2023 EDTX Bench Bar Conference
Panelists & Special Guests
2023 EDTX Bench Bar Conference
Panelists & Special Guests
Chief United States District Judge
Judge Batten (61) is a native Atlantan who graduated with Highest Honors from Georgia Tech in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Management. In 1984, he graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia School of Law.
District Judge, USDC S.D. Cal.
Judge Bencivengo was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California by President Barack Obama, and confirmed on February 10, 2012.
Judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and Deputy Head of Civil Justice
Colin Birss is a judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and Deputy Head of Civil Justice. He was called to the English Bar in 1990 and practised in intellectual property law.
District Judge, USDC New Jersey
Claire C. Cecchi serves as a United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey in Newark, New Jersey. She joined the Court as a United States Magistrate Judge in 2006, a position she held until her appointment in 2011.
Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
TIFFANY P. CUNNINGHAM was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden in 2021 and assumed duties of her office on September 1, 2021. Prior to her appointment, she served as trial and appellate counsel for companies and individuals in complex patent and trade secret disputes.
Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Hon. Dana M. Douglas currently serves as United States Circuit Court Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Judge Douglas is a graduate of Miami University (Ohio) and attended Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans.
District Judge, USDC Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division
Ernest Gonzalez was appointed United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division by President Joe Biden in 2024.
Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Todd M. Hughes was appointed by President Barack H. Obama in 2013. Judge Hughes served as Deputy Director of the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice from 2007 to 2013.
Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Kent A. Jordan was appointed in 2006 to serve as a United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit. Before that, he was a United States District Judge for the District of Delaware from 2002 to 2006.
Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit
Cheryl Ann Krause was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in July of 2014. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, summa cum laude, and graduated from Stanford Law School with highest honors.
Chief Circuit Judge
KIMBERLY A. MOORE was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2006 and assumed the duties of Chief Circuit Judge on May 22, 2021. Prior to her appointment, Chief Judge Moore was a Professor of Law from 2004 to 2006 and Associate Professor of Law from 2000 to 2004 at the George Mason University School of Law.
District Judge, USDC Western District of Texas
Judge Pitman was appointed United States District Judge by President Barack Obama in 2014. Prior to his appointment, Judge Pitman served as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas from 2011-2014.
Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit
Sharon Prost was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2001. Judge Prost served as Chief Circuit Judge from May 31, 2014 to May 21, 2021.
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Irma Carrillo Ramirez was sworn in as Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on December 11, 2023. She had previously served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, for 21 years.
Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Judge Leonard P. Stark was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in 2022. Previously, he sat on the United States District Court for the District of Delaware as a magistrate judge (2007 - 2010) and district judge (2010 - 2022), including service as the District's chief judge (2014 - 2021).
Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Judge Carl E. Stewart received his B.A. degree (Magna Cum Laude) from Dillard University and his J.D. from Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans.
Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Judge Kara Farnandez Stoll was appointed by President Barack H. Obama in July 2015.
U.S. Circuit Judge, CAFC
Richard G. Taranto was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit by President Barack H. Obama, in 2013, confirmed by the Senate on March 11, 2013 and assumed the duties of his office on March 15, 2013.
District Judge U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware
The Honorable Gregory B. Williams was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. in 2022. Prior to his appointment, Judge Williams was an equity partner, trial attorney, litigator, former Office Managing Partner, and former member of the Executive Committee at Fox Rothschild LLP, where he practiced law for more than twenty-seven years.
Circuit CJA Case Budgeting Attorney, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
Margaret Alverson (Meg) has served as the Circuit CJA Case Budgeting Attorney for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals since April 2016.
Special Agent in Charge, ATF Dallas
Jeffrey C. Boshek II was appointed as the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division in February 2018. As the Special Agent in Charge, Mr. Boshek is responsible for leading the men and women of the Dallas Field Division while enforcing laws and regulations related to firearms, explosives, arson and alcohol and tobacco trafficking in North Texas, and Oklahoma.
Attorney, Arbitrator, and Mediator, Dennie Sports Law
Christian Dennie is a sports and entertainment attorney, mediator, and arbitrator. Prior to opening Dennie Sports Law, Christian was a partner at a boutique firm in Fort Worth, Texas and a partner and National Co-Head of Sports for an Am Law 100 firm.
U.S. Attorney, EDTX
Damien M. Diggs has taken the oath of office to become the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas. Diggs was nominated by President Joe Biden on Feb. 2, 2023 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 4, 2023. He took the oath of office on May 7, 2023 from Chief U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap.
Attorney, JAMS
Gary Fowler, Esq., brings 35 years of national experience in mediation and arbitration, employment, commercial, insurance, professional liability, ERISA, consumer, and related matters.
Chief Counsel to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz
Nicholas (Nick) Ganjei is Chief Counsel to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, who sits as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution for the Senate Judiciary Committee. For the Senator, Nick oversees all legal matters related to criminal justice, border security, judicial nominations, antitrust, and intellectual property.
Senior Counsel, Coinbase
Paul Hemesath is Senior Counsel at Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States. Previously, Paul Hemesath was counsel to the Digital Currency Initiative at the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section in the United States Department of Justice.
Division Counsel, ATF
Kellie joined ATF in 1999 and has served as legal counsel to the Dallas Field Division since that time. She currently serves as the Dallas Division Counsel. In this role, Kellie provides legal opinions and advise covering both regulatory and criminal enforcement efforts.
eVoucher Administrator
Madison Jobe has served at the District Clerk’s Office in the Eastern District of Texas since 2019 and has administered the CJA eVoucher system since 2021. Ms. Jobe received her B.S. magna cum laude from the University of Texas at Tyler in 2020.
Partner, Tensegrity Law Group LLP
Matt Powers is known for taking tough cases to trial and winning them. He tries patent cases, trade secret cases, fraud cases, fiduciary duty cases, antitrust cases and contract cases. Mr. Powers tries cases all over the country and has directed litigations all over the world.
Assistant United States Attorney, Eastern District of Texas
Heather Rattan was appointed Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas in 1998. She is a trial lawyer in the criminal division designated as an organized crime and drug enforcement task force prosecutor. In 2008, she began focusing on large scale, international cases requiring extradition primarily from Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico.
Deputy Director, ATF
Marvin G. Richardson was appointed as Deputy Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on June 4, 2021. In this position, he also serves as the Chief Operating Officer and is the second highest ranking official at ATF.
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director, USPTO
Kathi Vidal serves as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) – America’s Innovation Agency.
Deputy Associate Chief Counsel, ATF
Lieutenant Colonel Paul Ware retired from the United States Marine Corps in 2009 after 20 years of service as a Communications Officer, Prosecutor and Judge. During his time in the Marine Corps, LtCol Ware deployed with Third Tank Battalion as the Communications Officer and Air Liaison Officer during operation Desert Shield/Storm.
