The 2026 New Law Partner Conference Schedule

Dean Kent Barnett, J. Gilbert Reese Chair in Contract Law, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law  

Kent Barnett is the dean and J. Gilbert Reese Chair in Contract Law at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Before becoming the dean, he was the associate dean for academic affairs and the J. Alton Hosch Professor at the University of Georgia School of Law. He has taught administrative law, contracts, and consumer law. Focused on the separation of powers and administrative law, his scholarship has been published in, among other places, the New York University, Michigan, Duke, Vanderbilt, and Notre Dame Law Reviews. He clerked for Judge John Rogers of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and practiced law at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in its complex commercial litigation and appellate groups. He earned his undergraduate degree summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Centre College and his law degree summa cum laude and Order of the Coif from the University of Kentucky College of Law. 

Kaela King, Managing Partner, Cooper Elliott

Kaela King is a Managing Partner and Trial Attorney at Cooper Elliott. There, she represents plaintiffs in complex civil cases involving wrongful death, catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, defective products, and civil rights violations. She was recognized as a member of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2024 by Columbus Business First.

Kaela began her legal career clerking for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She graduated Order of the Coif from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the law review.

Prior to become a lawyer, Kaela had a decade-long career in education: she was a teacher and administrator in high-poverty schools, the founding director of a new chapter of a national nonprofit, and a state policy advisor.

Luke Fedlam, Partner, Amundsen Davis

Luke’s career is dedicated to guiding businesses, executives, and athletes through the complexities of corporate and sports law, ensuring they are protected, empowered, and prepared for success. As co-chair of the firm’s Entertainment, Sports, and Media Law Service Group, he provides strategic counsel to organizations on corporate structuring, governance, and strategic transactions while also serving as a trusted advisor for athletes navigating the business of sports. Whether advising a company on an acquisition or helping a professional athlete negotiate an endorsement deal, Luke applies a client-centric approach that prioritizes education, risk mitigation, and long-term growth.

As a corporate attorney and sports law advisor, Luke offers comprehensive legal solutions tailored to the distinct needs of his clients. His background in finance and wealth management initially led him to educate athletes on financial literacy, where he saw firsthand how individuals in high-stakes industries often lacked the legal protection they needed. This experience shaped his career, fueling his passion for providing the same level of business-minded advocacy to entrepreneurs, executives, and athletes alike. Today, he leverages his deep knowledge of corporate transactions, contract negotiations, and brand protection to help clients—from emerging startups to elite athletes to established businesses—secure their futures and maximize opportunities.

Abby Chin, Managing Partner, Cooper Elliott

Abby Chin represents individuals, families, and businesses in complex civil litigation. Her practice focuses on wrongful death, life-altering injuries, sexual abuse, civil rights violations, and malpractice. Abby has secured multiple multi-million-dollar results for clients through trial, including one of the largest jury verdicts in Ohio in 2025. She is known for her meticulous preparation, persuasive courtroom presence, and dedication to holding powerful institutions accountable. A lifelong competitor, Abby was a Division I swim team captain, a three-time U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier, and an Ironman 140.6 finisher. These experiences shaped her endurance, focus, and ability to work as part of a high-performing team—qualities that continue to guide her in the courtroom. Before joining Cooper Elliott, Abby practiced litigation at a national firm and clerked for the Honorable Timothy S. Black, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, and the Honorable John E. Steele, United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Abby is recognized as a 2025 Columbus Business First 40 Under 40 and Leadership Columbus Signature Program, Class of 2026. She is a Board Member and Past President of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Central Ohio. Abby spends her free time coaching for the Upper Arlington aquatics programs.

Michael Hunter, Partner, Flannery Georgalis/Columbus

Michael is a Partner in the Columbus office for Flannery | Georgalis, a white-collar and criminal defense firm. Michael is an experienced criminal and civil litigator with a deep understanding of federal criminal investigations, prosecutions, appellate, and forfeiture actions from his nearly 18 years of federal prosecutor experience. Immediately prior to joining F|G in 2024, Michael was a Deputy Criminal Chief and Assistant U.S. Attorney in Southern District of Ohio, serving in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force for more than 15 years. In his career, Michael directed dozens of major federal drug trafficking and money laundering investigations, as well as previously serving as the Project Safe Childhood Coordinator directing federal child pornography and child exploitation prosecutions throughout the U.S.

Michael’s vast criminal experience includes securing more than 500 criminal indictments and 750 felony convictions for the United States, with more than 25 federal jury trials and dozens of appeals before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Michael also served for two years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, gaining valuable investigative and trial experience as a grand jury and violent crimes prosecutor from 2006-2008, and was a law clerk for the Hon. John R. Fisher on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals from 2005-2006. 

Before attending law school at Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Michael served on active duty for eight years as a U.S. Air Force security policeman and criminal investigator, including serving in Operation Desert Storm.  Michael has received numerous awards for his military service, including two Air Force Commendation Medals, an Air Force Achievement Medal and a Joint-Service Achievement Medal.

Chad Eggspuehler, Partner, Tucker Ellis

Chad Eggspuehler is an appellate and complex litigation strategist with experience in federal and state courts across the United States. Every case is a puzzle. Drawing on federal clerkships at the District and Circuit Court level and more than 10 years of appellate practice, Chad thrives at arranging the pieces, fitting them together, and telling the client’s story. Chad specializes in crafting succinct and thoughtful solutions to complex legal issues at all stages of litigation, ranging from jurisdictional, discovery, and expert motions to trial support and leading appellate teams. Chad has devised winning strategies for a variety of clients, ranging from product-liability MDLs to bankruptcy, federal preemption, copyright, and LGBT civil rights issues. His jurisdictional, merits, and amicus briefs have appeared in courts across the country, including the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Circuits; Ohio Supreme Court; and Supreme Court of the United States. Chad’s advocacy extends beyond the traditional courtroom and reflects a commitment to advancing the legal profession and inclusion. In addition to being an active member of the Executive Board for the William K. Thomas Inn of Court, he prosecutes UPL matters for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, serves on the Cuyahoga County Commission on Human Rights, coaches competitive moot court teams for The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and gives legislative testimony in support of LGBTQ issues. In March 2024, Chad became co-chair of Tucker Ellis’s Inclusion Committee. Previously, he co-chaired lgbTE, the firm’s LGBTQ+ inclusion resource group, of which he is a founding member.

Janica Pierce Tucker, Partner-in-Charge, Taft/Columbus

Janica is the partner-in-charge of the Taft Columbus office. Her practice focuses on representing clients in all aspects of employment and labor law. She advises employers regarding legal planning and policy analysis and formulation, including preparation of employee handbooks, and represents colleges and universities regarding labor and employment matters, public records, and tenure decisions. She also represents primary and secondary schools. Janica has extensive experience advising employers in defense against a broad range of employment claims including sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful discharge matters. As a litigator, she is also active in other aspects of civil trial, appellate litigation, and commercial litigation as part of her practice. She is also Title IX certified. She provides Title IX training and conducts investigations that include Title IX, Clery, and VAWA. Active in the community, Janica has been recognized by her peers on numerous occasions. She is a 2018 Fellow for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and is listed in Ohio Super Lawyers for employment and labor law. Janica is a member of Taft’s Executive Committee and serves as co-chair of Taft’s firmwide Inclusion and Opportunity Committee.

Marcy Hingst, Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated and The Huntington National Bank

Marcy Hingst is a Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated and The Huntington National Bank. She and her team provide legal advice and counsel to the business segments and control functions while proactively advancing Huntington’s business strategies and priorities, safeguarding, and protecting Huntington’s reputation in the marketplace, enabling Huntington’s next phase of growth, and achieving the vision to “Become the country’s leading People-First, Digitally Powered Bank.”

An experienced executive and attorney, Hingst brings more than two decades of legal, risk, and compliance leadership experience. Prior to joining Huntington, she held several senior leadership roles at Bank of America. Most recently, she served as Global Financial Crimes Executive and Chief Risk Officer for the Consumer and Small Business and Global Wealth Management lines of business. Previously, she served as the Deputy General Counsel for the Consumer and Small Business Banking. She also led a global team responsible for the defense of Bank of America’s domestic and international litigation and regulatory inquiries. Earlier in her career she practiced law with Jones Day and O'Melveny & Myers.

Hingst serves on the Board of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and is a member of the American Heart Associate Heart Ball Committee in Charlotte. She previously served on the Board of Safe Alliance, the Domestic Violence Shelter and Rape Crisis center in Charlotte, and Charlotte Legal Aid.

Hingst earned her Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University and Bachelor of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music. She earned her Juris Doctorate from The Ohio State University. She lives with her family in both Charlotte and Columbus.

Lawrence W. Inks, Clinical Professor, Management & Human Resources, The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business

Larry Inks, PhD is Clinical Professor of Management and Human Resources in the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. He teaches both undergraduate and graduate level classes in the areas of talent management, organization change and project management, organizational behavior and human resource management, staffing, and statistics and research methods. He is actively involved in executive education programs and initiatives offered through the Fisher College of Business as well as external consulting and speaking. Prior to joining the faculty at the Fisher College, Dr. Inks had a very successful career in talent management leadership roles at PepsiCo, AlliedSignal/ Honeywell, and Cardinal Health. Most recently, Dr. Inks was Vice President of Talent Management for Cardinal Health in Dublin, Ohio from 2001-2005. His areas of responsibility (among others) included culture management, employee engagement, human resource planning/talent review, leadership development, performance management systems, and organization change. Prior to Cardinal Health, Dr. Inks worked with AlliedSignal as head of Organization and Leadership Development for their Polymers business. He also worked for a number of years with PepsiCo in both talent management and human resource generalist roles. In addition, he served on the faculty of the Management Department of the Barton School of Business at Wichita State University, teaching in areas of organization development, organization behavior, human resource management and business decision making and analysis. Dr. Inks has a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from The Ohio State University and a Bachelors degree in Psychology from Purdue University. He has received a number of teaching and service awards while at The Ohio State University, including the Fisher Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award, the Daniel Westerbeck Pace Setters Award for Undergraduate Teaching Excellence, the Daniel Westerbeck Pace Setters Award for Graduate Teaching Excellence, the Bostic-Georges Pace Setter Award for Faculty Service, and Fisher’s awards for Graduate Teaching Excellence in Management and Human Resources.  He is a three-time recipient of recognition by members of the Sphinx/Mortar Board Senior Class honor society for the faculty/staff member having the greatest impact on the student’s educational experience while at OSU, and in 2015 received Ohio State University’s Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching (the University’s highest recognition for teaching excellence).

Joseph Morford, Past Managing Partner, Tucker Ellis, Cleveland

Joe Morford served as the firmwide Managing Partner of Tucker Ellis LLP from 2010 through the end of 2025. In that stretch the firm grew from a modest sized start up (the firm was founded in the summer of 2003) to a nationally prominent trial, transactions and IP firm, now with nearly 250 lawyers in 11 offices across the country. Joe maintains an active practice focused on the representation of major corporations in complex mass tort, business litigation, and product liability matters both in Ohio and in courtrooms throughout the United States. A true believer in (and frequent commentator on) non-hourly fee arrangements, Joe’s results-driven approach provides clients with predictability and cost savings by reducing needless motion practice, discovery, and work on client files. His focus is always on understanding how the litigation at hand impacts the client’s business as a whole and on preparing his matters efficiently for trial, which interestingly often leads to more prompt and favorable settlements for our clients. This approach has twice led him to be named Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in Cleveland, Ohio – once for Mass Tort Litigation and once for Class Action Litigation – as well as regularly named a “Local Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation and included on the list of Ohio Super Lawyers® and The Best Lawyers in America©. For 18 years, Joe served as a volunteer magistrate judge for the City of Shaker Heights Juvenile Court Diversion Program. He serves on numerous community Boards of Directors and is active in many community organizations.

Yaz Ashrawi, Partner-in-Charge, FBT Gibbons

Yaz counsels and advises both public and private clients in a wide-array of business and real estate issues as a trusted outside general counsel. On the litigation side, Yaz focuses his practice on assisting clients with land-use and zoning, eminent domain, real estate tax, and development disputes in state and federal courts. Yaz has successfully represented his clients as lead counsel in jury trials, bench trials, and through pre-trial motion practice in various state and federal courts. In addition to his trial work, he has successfully represented clients in appellate proceedings in front of numerous administrative agencies, state courts of appeals, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Ohio Supreme Court. Yaz has briefed and handled over 30 appellate matters, and presented oral argument on multiple occasions in state and federal appellate courts. With long-range vision and decisiveness, he is both a counselor and trusted advisor who assembles the right team around client issues in order to maximize the firm’s resources for efficient and notable outcomes. Yaz is also the partner-in-charge of the Columbus office of Frost Brown Todd.

Juli Faris Bruce, General Counsel and Principal of NBBJ, a 2025 TIME 100 Most Influential Company, 5X Fast Company Most Innovative Architecture Firm and 2X 2025 AIA National Honor Award Recipient

In Juli’s role as General Counsel of NBBJ, she provides legal guidance and oversight to all leadership levels of the firm.  She manages both the internal and external legal teams and oversees NBBJ’s global compliance function across 12 offices throughout the United States, United Kingdom, China and India.  She leads the firm’s risk management team, providing guidance on large projects, contracts, claims, intellectual property matters, real estate leasing, joint ventures, entity structure, licensing, and governance. Over her 36 years of practice, she has been given opportunities to travel throughout the Middle East and Eastern Europe to negotiate complex transactions.  Juli first joined the firm in 2004 as Assistant General Counsel and was promoted to General Counsel and Principal in 2012. Prior to joining NBBJ, she spent 15 years in private practice specializing in mergers and acquisitions in firms ranked as Tier 1, “Best Law Firms.”

Molly Lampe, Chief Legal Officer, Wright-Patt Credit Union, Inc.

Molly Lampe currently serves as the Chief Legal Officer at Wright-Patt Credit Union, Inc., headquartered in Beavercreek, OH where she is responsible for leading the credit union’s legal and regulatory affairs teams, including providing representation and advice to the credit union and its Credit Union Service Organizations (CUSOs) and charitable foundation. Ms. Lampe brings experience counseling corporate clients, primarily financial services companies. Prior to joining the credit union, Ms. Lampe practiced law at Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP and Fifth Third Bank where she focused her practice on corporate, litigation, and regulatory and compliance matters. Ms. Lampe holds a JD from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law (class of 2000) and a BSBA from The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business (class of 1997).

Matt Navarre, VP and Associate General Counsel, M&A and Legal Operations, Cardinal Health

Matt has practiced law for over ten years with the first seven years as an M&A and corporate securities lawyer at Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur in Columbus. He currently leads the legal M&A and legal, compliance, regulatory, government relations, quality, and aviation department operations teams at Cardinal Health, a Fortune 20 healthcare services company headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. During Matt’s time at Cardinal Health, the company has completed M&A transactions worth over $10 billion. Matt lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife, kids, and dog.

Nathan Colvin, Senior Vice President, and Associate General Counsel at Fifth Third Bank

Nathan Colvin serves as the Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel for Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement at Fifth Third Bank, a position held since January 2020, where management of litigation and regulatory enforcement across various financial sectors is a primary focus. Additionally, Nathan Colvin holds a position as an Adjunct Professor and Associate Director of the Sixth Circuit Clinic at the University of Cincinnati College of Law since January 2018, teaching appellate advocacy. Prior experience includes serving as a Litigation Partner at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, and a law clerk for the Honorable David W. McKeague at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Nathan Colvin's educational background includes a Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Miami University.

Melissa Zujkowski, VP of Litigation & Disputes, Flex

Melissa leads litigation and legal operations at Flex in San Jose, California. Flex is a global technology, supply chain, and advanced manufacturing solutions partner that helps customers design, build, deliver, and manage products across their full lifecycle.

Flex operates in ~30 countries with 140,000+ employees and serves a wide range of industries—including data center, communications, enterprise, automotive, industrial, consumer devices, lifestyle, and health solutions—by providing end-to-end capabilities spanning design and engineering, supply chain orchestration, manufacturing, and postproduction services.  She previously served as a partner in Ulmer and Berne LLP’s commercial litigation group in Cleveland, Ohio, where she represented financial institution and manufacturing clients in complex commercial matters.

Melissa is admitted in Ohio and Pennsylvania and serves as Registered In house Counsel in California.

Ric Simmons, Associate Dean for Faculty and Intellectual Life and Chair of AI Committee, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law

Ric Simmons is the Associate Dean for Faculty and Intellectual Life and the Jacob E. Davis and Jacob E. Davis II Chair in Law at Moritz. He teaches Evidence, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and Computer Crime and Surveillance. An accomplished legal scholar, Professor Simmons’ research focuses on the intersection of the Fourth Amendment and new technology. He has written about the use of big data in the criminal justice system, searches of cell phones and other electronic devices, and hyper-intrusive surveillance devices. He has also written about the privatization of the criminal justice system and the role of the prosecutor. Professor Simmons is the author of Smart Surveillance: How to Interpret the Fourth Amendment in the Twenty-First Century (Cambridge Press 2019), and Private Criminal Justice: How Private Parties are Enforcing Criminal Law and Transforming Our Justice System (2023), and he has co-authored five casebooks and three hornbooks. His scholarship has also appeared in leading legal journals, including the Duke Law Journal, the Boston University Law Review, and the George Washington Law Review. Before coming to Moritz, Simmons was an acting assistant professor at New York University School of Law. Before that, he clerked for the Honorable Laughlin E. Waters of the Central District of California and then served for four years as an assistant district attorney for New York County. Professor Simmons is a national expert on the grand jury and served on the Ohio Supreme Court’s Grand Jury Task Force. He has also been a recipient of the Ohio State University Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching and has won the Morgan E. Shipman Outstanding Professor Award six times.

Ryan L. Waggoner, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright

Ryan L. Waggoner is a partner located in Norton Rose Fulbright's New York office. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity and venture capital investments, and general corporate representation and counselling. Ryan has represented US, Japanese, and other Asian and European clients on a wide variety of strategic and commercial transactions, primarily in the technology, life sciences, and financial services industries. Clients rely on Ryan for his ability to provide advice and to bridge differences in culture, experience, and expectations. Prior to joining Norton Rose Fulbright, Ryan worked for two major international law firms in Tokyo, New York, and New Jersey. He is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.

Kyle Poe, Vice President of Legal Innovation & Strategy, Legora

Kyle Poe is the Vice President of Legal Innovation & Strategy at Legora, where he helps law firms and legal departments harness AI to transform both the practice and business of law. Previously, Kyle was a litigation partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, where he specialized in using analytics and AI to manage complex product liability and mass tort matters. He led the development of the firm’s in-house matter-management platform, integrating real-time data insights into case strategy and reshaping how large-scale litigation was handled. Kyle holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A. in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin.

Miguel Villalobos, Sr. Director & AI & eDiscovery, Integreon

Miguel Villalobos joined Integreon in 2024 as a Senior Director, AI, and eDiscovery. In this role, Miguel is responsible for assessing and evaluating the eDiscovery technology landscape including the application of gen AI. He is a frequent thought leadership contributor both publishing and participating at industry seminars and webinars. Additionally, Miguel works closely with Integreon litigation clients to identify best-fit technology solutions to streamline processes and reduce costs. Miguel has over 12 years of experience applying advanced technology to eDiscovery to reduce the time and cost of litigation preparation while delivering accurate results. He has implemented machine learning and AI technology solutions reducing client litigation spend in large and small matters by over 73% in the life sciences, financial services, and agricultural sectors. Miguel has a JD from The Ohio University Moritz College of Law, and bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and English from The Ohio State University.