Partner, Briard Bonichot & Associés
Stéphane Bonichot is a Partner at Briard Bonichot & Associés, a Paris-based firm renowned for its work before France’s highest courts. A member of the Paris Bar since 2010, he represents clients across a wide spectrum of legal fields, including civil and commercial law, banking and financial matters, securities, competition, intellectual property, criminal law, and international economic law, with particular expertise in Franco-German legal issues. He holds dual master’s degrees in French and German law from the University of Cologne and the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, as well as a master’s in Law and Economic Globalization from Sciences Po Paris and Paris I. He also earned an LL.M. from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is completing advanced training at the Institut de formation et de recherche des avocats aux Conseils (IFRAC).
Senior Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom International
Dr. Adina Portaru serves as senior counsel, Europe, for ADF International in Belgium, where she leads the work of our Brussels and Strasbourg teams with a particular focus on advocacy at the international organisations and institutions in Europe.
Independent scholar and journalist
John Rosenthal is a journalist and political analyst who has been covering European
politics for the last two decades. His writings have appeared in such publications as Policy
Review, World Affairs, The Weekly Standard, World Politics Review, Al-Monitor and Brussels
Signal, as well as in French and German in publications like Les Temps Modernes and Die
Weltwoche. He holds a PhD in philosophy and previously taught political philosophy and the
history of European philosophy at schools in both the United States and Europe.
He is the author of “Make Speech Free Again: How the U.S. can defeat E.U. censorship” in
the Spring 2025 issue of the Claremont Review of Books.
Professor of Law, University of San Diego School of Law
Maimon Schwarzschild is Professor of Law at the University of San Diego, where he has taught
since 1982. He has published extensively on constitutional law, jurisprudence, law and religion,
and civil rights. He is an English barrister and an American lawyer: he was an attorney in the
Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice from 1976 to 1981 and practised as a
barrister in London in the 1980s. He was a visiting professor at the Sorbonne for several years,
and has been a visiting professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is a Director of the
Institute of Law and Religion at the University of San Diego and a member of the editorial board
of Law and Philosophy. With Gail Heriot he recently co-edited a volume entitled “A Dubious
Expediency: How Race Preferences Damage Higher Education”, published by Encounter Books.
President, TechFreedom
Berin Szoka serves as President of TechFreedom. Previously, he was a Senior Fellow and the Director of the Center for Internet Freedom at The Progress & Freedom Foundation. Before joining PFF, he was an Associate in the Communications Practice Group at Latham & Watkins LLP, where he advised clients on regulations affecting the Internet and telecommunications industries. Before joining Latham's Communications Practice Group, Szoka practiced at Lawler Metzger Milkman & Keeney, LLC, a boutique telecommunications law firm in Washington, and clerked for the Hon. H. Dale Cook, Senior U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Szoka received his Bachelor's degree in economics from Duke University and his juris doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as Submissions Editor of the Virginia Journal of Law and Technology. He is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and California (inactive).
Partner, Briard Bonichot & Associés
Stéphane Bonichot is a Partner at Briard Bonichot & Associés, a Paris-based firm renowned for its work before France’s highest courts. A member of the Paris Bar since 2010, he represents clients across a wide spectrum of legal fields, including civil and commercial law, banking and financial matters, securities, competition, intellectual property, criminal law, and international economic law, with particular expertise in Franco-German legal issues. He holds dual master’s degrees in French and German law from the University of Cologne and the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, as well as a master’s in Law and Economic Globalization from Sciences Po Paris and Paris I. He also earned an LL.M. from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is completing advanced training at the Institut de formation et de recherche des avocats aux Conseils (IFRAC).
Senior Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom International
Dr. Adina Portaru serves as senior counsel, Europe, for ADF International in Belgium, where she leads the work of our Brussels and Strasbourg teams with a particular focus on advocacy at the international organisations and institutions in Europe.
Independent scholar and journalist
John Rosenthal is a journalist and political analyst who has been covering European
politics for the last two decades. His writings have appeared in such publications as Policy
Review, World Affairs, The Weekly Standard, World Politics Review, Al-Monitor and Brussels
Signal, as well as in French and German in publications like Les Temps Modernes and Die
Weltwoche. He holds a PhD in philosophy and previously taught political philosophy and the
history of European philosophy at schools in both the United States and Europe.
He is the author of “Make Speech Free Again: How the U.S. can defeat E.U. censorship” in
the Spring 2025 issue of the Claremont Review of Books.
Professor of Law, University of San Diego School of Law
Maimon Schwarzschild is Professor of Law at the University of San Diego, where he has taught
since 1982. He has published extensively on constitutional law, jurisprudence, law and religion,
and civil rights. He is an English barrister and an American lawyer: he was an attorney in the
Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice from 1976 to 1981 and practised as a
barrister in London in the 1980s. He was a visiting professor at the Sorbonne for several years,
and has been a visiting professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is a Director of the
Institute of Law and Religion at the University of San Diego and a member of the editorial board
of Law and Philosophy. With Gail Heriot he recently co-edited a volume entitled “A Dubious
Expediency: How Race Preferences Damage Higher Education”, published by Encounter Books.
President, TechFreedom
Berin Szoka serves as President of TechFreedom. Previously, he was a Senior Fellow and the Director of the Center for Internet Freedom at The Progress & Freedom Foundation. Before joining PFF, he was an Associate in the Communications Practice Group at Latham & Watkins LLP, where he advised clients on regulations affecting the Internet and telecommunications industries. Before joining Latham's Communications Practice Group, Szoka practiced at Lawler Metzger Milkman & Keeney, LLC, a boutique telecommunications law firm in Washington, and clerked for the Hon. H. Dale Cook, Senior U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Szoka received his Bachelor's degree in economics from Duke University and his juris doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as Submissions Editor of the Virginia Journal of Law and Technology. He is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and California (inactive).
Partner, Briard Bonichot & Associés
Stéphane Bonichot is a Partner at Briard Bonichot & Associés, a Paris-based firm renowned for its work before France’s highest courts. A member of the Paris Bar since 2010, he represents clients across a wide spectrum of legal fields, including civil and commercial law, banking and financial matters, securities, competition, intellectual property, criminal law, and international economic law, with particular expertise in Franco-German legal issues. He holds dual master’s degrees in French and German law from the University of Cologne and the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, as well as a master’s in Law and Economic Globalization from Sciences Po Paris and Paris I. He also earned an LL.M. from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is completing advanced training at the Institut de formation et de recherche des avocats aux Conseils (IFRAC).
Senior Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom International
Dr. Adina Portaru serves as senior counsel, Europe, for ADF International in Belgium, where she leads the work of our Brussels and Strasbourg teams with a particular focus on advocacy at the international organisations and institutions in Europe.
Independent scholar and journalist
John Rosenthal is a journalist and political analyst who has been covering European
politics for the last two decades. His writings have appeared in such publications as Policy
Review, World Affairs, The Weekly Standard, World Politics Review, Al-Monitor and Brussels
Signal, as well as in French and German in publications like Les Temps Modernes and Die
Weltwoche. He holds a PhD in philosophy and previously taught political philosophy and the
history of European philosophy at schools in both the United States and Europe.
He is the author of “Make Speech Free Again: How the U.S. can defeat E.U. censorship” in
the Spring 2025 issue of the Claremont Review of Books.
Professor of Law, University of San Diego School of Law
Maimon Schwarzschild is Professor of Law at the University of San Diego, where he has taught
since 1982. He has published extensively on constitutional law, jurisprudence, law and religion,
and civil rights. He is an English barrister and an American lawyer: he was an attorney in the
Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice from 1976 to 1981 and practised as a
barrister in London in the 1980s. He was a visiting professor at the Sorbonne for several years,
and has been a visiting professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is a Director of the
Institute of Law and Religion at the University of San Diego and a member of the editorial board
of Law and Philosophy. With Gail Heriot he recently co-edited a volume entitled “A Dubious
Expediency: How Race Preferences Damage Higher Education”, published by Encounter Books.
President, TechFreedom
Berin Szoka serves as President of TechFreedom. Previously, he was a Senior Fellow and the Director of the Center for Internet Freedom at The Progress & Freedom Foundation. Before joining PFF, he was an Associate in the Communications Practice Group at Latham & Watkins LLP, where he advised clients on regulations affecting the Internet and telecommunications industries. Before joining Latham's Communications Practice Group, Szoka practiced at Lawler Metzger Milkman & Keeney, LLC, a boutique telecommunications law firm in Washington, and clerked for the Hon. H. Dale Cook, Senior U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Szoka received his Bachelor's degree in economics from Duke University and his juris doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as Submissions Editor of the Virginia Journal of Law and Technology. He is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and California (inactive).
Partner, Gibson Dunn
Jeff Wall is Co-Chair of the Appellate and Constitutional Law Practice Group at Gibson Dunn and a former Acting Solicitor General of the United States. He has argued more than 30 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and is widely regarded as one of the nation’s leading appellate advocates. Last year, he was named Appellate Attorney of the Year by The National Law Journal. He has been honored as The American Lawyer’s “Litigator of the Week” three times since 2024, for securing the elimination of a $650 million award against several national pharmacy chains; persuading the Delaware Supreme Court to reinstate Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $60 billion incentive-compensation plan; and delivering what was described as a “knockout blow” to the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality rules in the Sixth Circuit after more than a decade of regulatory uncertainty.
A Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, Jeff is widely regarded for his ability to distill complex legal issues into clear, persuasive arguments. He is ranked Band 1 by Chambers USA, which has praised his “formidable reputation,” describing him as a “sophisticated” and “brilliant advocate” with an “impressive track record before the Supreme Court.” He is also a three-time Law360 Appellate MVP, most recently earning back-to-back honors in 2024 and 2025.
Jeff is a member of the American Law Institute, President of the Edward Coke Appellate Inn of Court, trustee of the Supreme Court Historical Society, and former member of the Advisory Committee on Procedures for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Before his service in the Solicitor General’s Office and time in private practice, Jeff clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Jeff has a robust pro bono practice and role in his community, serving on the board of the St. Albans School and its School of Public Service.
Former Acting Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
Senior Fellow for Homeland Security at The Center for Renewing America, Mr. Cuccinelli has been a trial and appellate litigator, including constitutional law, for over 25 years. Additionally, Mr. Cuccinelli served in state government in the Virginia State Senate from 2002-2010, and as Virginia’s Attorney General from 2010-2014. As Virginia’s Attorney General, Mr. Cuccinelli led national litigation against Obamacare and other illegal and unconstitutional federal overreach. He also led Virginia from being among the worst states in fighting human trafficking to becoming one of the best; and his successful prosecutorial efforts resulted in record enforcement against gangs, health care fraud and child predators, all while protecting life and constitutional rights.
Mr. Cuccinelli also served in the federal government, first as the Acting Director of
United States Citizenship & Immigration Services, and then as the Acting Deputy
Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security. During his tenure, Mr. Cuccinelli
was a leading spokesman for the administration on immigration, election security and
homeland security issues. He was responsible for planning and managing a budget of
over $50 billion per year, while serving as the chief operating officer for the Department
of the federal government responsible for responding to most forms of crises in the
United States. Mr. Cuccinelli was appointed by the President to serve as an original
member of the Coronavirus Task Force upon the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Following his time in federal service, Mr. Cuccinelli assumed leadership of the joint
Susan B. Anthony List/American Principles Project Election Transparency Initiative, in
which position Mr. Cuccinelli seeks to fend off a federal takeover of state elections while
at the same time advancing election reforms to achieve security, transparency and
accountability in our elections.
Mr. Cuccinelli continues to be a frequent media contributor on the wide array of
subjects in which he is an expert.
Mr. Cuccinelli and his wife, Teiro, grew up and live in Virginia and they have seven
children, two sons-in-law and most joyously of all – four grandchildren (so far).
In his spare time, Mr. Cuccinelli enjoys spending time with his family, reading, shooting,
playing ultimate frisbee and watching college basketball.
Senior Staff Attorney, Speech, Privacy & Technology Project, ACLU
Brian Hauss is a senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy & Technology Project, where he focuses on free expression issues. Since joining the ACLU in 2012, he has litigated cases defending the First Amendment rights of writers, journalists, media organizations, activists, advocacy groups, labor unions and private citizens. He has authored or co-authored numerous Supreme Court amicus curiae briefs on behalf of the ACLU and other groups. He also regularly discusses First Amendment issues in the media and at law schools throughout the country. Brian was a 2021-22 Wasserstein Public Interest Fellow at Harvard Law School. He is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School and served as a law clerk to the Hon. Marsha S. Berzon of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Vice President for Legal Strategy, Stand Together
Casey Mattox is Vice President for Legal Strategy at Stand Together and Senior Advisor at
Americans for Prosperity. In these roles he advocates for and creates strategies and
partnerships to ensure a constitutionally limited government that protects the civil liberties of all
Americans. Prior to joining Stand Together and AFP Casey’s legal career focused on defending
the First Amendment rights of students, faculty, healthcare workers and religious organizations.
Casey has a J.D. from Boston College School of Law and an undergraduate degree from the
University of Virginia. You can find him on Twitter at @CaseyMattox_ and on LinkedIn at
@Casey-Mattox-ST.
Partner, Clement & Murphy, PLLC
Paul served as the 43rd Solicitor General of the United States from June 2005 until June 2008. Before his confirmation as Solicitor General, he served as Acting Solicitor General for nearly a year and as Principal Deputy Solicitor General for over three years.
Paul has argued over 100 cases before the United States Supreme Court, including McConnell v. FEC, Tennessee v. Lane, United States v. Booker, MGM v. Grokster, Hobby Lobby v. Burwell, Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, Rucho v. Common Cause, Facebook v. Duguid, and TransUnion v. Ramirez. Paul has argued more Supreme Court cases since 2000 than any lawyer in or out of government. He has also argued many important cases in the lower courts, including Walker v. Cheney, United States v. Moussaoui and NFL v. Brady.
Paul’s practice focuses on appellate matters, constitutional litigation and strategic counseling. He represents a broad array of clients in the Supreme Court and in federal and state appellate courts. Last year, for example, he successfully argued Supreme Court cases involving significant issues of energy regulation, statutory interpretation, state sovereign immunity and Article III standing, and successfully argued a trademark appeal in the Fourth Circuit, and a constitutional appeal before the en banc Eleventh Circuit.
Paul focuses on high-stakes appeals. In recent years, he successfully defended a $1.2 billion jury verdict for clients in a Tenth Circuit case, while securing the reversal of an over $2 billion jury verdict for another client in the Seventh Circuit and the approval of a nearly $1 billion dollar class action settlement in the Third Circuit. He has initiated major administrative law challenges and constitutional litigation against the federal government, such as the successful challenge to the HHS drug-pricing rule and threatened challenges that led to the withdrawal of the Treasury Department’s proposed cryptocurrency regulations. He also counsels clients on a variety of strategic legal questions, whether arising from pending legislation, government inquiries or ongoing litigation.
Paul has undertaken substantial pro bono engagements in the Supreme Court, such as twice successfully representing the defendant in Bond v. United States and successfully representing the Omaha Tribe in Nebraska v. Parker, the guardian ad litem in Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl, the defendant in Sekhar v. United States, a high school football coach in Kennedy v. Bremerton, and the Little Sisters of the Poor. Paul’s pro bono representation also precipitated the federal government’s confession of error in United States v. Rojas.
Following law school, Paul clerked for Judge Laurence H. Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and for Associate Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court. After his clerkships, he went on to serve as Chief Counsel of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, Federalism and Property Rights.
Paul is a Distinguished Lecturer in Law at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he has taught in various capacities since 1998. He also serves as a Senior Fellow of the Law Center’s Supreme Court Institute. He is the Justice Joseph Story Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at the Gray Center at Scalia Law School.
Judge, Ohio Twelfth District Court of Appeals
Judge Matthew R. Byrne was elected to the Ohio Court of Appeals for the Twelfth District in 2020, and his first term began on January 1, 2021. He is currently serving as the court's elected Administrative Judge. The Twelfth District Court of Appeals hears civil and criminal appeals from the trial courts in eight counties in southwest Ohio. Judge Byrne is active in the Ohio Judicial Conference and the Ohio Court of Appeals Judges Association. He also currently serves as a member and vice chair of the Ohio Supreme Court's Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure (where he previously chaired the Appellate Rules Committee). He previously served as a member of the Ohio Supreme Court's Commission on Character and Fitness.
From January 2010 to December 2020, Judge Byrne practiced law at the national law firm of Jackson Lewis P.C. He was a member of the firm's General Employment Litigation Practice Group and the Wage and Hour Practice Group. From 2007 to 2010 he practiced at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. At both firms, Judge Byrne represented clients ranging from small businesses to international corporations in state and federal trial and appellate litigation, including multiple class and collective actions. He also represented clients in arbitration and before numerous administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.
Judge Byrne earned his law degree, cum laude, from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. During law school he was symposium editor of the Ohio State Law Journal and the winner of the Donald S. Teller Memorial Award for student writing contributing most significantly to the Ohio State Law Journal. During law school he clerked for the Acting General Counsel of the United States Department of the Treasury. Judge Byrne earned his bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, from Xavier University, where he majored in International Affairs (Business) and Political Science.
Prior to entering law school Judge Byrne served in President George W. Bush's Administration as a member of the White House staff in the Office of Presidential Personnel, the office responsible for selecting candidates to recommend to the President for appointment or nomination to high-level government positions, and for coordinating with the Offices of White House Counsel, Press Secretary, and Executive Clerk regarding candidate background clearances, press announcements, and the status of appointments/nominations.
Judge Byrne has been a member of the Federalist Society since law school and he served for five years as president of the Federalist Society's Cincinnati Lawyers Chapter. He is a member of a number of other community and civic organizations, including the Ohio State Bar Association and the bar associations of Butler, Clermont, and Warren Counties. Judge Byrne previously was a member of the Advisory Board of Pregnancy Center East and a board member and president of the St. Thomas More Lawyers Guild of Greater Cincinnati.
Judge Byrne is an active parishioner at his church, where he is a lector, a former member and president of the Education Commission, and a former member of the Finance and Administration Commission.
Judge Byrne resides in Deerfield Township, Warren County, Ohio with his wife Julie and their three children.
Senior Fellow, Cato Institute
Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, specializing in foreign policy and civil liberties. He worked as special assistant to President Reagan and editor of the political magazine Inquiry. He writes regularly for leading publications such as Fortune magazine, National Interest, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Times. Bandow speaks frequently at academic conferences, on college campuses, and to business groups. Bandow has been a regular commentator on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC. He holds a J.D. from Stanford University.
Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
The Honorable Whitney Hermandorfer is a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She was nominated to the court by President Donald Trump (R) on May 12, 2025, and confirmed by the United States Senate on July 14, 2025.
Prior to her appointment, she worked in the Office of the Tennessee Attorney General as Director of the Strategic Litigation Unit. In that role, Whitney focused on leading constitutional, statutory, and administrative-law challenges to federal agency action, as well as on defending the State in complex matters at the trial and appellate level.
Whitney previously worked at Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington, DC, where she focused on appellate and administrative-law litigation. Whitney clerked for Justice Samuel Alito in the OT 2018 Supreme Court term and for Justice Amy Coney Barrett during her inaugural OT 2020 term. Prior to that, Whitney clerked for then-Judge Kavanaugh on the D.C. Circuit, and Judge Richard Leon on the U.S. District Court for D.C. Whitney is a graduate of Princeton University and George Washington University Law School.
Solicitor General, Tennessee Attorney General's Office
Matt Rice serves as the Solicitor General of Tennessee. Before joining the State, Matt worked in private practice at Williams & Connolly LLP. He clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas on the United States Supreme Court as well as Judge Sandra Ikuta on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Before his legal career, Matt played professional baseball in the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
The Digital Services Act and Global Free Speech
Stéphane Bonichot, Adina Portaru, John Rosenthal, Maimon Schwarzschild, Berin Szóka
The European Union’s Digital Services Act applies to digital platforms and service providers offering services...
The Digital Services Act and Global Free Speech
Stéphane Bonichot, Adina Portaru, John Rosenthal, Maimon Schwarzschild, Berin Szóka
The European Union’s Digital Services Act applies to digital platforms and service providers offering services...
The Digital Services Act and Global Free Speech
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