Center on Civil Justice Board of Advisors

Sheila Birnbaum '65

Chair of the Board of Advisors

Sheila Birnbaum practices primarily in the areas of products liability, toxic torts and insurance coverage litigation. Ms. Birnbaum represents corporations in complex mass tort and insurance litigation. Among other significant matters, she secured a historic victory for State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, when the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a $145 million punitive damages award against the company as unconstitutionally excessive. The New York Times hailed the Court’s decision as “a major victory in the long-running effort to shield corporate defendants from unconstrained jury awards.” The Wall Street Journal characterized the decision as “a big win for business interests concerned about ballooning legal judgments,” and the Washington Post described it as “a big win for corporate America.” Ms. Birnbaum has served as national counsel or lead defense counsel for numerous Fortune 500 companies in some of the largest and most complicated tort cases in the country. She served as national counsel for Dow Corning Corporation in the breast implant litigation, for Aventis Crop Science in several class actions and multidistrict litigation arising out of biogenetic corn and for Thompson-Delaco in the over-the-counter drug “PPA” litigation.

Ms. Birnbaum has argued many significant appeals in appellate courts throughout the country. In the U.S. Supreme Court, she successfully argued the case of Buckley v Metro North, a landmark case involving medical monitoring. She successfully represented an insurer in the New York Court of Appeals on the issue of whether a punitive damage verdict awarded in another state was insurable under New York law. She also represented Chrysler Corporation before the Florida Supreme Court in a case involving the standard of proof necessary to establish liability for punitive damages. Ms. Birnbaum represented FMC Corporation in an appeal in New York that resulted in a reversal and new trial of a $5 million punitive damage award arising out of a construction accident. She has lectured extensively and has authored numerous law review articles. She is a co-author of the Practitioner’s Guide to Litigating Insurance Coverage Actions. Ms. Birnbaum also has written a regular column on New York practice in the New York Law Journal, as well as a column on products liability in The National Law Journal.

Hon. Richard Franklin Boulware II

Judge Richard Franklin Boulware II was nominated to the United States District Court for the District of Nevada by President Barack Obama on January 16, 2014, to the seat vacated by Judge Philip Martin Pro. On June 12, 2014 Judge Boulware was sworn in as a United States District Judge and maintains his chambers in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Judge Boulware received an AB degree cum laude in 1993 from Harvard College and received his JD in 2002 from Columbia Law School where he was on the Law Review. Judge Boulware served as a law clerk to the Honorable Denise Cote in the Southern District of New York. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Boulware served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender for many years. He was a public defender in the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Las Vegas, Nevada and in the Federal Defenders Office of New York in New York City.

Judge Boulware is a past president of the Las Vegas chapter of the National Bar Association, as well as a former member of the National Board of Governors of the National Bar Association. He received a special President’s Award from the national president of the National Bar Association in 2011 as well as the Medal of Justice award from the State Bar of Nevada in 2012. In 2013, Judge Boulware received the Dedicated Service award from Nevada Attorneys for Criminal Justice. He has served on numerous nonprofit boards and community committees focusing on education reform and other issues facing disadvantaged, indigent or at-risk individuals in the community.

Elizabeth Cabraser

Under Elizabeth Cabraser’s leadership, Lieff Cabraser has become one of the country’s largest law firms serving clients seeking redress for financial and consumer fraud, anti-competitive practices, harmful drugs and products, environmental disasters, and illegal employment practices. For four decades, Elizabeth has made sure that our firm remains dedicated to its clients and its core values.

Possessing unparalleled expertise in complex civil litigation, Elizabeth has served as court-appointed lead, co-lead, or class counsel in scores of federal multi-district and state coordinated proceedings. These cases include multi-state tobacco, the Exxon Valdez disaster, Breast Implants, Fen-Phen (Diet Drugs), Vioxx, Toyota sudden acceleration, numerous securities/investment fraud cases, and Holocaust litigation.

More recently, Elizabeth has served in court-appointed leadership positions in several of the nation’s highest profile civil cases, including serving as a settlement class counsel in the Deepwater Horizon MDL, as Plaintiffs’ Co-Lead Counsel in the GM ignition switch defect litigation, and as Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel in the Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” and Fiat Chrysler Ecodiesel Emissions MDLs.

She is also currently immersed in nationwide Opioids litigation. In January 2018, she was appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee and Settlement Negotiating Committee in the National Prescription Opiates MDL, and in 2022 was appointed Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel in the McKinsey & Co. National Prescription Opiate MDL. In addition, Elizabeth currently serves as a Plaintiffs’ Co-Lead Counsel in the Camp Lejeune Water Litigation.

Evan Chesler ‘75

Evan R. Chesler retired from Cravath’s Litigation Department in December 2023. Widely recognized as one of the country’s leading litigators, his broad experience extended to trial and appellate courts across the country. He was Cravath’s Presiding Partner from 2007 through 2012 and Chairman from 2013 through 2021, the first person to be given that title in the Firm’s history.

Faith Gay

In a nationally recognized career spanning four decades, Faith has been lead counsel in dozens of high-stakes jury trials and has successfully navigated bet-the-company crises and investigations for scores of Fortune 500 companies and C-suite executives. She has also represented government officials and entities in a range of high-profile matters. Before founding Selendy Gay, Faith co-chaired the trial practice at one of the nation’s top litigation firms and was a highly respected federal prosecutor. Raised in rural Georgia and a resident of New York City, Faith is comfortable in courtrooms everywhere.

Chambers ranks Faith as one of the country’s top litigators, citing “significant praise for her work in high-stakes litigation covering commercial claims, white-collar issues and matters of constitutional law.” Clients have touted her "extraordinary feel for litigation,” saying: "I've never met a lawyer like her; she combines so many talents in a single human body. She's incredibly responsive, unbelievably insightful, and her advice is always sound." Law360 described Faith as “a great litigator” with “a kind of magnetic charisma, a likeability and intelligence that allow her to present complicated cases in a way that disarms tough judges, hostile witnesses, and skeptical jury members.”

Faith was recently named a Litigation Trailblazer by the National Law Journal and a Lawdragon Legend. In 2025, the Fund for Modern Courts recognized Faith with its Robert M. Kaufman Memorial Award, and the Office of the Appellate Defender has presented Faith with the Gould Award for Outstanding Appellate Advocacy. Faith has long held a place on “best in class” elite litigator lists including Chambers, Forbes, Crain’s, Legal 500, Lawdragon, Benchmark, the Daily Journal, and scores of others.

Faith is a former supervisor in the Civil Rights and Special Prosecutions Units of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. She twice received the Department of Justice Directors’ Award for excellence in trial litigation. 

Paul Geller

Paul Geller is a founding partner of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP and head of the Firm’s Consumer Practice Group. Over the last 30 years, Paul has served as lead counsel in some of the country’s most high-profile consumer, antitrust, and securities class actions and has recovered billions for communities, consumers, and investors harmed by corporate abuse.

Before devoting his practice to the representation of consumers and investors, Paul defended companies in high-stakes class action and multi-district litigation, providing him with an invaluable perspective from “both sides of the ‘v.’” An experienced trial lawyer, he has tried bench and jury trials on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants and has argued before numerous state, federal, and appellate courts throughout the United States.

Judge John Gleeson is a trial and appellate lawyer and company advisor who, before joining the firm in 2016, was a federal judge for 22 years and, prior to that, a federal prosecutor for ten years. He is a litigation partner in the White Collar & Regulatory Defense and Commercial Litigation Groups. A fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Judge Gleeson’s practice focuses on white collar defense, complex civil litigation, internal investigations, and dispute resolution.

In each of the past four years, Judge Gleeson was trial counsel in a major civil or criminal trial. In three of the four, he was lead counsel, and prior counsel for the client were successfully integrated into the Debevoise trial team, and each case resulted in a total victory for the client. In the other, Judge Gleeson helped lead a team that achieved a complete victory in a federal trial in Maryland, defeating false advertising and patent infringement claims.

Hon. John Koeltl

Judge Koeltl was appointed United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York on August 11, 1994 and entered on duty on September 9, 1994. He graduated from Georgetown University with an A.B. degree summa cum laude in 1967 and received a J.D. degree magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1971, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Judge Koeltl served as a law clerk to the Hon. Edward Weinfeld United States District Judge, Southern District of New York, and then as a law clerk to the Hon. Potter Stewart, United States Supreme Court. He served as an Assistant Special Prosecutor, Watergate Special Prosecution Force, Department of Justice from 1973 to 1974. Judge Koeltl joined Debevoise & Plimpton as an associate in 1975, became a partner with the firm in 1979, and remained at Debevoise & Plimpton until his appointment to the bench in 1994. 

Daniel J. Kramer '84

Daniel J. Kramer is a leading trial lawyer and litigator. Called “one of the stars of his generation” by Chambers, and a “quiet giant” by Lawdragon, Dan routinely handles complex litigations and regulatory matters for the world’s largest companies, represents boards of directors on corporate governance issues and leads special committees in internal investigations. In 2025, following more than four decades of handling securities law matters, Chambers noted that Dan is “the godfather of the entire field.”

Dan is a senior partner in Paul, Weiss’ Securities Litigation and Enforcement Group. The Group has been named Securities Litigation Department of the Year by The American Lawyer, The New York Law Journal, Benchmark Litigation, Law360 and U.S. News and World Report. The American Lawyer called the practice “big, powerful and swaggering,” noting that “no other firm matched the number and magnitude of headline making securities litigation.” For two decades Chambers has ranked Paul, Weiss’ Securities Litigation Department in Band 1, stating that the Group has “a truly enviable securities litigation practice,” a “dazzlingly deep bench” and “some of the most cutting-edge securities cases.” And Legal 500 has given the Group its highest rating, noting that “its excellent, wise counselors combine deep legal knowledge with a practical and business-like view.”

Mark Lanier

During the past 30 years, Mark has taken on some of the biggest challenges in the legal field. In doing so, he has achieved some of the largest verdicts in history, accomplishments that have changed business practices to protect the public and have gained justice for the victims of asbestos exposure, dangerous drugs, medical devices, and other consumer products. In addition, he has successfully represented a select number of clients in claims involving fraud, breach of contract, and other forms of business litigation. These results cumulatively put Mark close to $20 billion in verdicts during his highly acclaimed career.

Mark’s success in the courtroom and perspectives on litigation have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, Bloomberg News and the Houston Chronicle, among many other publications. He is also a frequent guest on news and business programs for a wide range of broadcast and cable networks.
 

Hon. Pierre N. Leval

Pierre Leval is a United States Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. At the time of his appointment in 1993, he was a United States District Court Judge in the Southern District of New York.

Judge Leval received his B.A. degree from Harvard College in 1959 and his J.D. degree magna cum laude in 1963 from the Harvard Law School, where he served as Note Editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Judge Leval served in the U.S. Army in 1959. He was a law clerk for Judge Henry J. Friendly of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1963 until 1964. Judge Leval was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York from 1964 until 1968, serving there as Chief Appellate Attorney from 1967 to 1968. From 1969 until 1975, Judge Leval was in private law practice as an associate and then a partner in the New York firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. He joined the New York County District Attorney's Office in 1975, where he served first as First Assistant District Attorney, and subsequently as Chief Assistant District Attorney. In 1977, he was appointed to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Judge Leval is a member of the Adjunct Faculty of the New York University School of Law. He was awarded the Hillmon Memorial Fellowship by the University of Wisconsin in 1988; the Donald R. Brace Memorial Lectureship by the Copyright Society of the U.S.A. in 1989; the Fowler Harper Memorial Fellowship by Yale Law School in 1992; the Melville Nimmer Lectureship by UCLA Law School in 1997; the Learned Hand Medal of the Federal Bar Council in 1997; and the University of Connecticut School of Law's Intellectual Property Keynote Lectureship for 2001. He assumed Senior Judge status in 2002.

Christopher Lovell ‘76

Chris graduated from New York University School of Law in 1976, receiving the Vanderbilt Award, and worked at a Wall Street law firm successfully defending antitrust and Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) claims in private and government actions between 1977 and 1980, including a successful defense at trial of charges of manipulation in violation of the Commodity Exchange Act. In re Harold Colpns, et al., CFTC No. 77-15, 1984 WL 48079 (CFTC Feb. 3, 1984).

Chris started the Firm in 1980 when there were Court rulings holding that antitrust claims were unavailable in the commodity futures markets and that there were no implied or other claims for manipulation under the CEA.  Chris has been privileged to be selected to try more than sixty (60) cases, make oral argument in the U.S. Supreme Court and eight different federal circuit courts of appeal, and serve as lead or co-lead class action counsel in more than fifty actions.  

Chris was privileged to be the first plaintiffs´ lawyer to try successfully antitrust price fixing and manipulation claims in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.  Chris prepared the briefs for the Firm´s successful argument in the U.S. Supreme Court that a private right of action for manipulation should be implied under the Commodity Exchange Act. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. v. Curran, 456 U.S. 353 (1982)

In 1982, after a 97th Congress Subcommittee requested that the Firm testify concerning the proposed express private right of action under the Commodity Exchange Act, which ultimately became Section 22 of the CEA (under which all CEA private actions are now brought), prepared a statement for a Firm partner to submit to the Subcommittee On Oversight And Investigations of The Committee On Energy And Commerce (dated June 7, 1982).  Chris successfully argued in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a jury verdict on an antitrust price-fixing claim and establish that antitrust claims were not preempted by the Commodity Exchange Act.

Hon. Beverly Martin

Beverly B. Martin joins JAMS following a distinguished career in public service. Judge Martin served more than two decades as a member of the federal judiciary in her home state of Georgia. Most recently, she served as the executive director for the Center on Civil Justice at New York University. Her legal acumen and her commitment to justice and fairness have been hallmarks of her professional journey. Now, as a dedicated alternative dispute resolution practitioner, Judge Martin will bring her balanced approach, attention to detail, and fair and thoughtful decision-making to resolving disputes.

With an extensive background in prosecutorial and judicial roles, Judge Martin recognizes the value of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in alleviating the burdens of the judicial system and providing more efficient resolutions for parties involved. Now, as a JAMS neutral, she approaches ADR as a means to enhance access to justice, reduce costs and foster collaborative solutions. She believes in the importance of ADR in promoting a more responsive and adaptable legal system.

After starting her legal career in private practice, Judge Martin entered public service as an assistant attorney general in Georgia, then prosecuted criminal cases as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Georgia. In 1997, she was confirmed as a U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. In 2000, she was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, serving for a decade. In 2010, she was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Since leaving the bench, Judge Martin has provided neutral analysis and consultation services to law firms and their clients as they prepare for appellate arguments. She remains actively involved in the legal community in Georgia and nationally.

Troy McKenzie '00

Troy McKenzie is Dean and Cecelia Goetz Professor of Law at NYU School of Law. He served as faculty co-director of the Institute of Judicial Administration (IJA) for over six years, as well as faculty co-director of the Center on Civil Justice. His research and teaching interests include bankruptcy, civil procedure, complex litigation, and the federal courts. He studies litigation and the institutions that shape it—particularly complex litigation that is resolved through the class action, bankruptcy, and other forms of aggregation. He is also a member of the National Bankruptcy Conference and the Council of the American Law Institute.  

From 2011-15, McKenzie served, by appointment of the Chief Justice, as a reporter to the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules of the Judicial Conference of the United States. From 2015-17, he took a leave of absence from NYU to serve in the US Department of Justice as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel.

McKenzie earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 1997 from Princeton University and a law degree in 2000 from NYU, where he was an executive editor of the Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. After law school, he served as a law clerk to Judge Pierre N. Leval of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Justice John Paul Stevens of the Supreme Court of the United States. Before joining the NYU faculty in 2007, McKenzie was a litigation associate at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York.

Scott D. Musoff

Scott Musoff is co-head of Skadden’s New York Complex Litigation and Trials Group and co-deputy head of the firm’s nationwide Securities Litigation Group. He represents public and private companies, financial institutions and individuals in federal and state trial and appellate courts, as well as in arbitration proceedings. 

Justin Nelson

Justin Nelson is the go-to lawyer for high-stakes litigation. Justin’s practice centers on taking cases to trial, arguing key motions leading up to trial or the appeal, and positioning the case for victory. He brings an unparalleled combination of trial and appellate excellence. In 2024, he was nominated for Litigator of the Year by the American Lawyer.

Justin represented Dominion Voting Systems in its litigation against Fox, culminating in April 2023 with a $787.5 million settlement—an amount that represented “vindication and accountability,” as Justin stated.

Charles C. Platt

Charles C. Platt is Managing Partner at Cartiga Legal, a non-lawyer-owned law firm that provides a winning edge as co-counsel for small to medium-sized law firms in single-event, mass tort, and class action cases.  The winning edge includes Cartiga Legal's superior legal skills and experience, and its access to capital and innovative data analysis, which all help other firms maximize outcomes for clients while also expanding the size and diversity of their practices.

Platt graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. and Brooklyn Law School with a J.D.

 

Hon. Casey Rodgers

Born in Pensacola, Florida, Rodgers was in the United States Army from 1985 to 1987, and thereafter received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of West Florida in 1989 and a Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law, an independent law school, in 1992. She was a law clerk for Judge Lacey A. Collier, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida from 1992 to 1994. She was in private practice in Pensacola from 1999 to 2002, serving as general counsel to the West Florida Medical Center, in Pensacola from 1998 to 1999. She was a United States magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, from 2002 to 2003.

On July 14, 2003, Rodgers was nominated by President George W. Bush to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida vacated by Lacey A. Collier. Rodgers was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 20, 2003, and received her commission on November 21, 2003. She was the first woman appointed in the district’s history. She served as Chief Judge from 2011 to 2018.

 

Hon. Lee H. Rosenthal

Judge Lee H. Rosenthal was appointed a United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division in 1992. Before then, she was a partner at Baker & Botts in Houston, Texas, where she tried civil cases and handled appeals in the state and federal courts. She received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Chicago and served as law clerk to Chief Judge John R. Brown, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

In addition to serving as a district court judge for over 22 years, Judge Rosenthal has been invited to sit by designation with courts of appeals around the country, including the Second, Third, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits. Chief Justice Rehnquist appointed Judge Rosenthal as a member of the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Civil Rules in 1996. She served as chair of the Class Actions subcommittee during the development of the 2003 amendments to Rule 23. Chief Justice Rehnquist appointed Judge Rosenthal chair of the Civil Rules Committee in 2003. In 2007, Chief Justice Roberts appointed Judge Rosenthal to chair the Judicial Conference Committee on the Rules of Practice and Procedure, which coordinates and oversees the work of the Advisory Committees for the Civil, Criminal, Evidence, Appellate, and Bankruptcy Rules. That appointment was extended through October 1, 2011.

Judge Rosenthal served as chief judge of the Southern District of Texas from 2016 to 2022. The Fifth Circuit judges selected her as their District Judge representative on the Judicial Conference of the United States for a 3-year term beginning October 2016. Judge Rosenthal assumed senior status in December 2024.

Hon. Barbara Jacobs Rothstein

Barbara Jacobs Rothstein is a visiting United States District Judge from the Western District of Washington. She most recently served as Director of the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, D.C. from 2003-2011. She was chief judge of the Western District of Washington from 1987-1994. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Cornell University and attended Harvard Law School where she was the winning oralist in the Ames Moot Court competition.

After law school she practiced law with a private firm in Boston, Massachusetts and with the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Division of the State of Washington’s Attorney General’s office. Judge Rothstein taught trial practice at the University of Washington Law School. Before her appointment to the federal bench in 1980, she served as a King County Superior Court judge for the State of Washington.

Judge Rothstein has trained judges and lawyers in many countries helping to improve the rule of law and the role of an independent judiciary. She has presided over many complex and controversial criminal and civil cases. She has served on a variety of committees including the Federal-State Relations Committee of the United States Judicial Conference and the Ninth Circuit Standing Committee on Gender, Race, Religious and Ethnic Fairness.

Judge Rothstein is a frequent lecturer and is a member of the American Law Institute. She is a Commissioner on the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. She serves on the Judicial Advisory Board of American Society of International Law (ASIL), the Board of the Rule of Law Initiative (ROLI) of the ABA, the Judicial Advisory Board of the Sedona Conference®; the Board of the Institute of Judicial Administration (IJA) at NYU Law School and the Board of the Avon Global Center for Women and Justice at Cornell Law School. She served on the board of EINSHAC, an educational affiliate of the Human Genome Project. She also serves as a member of the National Academy of Science’s Committee on Science Technology and Law.
 

Hon. Anthony J. Scirica

Anthony J. Scirica, one of the nation’s leading jurists, is a Senior Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He became a Senior Fellow at Penn Carey Law in 2013 and teaches courses in civil procedure and complex litigation. Judge Scirica was appointed to the Court of Appeals in 1987 and served as Chief Judge from 2003 to 2010. In addition to his service on the bench, he served as a member and then as Chair of the Executive Committee of the United States Judicial Conference, the governing body of the federal judiciary. He currently serves as Chair of its Committee on Judicial Conduct and Disability and as a member of the Committee on International Relations. He has previously served as Chair of the U.S. Judicial Conference Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure, Chair of the Judicial Conference Working Group on Mass Torts, and as a member of the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules and the Multidistrict Litigation Panel.

Chris Seeger

A founding partner of Seeger Weiss, Christopher A. Seeger, is widely recognized as a highly innovative and accomplished plaintiff attorney. Chiefly known for multidistrict mass torts and class actions involving drug injury, toxic injury, and personal injury, Chris’ versatile practice also includes product liability, property damage, antitrust, and third-party payer litigation, as well as consumer, insurance, and securities fraud. Chris has led some of the most complex, groundbreaking, and high-profile litigations in the U.S. at the state and federal levels. He has received more multidistrict litigation (MDL) appointments than any other lawyer between 2016 and 2019, according to a 2020 ALM study.

Sabrina Strong ‘98

Sabrina Strong is an accomplished trial lawyer and appellate advocate who has litigated some of the most complex and highest profile trials of the past decade. Her courtroom results have earned annual “Top Defense Verdict” honors from the National Law Journal and Daily Journal in multiple years. She also defends clients in the court of public opinion, protecting their interests and reputations on camera and in national publications.

Sabrina is the Co-Chair of O’Melveny’s Product Liability & Mass Torts Practice, and she represents clients in bet-the-company litigation in a variety of industries, including pharmaceutical, consumer products, insurance, healthcare, media and entertainment, energy, and financial services. Benchmark Litigation recently ranked Sabrina as one of the Top 250 Women in Litigation, and Chambers USA and The Legal 500 US both recognize Sabrina for her work in Product Liability & Mass Torts. Sabrina has handled numerous state and federal appeals, including arguing before the California Supreme Court on an issue critical to tort liability apportionment. Recognizing her unique combination of high-profile trial experience and sophisticated appellate work, clients regularly call on Sabrina to actively litigate sensitive cases as appellate counsel throughout trial.

A community leader, Sabrina has served as President of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers in Los Angeles and frequently speaks on complex litigation trends and procedures. She also helped found the Ninth Circuit Appellate Advocacy Clinic at the UCLA School of Law, where she served as an Adjunct Professor. The Los Angeles Business Journal named Sabrina one of the region’s Most Influential Women Lawyers, and the Daily Journal identified Sabrina in its list of “Top Women Lawyers” in 2020.

Aviva Will

Aviva Will is a Vice Chair at Burford. Most recently, she served as Burford’s President, before which she was its Co-Chief Operating Officer. Ms. Will joined Burford in 2010. Prior to that, she was a senior litigation manager and Assistant General Counsel at Time Warner Inc. and a senior litigator at Cravath, Swaine & Moore.

Alan Zimmerman ‘67

Alan Zimmerman, based in Austin, TX, US, is currently a Managing General Partner at Law Finance Group Holdings LP. Alan Zimmerman brings experience from previous roles at Law Finance Group, Zimmerman, Pezzola & Reinke, Attorneys at Law and State Bar of California. Alan Zimmerman holds a 1964 - 1967 Doctor of Law (J.D.) in Law @ New York University School of Law. With a robust skill set that includes Legal Research, Litigation, Legal Writing, Private Equity, Mergers and more.