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KURT S. BLANKENSHIP is a managing partner of Blue Williams, L.L.P. He has over 33 years of litigation experience in the areas of professional liability defense, construction, commercial disputes, complex civil litigation, general casualty and contractual disputes between healthcare providers. Mr. Blankenship is currently serving as lead defense counsel for a national hospital company in a complex and highly visible class action case against a local hospital for events at the hospital during and after Hurricane Katrina. He earned his bachelors degree from Loyola University of New Orleans and his JD degree from Tulane University Law School. Mr. Blankenship is a fellow of the Louisiana State Bar Association, is actively involved in the New Orleans Pro Bono Project and is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel, Defense Research Institute, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, New Orleans Bar Association and the Louisiana Association of Hospital Attorneys. He was named to Louisiana Super Lawyers in 2008 and 2010 and Best Lawyers in America in 2009 and 2010. Mr. Blankenship has served as an adjunct professor of trial advocacy in Tulane Law School's Trial Advocacy Program and is active in the New Orleans Pro Bono Project. He also is a frequent lecturer at Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs. STEVAN C. DITTMAN is a partner in the law firm of Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, L.L.C., where he practices in the areas of admiralty, personal injury litigation, offshore injuries, general tort and product liability. He served as judicial law clerk to the Honorable Peter Hill Beer of the United States District Court, Eastern Division of Louisiana. Mr. Dittman has written and published numerous articles and publications. He earned his M.A. degree from the University of Michigan, his B.A. degree from the University of Wisconsin and his J.D. degree from Tulane University, where he was Order of the Coif and senior articles editor of the Tulane Law Review. Mr. Dittman is a member of the Bar Association of the 5th Federal Circuit, the Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association, The Association of Trial Lawyers of America and the Maritime Law Association, as well as the Louisiana State, Federal (member, Board of Directors, New Orleans Chapter) and American bar associations. He serves as adjunct faculty at the Tulane School of Law. RICHARD G. DUPLANTIER JR is a senior trial lawyer in the law firm of Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith, a PLC, where he is engaged in a general commercial litigation practice and more specifically in products liability, construction and all facets of professional liability, including medical, accounting and legal malpractice defense. For many years, he has conducted seminars around the country with a focus on risk management, in effort to educate, heighten awareness and avoid malpractice pitfalls. In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Duplantier has also represented numerous clients in the entertainment business in litigation in the areas of contracts, trademark, residuals and other general entertainment law practice concerns. He has handled and resolved matters for promoters, record labels, production companies and individual performers and their representatives, both in the United States and Europe. Mr. Duplantier earned his undergraduate degrees in communications and political science from Marquette University and his law degree from Loyola University. For many years he served on the national Board of Editors for the Federal Bar & News Journal. In 2008 he was selected by City Business magazine as one of the Leaders in Law in the state of Louisiana. For the past several years, Mr. Duplantier has been on the Board of Directors of the ASI Federal Credit Union, volunteering his time and energy to reinvigorate the New Orleans community in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and giving families an economic lift as they persevered through their personal and professional hardships. He has volunteered with the Beacon of Hope in efforts to fight blight in New Orleans and rebuild the communities hardest hit by the flood. PATRICIA R. FOX is an attorney in the Mandeville law firm of Livaudais & Livaudais where she focuses her practice in criminal law. Ms. Fox has previous lecture experience, and was an adjunct professor of business law at SLU and also was a professor of clinical legal education from 1985 to 1993. She holds a B.A. degree from Rice University and a J.D. degree from Loyola University School of Law. Ms. Fox also has an L.L.M. degree in energy and environmental law from Tulane University. She is a member of the Louisiana and Alabama bar associations.
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