in The Federal Lawyer, Touro Law Review, and IPWatchdog.
Associate, Wiley Rein LLP
Joel S. Nolette is an associate at Wiley Rein LLP, where he advocates on behalf of corporate and individual clients in a broad spectrum of complex litigation matters. In 2017, Joel graduated cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as the Editor in Chief of Volume 15 of the Georgetown Journal of Law and Public Policy. From 2019 to 2021, Joel clerked for the Honorable Raymond W. Gruender of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit; and from 2021 to 2022, he clerked for the Honorable Timothy J. Kelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Before attending law school, Joel graduated summa cum laude from Gordon College in Wenham, MA, with his Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies and worked as a letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service.
Senior Partner, Reed Smith LLP
Hugh has both written and lectured extensively on insurance issues, including as a presenter on scores of occasions for various national and local bar associations, insurance brokers, and educational institutions.
Shareholder, Carlton Fields
Bruce Berman focuses his nationwide practice on large and complex commercial disputes in federal and state trial and appellate courts, and in domestic and international arbitration tribunals. He represents U.S. and international clients in cases spanning a wide range of substantive law including aviation, corporate finance, securities, mergers and acquisitions, health law, intellectual property (copyright, trademark and unfair competition), and real estate and commercial lending (real estate, asset-based and lease financing). Mr. Berman heads the firm’s Aviation Industry Group.
A legal scholar and author of a leading state treatise, "Berman’s Florida Civil Procedure" (published annually by West), Mr. Berman has been recognized by the Florida Supreme Court and The Florida Bar by long-term appointment to numerous committees, including the Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases, the Civil Procedure Rules Committee and the Rules of Judicial Administration Committee.
Mr. Berman has been recognized as a leading lawyer, internationally, nationally, and locally, by, among others, Chambers USA (for commercial litigation, since first issuing Florida rankings), the National Corporate Counsel Edition of Super Lawyers (for Florida Business Litigation), Florida Trend’s Legal Elite and Florida Super Lawyers, in addition to being selected for biographical reference in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in American Law.
Chief of Staff, USDA, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
Elena Crosby is an executive with over 20 years of experience in compliance, corporate governance, and government relations within both publicly-held and private corporations. She currently serves as the Chief of Staff for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the USDA.
Previously, Elena worked for U.S. Senator Marco Rubio for ten years, holding various positions, with her most recent role being State Director. Prior to that, she was the Deputy State Director for Constituent Services, where she oversaw the constituent services team across Florida, managed state projects, and maintained relationships with federal agencies. Additionally, Elena acted as a liaison between federal agencies in Washington, D.C., and state government agencies and leaders in Tallahassee.
Before entering the legislative realm, she spent five years at AdventHealth handling research compliance and healthcare law. Before that, Elena held leadership positions with Digital Fusion, Inc., a publicly-held information technology firm providing services to government and commercial customers, as Corporate Secretary and Director of Legal and Government Affairs, responsible for its corporate governance and public policy efforts. Elena also worked for Connextions, Inc., a technology and business services provider to the healthcare industry, where she served as Compliance and Contracts Officer.
Elena served as President of the Orlando Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society for seven years and as a member of the James Madison Institute's Regional Leadership Council. She serves by appointment as the Chair of the Orange County Minority and Women Business Enterprise Advisory Board. Elena received her law degree from Barry University, Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law.
Governor, Florida
Ron DeSantis is the 46th Governor of the State of Florida. Since taking office in January 2019, he has worked hard to expand education opportunities, improve Florida’s water resources and Everglades, champion vocational training, bolster public safety, foster innovation in health care, assist with hurricane recovery, promote infrastructure development and support veterans – all while lowering taxes and being fiscally responsible.
A native Floridian, Governor DeSantis worked his way through Yale University, where he captained the university baseball team and graduated magna cum laude. He also gradated with honors from Harvard Law School. While at Harvard, he earned a commission in the U.S. Navy as a JAG Officer. During his active duty service, then- Lieutenant DeSantis deployed to Iraq as an advisor to a U.S. Navy SEAL Commander in support of the SEAL mission in Iraq. His military decorations include the Iraq Campaign Medal of the Bronze Star Medal (meritorious service).
Prior to serving as Governor, DeSantis served as the U.S. Congressman for Florida’s 6th District. As Chairman of the National Security Subcommittee, DeSantis spearheaded efforts to reform the UA, combat terrorism, identify government waste and relocate the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. As a Congressman, DeSantis championed term limits, fiscal responsibility with a strong national defense.
Governor DeSantis is married to First Lady Casey DeSantis, a former Emmy Award winning television host. They are the proud parents of two children, Madison and Mason. They are the youngest family living in the Florida Governor’s Mansion in nearly fifty years.
Milton R. Underwood Chair in Free Enterprise, Vanderbilt University Law School
Brian Fitzpatrick is the Milton R. Underwood Chair in Free Enterprise and Professor of Law at Vanderbilt Law School, where his research focuses on class action litigation, federal courts, judicial selection, and constitutional law. He is best known for his empirical studies of class action settlements as well as his book The Conservative Case for Class Actions (University of Chicago Press, 2019). Professor Fitzpatrick joined Vanderbilt's law faculty in 2007 after serving as the John M. Olin Fellow at New York University School of Law. He graduated first in his class from Harvard Law School and went on to clerk for Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court. After his clerkships, Professor Fitzpatrick practiced commercial and appellate litigation for several years at Sidley Austin in Washington, D.C., and served as Special Counsel for Supreme Court Nominations to U.S. Senator John Cornyn. Before earning his law degree, Fitzpatrick graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's of science in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He has received the Hall-Hartman Outstanding Professor Award, which recognizes excellence in classroom teaching, for his Civil Procedure and Federal Courts courses.
Partner, Conroy Simberg
Hinda Klein is a partner with the firm and has been the head of Conroy Simberg’s appellate department since she joined the firm in 1991. She was one of the first attorneys in Florida to become board certified in appellate practice.
Hinda supervises all of the appellate attorneys at the firm, and has been involved in more than 500 civil appeals and extraordinary writs. She practices in all District Courts of Appeal and the Florida Supreme Court. Hinda also handles dispositive motions and trial support, including the preparation of jury instructions, and often attends hearings motions in limine and charge conferences in order to ensure that the record has been properly preserved for appeal.
Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
On November 19, 2019, Judge Robert J. Luck was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit by President Donald Trump. Prior to serving on the federal bench, he was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Governor Ron DeSantis on January 14, 2019. He previously served on the Third District Court of Appeal in Miami after his appointment there by Governor Rick Scott in March 2017.
Earlier, Judge Luck served on the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida from September 2013 to March 2017. He presided in the Criminal, Civil, and Appellate Divisions. Judge Luck, in his years as a trial court judge, tried seventy jury trials, and heard dozens of appeals from the county court and municipal agencies. Judge Luck was appointed to the circuit court in 2013 and was elected by the voters of Miami-Dade County to retain his seat in 2016.
Prior to his service on the bench, Judge Luck was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. In his years as a federal prosecutor, he was assigned to the Appeals, Major Crimes, and Economic Crimes Sections of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Judge Luck tried nineteen jury trials before the federal district court and argued three appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. In his final year in the Office, he was a Deputy Chief in the Major Crimes Section.
Earlier in his career, Judge Luck was a legislative correspondent for two United States Senators, a law clerk and staff attorney to Circuit Judge Edward E. Carnes on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and a part of the Greenberg Traurig firm’s appellate section. Judge Luck received his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law magna cum laude and was asked to join the Order of the Coif. Judge Luck also served as Editor-in-Chief of the Florida Law Review. Judge Luck received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Florida with highest honors.
Senior Partner, Reed Smith LLP
Hugh has both written and lectured extensively on insurance issues, including as a presenter on scores of occasions for various national and local bar associations, insurance brokers, and educational institutions.
Chief Financial Officer, State of Florida
Jimmy Patronis is a native Floridian born and raised in Panama City. He earned his associate degree in restaurant management from Gulf Coast Community College and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida State University. He is a partner in a family-owned seafood restaurant called Captain Anderson’s that will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2017. His public service career began with experience as an intern in the Florida Senate and the United Kingdom’s House of Commons. Following his college graduation, Governor Lawton Chiles appointed him to the Florida Elections Commission, and he was later reappointed by Governor Jeb Bush.
He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2014, representing his hometown region in the Florida Panhandle. He was appointed to serve on Florida’s Public Service Commission, as well as the Constitution Revision Commission, which meets once every twenty years to propose changes to the state constitution.
He is recognized for outstanding leadership in his hometown of Panama City and throughout Florida. Committed to active civic engagement and business development, he has chaired the Greater Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Council, served on the board of the Bay County Economic Development Alliance, the Salvation Army Advisory Board, the Bay County Chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and as national president for the Florida Vocational Industrial Clubs of America. He is a former trustee of the Gulf Coast Medical Center, and former director of the Bay Medical Center’s Foundation and Gulf Coast Community College Foundation Board.
He was instrumental in the establishment of the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in Panama City and has served as chairman and a board member of Bay County-Panama City International Airport and Industrial District.
He and wife Katie are proud parents to two sons, Jimmy Theo III and John Michael.
Shareholder, Carlton Fields
Bruce Berman focuses his nationwide practice on large and complex commercial disputes in federal and state trial and appellate courts, and in domestic and international arbitration tribunals. He represents U.S. and international clients in cases spanning a wide range of substantive law including aviation, corporate finance, securities, mergers and acquisitions, health law, intellectual property (copyright, trademark and unfair competition), and real estate and commercial lending (real estate, asset-based and lease financing). Mr. Berman heads the firm’s Aviation Industry Group.
A legal scholar and author of a leading state treatise, "Berman’s Florida Civil Procedure" (published annually by West), Mr. Berman has been recognized by the Florida Supreme Court and The Florida Bar by long-term appointment to numerous committees, including the Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases, the Civil Procedure Rules Committee and the Rules of Judicial Administration Committee.
Mr. Berman has been recognized as a leading lawyer, internationally, nationally, and locally, by, among others, Chambers USA (for commercial litigation, since first issuing Florida rankings), the National Corporate Counsel Edition of Super Lawyers (for Florida Business Litigation), Florida Trend’s Legal Elite and Florida Super Lawyers, in addition to being selected for biographical reference in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in American Law.
Chief of Staff, USDA, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
Elena Crosby is an executive with over 20 years of experience in compliance, corporate governance, and government relations within both publicly-held and private corporations. She currently serves as the Chief of Staff for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the USDA.
Previously, Elena worked for U.S. Senator Marco Rubio for ten years, holding various positions, with her most recent role being State Director. Prior to that, she was the Deputy State Director for Constituent Services, where she oversaw the constituent services team across Florida, managed state projects, and maintained relationships with federal agencies. Additionally, Elena acted as a liaison between federal agencies in Washington, D.C., and state government agencies and leaders in Tallahassee.
Before entering the legislative realm, she spent five years at AdventHealth handling research compliance and healthcare law. Before that, Elena held leadership positions with Digital Fusion, Inc., a publicly-held information technology firm providing services to government and commercial customers, as Corporate Secretary and Director of Legal and Government Affairs, responsible for its corporate governance and public policy efforts. Elena also worked for Connextions, Inc., a technology and business services provider to the healthcare industry, where she served as Compliance and Contracts Officer.
Elena served as President of the Orlando Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society for seven years and as a member of the James Madison Institute's Regional Leadership Council. She serves by appointment as the Chair of the Orange County Minority and Women Business Enterprise Advisory Board. Elena received her law degree from Barry University, Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law.
Governor, Florida
Ron DeSantis is the 46th Governor of the State of Florida. Since taking office in January 2019, he has worked hard to expand education opportunities, improve Florida’s water resources and Everglades, champion vocational training, bolster public safety, foster innovation in health care, assist with hurricane recovery, promote infrastructure development and support veterans – all while lowering taxes and being fiscally responsible.
A native Floridian, Governor DeSantis worked his way through Yale University, where he captained the university baseball team and graduated magna cum laude. He also gradated with honors from Harvard Law School. While at Harvard, he earned a commission in the U.S. Navy as a JAG Officer. During his active duty service, then- Lieutenant DeSantis deployed to Iraq as an advisor to a U.S. Navy SEAL Commander in support of the SEAL mission in Iraq. His military decorations include the Iraq Campaign Medal of the Bronze Star Medal (meritorious service).
Prior to serving as Governor, DeSantis served as the U.S. Congressman for Florida’s 6th District. As Chairman of the National Security Subcommittee, DeSantis spearheaded efforts to reform the UA, combat terrorism, identify government waste and relocate the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. As a Congressman, DeSantis championed term limits, fiscal responsibility with a strong national defense.
Governor DeSantis is married to First Lady Casey DeSantis, a former Emmy Award winning television host. They are the proud parents of two children, Madison and Mason. They are the youngest family living in the Florida Governor’s Mansion in nearly fifty years.
Milton R. Underwood Chair in Free Enterprise, Vanderbilt University Law School
Brian Fitzpatrick is the Milton R. Underwood Chair in Free Enterprise and Professor of Law at Vanderbilt Law School, where his research focuses on class action litigation, federal courts, judicial selection, and constitutional law. He is best known for his empirical studies of class action settlements as well as his book The Conservative Case for Class Actions (University of Chicago Press, 2019). Professor Fitzpatrick joined Vanderbilt's law faculty in 2007 after serving as the John M. Olin Fellow at New York University School of Law. He graduated first in his class from Harvard Law School and went on to clerk for Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court. After his clerkships, Professor Fitzpatrick practiced commercial and appellate litigation for several years at Sidley Austin in Washington, D.C., and served as Special Counsel for Supreme Court Nominations to U.S. Senator John Cornyn. Before earning his law degree, Fitzpatrick graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's of science in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He has received the Hall-Hartman Outstanding Professor Award, which recognizes excellence in classroom teaching, for his Civil Procedure and Federal Courts courses.
Partner, Conroy Simberg
Hinda Klein is a partner with the firm and has been the head of Conroy Simberg’s appellate department since she joined the firm in 1991. She was one of the first attorneys in Florida to become board certified in appellate practice.
Hinda supervises all of the appellate attorneys at the firm, and has been involved in more than 500 civil appeals and extraordinary writs. She practices in all District Courts of Appeal and the Florida Supreme Court. Hinda also handles dispositive motions and trial support, including the preparation of jury instructions, and often attends hearings motions in limine and charge conferences in order to ensure that the record has been properly preserved for appeal.
Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
On November 19, 2019, Judge Robert J. Luck was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit by President Donald Trump. Prior to serving on the federal bench, he was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Governor Ron DeSantis on January 14, 2019. He previously served on the Third District Court of Appeal in Miami after his appointment there by Governor Rick Scott in March 2017.
Earlier, Judge Luck served on the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida from September 2013 to March 2017. He presided in the Criminal, Civil, and Appellate Divisions. Judge Luck, in his years as a trial court judge, tried seventy jury trials, and heard dozens of appeals from the county court and municipal agencies. Judge Luck was appointed to the circuit court in 2013 and was elected by the voters of Miami-Dade County to retain his seat in 2016.
Prior to his service on the bench, Judge Luck was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. In his years as a federal prosecutor, he was assigned to the Appeals, Major Crimes, and Economic Crimes Sections of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Judge Luck tried nineteen jury trials before the federal district court and argued three appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. In his final year in the Office, he was a Deputy Chief in the Major Crimes Section.
Earlier in his career, Judge Luck was a legislative correspondent for two United States Senators, a law clerk and staff attorney to Circuit Judge Edward E. Carnes on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and a part of the Greenberg Traurig firm’s appellate section. Judge Luck received his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law magna cum laude and was asked to join the Order of the Coif. Judge Luck also served as Editor-in-Chief of the Florida Law Review. Judge Luck received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Florida with highest honors.
Senior Partner, Reed Smith LLP
Hugh has both written and lectured extensively on insurance issues, including as a presenter on scores of occasions for various national and local bar associations, insurance brokers, and educational institutions.
Chief Financial Officer, State of Florida
Jimmy Patronis is a native Floridian born and raised in Panama City. He earned his associate degree in restaurant management from Gulf Coast Community College and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida State University. He is a partner in a family-owned seafood restaurant called Captain Anderson’s that will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2017. His public service career began with experience as an intern in the Florida Senate and the United Kingdom’s House of Commons. Following his college graduation, Governor Lawton Chiles appointed him to the Florida Elections Commission, and he was later reappointed by Governor Jeb Bush.
He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2014, representing his hometown region in the Florida Panhandle. He was appointed to serve on Florida’s Public Service Commission, as well as the Constitution Revision Commission, which meets once every twenty years to propose changes to the state constitution.
He is recognized for outstanding leadership in his hometown of Panama City and throughout Florida. Committed to active civic engagement and business development, he has chaired the Greater Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Council, served on the board of the Bay County Economic Development Alliance, the Salvation Army Advisory Board, the Bay County Chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and as national president for the Florida Vocational Industrial Clubs of America. He is a former trustee of the Gulf Coast Medical Center, and former director of the Bay Medical Center’s Foundation and Gulf Coast Community College Foundation Board.
He was instrumental in the establishment of the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in Panama City and has served as chairman and a board member of Bay County-Panama City International Airport and Industrial District.
He and wife Katie are proud parents to two sons, Jimmy Theo III and John Michael.
Partner, Mayer Brown LLP
Marcia Madsen was Chair of the Government Contracts practice and co-chair of the National Security Practice at Mayer Brown. She represented contractors in regulatory, policy, transactional, litigation, and investigative matters involving virtually every federal agency. Her clients included defense contractors, information technology and systems integrators, telecommunications companies, engineering firms, insurers, and manufacturing companies. Ms. Madsen's practice included defense of False Claims Act matters, internal investigations, audits, bid protests, claims and disputes before administrative forums and in the federal courts. She was a former Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Public Contract Law and currently co-chairs the Section’s Procurement Fraud Committee. She also is a member of the Federalist Society Administrative Law and Regulation Executive Committee. In addition, Marcia was a member of the Court of Federal Claims Advisory Council - Emeritus, and a recipient of the Court's Golden Eagle award. She was a Past President of the Board of Contract Appeals Bar Association. She was appointed by the Executive Office of the President to chair the Section 1423 Panel which recommended revision of the acquisition laws. She spoke and wrote frequently on government contracts and litigation topics.
Georgetown University Law Center, LL.M., 1980
American University - Washington College of Law, J.D., 1976
University of Utah, B.A., 1972
Partner, Mayer Brown
David Dowd is an experienced litigator at Mayer Brown whose practice has a strong emphasis in government contracting issues and controversies. He advises such clients as those involved in health care, information technology, large military systems, engineering services, and other industries regarding federal procurements and related issues. His counsel in this area includes commercial items, conflicts of interest, cost allowability issues, defective pricing, contract and subcontract negotiations, contract financing, assignments and novations, leasing, prime/sub disputes, preparation of claims, and procurement fraud.
David also handles procurement controversies, as he litigates bid protests and disputes before the Government Accountability Office and the Court of Federal Claims, represents contractors in litigation and arbitrations involving government contracts, and tries federal court litigation focused on contract disputes and alleged fraud.
Health care and insurance companies rely on David for advice regarding federal health care and insurance programs, including FEHBA, Medicare, TRICARE, and FEGLI. He represents these industry clients in bid protest and claim litigation regarding federal health care and insurance programs. In related matters, David counsels biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies on biodefense purchasing opportunities and applications, including research and development.
David has more than 20 years of practice experience, having joined Mayer Brown’s Washington, DC office in 2001 after practicing with two other national law firms.
Partner, Patrick Doerr
Mr. Rando has represented clients in matters involving computer hardware and software, silicon chip manufacturing, biotechnology, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, chemical compounds, food additives, alternative energy, AI, autonomous vehicles, blockchain, consumer electronics, communications, internet, and e-commerce. He has appeared in courts across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and multiple U.S. Courts of Appeals.
As appellate counsel, Mr. Rando has served as counsel of record or co-counsel in more than 30 amicus briefs filed before the U.S. Supreme Court and Federal Circuit on issues of patent law, statutory interpretation, separation of powers, and constitutional law. Noteworthy filings include eBay Inc. v. MercExchange (2006), Oil States v. Greene’s Energy (2017), American Axle v. Neapco (2021), Amgen v. Sanofi (2023), and Cellect v. Vidal (2024).
Mr. Rando is a Fellow of the Academy of Court-Appointed Masters, having served by judicial appointment as Special Master in numerous complex patent cases, including multi-day Markman hearings and post-discovery proceedings. He also serves as a court-appointed Mediator and Neutral in both patent and commercial disputes.
He has played an active role in judicial and legislative engagement. Mr. Rando co-developed and conducted lecture series for the SDNY and EDNY Patent Pilot Program Judges and Clerks, covering the America Invents Act and Section 101 eligibility post-Alice and Mayo. He represented both the Federal Bar Association (FBA) and New York Intellectual Property Law Association (NYIPLA) at the Tillis/Coons Section 101 Patent Reform Roundtable, and submitted written testimony to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in 2019.
Mr. Rando is a former president of the NYIPLA (2023–2024) and has held nearly every leadership position in the organization. He also served as Chair of the FBA’s Intellectual Property Law Section and was a founding member and president of the FBA’s EDNY Chapter. He is a founding member of the Association of Amicus Counsel, and an active contributor to the Federalist Society IP Practice Group Executive Committee.
He frequently lectures at CLE programs, universities, and legal associations on IP, constitutional law, and appellate advocacy. He has been quoted extensively in publications such as Law360, Bloomberg Law, WIPR, and National Law Journal. His scholarly publications include articles in The Federal Lawyer, Touro Law Review, and IPWatchdog.
Shareholder, Carlton Fields
Bruce Berman focuses his nationwide practice on large and complex commercial disputes in federal and state trial and appellate courts, and in domestic and international arbitration tribunals. He represents U.S. and international clients in cases spanning a wide range of substantive law including aviation, corporate finance, securities, mergers and acquisitions, health law, intellectual property (copyright, trademark and unfair competition), and real estate and commercial lending (real estate, asset-based and lease financing). Mr. Berman heads the firm’s Aviation Industry Group.
A legal scholar and author of a leading state treatise, "Berman’s Florida Civil Procedure" (published annually by West), Mr. Berman has been recognized by the Florida Supreme Court and The Florida Bar by long-term appointment to numerous committees, including the Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases, the Civil Procedure Rules Committee and the Rules of Judicial Administration Committee.
Mr. Berman has been recognized as a leading lawyer, internationally, nationally, and locally, by, among others, Chambers USA (for commercial litigation, since first issuing Florida rankings), the National Corporate Counsel Edition of Super Lawyers (for Florida Business Litigation), Florida Trend’s Legal Elite and Florida Super Lawyers, in addition to being selected for biographical reference in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in American Law.
Chief of Staff, USDA, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
Elena Crosby is an executive with over 20 years of experience in compliance, corporate governance, and government relations within both publicly-held and private corporations. She currently serves as the Chief of Staff for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the USDA.
Previously, Elena worked for U.S. Senator Marco Rubio for ten years, holding various positions, with her most recent role being State Director. Prior to that, she was the Deputy State Director for Constituent Services, where she oversaw the constituent services team across Florida, managed state projects, and maintained relationships with federal agencies. Additionally, Elena acted as a liaison between federal agencies in Washington, D.C., and state government agencies and leaders in Tallahassee.
Before entering the legislative realm, she spent five years at AdventHealth handling research compliance and healthcare law. Before that, Elena held leadership positions with Digital Fusion, Inc., a publicly-held information technology firm providing services to government and commercial customers, as Corporate Secretary and Director of Legal and Government Affairs, responsible for its corporate governance and public policy efforts. Elena also worked for Connextions, Inc., a technology and business services provider to the healthcare industry, where she served as Compliance and Contracts Officer.
Elena served as President of the Orlando Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society for seven years and as a member of the James Madison Institute's Regional Leadership Council. She serves by appointment as the Chair of the Orange County Minority and Women Business Enterprise Advisory Board. Elena received her law degree from Barry University, Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law.
Governor, Florida
Ron DeSantis is the 46th Governor of the State of Florida. Since taking office in January 2019, he has worked hard to expand education opportunities, improve Florida’s water resources and Everglades, champion vocational training, bolster public safety, foster innovation in health care, assist with hurricane recovery, promote infrastructure development and support veterans – all while lowering taxes and being fiscally responsible.
A native Floridian, Governor DeSantis worked his way through Yale University, where he captained the university baseball team and graduated magna cum laude. He also gradated with honors from Harvard Law School. While at Harvard, he earned a commission in the U.S. Navy as a JAG Officer. During his active duty service, then- Lieutenant DeSantis deployed to Iraq as an advisor to a U.S. Navy SEAL Commander in support of the SEAL mission in Iraq. His military decorations include the Iraq Campaign Medal of the Bronze Star Medal (meritorious service).
Prior to serving as Governor, DeSantis served as the U.S. Congressman for Florida’s 6th District. As Chairman of the National Security Subcommittee, DeSantis spearheaded efforts to reform the UA, combat terrorism, identify government waste and relocate the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. As a Congressman, DeSantis championed term limits, fiscal responsibility with a strong national defense.
Governor DeSantis is married to First Lady Casey DeSantis, a former Emmy Award winning television host. They are the proud parents of two children, Madison and Mason. They are the youngest family living in the Florida Governor’s Mansion in nearly fifty years.
Milton R. Underwood Chair in Free Enterprise, Vanderbilt University Law School
Brian Fitzpatrick is the Milton R. Underwood Chair in Free Enterprise and Professor of Law at Vanderbilt Law School, where his research focuses on class action litigation, federal courts, judicial selection, and constitutional law. He is best known for his empirical studies of class action settlements as well as his book The Conservative Case for Class Actions (University of Chicago Press, 2019). Professor Fitzpatrick joined Vanderbilt's law faculty in 2007 after serving as the John M. Olin Fellow at New York University School of Law. He graduated first in his class from Harvard Law School and went on to clerk for Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court. After his clerkships, Professor Fitzpatrick practiced commercial and appellate litigation for several years at Sidley Austin in Washington, D.C., and served as Special Counsel for Supreme Court Nominations to U.S. Senator John Cornyn. Before earning his law degree, Fitzpatrick graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's of science in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He has received the Hall-Hartman Outstanding Professor Award, which recognizes excellence in classroom teaching, for his Civil Procedure and Federal Courts courses.
Partner, Conroy Simberg
Hinda Klein is a partner with the firm and has been the head of Conroy Simberg’s appellate department since she joined the firm in 1991. She was one of the first attorneys in Florida to become board certified in appellate practice.
Hinda supervises all of the appellate attorneys at the firm, and has been involved in more than 500 civil appeals and extraordinary writs. She practices in all District Courts of Appeal and the Florida Supreme Court. Hinda also handles dispositive motions and trial support, including the preparation of jury instructions, and often attends hearings motions in limine and charge conferences in order to ensure that the record has been properly preserved for appeal.
Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
On November 19, 2019, Judge Robert J. Luck was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit by President Donald Trump. Prior to serving on the federal bench, he was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court by Governor Ron DeSantis on January 14, 2019. He previously served on the Third District Court of Appeal in Miami after his appointment there by Governor Rick Scott in March 2017.
Earlier, Judge Luck served on the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida from September 2013 to March 2017. He presided in the Criminal, Civil, and Appellate Divisions. Judge Luck, in his years as a trial court judge, tried seventy jury trials, and heard dozens of appeals from the county court and municipal agencies. Judge Luck was appointed to the circuit court in 2013 and was elected by the voters of Miami-Dade County to retain his seat in 2016.
Prior to his service on the bench, Judge Luck was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. In his years as a federal prosecutor, he was assigned to the Appeals, Major Crimes, and Economic Crimes Sections of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Judge Luck tried nineteen jury trials before the federal district court and argued three appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. In his final year in the Office, he was a Deputy Chief in the Major Crimes Section.
Earlier in his career, Judge Luck was a legislative correspondent for two United States Senators, a law clerk and staff attorney to Circuit Judge Edward E. Carnes on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and a part of the Greenberg Traurig firm’s appellate section. Judge Luck received his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law magna cum laude and was asked to join the Order of the Coif. Judge Luck also served as Editor-in-Chief of the Florida Law Review. Judge Luck received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Florida with highest honors.
Senior Partner, Reed Smith LLP
Hugh has both written and lectured extensively on insurance issues, including as a presenter on scores of occasions for various national and local bar associations, insurance brokers, and educational institutions.
Chief Financial Officer, State of Florida
Jimmy Patronis is a native Floridian born and raised in Panama City. He earned his associate degree in restaurant management from Gulf Coast Community College and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida State University. He is a partner in a family-owned seafood restaurant called Captain Anderson’s that will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2017. His public service career began with experience as an intern in the Florida Senate and the United Kingdom’s House of Commons. Following his college graduation, Governor Lawton Chiles appointed him to the Florida Elections Commission, and he was later reappointed by Governor Jeb Bush.
He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2014, representing his hometown region in the Florida Panhandle. He was appointed to serve on Florida’s Public Service Commission, as well as the Constitution Revision Commission, which meets once every twenty years to propose changes to the state constitution.
He is recognized for outstanding leadership in his hometown of Panama City and throughout Florida. Committed to active civic engagement and business development, he has chaired the Greater Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Council, served on the board of the Bay County Economic Development Alliance, the Salvation Army Advisory Board, the Bay County Chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and as national president for the Florida Vocational Industrial Clubs of America. He is a former trustee of the Gulf Coast Medical Center, and former director of the Bay Medical Center’s Foundation and Gulf Coast Community College Foundation Board.
He was instrumental in the establishment of the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in Panama City and has served as chairman and a board member of Bay County-Panama City International Airport and Industrial District.
He and wife Katie are proud parents to two sons, Jimmy Theo III and John Michael.
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