Board of Trustees

Cashiers, NC

After graduating No. 1 in his class in mechanical engineering at Mississippi State University, Rob Hunter received his Doctor of Law degree from Cornell University. In 1976 he came to Birmingham and the law firm of Lange, Simpson, Robinson & Somerville, where he used both his engineering and legal backgrounds to defend manufacturers in product liability litigation around the country. He practiced at Lange Simpson for 23 years before accepting the position of senior vice president, general counsel and secretary for Altec, Inc., and its subsidiaries. For six years immediately prior to his joining Altec in 1999, he served as chair of his firm’s executive committee. While at Altec, he had overall responsibility for product safety, employee safety, environmental compliance, and legal. He retired from Altec on July 1, 2022.

In addition to successful defenses of manufacturers in trials around the country, his career in private practice was marked by other notable achievements, Mr. Hunter…

• Represented five governors of Alabama;
• Was instrumental in the drafting and passage of Alabama’s 1987 tort reform legislation and 1992 workers’ compensation reform;
• Successfully defended Alabama’s franchise tax against constitutional challenge before the Alabama and United States supreme courts in 1989 and 1990 and successfully defended its property tax against constitutional attack in federal courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States between 2004 and 2007;
• Was nominated by President George H.W. Bush to be a federal judge, but the nomination died upon the election of Bill Clinton.
• Was lead counsel for the State of Alabama in its long-running higher education desegregation case, Knight v. State of Alabama, and, after going in-house, he resumed that position at the request of the governor, on a pro bono basis.

He served as president of the International Association of Defense Counsel (2008-09) and on its board of directors (2004-10); as president of Lawyers for Civil Justice (2014-15) and on its board (2007-10 and 2012-16); as chair of the Board of Directors of the Product Liability Advisory Council (2018-20) and on its board (2013-20), and on the board of the Defense Research Institute (2007-10). He also has served on the advisory boards for the Corporate Counsel College, (2004-2015), the International Corporate Counsel College (2010, 2014, 2017), the Southwestern Institute for International and Comparative Law (2011-16), and the Duke Law Center for Judicial Studies (2014-16). In 2014 he served as dean of the Corporate Counsel College. Before his retirement, he was actively involved with The Business Roundtable and the National Association of Manufacturers.

He was the first in-house counsel in 76 years to be elected president of IADC. In 2014 he became the first in-house counsel to serve as president of LCJ and the first in-house counsel to serve as dean of the Corporate Counsel College. In 2013 he was named to the inaugural Corporate 100, a list of the top 100 in-house counsel in the U.S. and was named Outstanding Corporate Counsel by the Birmingham Business Journal. Under his leadership, in 2014 Altec’s legal team was named best in the United States in Technology by Legal 500.

He has also served on the Advisory Board of the Mississippi State University College of Engineering and served as its chair. In 2008 he was named Distinguished Fellow by the College of Engineering and in 2014 was named an Alumni Fellow at MSU.

He is an active member of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepard and serves as treasurer for the Summit Charter School Foundation, both in Cashiers, North Carolina.

Oakland, CA

Judge Mary-Margaret Anderson was an administrative law judge with the California Office of Administrative Hearings, a central panel agency, from 1997 until 2017. In 2009, she was appointed to the Medical Quality Hearing Panel, which hears physician discipline matters. She also presided over the full range of cases heard by OAH, including those brought by state, county, and local agencies, such as school districts. As an attorney, she practiced civil and criminal litigation representing individuals and small businesses, and served as a commissioner pro tem for the Alameda County Superior Court Juvenile Division. Judge Anderson is a past president of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary (NAALJ). Her primary activities with the American Bar Association (ABA) involve communications. She served on the Judges’ Journal Editorial Board, the quarterly magazine published by the ABA’s Judicial Division, for eight years, the last two as co-chair. She has taught ethics, evidence, and expert evidence to new and experienced administrative law judges in a variety of settings. Judge Anderson is an alumna of The National Judicial College and joined its faculty in 2012. She is also a member of the Alameda County Bar Association and an American Bar Foundation Fellow. Community activities include serving as President of the Board of Trustees of the Piedmont Community Church. She and her husband are very proud of their two adult sons and the (never-ending!) restoration of their 1907 brown-shingle craftsman house. She received her undergraduate degree in political science from the University of California at Berkeley and her juris doctorate from San Francisco Law School.

Bal Harbour, FL

The former city attorney of North Miami Beach, Florida and an in-house municipal attorney since 1988, Darcee Siegel currently serves as a Florida Supreme Court certified civil mediator. She recently concluded her third year on the ABA Board of Governors, where she has served on the Governors’ Executive Committee the last two years and this past year was chair of the Profession, Public Service & Diversity Committee.

She has been a member of the ABA House of Delegates since 2011 and has served as vice chair of the House Committee on Issues of Concern to the Legal Profession (2015-2016) and member of that Committee (2012-2016). Her presidential appointments include: the Standing Committee on Public Education (2000-2003); the Standing Committee on Membership (2008-2011); the Standing Committee on Gun Violence (2014-2016); the Diversity & Inclusion 360 Commission (2015-2016); and the ABA Council for Diversity in the Educational Pipeline (2019-2020).

She has served as the chair of the ABA Section Officers Conference Membership Committee (2005-2007 and 2013-2016), secretary and diversity officer of the ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section or TIPS (2013-2015) and a member of TIPS Council (2010-2015). She chaired the ABA Government and Public Sector’s Lawyers Division (2007-2008) and served as chair-elect (2006-2007); secretary (2005-2006); treasurer (2004-2005) and a member of its Council (1999-2009 and 2010-2016). She has recently been elected to the Council (2019-2022).

In her spare time, she serves on the Florida International University Vice Provost Executive Council, where she mentors students with their career choices, resume critiquing and interviewing skills. She also serves as a special master/magistrate for the City of Miami, adjudicating code-enforcement cases.

Honolulu, HI

Judge Leslie A. Hayashi served for over 25 years as a district court judge for the First Circuit in Honolulu, Hawai`i. While on the bench, she was involved in several major projects to improve judicial administration. She spearheaded the creation of a statewide civil traffic system, led the implementation phase of the new technology system for the courts, developed a restorative justice pilot project, and implemented a driver’s license renewal program.

Judge Hayashi’s name appears on NJC’s Hall of Fame, which recognizes those who have taught for 20 years. She continues to train judges and hearing officers in Hawai`i and taught in China at the Sichuan University.
In addition to teaching, Judge Hayashi has dedicated herself to educating the public about the law, writing numerous books and articles and creating videos. She served on the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Public Education for six years and continues to be a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association’s Civics Education Committee.

With her appointment to the Law Library of Congress Advisory Committee, she also serves as vice-chair of its Resource Development Subcommittee and is a member of the Program Subcommittee. She was recently re-elected to serve in the ABA’s House of Delegates and is a member of the Technology and Communication Committee. She served as Secretary, Vice President-President Elect and President of the National Council of Lawyer Disciplinary Boards while also serving on the Disciplinary Board of the Hawai`i Supreme Court for over 12 years.

Judge Hayashi has received numerous awards, including the Hawaii Women Lawyers’ Judicial Achievement Award in 2013, the inaugural Judicial Innovation Award from the Hawaii Friends of Justice and Civic Education in 2011, the Hawaii State Bar Association’s inaugural Award for Outstanding Leadership for Diversity in the Legal Profession in 2005; and the ABA’s Franklin Flaschner Award in 2003 recognizing the nation’s top jurist in courts of special jurisdictions.

She is married to attorney Alan Van Etten and they have two adult sons. Justin is in-house counsel with a start up in San Francisco and Taylor is a software developer with Amazon in Seattle.

Miami, FL

Edward R. Blumberg is a member of the Miami, Florida trial law firm of Deutsch Blumberg & Caballero, P.A. with a statewide practice in the area of medical malpractice, products liability, and catastrophic personal injury cases. He received his BA degree from the University of Georgia and earned his law degree from the College of William and Mary. He has served as President of the Florida Bar, as a member of the Board of Governors of the Florida Bar and as a member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association. He has chaired and served on countless professional committees and groups.

Mr. Blumberg is board certified in civil trial law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as well as the Florida Bar. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the American Association for Justice and the Florida Justice Association. He regularly provides continuing legal education to lawyers and has recently lectured in the areas of jury selection, advanced insurance bad faith, and utilization of expert witnesses.

He is a member of the United States District Court for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida as well as the United States 5th and 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

Mr. Blumberg is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers Publication in the areas of Plaintiffs – Personal Injury. He has published articles on professionalism as well as negligence.

Mr. Blumberg serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Coral Gables Trust Company and the Florida Regional Board of the Anti-Defamation League and received its Miami Jurisprudence Award in 2017.

Las Vegas, NV

Brandon Barkhuff is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada, and currently resides there with his wife and four children. As General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of NV Energy, Brandon oversees all of the company’s legal activities and compliance obligations, while also providing strategic legal and business guidance as part of the senior leadership team.

Prior to joining NV Energy, Brandon worked for the law firm of McDonald Carano Wilson LLP, where he focused on commercial litigation. Brandon served clients in a broad range of industries, successfully trying cases to verdict in both jury and bench trials, as well as conducting oral argument before the Nevada Supreme Court.

Brandon is actively involved in community organizations, particularly youth organizations. He currently serves on the board of directors for one of the largest youth sports organizations in Clark County. In addition, Brandon is currently a trustee for the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, and previously served on the board of directors for Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation and The Shade Tree.

Brandon holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School.

Charlotte, NC

Susan H. Briggs is the Managing Partner of the Charlotte office for Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. As a Board-Certified Specialist in workers’ compensation law and a seasoned trial lawyer, her practice primarily centers on workers’ compensation litigation and appellate practice. Ms. Briggs possesses extensive experience in mediation negotiations and provides valuable counsel on matters related to business risk management and strategies. Her reputation as a sought-after speaker on North Carolina workers’ compensation law and claims investigations highlights her unique expertise and dynamic approach.

In 1994, Ms. Briggs earned her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in industrial relations from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1991.

Ms. Briggs is licensed to practice law in North Carolina and holds admissions to the Cherokee Supreme Court, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, North Carolina Court of Appeals, North Carolina Industrial Commission, and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina. She is also a North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission (NCDRC) Certified Mediator.

Beyond her legal practice, Ms. Briggs contributes a great deal of her time to many community activities. She is an active member of the Lumbee Tribe of Native Americans.

Billings, MT

For 40 years, Mr. Edwards has been practicing law in the areas of personal injury, insurance bad faith, environmental cleanup of Montana property, defective products, and workplace injuries and death. His family has been involved in ranching, business and law in Montana since the early 1890s. Mr. Edwards’ trial practice has resulted in two of the top five jury verdicts entered in Montana. In October 2013 he completed what is believed to be Montana’s largest single injury settlement — a significant eight-figure cash payment for horrific burns in the Bakken Oil Field.

Mr. Edwards received the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Montana Trial Lawyers Association. The MTLA is a member organization for Montana attorneys who represent litigants to secure a just result for the injured, the accused, and those whose rights are jeopardized. The award honors Montana Trial attorneys who have made enduring contributions with Superior Advocacy over a long career.

Mr. Edwards belongs to The International Academy of Trial Lawyers, American College of Trial Lawyers and ABOTA; ATLA President’s club; Montana Trial Attorney of the year; AV Martindale Hubble rating for 30 years; listed in The Best Lawyers in America, 27 years.

Chicago, IL

Eileen Letts is a partner in the Chicago office of the law firm Zuber Lawler. Having completed dozens of jury trials and more than 100 bench trials, often involving Fortune 500 companies and government entities, Mrs. Letts is considered a premier civil trial attorney. She has won high-stakes trials in a wide variety of subject matters areas, including product liability, complex tort, and commercial disputes. She is a member of the House of Delegates, the policy-making body of the American Bar Association. She is a frequent presenter at continuing legal education seminars and panel discussions of the ABA, the Chicago Bar Association, and the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education. She possesses deep roots in the Chicago political community. As an example, she served on the transition team of Chicago Mayor-Elect Harold Washington. She began her career clerking for Hon. Glenn T. Johnson, justice of the Illinois Appellate Court.

Charleston, SC

Judge Danette Mincey serves as a Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals and has served in this position since receiving her appointment in 2021. Judge Mincey’s prior experience also includes an appointment as Federal Administrative Law Judge at the Social Security Administration. She has extensive experience in both the private and public sectors, including serving as a complex commercial litigation associate for a top 100 law firm, as well as serving in the Senior Executive Service at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Judge Mincey is a military veteran who served honorably as a Judge Advocate General in the United States Navy rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander before resigning her commission. Judge Mincey received her undergraduate degree from Spelman College and her law degree from Boston College Law School.

Miami, Fl

Robert L. Parks was admitted to the Florida Bar in June of 1964, and has engaged in extensive plaintiff product liability and aviation practice since that time. He served a two-year term as Chair of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Air & Space Law, and in 1995, Mr. Parks was appointed Chair of the Aviation Law Certification Committee by the President of the Florida Bar Association. In October, 1996, he was one of seven lawyers appointed by the Florida Bar to membership on the Florida Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. He is a past President of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Fellow of the American Board of Trial Advocacy, a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers, and a member of the American Law Institute. He is a member of the Lawyer Pilots Bar Association, the International Society of Air Safety Investigators, and has authored two chapters in Kreindler’s Aviation Accident Law for Matthew Bender & Company, Inc., on “Military Accidents” and “Air Traffic Control Negligence”. He has extensive multi-district litigation and class action experience, most recently being local counsel in a 203 million dollar settlement in Miami.

Phoenix, Arizona

Judge Thumma has served on the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One, in Phoenix since 2012 and was chief judge from 2017‒19. Before that, he served for five years as a trial judge (criminal and juvenile rotations) on the Arizona Superior Court in Maricopa County.

Among his many roles within the American Bar Association, he serves as a presidential appointee to the Standing Committee on Lawyer Referral and Information Services (2023‒present) and to the Advisory Council of the ABA Task Force on Law and Artificial Intelligence (2023-present). He previously served as a presidential appointee to the Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility Judges Advisory Committee.

In the ABA Judicial Division Appellate Judges Conference, Judge Thumma has served as Executive Committee chair and as chair of the Appellate Judges Education Institute (AJEI) Board of Directors.

He has been a Uniform Law Commissioner from Arizona since 2012 and currently serves as a secretary of the ULC and on the ULC Executive Committee.

He has worked closely with The National Judicial College for many years, through the AJEI and the ABA Judicial Division, as well as teaching in various areas, including ethics, writing, evidence and judicial decision making.

He has taught at both the Arizona State University and University of Arizona colleges of law and has presented at many law schools outside the state, including Duke and Georgetown. He has presented at nearly 500 law-related seminars sponsored by organizations including The World Bank, ABA, Bolch Judicial Institute, National Center for State Courts, American Judges Association, New Zealand Judiciary, Ukrainian Judiciary and Vietnamese Judiciary.

He is also a frequent author, having published 15 law review articles, 6 book chapters and nearly 70 other law-related articles, and his work is frequently cited in other materials.