Julian C. Gomez is a ninth-generation Texan, and his family still ranches on their original Spanish land grant. He graduated from Texas A&M University and University of Houston Law School. After his clerkships, he founded The Julian C. Gomez Law Firm in McAllen, TX. Julian’s practice focuses primarily on catastrophic product liability and negligence cases, mass torts, and contingent commercial litigation. He is a past Chairman of the AAJ’s Products Liability Section, on the board of directors of the Attorneys Information Exchange Group, on the board of directors of the TX TLA, has served on plaintiffs’ committees in national mass tort litigation. He’s a graduate of Trial Lawyer’s College and AAJ’s Leadership Academy.
Douglass A. Kreis is a partner with Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, PLLC. He received undergraduate from Mercer University and JD from Cumberland School of Law. After initially focusing his efforts on pharmaceutical drug related claims, he expanded his practice to include complex medical device defect claims. He has successfully pursued failed medical device claims against major manufacturers. Most recently, he was appointed by Judge Clay D. Land of the Middle District of GA as Co-Lead Counsel over the transvaginal mesh related MDL.
Karen Koehler is a trial attorney with Stritmatter Law Firm in Seattle. Some of her high profile cases include the Ride the Ducks Aurora Bridge Crash, a civil rights wrongful death case brought against the City of Seattle for the death of Kristopher Kime during the 2001 Mardi Gras Riots, the Owen family death and injury tree fall case that was brought against the State of Washington in 2013, Ethel Adams v. Farmers case that resulted in passage of a new UIM law in for innocent bystanders in road rage cases in 2005, civil rights educational deprivation case of Jose Garcia a student with disabilities against the Grandview School District in 2015, and a sexual assault, defamation case against rap performer Nelly. Karen is a past president of the Washington State Association for Justice. She has served on the Board of AAJ.
Neil Overholtz is a senior partner in the firm of Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, PLLC. He specializes in pharmaceutical litigation, and recently had the distinction of being appointed as national counsel on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committees for several federal products liability MDLs. Mr. Overholtz has successfully handled thousands of defective drug and medical device cases. He served as co-chair of the Defective Medtronic Pacemakers and Defibrillators MDL discovery committee and led the firm’s efforts in national litigation. Neil also served in a key role on the Guidant Defibrillators and Pacemakers MDL.
The Advocate 