The Center Leadership

Center Management Council

Click on leadership names to learn more.

Name
Larry Ebner Chair
John Guttmann Vice Chair
John Pierce Public Policy Chair
Jim McCrystal Legislation And Rules Chair
Matt Nelson Amicus Chair
Phil Willman President
Douglas K. Burrell Ex Officio

Name
Dean Martinez CEO
Sean Dolan General Counsel
Jay Ludlam Director

Full Name	Title	About
Larry Ebner	Chair	Lawrence S. Ebner is both Executive Vice President & General Counsel of the Atlantic Legal Foundation and Founding Member of Capital Appellate Advocacy PLLC in Washington, D.C. A Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, Larry has a half-century of pro-business litigation experience. In addition to handling appeals for companies of all sizes, he has authored dozens of amicus curiae briefs in the Supreme Court, and in federal courts of appeals and state appellate courts throughout the United States. At the Atlantic Legal Foundation, Larry conducts that national, nonprofit, public interest law firm’s renowned amicus program, including by personally authoring almost all of its amicus briefs. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, Larry is immediate past chair of the DRI Amicus Committee, immediate past publications chair of the DRI Appellate Advocacy Committee, and a vice chair of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel’s Appellate Law Section. Larry has written numerous articles for DRI publications, such as his For The Defense article, Learning the High Art of Amicus Brief Writing. He also has developed extensive online materials about appellate advocacy, such as his 3-minute video, “These Are the 4 Questions I Asked Most Often as an Appellate Attorney.”
John Guttmann	Vice Chair	John S. Guttmann is a principal of Beveridge & Diamond PC in Washington, D.C., where he represents companies in complex, high-stakes toxic tort, product liability, and environmental litigation. He has served in leading roles in litigation matters with potential damages/awards in the billions of dollars and has secured dismissal or reduction of claims in numerous matters. John serves as lead national counsel for a petroleum refiner in all MTBE product liability litigation and has been a member of the defense steering committee for the refining industry in those cases. He led a team that successfully defended a public water utility in multiple cases claiming health effects due to alleged lead exposure. John devotes a substantial part of his practice to the defense of natural resource damages (NRD) cases brought by trustees. His litigation experience also includes indemnity litigation, securities class actions, breach of fiduciary duty claims, directors and officers liability suits, complex contract cases, unfair competition cases, and health insurance matters. John is a former DRI national director and previously served as chair of the DRI Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committee.
John Pierce	Public Policy Chair	John C.S. Pierce is a shareholder in Dentons Sirote’s Mobile, Alabama, office, where he is a member of the litigation practice group. John represents clients in all areas of insurance, business, and product liability litigation. He counsels business owners in the areas of construction, transportation, professional liability, products liability, business disputes, insurance matters, and corporate guidance. John previously served as vice chair of the Center’s Public Policy Committee and as the first chair of its Social Inflation Task Force. He is a former chair of the DRI Trial Tactics Committee and of the Scaffolding, Cranes, and Aerial Devices (SCAD) Specialized Litigation Group within the DRI Product Liability Committee. John is also a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel and the Product Liability Advisory Council.
Jim McCrystal	Legislation And Rules Chair	Jim McCrystal is Of Counsel with Sutter O’Connell in Cleveland. He has spent four decades handling product liability cases and now has a national practice in that field. He has represented the manufacturers of tires, automobiles, trucks, farm equipment, industrial products, and power systems as well as handling construction litigation and commercial disputes. In addition to his work with clients, Jim has been an active DRI member including service on the Board of Directors and as Ohio State Representative. He is also a past member of the Board of Directors of the Product Liability Advisory Council and is a Past President of the Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys and the Cleveland Association of Civil Trial Attorneys. As a Program Director for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, he is committed to sharing his considerable expertise when training lawyers both in the USA and internationally.
Matt Nelson	Amicus Chair	Matthew T. “Matt” Nelson is a partner of Warner Norcross + Judd LLP in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he chairs the firm’s appellate practice group. Mr. Nelson has successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, and has represented businesses, governments, and individuals in appeals throughout the country. During the 2016 Term of the U.S. Supreme Court, he represented clients in two cases on the merits addressing such diverse topics as copyrighting the design of cheerleading uniforms and constitutionally deficient immigration advice. Among other honors, he has received three distinguished brief awards for briefs he has submitted to the Michigan Supreme Court. Matt’s appellate experience includes submitting amicus curiae briefs in the state and federal courts including briefs on behalf of DRI, the State of Michigan, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel, and the Michigan Health & Hospital Association. Matt routinely works with trial litigators on dispositive motions, motions in limine, and preparing appellate strategy while a case is still in the trial court. Matt also represents manufacturers, contractors, financial institutions, and other employers in employment disputes.
Phil Willman	President	Philip L. “Phil” Willman is a partner of Brown & James PC in St. Louis, Missouri, where he devotes his trial practice to defending physicians, medical schools, nurses, hospitals, nursing homes, psychologists, and other healthcare providers in medical negligence and healthcare lawsuits and medical device manufacturers in medical device litigation. He has tried more than 100 cases to a conclusion as lead counsel in jury trials in state and federal courts in both Missouri and Illinois. In 2019 alone, he tried eight cases to a verdict. Phil is a leader of professional organizations dedicated to the support of the civil justice system and the defense bar. He is a Past President of DRI. He also held the position of Mid Region Director on the DRI Board of Directors for three years. He is on the board of the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence, a director for Lawyers for Civil Justice, and a past chair of the DRI Medical Liability and Health Care Law Committee.
Douglas K. Burrell	Ex Officio	Douglas K. Burrell, a partner of Chartwell Law in Atlanta, is an established and experienced trial attorney. His practice covers a vast number of areas including but not limited to wrongful death and catastrophic injury matters, construction defect litigation, premises liability, product liability, and transportation and trucking negligence. His clients come from many industry sectors, including national retailers, manufacturers, businesses in the hospitality and restaurant sector, and transportation. His practice spans over 27 years, including more than 40 jury trials and 100 bench trials. In addition to his practice, Douglas is a member of many professional legal organizations. He has served DRI in many executive roles over the years, culminating in his position as President from 2021 to 2022. He is also a past chair of the DRI Diversity and Inclusion Committee. In 2014 and 2015, Douglas held the position of chair for the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association Trial Mediation Academy. Douglas also held a faculty position for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy from 2010 to 2014, teaching the deposition skills program.