DTCI: Meet the 2019 Board of Directors

At the November annual meeting of the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana, the following officers and directors were elected. They assumed office January 1, 2019.

Officers
 

Renee Mortimer

Renee Mortimer, the new president, is the partner-in-charge of the Indiana office of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in Schererville. She is a leader of the firm’s personal injury and property damage practice group and is a member of the firm’s executive committee.

In October 2012, Ms. Mortimer received the Indiana State Bar Association’s Defense Lawyer Civility Award for 2012. She was selected for the honor by the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, which recognizes one Indiana defense attorney each year for outstanding civility and professionalism in dealings with fellow judges, attorneys, parties, witnesses and the public.

In 2011, Ms. Mortimer was one of only 11 women to receive the Influential Women of Northwest Indiana Award. She was honored for her influence in the legal industry category. In 2015, she was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions — Defendants, Medical Malpractice Law — Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation. Ms. Mortimer is a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA), a member of the Council on Litigation Management, DRI, and International Association of Defense Trial Counsel.

Donald S. Smith

Don Smith, the 2019 president-elect, is a partner in the Indianapolis law firm of Riley Bennett Egloff LLP. He limits his practice to representing employers in employment matters. Smith graduated with honors from DePauw University in 1978 and Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1981. Since then, he has defended employers before state and federal courts, the National Labor Relations Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Indiana Civil Rights Commission, U.S. Department of Labor, Indiana Worker’s Compensation Board, various arbitrators, and at the collective bargaining table, in addition to advising them concerning day-to-day employment issues. He was the chairman of the DTCI Worker’s Compensation Section in 2012.

Kori L. Chambers

Kori Chambers is the 2019 vice president of DTCI. She is associate general counsel (litigation) with Indiana University Health, Inc. She received her BA in international studies from Miami University in 1998 and received her JD in 2001 from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. She manages medical professional and general liability claims for IU Health Risk Retention Group, Inc., which insures IU Health facilities and healthcare providers, as well as other practitioners throughout Indiana.

Ms. Chambers was named Young Lawyer of the Year by the Indianapolis Bar Association in 2008, and in 2009, DTCI named her Young Lawyer of the Year for her leadership qualities in service to the Indiana defense bar, the national defense bar, and the community. Chambers has been appointed by both Governor Mitch Daniels and Governor Mike Pence to the board of the Indiana Commission for Women.

Elliott I. Pinkie

Elliott Pinkie, the new treasurer of the association, is a partner of Cline Law Group LLC in Indianapolis. He specializes in civil litigation for the defense with a concentration in medical malpractice, licensing litigation, peer review, healthcare litigation, and product and premises liability defense. After graduating from Munster High School in 1991, he earned a BS in criminal justice and criminology from Ball State University (1995) and a JD from The Claude W. Pettit College of Law, Ohio Northern University (2000).

Mr. Pinkie is a frequent speaker on topics germane to the Indiana Medical Malpractice Act, healthcare provider liability issues in Indiana, and medical professional licensing issues. He is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Indiana. He is a member of DRI and previously served DTCI as chair of the Trial Tactics Section. He is also a member of the Indianapolis Bar Association and Indiana State Bar Association. In addition, he is an active member in the Indiana Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ISHRM) and serves on its board of directors. Elliott was also selected for inclusion in the listing of Indiana Rising Stars for the years 2009, 2012, and 2013, and was selected as an Indiana Super Lawyer for medical malpractice defense in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. He has been an active supporter of LifeSmart Youth, a United Way of Central Indiana agency, where he previously served as president on the executive committee and remains on its board of directors.

Robert B. Thornburg

Rob Thornburg, the immediate past president of DTCI, is a member of Frost Brown Todd LLC who concentrates his practice in the areas of product liability, commercial and business litigation, breach of warranty, and tort litigation. He routinely represents manufacturers against product liability and breach of warranty claims in suits throughout Indiana and the Midwest. He has experience in Indiana’s state and federal courts and has defended clients in states throughout the Midwest, Mid-south, South, and Southwest.

Mr. Thornburg is a member of DRI and the Indianapolis Bar Association. He received his BS degree, cum laude, from Ball State University and his JD from Indiana University-Bloomington.

James W. Hehner

Jim Hehner, former president of the association, returns to the board to serve as Indiana representative to DRI. He is a partner in the Indianapolis firm of Hehner & Associates, LLC.

Directors

BJ Brinkerhoff

BJ Brinkerhoff is a shareholder at Katz Korin Cunningham PC in Indianapolis. He focuses his practice on business disputes, including employment matters, shareholder claims, director and officer liability, and day-to-day business disputes. He also litigates product liability cases, restaurant and retail liability, civil rights matters, contract disputes, insurance matters, personal injury and appeals. Mr. Brinkerhoff represents clients in many jurisdictions, including the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana, throughout the state of Indiana and in many other state and federal courts around the country.

When he is not representing Katz Korin Cunningham’s clients, you will often find him playing golf, tennis, basketball, cooking, enjoying Indy’s growing restaurant scene, or traveling to visit his family.

Norris Cunningham

Norris Cunningham is a co-founding partner of Katz Korin Cunningham PC and leads the firm’s healthcare practice. He serves as chair of the Indiana State Bar Association Diversity Committee and is past chair of the Long-Term Care Subcommittee of the Health Section of DTCI. He is a certified arbitrator by the American Arbitration Association and the American Health Lawyers Association. Mr. Cunningham is a frequent presenter on long-term care at national and regional meetings.

Mr. Cunningham was a captain in the U.S. Air Force from 1989 to 1994 and a lieutenant colonel in the Indiana Air National Guard from 1994 to 2010. He received his BA from Aurora University in 1988, his MS from Central Michigan University in 1991, and his JD from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1996.

Marian Drenth

Marian Drenth is a partner with O’Neill McFadden & Willett LLP in Schererville. She concentrates her practice in civil litigation with an emphasis in professional liability, including healthcare law, medical malpractice defense, and legal malpractice defense. In addition to representing physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers in medical negligence claims, her practice areas include general liability, employment law, professional liability and insurance defense. She has successfully defended clients in numerous jury trials in matters involving general negligence and medical malpractice claims.

Ms. Drenth received her BA from Loyola University, cum laude, in 1992 and her JD from Valparaiso University School of Law in 1995. She has served as vice chair of the Health Law Section of DTCI. She is currently a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, the Porter County Inns of Court, and she is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Ms. Drenth previously served as a board member for the Porter County Inns of Court from 2006 to 2010, serving as president from June 2009 to June 2010. She holds an AV Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Belinda Johnson-Hurtado

Ms. Johnson-Hurtado is a partner at Clendening Johnson & Bohrer PC, practicing in the civil litigation department and concentrating in complex commercial litigation, insurance law, and personal injury law. She graduated from the University of Evansville, cum laude, with a BS in legal studies, and she received her JD, cum laude, from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. She is also a 2002 Fellow of the Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity (ICLEO).

She is active with Bloomington’s Hispanic community, working with and advising the firm’s Spanish-speaking clients and publishing materials to help non-native English speakers understand the U.S. legal system and processes. Belinda is a member of the Board of Editors, Indiana Civil Litigation Review (2010-Present). She was awarded the 2018 Women in the Law Recognition Award from the Indiana State Bar Association’s Women in the Law Committee and was named into America’s Top 100 Civil Defense Litigators in 2018. She was an Indiana Super Lawyers Rising Star in Civil Litigation – Defense from 2013 through 2015.

Matthew R. King

Matt King is a member in Frost Brown Todd’s Indianapolis office, where he concentrates his practice in product liability litigation. He has defended manufacturers of automobiles, seat belts, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, personal watercraft, medical devices, and other products in state and federal courts across the country. He also has extensive experience in premises liability, insurance defense, and general tort litigation.

He has been an active member of DTCI and DRI since his admission to the bar in 2003. Mr. King is a past chair of DTCI’s Product Liability Section and Young Lawyers Committee, a past recipient of DTCI’s Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, and he has presented at many DTCI seminars. He is also a past DRI State Membership Chair for Indiana.

Christopher D. Lee

Chris Lee is a partner in the Evansville office of Wooden McLaughlin LLP. Mr. Lee is a trial attorney and has been recognized by his peers for his representation in insurance defense and commercial litigation matters. He manages complex litigation cases and is a frequent speaker on trial practice and trial advocacy. He is also an active member in DRI.

Jeffrey Lowe

Mr. Lowe is a partner in the New Albany office of Kightlinger & Gray LLP. His primary area of practice is civil rights defense work, and he regularly represents governmental entities sued for constitutional or state law torts in state or federal courts. He regularly counsels cities, towns, and counties regarding their constitutional obligations and state law duties. He also handles general liability and professional liability cases.

He is the former chair of DRI’s Governmental Liability Section and now serves on DRI’s National Board of Directors. Mr. Lowe is also a member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel and the International Association of Defense Counsel. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Defense Counsel. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1994 with a BA in history and received his JD from the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville in 1998.

Beverly J. Mack

Beverly Mack is a partner in the LaPorte firm of Huelat & Mack PC. She is an Illinois native and practiced law at an insurance defense firm in her home state for seven years before relocating to Indiana in 1996. She has been with Huelat & Mack for 22 years, practicing insurance defense litigation, including product liability, industrial accidents, trucking, construction defect, dental malpractice, premises liability, and commercial actions.

Ms. Mack obtained her BA from Eastern Illinois University, and her JD from the University of Illinois College of Law. She is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, the LaPorte County Bar Association, and Women Lawyers Association of Indiana. She is a former treasurer for the Women Lawyers Association of Indiana.

Anna Mallon

Anna Mallon is a partner in the Indianapolis firm of Cantrell Strenski & Mehringer, where she concentrates her practice in the areas of insurance bad faith, insurance coverage, and third-party defense of insureds. She received her BA in political science and BS in secondary education from Miami University in 1997. She received her JD from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2002.

Ms. Mallon is the former chair of DTCI’s Insurance Coverage Section and has presented at DTCI seminars.

Libby Valos Moss

Libby Valos Moss is a partner with Kightlinger & Gray LLP. She is a trial attorney who concentrates her practice in the areas of employment law and defense of employers before the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Board. She is a frequent speaker on the issues that employers face when confronted with worker’s compensation claims. She is admitted to practice in Indiana and before the U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana.

Ms. Moss has served as the chair of the DTCI Worker’s Compensation Section and is a former chair of the Workers’ Compensation Committee of DRI. In addition to being an active member of DTCI and DRI, she is a member of the Litigation Counsel of America. Ms. Moss was recognized as a Rising Star by the Indiana Super Lawyers for 2010, 2011 and 2012. She has more recently been named to the Super Lawyers List for 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Bradley Schulz

Mr. Schulz is an attorney with State Farm Litigation Counsel in Indianapolis. Although born in Neenah, Wisconsin, he has lived in central Indiana since boyhood and considers it home. He is a 1993 graduate of Butler University and received his law degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1999.

Mr. Schulz is active in community service and in his church, Church at the Crossing. He volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, Rebuild the Wall, and Passport to Employment, an employment ministry. He has served on the Board of Elders and taught adult Sunday class for 15 years. In addition, he serves on the pit crew for the Fishers High School Marching Tiger Band.

His interests include history and biography, baseball, and spending time with his wife, Jennifer, and children, Zachary and Hannah.

Richard K. Shoultz

Mr. Shoultz is a partner at Lewis Wagner LLP and focuses his practice on representing clients in the areas of fire loss, construction, product liability, insurance, and commercial litigation. He also spends considerable time assisting clients in the analysis and litigation of insurance coverage questions relating to commercial general liability, automobile, property, and homeowners policies, including claims relating to breach of the insurer’s duty of good faith. He is a 1987 graduate of Hanover College and received his JD from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1990.

Mr. Shoultz is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel, DRI, the American Bar Association, Indiana Bar Association, and the Indianapolis Bar Association. He has been selected as an Indiana Super Lawyer for the years of 2010 through 2018 and selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers of America in the field of Insurance Law for 2013 through 2019. In his spare time, he enjoys playing softball, following his favorite sports teams, studying the Civil War, and traveling.

Stacy F. Thompson

Stacy Thompson is a partner at Pitcher Thompson PC. She graduated with high distinction from Indiana University in 1999 with a BA in public health. In 2002, she graduated from Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Stacy concentrates her practice in the representation of healthcare professionals, including individual physicians and nurses, hospitals, physicians’ practice groups, and healthcare-related organizations, in a variety of healthcare law matters.

In 2010, DTCI named Ms. Thompson the Young Lawyer of the Year for her leadership qualities in service to the Indiana defense bar, the national defense bar, and the community. In 2010, 2011, and 2012, she was named a Rising Star by Indiana Super Lawyers, and in 2017 and 2018 she was named a Super Lawyer. Ms. Thompson also served DTCI as the chair of its Health Law Section and is currently on the DTCI Women in the Law Committee.

Elizabeth Trachtman Villa

Ms. Trachtman Villa practices in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group at Quarles & Brady LLP. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation, including the enforcement of employment agreements and litigating disputes regarding restrictive covenants. She is also heavily involved in Quarles & Brady’s pro bono program. She was recently named the 2017 Outstanding Young Lawyer by the DTCI and has been recognized as a Rising Star by the Indiana Super Lawyers. She previously served as the chair of the Trial Tactics Section of DTCI.

Louis Voelker

Lou Voelker, now of LaPorte, Indiana, was born in Gary and grew up in Columbus. He attended Purdue University, graduating in 1991. He attended law school at Indiana University Bloomington, graduating cum laude in 1995. He started as an associate with Eichhorn & Eichhorn LLP in 1995 and today is a general partner with the firm, working in the firm’s Hammond and Mishawaka offices.

Mr. Voelker was selected Defense Lawyer of the Year for 2012 and is a member of the Indiana chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. His practice is focused on civil litigation generally and professional liability defense primarily, including medical malpractice defense. He has successfully represented clients at the trial and appellate levels and holds an AV Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyer in the area of medical malpractice defense every year since 2013. He has been active in his community, in his church, as youth sports coach, as a 4-H leader, and as a musician.•