Mary Jones has a diverse professional background spanning several industries and decades. Their current role is Director of Strategy where they are building the Openform innovation and strategy lab. They have focused on strategic financial analysis as well as operational efficiency and implementation. Previously they ran corporate and operational FP&A for Openform and led operational business management and financial strategy at Conflix across various divisions.
Mary Jones has a diverse professional background spanning several industries and decades. Their current role is Director of Strategy where they are building the Openform innovation and strategy lab. They have focused on strategic financial analysis as well as operational efficiency and implementation. Previously they ran corporate and operational FP&A for Openform and led operational business management and financial strategy at Conflix across various divisions.
New for 2026, we are excited to host Western Alliance Bank's Class Action Law ForumTM Mass Torts Summit at the Pendry San Diego in collaboration with the University of San Diego Law. The summit directly benefits the Western Alliance Bank Scholarship Fund, supporting a USD Law School student in financial need.
Join us for a two day summit focused on the latest insights and strategies in Mass Torts. Attendees will hear insights and take part in discussions on the most important developments and issues surrounding mass torts. Gain actionable strategies, understand emerging trends, and learn how these developments impact businesses, law firms and clients. Our panelists include sitting federal judges and top defense and plaintiffs' attorneys.
Class Action Law ForumTM Mass Torts Summit registration and sponsorship proceeds directly benefit the Western Alliance Bank Scholarship Fund, supporting a law student at University of San Diego School of Law, who is in financial need and also participates in CALF. The scholarship fund provides law students at USD the financial support they need to focus on their studies and other necessities while on their journey to becoming a practicing attorney. It is a distinct privilege to support the law students at USD.
Samantha Weber was the recipient of our 2025 scholarship and also participated in supporting several panels during our Class Action Law Forum.
There are a limited number of rooms available on a first come, first served basis. Please contact Matt Fankhauser at matt.s.fankhauser@westernalliancebank.com if you would like to book a room at the Pendry.
Pendry San Diego
550 J Street
San Diego, CA 92101
Mass tort litigation has a fraud and data quality problem that starts before a retainer is signed and follows the case all the way to final disbursement. This session traces the full client lifecycle — from intake marketing through final payment — and examines where identity data science can reduce bad actors, protect settlement funds, and improve outcomes for plaintiffs, law firms, and their capital partners. The session also examines how cleaner intake data benefits the full lifecycle, including how firms and their partners can use it to improve lead generation campaign performance.
Moderator: Francesca Castagnola, Western Alliance Bank
Panelists: Don Beshada, Covalynt; Brian Heller, Covalynt
A candid forward-looking conversation about equity and intentionality in mass tort litigation. The panel will examine who benefits most from today’s civil justice system, who may be underserved or overlooked, while exploring how case sourcing, leadership, referral networks, funding structures, and vendor relationships shape opportunity and influence. Beyond hiring statistics, the discussion will consider how representation operates at every stage of a case’s life cycle and what collaborative, transparent approaches can strengthen inclusion, access, and accountability across the mass tort ecosystem.
Moderator: Bre Alexander, Wagstaff Law Firm
Panelists: Sindhu Daniel, Scott + Scott; Jamie Powers, Dolman Law Group; Hon. Winifred Smith (Ret.), ADR Services, Inc.; Brooke West Blake, EisnerAmper
An examination of emerging state legislative efforts to regulate evolving legal service models and the role of state bars in overseeing Alternative Business Structures (ABS). The panel will explore recent reforms, pilot programs, consumer protection concerns, professional independence, and the broader implications for complex litigation practice and law firm structure.
Moderator: Ed Gehres, Invenio LLP
Panelists: Robert Drakulich, The Drakulich Firm; Jonathan Floyd, Floyd Law, PC; Shalimar Wallis, Guerra LLP
A timely discussion of how AI is being integrated into complex litigation, from document review and data analysis to expert preparation and trial presentation, and the practical benefits and risks that accompany its use. The panel will examine recent developments, evolving judicial expectations, disclosure considerations, privilege concerns, and professional responsibility principles shaping ethical AI deployment in MDL practice.
Moderator: Katherine Cornell, Cornell & Greene, PLLC
Panelists: Matthew Haynie, Forester Haynie Law Firm; Trent Miracle, Flint Cooper; Marie Ianniello Occhigrossi, Weitz and Luxenburg
A thoughtful discussion of the distinctive challenges presented by consolidated sex abuse cases. The panel will examine survivor autonomy, confidentiality, aggregate resolution pressures, statute of limitations reforms, trauma-informed litigation practices, and the tension between efficiency and individualized justice. The conversation will also explore the responsibilities of courts and counsel balancing procedural fairness, public accountability, and the moral weight these carry within the civil system.
Moderator: Lee Floyd, Floyd Law, PC
Panelists: Hon. Gail A. Andler (Ret.), JAMS; Anne Andrews, Andrews Higgins; Todd Mathews, Bailey & Glasser, LLP; Hon. Randa M. Trapp (Ret.), JAMS
A focused discussion on how bellwether cases are selected in MDLs and the practical challenges that shape the process. The panel will examine how selection mechanisms affect representativeness, trial outcomes, and downstream resolution, and will consider best practices for maintaining balance.
Moderator: Seth Katz, Burg Simpson
Panelists: Hon. Philip Calabrese, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio; Randall Christian, Bowman & Brooke LLP; Rip Finst, Thermo Fisher Scientific
A court-centered discussion of what “efficiency” means in modern MDLs and how it can be achieved without compromising fairness or due process. The panel will examine case management orders, discovery strategies, technology integration, coordinated motion
practice and effective use of show cause orders, data-driven oversight, and other structural tools that streamline proceedings while maintaining transparency and balance.
Moderator: Ashlie Case Sletvold, Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise, LLP
Panelists: Rachel Abrams, Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise, LLP; Jen Alpert, Rubris Inc.; Alyson Steele Beridon, Herzfeld, Suetholz, Gastel, Leniski and Wall PLLC
The panel will examine patterns that are developing across recent bellwether proceedings and consider how those trends are shaping trial practice and provide thoughts on post-verdict strategy moving forward.
Panelists: Lori Cohen, Greenberg Traurig; John Gomez, Gomez Trial Attorneys; Alex Walsh, Anapol Weiss
A critical examination of whether the profession is experiencing a shift in norms surrounding candor towards courts and opposing counsel. The panel will explore developments in written advocacy, discovery responses, conferral practices, and electronic communications, and consider how evolving tactics, technology, and high-stakes litigation pressures affect professional responsibility. The discussion will focus on practical safeguards, judicial tools, and expectations that reinforce credibility and trust in the adversarial system.
Moderator: Nicholas Drakulich, The Drakulich Firm
Panelists: Michelle Acosta, Michelle Acosta Law; Tommy Fibich, Fibich Law; Hon. Herbert Hoffman (Ret.)
A fast-paced discussion covering other timely developments and practical issues that are shaping the practice of MDLs and complex litigation. Panelists will address a series of shorter topics offering brief insights and open discussion on issues currently on practitioners’ and courts’ radars.
Panelists: Emily Acosta, Wagstaff Law Firm; Hon. Roger Benitez, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California; Ethan Greene, Cornell & Greene, PLLC; Jennifer Hoekstra, Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz; Buffy Martines, Laminack, Pirtle & Martines, LLP
