DTCI: Meet the 2022 DTCI 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 Jan. 1, 2022.

Officers

Elliott I. Pinkie

Elliott Pinkie, the 2022 president of DTCI, is the owner of Pinkie Law LLC in Indianapolis. He specializes in civil litigation for the defense with a concentration in medical malpractice, licensing litigation, healthcare litigation, and products and premises liability defense. He earned a BS in criminal justice and criminology from Ball State University (1995), and a JD from Claude W. Pettit College of Law, Ohio Northern University (2000).

Mr. Pinkie is a member of DRI and previously served DTCI as chair of the Trial Tactics Section as well as the Legislative Committee. He is a former president of the Indiana Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ISHRM). Mr. Pinkie 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 2016-2021. 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. Mr. Pinkie is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, the Indianapolis Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. In 2021, he was nominated by his peers and named a Distinguished Fellow by the Indianapolis Bar Foundation. He resides with his wife and two teenage children in Fishers, Indiana.

Christopher D. Lee

Chris Lee, the new president-elect of the association, is a partner in the Indianapolis office of Dinsmore & Shohl. 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.

Anna Mallon

Anna Mallon, the 2022 secretary, is an attorney in the Indianapolis law firm of Paganelli Law Group. Anna concentrates her practice in the areas of insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, and third-party defense of insureds. She represents insurance companies both pre- and post-suit on coverage issues. 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 regularly speaks on the topic of insurance coverage and bad faith.

Scott B. Cockrum

Scott Cockrum, the 2022 treasurer of the association, is a partner in the Northwest Indiana and Indianapolis offices of Lewis Brisbois. He has extensive experience handling professional liability claims in state and federal courts in Indiana, including ones involving the defense of architects, engineers, lawyers, accountants, surveyors, property managers, and realtors. He also frequently represents physicians and nursing homes in medical malpractice claims. He received his BS from University of Southern Indiana in 1993, his MA in English from Indiana State University in 1995, and his JD from University of Notre Dame in 1998.

Kori L. Chambers

Kori Chambers, immediate past-president, is associate general counsel (litigation) with Indiana University Health, Inc. She received her BA in international studies from Miami University in 1998 and 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. Ms. Chambers has been appointed by Governor Mitch Daniels, Governor Mike Pence, and Governor Eric Holcolmb to the board of the Indiana Commission for Women.

Indiana Representative to DRI

Kyle A. Lansberry

Kyle Lansberry is the new Indiana representative to DRI. He is a partner in the Indianapolis office of Lewis Wagner. Kyle focuses his practice on all aspects of litigation, including personal injury, product liability, construction, and premises liability cases. In addition, he regularly advises and represents insurance companies across the country on environmental and agricultural insurance coverage matters and represents agricultural operations, farmers, and property owners in both the defense of lawsuits and administrative actions. Kyle has authored numerous articles in state and national legal publications in areas ranging from substantive tort and evidentiary law to trial tactics and is a frequent lecturer on a variety of legal issues, ranging from environmental coverage issues, pretrial investigation and discovery, effective presentation of evidence at trial, medical records, trial tactics and ethics. Kyle is an active member of the DRI and chair of the Litigation Skills Committee.

Directors

BJ Brinkerhoff

BJ Brinkerhoff is a partner in Jeselskis Brinkerhoff & Joseph LLC in Indianapolis. BJ focuses his practice on business disputes, including shareholder litigation and business divorces, noncompete and trade secret matters, director and officer liability cases, and day-to-day business disputes. He also litigates products liability cases, restaurant and retail liability, civil rights matters, contract disputes, insurance matters, and appeals. Mr. Brinkerhoff represents clients in many jurisdictions, including the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana, throughout Indiana, and in many other state and federal courts around the country.

Mr. Brinkerhoff graduated from Vanderbilt University with a BA in political science and U.S. history in 2000 and received his JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2003. When he is not representing JBJ’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 previously served 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. Mr. Cunningham now serves as chair of the DTCI Diversity Committee. He is an arbitrator certified 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.

Lauren Dimmitt

Lauren Dimmitt is a partner in Dinsmore & Shohl LLP’s Bloomington office. She focuses her practice in the areas of personal injury defense, insurance coverage, and medical malpractice defense. She regularly appears in state and federal courts in Indiana and Kentucky and has represented individuals and businesses through all stages of litigation including discovery, mediation, motion practice, trials, and appeals. Ms. Dimmitt received a BS in health services administration and a BS in business administration marketing from the University of Evansville in 2006. She received her JD from Indiana Maurer School of Law in 2011. Lauren was named a Rising Star by Indiana Super Lawyers for the years of 2014 through 2021.

Lucy Dollens

Lucy Dollens is a co-founding partner of the Indianapolis office of Quarles & Brady LLP. She is a commercial litigator and appellate practitioner. Licensed in both Indiana and West Virginia, her practice encompasses a wide array of complex commercial issues, including commercial contracts, distribution, supply chain, warranty, commercial real estate, risk mitigation, False Claims Act, business torts, employment restrictive covenants, unfair competition, and trade secrets litigation. Ms. Dollens serves as the chair of the DTCI Amicus Committee. She was named Defense Lawyer of the Year by DTCI in 2013. She has been selected for inclusion in Indiana Super Lawyers in business litigation (2016–present) and was selected one of the Top 25 Female Attorneys in Indiana in 2020 and 2021. Ms. Dollens received her BA cum laude from Butler University and her JD summa cum laude from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

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 and employment law. 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 Inn 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, she has been selected as an Indiana SuperLawyer in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and she was recently accepted into the Indiana Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

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 25 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.

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 workers’ 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 Worker’s 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 also been named to the Super Lawyers List each year for the years 2014-2020.

Keith Mundrick

Keith Mundrick is a partner in the Indianapolis office of SmithAmundsen LLC. He maintains a transactional and commercial litigation practice, focusing on the representation of financial institutions and businesses on matters related to financing, contractual issues, and commercial disputes. He also advises insurance companies on complex matters of insurance policy coverage. He received his BS in finance from Bradley University in 2009 and his JD from Indiana University McKinney School of Law in 2012 with honors.

In 2019, he was named the Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year by DTCI for his leadership qualities in service to the Indiana defense bar, the national defense bar, and the community. He serves on the DTCI Amicus Curiae Committee and has also served as vice-chair of the Business Litigation Section of DTCI. Keith lives in Indianapolis with his family and enjoys wine, travel, and Chicago Blackhawks hockey.

Maryanne Pelic

Maryanne Pelic is a partner in the Bloomington law firm of Bunger & Robertson. Her practice focuses primarily on civil litigation, insurance defense, and medical malpractice defense. She grew up in Columbus, Indiana, and attended IU Bloominton for both her undergraduate and law school degrees. She graduated from law school in 1986 and worked as a prosecutor in Monroe County until she joined Bunger & Robertson in 2005.

For many years, she has been active with My Sisters Closet, an organization that provides clothing and job skills training for low-income and at-risk women seeking self-sufficiency through employment. She currently serves as president of the organization’s board.

Bradley Schulz

Bradley Schulz is an attorney with State Farm Litigation Counsel in Indianapolis. He is a member of the Indiana Bar Association as well as the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Although originally hailing from 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.

His community service includes membership in the Church at the Crossing, where he serves on the board of elders. He has also volunteered his time with such organizations as Habitat for Humanity, Camp Challenge Indiana, and Passport to Employment. In addition, he serves on the pit crew for the Fishers High School Marching Tiger Band.

His interests include reading, specifically in history and biography. He enjoys baseball and racing, as well as spending time with his wife and children.

Richard K. Shoultz

Richard 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 along with serving as a mediator. 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 law degree 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 to the present and selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers of America in the field of Insurance Law for 2013 to the present. In his spare time, he enjoys playing softball, following his favorite sports teams, studying the Civil War, and traveling with his family.

Charles Smith

Charley Smith is a partner at Schultz & Pogue, LLP in Indianapolis. He focuses his practice on personal injury defense and insurance coverage. He previously served as the Trial Tactics chair for DTCI and also served as chair of the Litigation Section of the Indianapolis Bar Association. He also serves on the board of the IndyBar Foundation. He received his undergraduate degree in philosophy from Ball State University and a masters in public administration and his law degree from the University of Georgia. He has been an Indiana Super Lawyer for five years and is a member of the Sagamore Inn of Court. Charley resides in Indianapolis with his wife, daughter, and Labrador retriever. In addition to practicing law, he fundraises and recruits for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana, is a ride leader for the Central Indiana Bicycling Association, and competes in triathlons and masters swimming meets. He will gladly talk your ear off about University of Georgia football.

Todd Spurgeon

Todd Spurgeon is a partner in the New Albany office of Kightlinger & Gray, LLP. He is a trial attorney and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He routinely appears in state and federal courts, handling a wide range of insurance defense matters.

Todd is a former president of the Indiana State Bar Association and is active in the American Bar Association, previously serving in the House of Delegates and on various section committees. In addition to his involvement in other legal and professional organizations, he is a member of the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana and a member of the Lions Club of New Albany.

Elizabeth Trachtman Villa

Elizabeth Trachtman Villa practices in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group at Quarles & Brady LLP. Elizabeth’s practice focuses on general commercial litigation, including litigating disputes regarding restrictive covenants, counseling clients on risk avoidance related to restrictive covenants, and other business related disputes. She is also heavily involved in Quarles & Brady’s pro bono program and law student recruitment efforts. 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 W. Voelker

Lou Voelker, now of La Porte, 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, Lafayette, 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 medical malpractice defense primarily. 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 from 2013 to present. He has been active in his church and in his community as youth sports coach, a 4-H leader, and a musician.

Germaine Winnick Willett

Germaine Winnick Willett practices in the Workplace Solutions Group at Ice Miller LLP in Indianapolis. She advises employers on employment-related questions, conducts workplace investigations, and handles discrimination, harassment, wage-and-hour, and contract litigation on a regular basis. She received her undergraduate degree from DePauw University in 1994 and her law degree from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 1998. She has been recognized as a Rising Star by Indiana Super Lawyers, was co-recipient of the John Morton Finney, Jr., Award for Excellence in Legal Education in 2011, and received the IndyBar Women in Law Division Mentorship Award in 2020.

Ms. Willett served as the chair of DTCI’s Women in the Law Committee from 2017 to 2018. She served as chair of IndyBar’s Women in Law Division in 2011 and has been involved in planning and executing WLD’s Mentoring Program for the past ten years. She is active in the American Bar Association and DRI employment law subgroups. She is an active supporter of two nonprofit organizations, Growing Places Indy and Monrovia Band Boosters, serving both organizations in the role of board secretary.•