Senior Advisor, Covington & Burling
Senator Jon Kyl advises companies on domestic and international policies that influence U.S. and multi-national businesses and assists corporate clients on tax, health care, national security, and intellectual property matters, among others.
Jon served in the U.S. Senate from 1995 to 2013, retiring as the second-highest ranking Republican senator. He returned to the Senate in September 2018 after being appointed to succeed the late John McCain, and retired again at the end of 2018.
During Jon’s 26 years in Congress, he built a reputation for mastering the complexities of legislative policy and coalition building, first in the House of Representatives and then in the Senate. In 2010, Time magazine called him one of the 100 most influential people in the world, noting his "encyclopedic knowledge of domestic and foreign policy, and his hard work and leadership" and his "power to persuade."
Jon sat on the powerful Senate Finance Committee and was the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. A member of the Republican Leadership for well over a decade, Jon chaired the Senate Republican Policy Committee and the Senate Republican Conference, before becoming Senate Republican Whip. In filling Senator McCain’s seat, he served on the Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees.
Wayne A. Abernathy, Wild Bells
Wayne A. Abernathy is a former U.S. Treasury Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions under President George W. Bush, receiving the Alexander Hamilton Award in recognition of his service. In that office he was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Prior to his work at the Treasury, Mr. Abernathy served as Staff Director of the Senate Banking Committee, under Chairman Phil Gramm.
Following his service at the Treasury, Mr. Abernathy worked for 15 years on the staff of the American Bankers Association, as Executive Vice President for Financial Institutions Policy and Regulatory Affairs.
Previous experience with the Senate Banking Committee includes serving as Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Securities during 1995-1998. From 1989 until 1994, Mr. Abernathy was a Republican economist for the committee. He previously worked as a senior legislative assistant for Senator Gramm during 1987-1989 and as an economist for the Banking Committee’s Subcommittee on International Finance and Monetary Policy during 1981-1986, under Chairman Jake Garn.
Mr. Abernathy earned his bachelor’s degree in International Studies from The Johns Hopkins University in 1978. In 1980, he received a master’s degree in International Studies from the School of Advanced International Studies of The Johns Hopkins University.
Retired, Winston & Strawn LLP
Jerry Loeser is of counsel in the Chicago office of Winston & Strawn, and his practice focuses on banking regulation. He has extensive experience in counseling financial services clients on, among other things, bank acquisitions, privacy, financial modernization, the USA PATRIOT Act, Basel II and III, lending limits, capital, trust, affiliate transactions, and Federal Reserve, OCC, FDIC, and CFPB regulations.
Prior to working at large corporate law firms, Jerry was chief regulatory and compliance counsel for Comerica Bank, where he also served as senior vice president and deputy general counsel and as general counsel of its retail bank division. Before that, he served as chief regulatory in-house counsel at Wells Fargo & Co. Jerry began his legal career advising the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C.
Of Counsel, Wimberly, Lawson, Steckel, Schneider & Stine P.C.
Elizabeth K. (Betsy) Dorminey is of counsel with the firm. She received a B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Georgia in 1976, a license ès lettres from the Sorbonne in 1978, a J.D. from UGA’s Law School in 1981, and an LL.M. from Columbia in 1984. She clerked for the Hon. Ed Carnes on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and worked for the U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce prior to joining the firm. Ms. Dorminey is a member of the State Bars of Georgia, Connecticut, and New York, and is admitted to practice in Federal District and Appellate Courts throughout the Southeast. With Larry Stine and Mark Waschak, she is co-author of “Occupational Safety & Health Law: Compliance and Practice” (Thomson/West 2008). Her practice concentrates in all aspects of employer defense, including but not limited to litigation the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII employment discrimination, and occupational safety and health. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Labor & Employment Practice Group of the Federalist Society, and serves on the Board of the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art.
Tammy McCutchen is a leading authority on federal and state wage-hour laws and prevailing wage laws. She counsels businesses on wage-hour compliance, including conducting internal audits on independent contractor status, overtime exemptions, and other pay practices. She also represents employers during investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor and serves as an expert witness in wage-hour class actions. She was a founding officer of ComplianceHR, a law and technology company, where she created AI-based applications to evaluate independent contractor and overtime exempt status.
Ms. McCutchen served as Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, appointed by President Bush and confirmed by the Senate in 2001. She was the primary architect of the 2004 revisions to the overtime exemption regulations, the first major changes to the regulations in 55 years.
Before joining DOL, she was senior counsel for the Hershey Company in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Ms. McCutchen has been a volunteer leader of the Federalist Society since 1989. She served in leadership roles for the Northwestern Student Chapter and Chicago Lawyers Chapter. She currently serves in leadership for the Labor & Employment Practice Group, the Regulatory Transparency Project, and the Knoxville, TN Lawyers Chapter. She served on the Editorial Advisory Board of Law360, the Labor Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Legal Advisory Board of the National Federation of Independent Business, and a Policy Fellow at the ACU Foundation.
Ms. McCutchen is a graduate of Western Illinois University and Northwestern University School of Law. She clerked for the Hon. Daniel Manion on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Legal Scholar and Solo Practitioner
Jack received his B.A. in History from the University of Virginia in 1977, graduating with Highest Distinction. After graduating Yale Law School in 1980, he served active duty in the U.S. Army's JAG Corps, rising to the rank of Major, where he represented the United States in more than 250 cases.
He practiced for a decade as an Associate for Bradley Arant in Birmingham, Alabama. He proudly served the State of Alabama in the Office of the Attorney General, both as Deputy and Assistant Attorney General, handling complex civil and criminal litigation cases for the people of Alabama. In 2000, he won the "Best Brief Award" from the National Association of Attorneys General for his brief in a case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, James Alexander v. Martha Sandoval – a case he won. He was Special Assistant to the Inspector General for the Corporation for National and Community Service, Visiting Legal Fellow for the Center for Judicial and Legal Studies for the Heritage Foundation, Of Counsel at Strickland Brockington Lewis, a solo practitioner, and General Counsel for Indigo Energy.
Most recently, he "re-upped" for military service, volunteering his legal services to the Georgia State Defense Force where twice each month he provided legal services for National Guardsmen who were being deployed. He wore his military uniform for the last time in October 2024.
Jack Park passed away on March 16, 2026.
District Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Judge Ed Artau is a United States District Judge for the Southern District of
Florida. He was nominated by President Donald Trump for appointment to
the United States District Court in May of 2025, and confirmed by the United
States Senate in September of 2025. Prior to his confirmation, Judge Artau
was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to the Fourth District Court of
Appeal of Florida, where he served as an appellate judge from 2020 until
2025. Prior to being an appellate judge, Judge Artau was appointed by
Governor Rick Scott to the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County,
Florida, where he served as a trial judge from 2014 until 2020.
Judge Artau is also an Adjunct Professor at St. Thomas University College of
Law and has served as the Dean of the Advanced Judicial Studies College
and on the faculty of both the Florida Judicial College and the Advanced
Judicial Studies College.
Judge Artau has previously served as the Chair of the Fifteenth Circuit
Judicial Nominating Commission, Vice Chair of the Fourth District Court of
Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission, Parliamentarian of the Appellate
Court Rules Committee, Vice Chair of the Judicial Nominating Procedures
Committee, and as a representative on the Florida Court Education Council.
Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Artau served as General Counsel
to the South Florida Water Management District, where he commenced his
public service as a senior litigation attorney. Prior to this role, Judge Artau
managed his own law firm after having served in the litigation departments of
the law firms of Proskauer Rose, L.L.P. and Hodgson Russ, L.L.P.
Judge Artau is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center where he
served as a law review editor and Vice-President of the Georgetown Student
Chapter of the Federalist Society. Judge Artau completed his undergraduate
studies at Nova Southeastern University, where he graduated cum laude and
was later awarded a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, for his commitment to
public service, academia, and the law.
Judge Artau is a founder of the first Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist
Society in Florida and is the 2025 recipient of the Good Shepherd Award,
presented by the Florida Chapters of the Federalist Society in recognition of his “Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Ideals of the Federalist Society.”
General Counsel, United States Environmental Protection Agency
On August 7, 2013, Avi S. Garbow was sworn in as General Counsel for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). During his tenure as EPA General Counsel, Avi has worked closely on President Obama’s landmark environmental accomplishments, including the Clean Power Plan, Clean Water Rule, and myriad other initiatives to protect public health, improve public access to environmental information, and advance environmental justice. In his role as General Counsel, Avi also leads the EPA’s Office of General Counsel (OGC), an organization of expert lawyers and other professionals responsible for providing legal advice and support for every EPA program and activity.
Prior to his confirmation as General Counsel, Avi served as EPA’s Deputy General Counsel with a primary focus on the Agency’s air and water programs. Avi began his legal career at EPA serving in the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance from 1992 to 1996. Avi then served with distinction as a federal prosecutor in the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section. In private practice, Avi was a litigation partner and junior partner at two major international firms. Avi has served on the boards of directors for various environmental and international human rights organizations, and has held leadership positions in the American Bar Association’s International Human Rights Committee. He is the recipient of the University of Virginia School of Law’s Robert F. Kennedy Award for Public Service, holds a Master’s Degree in Marine Affairs, and is a former volunteer firefighter.
Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth
Mr. Leopold is a Partner with the law firm of Hunton Andrews Kurth in Washington, DC. He is the former Senate-confirmed general counsel of the U.S. EPA from 2018-2020, and he previously was a litigator at the U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division form 2007-2013. As EPA General Counsel, he counseled on the development and defense of EPA’s most significant rulemakings, including the Affordable Clean Energy Rule, the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, and the Safe Affordable Fuel‐Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule, as well as several pesticide actions. He was personally involved in defending EPA in litigation, including the County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund in the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Leopold’s prior government service also includes working in Florida as general counsel of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. He now represents clients in regulatory advocacy before federal agencies, litigates federal environmental actions, and defends clients with EPA enforcement issues.
Shareholder, Gunster
Gregory Munson is a shareholder who joined the firm in 2013.
He twice held senior positions at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). He served as general counsel from 2004 to 2006, and most recently as the deputy secretary for water policy and ecosystem restoration.
In his capacity as deputy secretary, Gregory supervised the Department’s activities related to Everglades restoration, the state’s water management districts, and the state’s coastal and aquatic areas. In between his work at FDEP, he worked as general counsel for WRScompass, a company providing environmental remediation, civil construction and consulting services to commercial, federal and state clients. Gregory now provides strategic advice and counsel on issues related to water policy, water rights and the Everglades.
Professor, Florida State University College of Law
Professor Ryan teaches in the areas of environmental and natural resources law, property and land use, water law, negotiation, and federalism. She has presented widely in the United States, Europe, and Asia, including the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, the National Association of Attorneys General, the United States Forest Service, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. She has advised National Sea Grant multilevel governance studies involving Chesapeake Bay and consulted with multiple institutions on developing sustainability programs. She has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, the London Financial Times, the Associated Press, Thomson-Reuters Beijing, the Huffington Post, National Public Radio, and NBC and CBS Television News. She is the author of many scholarly works, including Federalism and the Tug of War Within (Oxford University Press 2012).
Prior to law school, Ryan served as a U.S. Forest Service ranger on the Mono Lake District of the Inyo National Forest, east of Yosemite National Park. While a law student, she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review and a Hewlett Fellow at the Harvard Negotiation Research Project. She clerked for Judge James R. Browning, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, before practicing environmental, land use, and local government law in San Francisco. She began her academic career at the College of William & Mary, and then joined the faculty at the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College. Ryan served as a Fulbright Scholar in China, where she taught American law, studied Chinese governance, and lectured throughout the country. She has also lectured at universities in Japan, Vietnam and India. She joined the Florida State University College of Law faculty in 2015.
Partner, Consovoy McCarthy Park PLLC
Mr. Strawbridge provides clients with advice and representation at the pre-litigation, trial, and appellate stages. He has represented a broad range of individual and institutional clients on matters of constitutional law, financial and securities regulation, environmental laws, complex commercial disputes, and consumer protection statutes. His experience includes arbitrations, trial and appellate litigation, and administrative and regulatory proceedings.
Mr. Strawbridge served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Judge Morris Sheppard Arnold of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and Justice Howard Dana of the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine. Previously, Mr. Strawbridge was a partner at two large international law firms. He worked as a newspaper reporter for four years before attending law school. Mr. Strawbridge is an adjunct professor for the Supreme Court Clinic at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.
Mr. Strawbridge earned a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri, and his J.D. summa cum laude from Creighton University School of Law. Mr. Strawbridge is a member of the Maine and Massachusetts bars.
Wayne A. Abernathy, Wild Bells
Wayne A. Abernathy is a former U.S. Treasury Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions under President George W. Bush, receiving the Alexander Hamilton Award in recognition of his service. In that office he was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Prior to his work at the Treasury, Mr. Abernathy served as Staff Director of the Senate Banking Committee, under Chairman Phil Gramm.
Following his service at the Treasury, Mr. Abernathy worked for 15 years on the staff of the American Bankers Association, as Executive Vice President for Financial Institutions Policy and Regulatory Affairs.
Previous experience with the Senate Banking Committee includes serving as Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Securities during 1995-1998. From 1989 until 1994, Mr. Abernathy was a Republican economist for the committee. He previously worked as a senior legislative assistant for Senator Gramm during 1987-1989 and as an economist for the Banking Committee’s Subcommittee on International Finance and Monetary Policy during 1981-1986, under Chairman Jake Garn.
Mr. Abernathy earned his bachelor’s degree in International Studies from The Johns Hopkins University in 1978. In 1980, he received a master’s degree in International Studies from the School of Advanced International Studies of The Johns Hopkins University.
Retired, Winston & Strawn LLP
Jerry Loeser is of counsel in the Chicago office of Winston & Strawn, and his practice focuses on banking regulation. He has extensive experience in counseling financial services clients on, among other things, bank acquisitions, privacy, financial modernization, the USA PATRIOT Act, Basel II and III, lending limits, capital, trust, affiliate transactions, and Federal Reserve, OCC, FDIC, and CFPB regulations.
Prior to working at large corporate law firms, Jerry was chief regulatory and compliance counsel for Comerica Bank, where he also served as senior vice president and deputy general counsel and as general counsel of its retail bank division. Before that, he served as chief regulatory in-house counsel at Wells Fargo & Co. Jerry began his legal career advising the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C.
Legal Scholar and Solo Practitioner
Jack received his B.A. in History from the University of Virginia in 1977, graduating with Highest Distinction. After graduating Yale Law School in 1980, he served active duty in the U.S. Army's JAG Corps, rising to the rank of Major, where he represented the United States in more than 250 cases.
He practiced for a decade as an Associate for Bradley Arant in Birmingham, Alabama. He proudly served the State of Alabama in the Office of the Attorney General, both as Deputy and Assistant Attorney General, handling complex civil and criminal litigation cases for the people of Alabama. In 2000, he won the "Best Brief Award" from the National Association of Attorneys General for his brief in a case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, James Alexander v. Martha Sandoval – a case he won. He was Special Assistant to the Inspector General for the Corporation for National and Community Service, Visiting Legal Fellow for the Center for Judicial and Legal Studies for the Heritage Foundation, Of Counsel at Strickland Brockington Lewis, a solo practitioner, and General Counsel for Indigo Energy.
Most recently, he "re-upped" for military service, volunteering his legal services to the Georgia State Defense Force where twice each month he provided legal services for National Guardsmen who were being deployed. He wore his military uniform for the last time in October 2024.
Jack Park passed away on March 16, 2026.
District Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Judge Ed Artau is a United States District Judge for the Southern District of
Florida. He was nominated by President Donald Trump for appointment to
the United States District Court in May of 2025, and confirmed by the United
States Senate in September of 2025. Prior to his confirmation, Judge Artau
was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to the Fourth District Court of
Appeal of Florida, where he served as an appellate judge from 2020 until
2025. Prior to being an appellate judge, Judge Artau was appointed by
Governor Rick Scott to the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County,
Florida, where he served as a trial judge from 2014 until 2020.
Judge Artau is also an Adjunct Professor at St. Thomas University College of
Law and has served as the Dean of the Advanced Judicial Studies College
and on the faculty of both the Florida Judicial College and the Advanced
Judicial Studies College.
Judge Artau has previously served as the Chair of the Fifteenth Circuit
Judicial Nominating Commission, Vice Chair of the Fourth District Court of
Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission, Parliamentarian of the Appellate
Court Rules Committee, Vice Chair of the Judicial Nominating Procedures
Committee, and as a representative on the Florida Court Education Council.
Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Artau served as General Counsel
to the South Florida Water Management District, where he commenced his
public service as a senior litigation attorney. Prior to this role, Judge Artau
managed his own law firm after having served in the litigation departments of
the law firms of Proskauer Rose, L.L.P. and Hodgson Russ, L.L.P.
Judge Artau is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center where he
served as a law review editor and Vice-President of the Georgetown Student
Chapter of the Federalist Society. Judge Artau completed his undergraduate
studies at Nova Southeastern University, where he graduated cum laude and
was later awarded a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, for his commitment to
public service, academia, and the law.
Judge Artau is a founder of the first Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist
Society in Florida and is the 2025 recipient of the Good Shepherd Award,
presented by the Florida Chapters of the Federalist Society in recognition of his “Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Ideals of the Federalist Society.”
General Counsel, United States Environmental Protection Agency
On August 7, 2013, Avi S. Garbow was sworn in as General Counsel for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). During his tenure as EPA General Counsel, Avi has worked closely on President Obama’s landmark environmental accomplishments, including the Clean Power Plan, Clean Water Rule, and myriad other initiatives to protect public health, improve public access to environmental information, and advance environmental justice. In his role as General Counsel, Avi also leads the EPA’s Office of General Counsel (OGC), an organization of expert lawyers and other professionals responsible for providing legal advice and support for every EPA program and activity.
Prior to his confirmation as General Counsel, Avi served as EPA’s Deputy General Counsel with a primary focus on the Agency’s air and water programs. Avi began his legal career at EPA serving in the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance from 1992 to 1996. Avi then served with distinction as a federal prosecutor in the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section. In private practice, Avi was a litigation partner and junior partner at two major international firms. Avi has served on the boards of directors for various environmental and international human rights organizations, and has held leadership positions in the American Bar Association’s International Human Rights Committee. He is the recipient of the University of Virginia School of Law’s Robert F. Kennedy Award for Public Service, holds a Master’s Degree in Marine Affairs, and is a former volunteer firefighter.
Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth
Mr. Leopold is a Partner with the law firm of Hunton Andrews Kurth in Washington, DC. He is the former Senate-confirmed general counsel of the U.S. EPA from 2018-2020, and he previously was a litigator at the U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division form 2007-2013. As EPA General Counsel, he counseled on the development and defense of EPA’s most significant rulemakings, including the Affordable Clean Energy Rule, the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, and the Safe Affordable Fuel‐Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule, as well as several pesticide actions. He was personally involved in defending EPA in litigation, including the County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund in the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Leopold’s prior government service also includes working in Florida as general counsel of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. He now represents clients in regulatory advocacy before federal agencies, litigates federal environmental actions, and defends clients with EPA enforcement issues.
Shareholder, Gunster
Gregory Munson is a shareholder who joined the firm in 2013.
He twice held senior positions at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). He served as general counsel from 2004 to 2006, and most recently as the deputy secretary for water policy and ecosystem restoration.
In his capacity as deputy secretary, Gregory supervised the Department’s activities related to Everglades restoration, the state’s water management districts, and the state’s coastal and aquatic areas. In between his work at FDEP, he worked as general counsel for WRScompass, a company providing environmental remediation, civil construction and consulting services to commercial, federal and state clients. Gregory now provides strategic advice and counsel on issues related to water policy, water rights and the Everglades.
Professor, Florida State University College of Law
Professor Ryan teaches in the areas of environmental and natural resources law, property and land use, water law, negotiation, and federalism. She has presented widely in the United States, Europe, and Asia, including the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, the National Association of Attorneys General, the United States Forest Service, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. She has advised National Sea Grant multilevel governance studies involving Chesapeake Bay and consulted with multiple institutions on developing sustainability programs. She has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, the London Financial Times, the Associated Press, Thomson-Reuters Beijing, the Huffington Post, National Public Radio, and NBC and CBS Television News. She is the author of many scholarly works, including Federalism and the Tug of War Within (Oxford University Press 2012).
Prior to law school, Ryan served as a U.S. Forest Service ranger on the Mono Lake District of the Inyo National Forest, east of Yosemite National Park. While a law student, she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review and a Hewlett Fellow at the Harvard Negotiation Research Project. She clerked for Judge James R. Browning, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, before practicing environmental, land use, and local government law in San Francisco. She began her academic career at the College of William & Mary, and then joined the faculty at the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College. Ryan served as a Fulbright Scholar in China, where she taught American law, studied Chinese governance, and lectured throughout the country. She has also lectured at universities in Japan, Vietnam and India. She joined the Florida State University College of Law faculty in 2015.
Partner, Consovoy McCarthy Park PLLC
Mr. Strawbridge provides clients with advice and representation at the pre-litigation, trial, and appellate stages. He has represented a broad range of individual and institutional clients on matters of constitutional law, financial and securities regulation, environmental laws, complex commercial disputes, and consumer protection statutes. His experience includes arbitrations, trial and appellate litigation, and administrative and regulatory proceedings.
Mr. Strawbridge served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Judge Morris Sheppard Arnold of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and Justice Howard Dana of the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine. Previously, Mr. Strawbridge was a partner at two large international law firms. He worked as a newspaper reporter for four years before attending law school. Mr. Strawbridge is an adjunct professor for the Supreme Court Clinic at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.
Mr. Strawbridge earned a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri, and his J.D. summa cum laude from Creighton University School of Law. Mr. Strawbridge is a member of the Maine and Massachusetts bars.
District Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Judge Ed Artau is a United States District Judge for the Southern District of
Florida. He was nominated by President Donald Trump for appointment to
the United States District Court in May of 2025, and confirmed by the United
States Senate in September of 2025. Prior to his confirmation, Judge Artau
was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to the Fourth District Court of
Appeal of Florida, where he served as an appellate judge from 2020 until
2025. Prior to being an appellate judge, Judge Artau was appointed by
Governor Rick Scott to the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County,
Florida, where he served as a trial judge from 2014 until 2020.
Judge Artau is also an Adjunct Professor at St. Thomas University College of
Law and has served as the Dean of the Advanced Judicial Studies College
and on the faculty of both the Florida Judicial College and the Advanced
Judicial Studies College.
Judge Artau has previously served as the Chair of the Fifteenth Circuit
Judicial Nominating Commission, Vice Chair of the Fourth District Court of
Appeal Judicial Nominating Commission, Parliamentarian of the Appellate
Court Rules Committee, Vice Chair of the Judicial Nominating Procedures
Committee, and as a representative on the Florida Court Education Council.
Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Artau served as General Counsel
to the South Florida Water Management District, where he commenced his
public service as a senior litigation attorney. Prior to this role, Judge Artau
managed his own law firm after having served in the litigation departments of
the law firms of Proskauer Rose, L.L.P. and Hodgson Russ, L.L.P.
Judge Artau is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center where he
served as a law review editor and Vice-President of the Georgetown Student
Chapter of the Federalist Society. Judge Artau completed his undergraduate
studies at Nova Southeastern University, where he graduated cum laude and
was later awarded a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, for his commitment to
public service, academia, and the law.
Judge Artau is a founder of the first Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist
Society in Florida and is the 2025 recipient of the Good Shepherd Award,
presented by the Florida Chapters of the Federalist Society in recognition of his “Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Ideals of the Federalist Society.”
General Counsel, United States Environmental Protection Agency
On August 7, 2013, Avi S. Garbow was sworn in as General Counsel for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). During his tenure as EPA General Counsel, Avi has worked closely on President Obama’s landmark environmental accomplishments, including the Clean Power Plan, Clean Water Rule, and myriad other initiatives to protect public health, improve public access to environmental information, and advance environmental justice. In his role as General Counsel, Avi also leads the EPA’s Office of General Counsel (OGC), an organization of expert lawyers and other professionals responsible for providing legal advice and support for every EPA program and activity.
Prior to his confirmation as General Counsel, Avi served as EPA’s Deputy General Counsel with a primary focus on the Agency’s air and water programs. Avi began his legal career at EPA serving in the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance from 1992 to 1996. Avi then served with distinction as a federal prosecutor in the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section. In private practice, Avi was a litigation partner and junior partner at two major international firms. Avi has served on the boards of directors for various environmental and international human rights organizations, and has held leadership positions in the American Bar Association’s International Human Rights Committee. He is the recipient of the University of Virginia School of Law’s Robert F. Kennedy Award for Public Service, holds a Master’s Degree in Marine Affairs, and is a former volunteer firefighter.
Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth
Mr. Leopold is a Partner with the law firm of Hunton Andrews Kurth in Washington, DC. He is the former Senate-confirmed general counsel of the U.S. EPA from 2018-2020, and he previously was a litigator at the U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division form 2007-2013. As EPA General Counsel, he counseled on the development and defense of EPA’s most significant rulemakings, including the Affordable Clean Energy Rule, the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, and the Safe Affordable Fuel‐Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule, as well as several pesticide actions. He was personally involved in defending EPA in litigation, including the County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund in the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Leopold’s prior government service also includes working in Florida as general counsel of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. He now represents clients in regulatory advocacy before federal agencies, litigates federal environmental actions, and defends clients with EPA enforcement issues.
Shareholder, Gunster
Gregory Munson is a shareholder who joined the firm in 2013.
He twice held senior positions at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). He served as general counsel from 2004 to 2006, and most recently as the deputy secretary for water policy and ecosystem restoration.
In his capacity as deputy secretary, Gregory supervised the Department’s activities related to Everglades restoration, the state’s water management districts, and the state’s coastal and aquatic areas. In between his work at FDEP, he worked as general counsel for WRScompass, a company providing environmental remediation, civil construction and consulting services to commercial, federal and state clients. Gregory now provides strategic advice and counsel on issues related to water policy, water rights and the Everglades.
Professor, Florida State University College of Law
Professor Ryan teaches in the areas of environmental and natural resources law, property and land use, water law, negotiation, and federalism. She has presented widely in the United States, Europe, and Asia, including the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, the National Association of Attorneys General, the United States Forest Service, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. She has advised National Sea Grant multilevel governance studies involving Chesapeake Bay and consulted with multiple institutions on developing sustainability programs. She has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, the London Financial Times, the Associated Press, Thomson-Reuters Beijing, the Huffington Post, National Public Radio, and NBC and CBS Television News. She is the author of many scholarly works, including Federalism and the Tug of War Within (Oxford University Press 2012).
Prior to law school, Ryan served as a U.S. Forest Service ranger on the Mono Lake District of the Inyo National Forest, east of Yosemite National Park. While a law student, she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review and a Hewlett Fellow at the Harvard Negotiation Research Project. She clerked for Judge James R. Browning, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, before practicing environmental, land use, and local government law in San Francisco. She began her academic career at the College of William & Mary, and then joined the faculty at the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College. Ryan served as a Fulbright Scholar in China, where she taught American law, studied Chinese governance, and lectured throughout the country. She has also lectured at universities in Japan, Vietnam and India. She joined the Florida State University College of Law faculty in 2015.
Partner, Consovoy McCarthy Park PLLC
Mr. Strawbridge provides clients with advice and representation at the pre-litigation, trial, and appellate stages. He has represented a broad range of individual and institutional clients on matters of constitutional law, financial and securities regulation, environmental laws, complex commercial disputes, and consumer protection statutes. His experience includes arbitrations, trial and appellate litigation, and administrative and regulatory proceedings.
Mr. Strawbridge served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Judge Morris Sheppard Arnold of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and Justice Howard Dana of the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine. Previously, Mr. Strawbridge was a partner at two large international law firms. He worked as a newspaper reporter for four years before attending law school. Mr. Strawbridge is an adjunct professor for the Supreme Court Clinic at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.
Mr. Strawbridge earned a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri, and his J.D. summa cum laude from Creighton University School of Law. Mr. Strawbridge is a member of the Maine and Massachusetts bars.
Post-Election Commentary: Sen. Jon Kyl & Bob Robb
Phoenix, ArizonaConsumer Financial Protection Bureau Update - October 2016 - Podcast
Wayne A. Abernathy, Julius L. Loeser
Members of the Federalist Society’s Financial Services & E-Commerce Practice Group Executive Committee will provide...
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Update - October 2016
TeleforumOver-Regulating Overtime?
TeleforumJudicial Recusal Required: Williams v. Pennsylvania Decided - Podcast
John J. Park
On June 9, the Supreme Court issued its decision on Williams v. Pennsylvania, a case...
Judicial Recusal Required: Williams v. Pennsylvania Decided
TeleforumTopics
Executive Branch Review Conference Live Streams
The Fourth Annual Executive Branch Review Conference was live streamed on May 17. The theme...
Federalism and Environmental Law
Ed Artau, Avi Garbow, Matthew Z. Leopold, Gregory M. Munson, Erin Ryan, Patrick Strawbridge
This panel will discuss whether we have Federal overreach in this environmental law area, such...
Federalism and Environmental Law
Ed Artau, Avi Garbow, Matthew Z. Leopold, Gregory M. Munson, Erin Ryan, Patrick Strawbridge
This panel will discuss whether we have Federal overreach in this environmental law area, such...
Federalism and Environmental Law
2016 Annual Florida Chapters Conference
Lake Buena Vista, FL