Jamie Ballinger is of counsel with Baker Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, where she concentrates her practice in employment, professional liability and corporate issues in the health care, hospitality and manufacturing industries in both state and federal courts. She earned her B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Tennessee and her J.D. degree, cum laude, from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Ms. Ballinger is a member of the Civil Service Merit Board; City of Knoxville (appointed by Mayor M. Rogero, 2019; Chair, 2020), American, Tennessee and Knoxville bar associations; and a fellow - Knoxville Bar Association. She is admitted to practice in Kentucky, Tennessee and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
Christy Tosh Crider is the chair of the Healthcare Litigation Section of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, practicing long term care litigation, commercial litigation and tort litigation. Ms. Crider received her B.A. degree, cum laude, from Ouachita Baptist University and her J.D. degree, with honors, from the University of Arkansas. She is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Arkansas, and is a member of the Nashville, Tennessee, Arkansas and American bar associations and the American Health Lawyers Association.
Norris Cunningham is a co-founder of Katz Korin Cunningham, where he concentrates his practice in healthcare dispute resolution including trial practice, regulatory advocacy, and arbitration. Mr. Cunningham has tried and arbitrated numerous long-term care and medical malpractice cases throughout the nation. He is a certified arbitrator by the American Arbitration Association and the American Health Lawyers Association. Mr. Cunningham is admitted to practice in Indiana and before the U.S. District Court, Northern & Southern Districts of Indiana. He is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, Indianapolis Bar Association, Marion County Bar Association, American College of Healthcare Executives, National Association of Health Services Executives, Defense Research Institute, and the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana. Mr. Cunningham earned his B.A. degree from Aurora University, M.S. degree from Central Michigan University, and J.D. degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
Christine Hummel is the president and founder of Hummel Consultation Services, a national legal consultation practice specializing in the application of the Medicare Secondary Payer Act to workers' compensation, liability and no fault cases. She is an active attorney with licensure in the state of Colorado. With more than 19 years of experience in Medicare compliance, Ms. Hummel is a published author and popular speaker on a wide array of topics related to Medicare compliance. She is a member of the American Bar Association (Health Law Section) and the Colorado Bar Association, and includes with her legal experience work in Medicaid, probate, and elder law. Ms. Hummel donates a significant amount of time volunteering with the Federal Park Service, giving presentations on the roles of women during the American War of Independence. She earned her B.S. degree from the University of Southern California and her J.D. degree from the University of Denver College of Law.
Angela M. Rinehart is an attorney with Katz Korin Cunningham where she practices in the health care practice group and focuses her practice on the defense of health care providers, namely long-term care providers, in cases alleging medical malpractice in courts throughout the state of Indiana. In addition, Ms. Rinehart assists with the appellate briefs for the Health Care Practice Group, including the Correctional Health Care Practice Group where she represents medical professionals in the correctional setting, primarily in cases alleging medical malpractice and civil rights violations in federal court. She earned her B.A. degree from Butler University and her J.D. degree from Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Ms. Rinehart is admitted to practice in Indiana, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Joel E Smith is an attorney with Kosieradzki Smith Law Firm. He is active in the Minnesota Association for Justice (MAJ, formerly known as the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association). He currently serves on MAJ's Board of Directors. He has served as the chairperson of MAJ's Nursing Home Litigation Committee. Mr. Smith also is active in the Minnesota State Bar Association (currently serving on its Governing Council for the Elder Law Section) and has served as the co-chairperson for the MSBA's Vulnerable Adults Committee. He is a Leadership Forum member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ, formerly known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America) and is actively involved in AAJ's Nursing Home Litigation Group. Mr. Smith is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He also served for several years on the Board of Directors for the Elder Care Rights Alliance (a Minnesota non-profit organization that advocates for the rights and safety of the elderly, now part of the Tubman organization). He is a co-author of Thompson-West Publication's
Tort Litigation chapter on nursing home litigation. Mr. Smith is a graduate of St. John's University (Collegeville, Minnesota) and the University of Minnesota Law School.
James K Theisen is an attorney in the Rockford office of Hupy and Abraham. With more than a decade of experience, he handles personal injury claims. Mr. Theisen earned his J.D. degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law, where he received numerous awards and scholarships, including the Phi Delta Phi Award for outstanding achievement in legal ethics and the Academic Achievement Scholarship. He also served as a student ambassador for Southern Illinois University School of Law and participated in William & Mary School of Law’s summer program in Madrid, Spain. Mr. Theisen is licensed to practice in Illinois’ state and federal courts, as well as the state of Missouri. He also is a member of the Winnebago County and the Illinois State bar associations.
