DRI

Introduction

Welcome to Say Hello to my WITL Friends - the official podcast for the DRI Women in the Law "WITL" Committee. DRI is the largest association for civil defense attorneys and in-house counsel nationwide. WITL is one of the affinity groups within the larger organization made up of women from across the US and Canada. We are so excited to feature many of the awesome and aspiring women in our group on this podcast.

DRI WITL 2024-2025 podcast chairs Bethany White (@bathwhite) and Ericka Esposito (@ee1045) will bring you real and raw interviews, hot takes, the latest committee news, and of course ice breakers. For more information about our WITL group, please visit our instagram page at @DRIWITL. If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, please reach out to Bethany or Ericka on Instagram or via email.

Bethany - [email protected]
Ericka - [email protected]

We would love for you to share this podcast with your friends, subscribe to our channel, and give us a rating and review. Thanks friends! Stay tuned.

To learn more about DRI and the Women in the Law Committee visit www.DRI.org.
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What Defense Attorneys Need to Know about CRPS with Dr. Jeffrey Summers

In this podcast, we hear a conversation from our live event with Dr. Jeffrey Summers, a pain management physician, regarding complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Dr. Summers discusses the making the diagnosis of complex regional pain syndrome under the AMA Guides and the Budapest criteria and the differences in those methods. He discusses his thoughts on how some physicians have over-diagnosed the condition and gives some useful ideas in how to verify or rule out the diagnosis.  Listen as Jennifer White, Shane Dawson, and Steve Armstrong interview Dr. Summers with questions posed to him by our live audience.

To learn more about DRI and the Workers' Compensation Committee visit www.DRI.org.
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Mandatory MSA Reporting with Jim Anderson

Shane Dawson of Dinsmore and Shohl, LLP and Jennifer White of Peterson White, LLP interview Jim Anderson, a Partner with Cattie & Gonzalez, PLLC. In this episode we chat about the key changes CMS implemented in April 2025 regarding mandatory Medicare Set-Aside (MSA) reporting.   Jim shares tips for workers' compensation defense practitioners to proactively prepare for mediations and settlements to assist their clients through the pitfalls and hurdles in protecting CMS's interests.

To learn more about DRI and the Workers' Compensation Committee visit www.DRI.org.
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Do's and Don'ts with Cambi McLain-Johns

Shane Dawson of Dinsmore and Shohl, LLP and Jennifer White of Peterson White, LLP interview Cambi McLain-Johns, a regional WC Complex Claims Manager with Erie Insurance Exchange.  In this episode we chat about the Law Firm Do's and Don'ts of interreacting with carriers and insureds. We also discuss the importance of communication and mentorship as well as expound how law firms are able to grow their client base and foster loyalty with a few simple tips.

To learn more about DRI and the Workers' Compensation Committee visit www.DRI.org.
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Realities of Workplace Violence with Andria Lure Ryan

Steve Armstrong of Armstrong and Peake PLLC and Jennifer White of Peterson White LLP interview Attorney Andria Lure Ryan of Fisher & Phillips regarding hospitality worker fatalities caused by workplace violence. Andria discusses the realities of workplace violence in the hospitality industry where employees are exposed to danger in areas such as bars, hotels, resorts, and other places.   Andria also provides practical methods of preventing workplace fatalities for all employers including the hospitality industry.

To learn more about DRI and the Workers' Compensation Committee visit www.DRI.org.
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Legal Bill Review with Tanya Crosse

Shane Dawson of Dinsmore and Shohl, LLP and Jennifer White of Peterson White, LLP interview Tanya Crosse, Director of Legal Spend Management at Epiq Legal Solutions.  In this episode we chat about "managed invoice review" otherwise known as "legal bill review", a topic in which most civil defense attorneys are highly invested.  Tanya shares tips for practitioners to make the process less stressful as well as some interesting war stories detailing when defense firms fail to follow outside counsel guidelines.

To learn more about DRI and the Workers' Compensation Committee visit www.DRI.org.
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Mastering Dual Defense: Navigating Workers' Compensation Claims and OSHA Compliance with Melissa Bailey

Jennifer White of Peterson White LLP and Steve Armstrong of Armstrong Peake PLLC interview attorney Melissa Bailey of Ogletree Deakins regarding her knowledge and expertise of OSHA defense litigation. In this episode, Melissa covers how an employer can be impacted if they admit liability in OSHA claims. She covers the Unpreventable Employee Misconduct (UEM) defense and the role of supervisors in OSHA defense. An employer's ability to do business can be affected if they admit to liability.  Also covered is how some states add on a multiplier penalty in the workers’ compensation claim if there is a safety violation. Listen as well for some of her thoughts on how an employer in a workers' compensation claim should answer discovery and how that may impact the OSHA defense at a later date. She also gave us the Gem Industrial Inc. case that has a good description of general UEM elements and the Angel Brothers Enterprises case which has a discussion of various circuit court decisions regarding OSHA.

To learn more about DRI and the Workers' Compensation Committee visit www.DRI.org.
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Investigative Techniques and Best Practices Defending Claims with Jim Anderson

Shane Dawson of Dinsmore and Shohl, LLP and Jennifer White of Peterson White, LLP interview Jim Anderson, of Infoquest/Command. In this episode, Jim discusses the different types of investigative tools, tips and tricks for obtaining the best results and other concerns employers and carriers have with regard to the defense of claim through investigative techniques.

To learn more about DRI and the Workers' Compensation Committee visit www.DRI.org.
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Walking the Line: Discovering and Admitting Social Media Evidence with your Ethics Intact panel discussion on Ethics in Social Media Discovery at 2024 DRI Annual Meeting

Think you know all there is to know about using gathering, using and admitting social media evidence in your case? Are you staying within ethical bounds in your practice? Listen and find out! 

Join Shane Dawson and Steve Armstrong for round table discussion with Marcus Pierre, Associate Attorney at Christovich & Kearney, LLP,  Amber Barlow Garcia, Partner at Deutsch Kerrigan, L.L.P., and Michael Petri, Founder of Webutation, Inc. as we hear from them on how to investigate claims effectively on social media while avoiding ethical pitfalls.


To learn more about DRI and the Workers' Compensation Committee visit www.DRI.org.
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Trends in Workers' Compensation Fraud with Joe DePolo

Shane Dawson of Dinsmore and Shohl, LLP and Jennifer White of Peterson White, LLP interview Joe DePolo, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge overseeing a team of investigators and analysts in Southeastern Ohio.  Currently fraud accounts for millions of dollars in losses in Ohio and billions of dollars lost across the United States.  Mr. DePolo discusses the trends in different types of workers’ compensation fraud, as well as some the tools and technology used to help detect and stop fraud.

To learn more about DRI and the Workers' Compensation Committee visit www.DRI.org.
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