Brad is a partner in FBT’s Lexington and Louisville offices. His practice focuses on antitrust, trade regulation, and franchise matters, and includes litigating on behalf of clients in the financial services, insurance, automotive, consumables, real estate, health care, manufacturing, and securities industries. Brad also maintains a robust regulatory practice advising clients on compliance with foreign, federal, and state laws in antitrust and competition, international trade, food, drug, medical device, agriculture, tobacco, and financial services matters. He also regularly serves as antitrust counsel on large mergers and acquisitions, including preparing HSR Premerger Notifications.

Specific to the automotive industry, Brad has litigated matters involving disputes over competition issues, vehicle allocation methodologies, dealership location and facility requirements, dealer agreements and other contracts, advertising requirements, and supply chain issues. Brad also has advised entities in the automotive industry on compliance with antitrust laws.

Brad joined FBT in January 2023. Prior to that, he was a partner in the Louisville office of another regional firm where he served as Chair of the firm’s Antitrust, Trade Regulation, and Franchise Practice Group. Brad obtained his undergraduate degree from Centre College and his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, where he was Associate Editor for the Global Studies Law Review.

Jan concentrates his practice in the area of international regulation and trade with a particular focus on import and export matters, customs regulations, labeling requirements, and transaction licensing. Jan has significant experience in counseling clients as to their responsibilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and export licensing obligations under the Department of Commerce’s Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) and the Department of State’s International Traffic In Arms Regulations (“ITAR”).

In addition, Jan advises companies and individuals in matters relating to U.S. embargoes and sanctions, with experience in both the voluntary disclosure of violations and obtaining appropriate licenses for international transactions. He also assists companies importing goods into the United States with customs law issues, including classification and valuation of products; Customs duty protests; and country of origin and other labeling requirements.

Josef (Joe) Koberl serves as Comerica Bank’s Country Manager and Senior Vice President of the Mexico Group. He leads all aspects of the credit underwriting and approval process that relate to Comerica Bank’s business activity in Mexico.

Joe joined Comerica in 1991 and became member of the International Leadership Team in 2004. As a member of the International Division senior management team, he participates in the International credit committee, covering financial transactions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, as well as select countries in Asia and Europe.

During his 33-year career, Joe has held various roles focusing on lending to large and midsized companies. He also directed the business activities of the Representative Office in Monterrey, Mexico. He managed the relationship with regulators and was responsible for compliance with local laws and regulations.

Joe has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Lawrence Technological University and a Masters in International Economics and Politics from the University of Detroit Mercy.

Erik Olin is an Associate General Counsel at Kasai North America, Inc., an automotive Tier 1 supplier based in Murfreesboro, TN. Kasai North America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kasai Kogyo, a multinational Japanese Tier 1 Supplier. In this position, Erik is responsible for providing legal counsel for the company’s operations in the United States and Mexico.

Prior to joining Kasai, Erik worked for several years as legal counsel at Caterpillar Inc., a mining and construction original equipment manufacturer and his practice was focused mostly on commercial legal work, digital solutions and regulatory compliance. During this period, he worked both at Caterpillar’s then current HQ in Peoria, Illinois and in its Monterrey Mexico office.

Erik is licensed to practice law in the State of Alabama and Mexico. He is also registered as in House Counsel in the State of Tennessee. Erik has a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law (LL.M.) and from Facultad Libre de Derecho de Monterrey (LL.B.).

Bernardo Reyes-Retana is a partner of Gonzalez Calvillo based in our Mexico City’s office and member of our M&A and Banking and Finance practice areas. He has over 20 years of experience representing local and foreign clients in complex corporate, M&A, JVs, corporate and structured finance, banking, regulatory and capital markets/securities matters.

Bernardo has substantial experience representing firms of the automotive industry with presence in Mexico on M&A transactions, regulatory matters, training and capacitation, and finance operations, including public offerings of securities and bonds in different stock exchanges. He has represented relevant clients such as Nissan-Renault Finance, Infiniti Financial Services, Mitsubishi Motors Financial Services, Motus Integrated Technologies, General Motors, Navistar Financial, Nemak, Peugeot Finance, and Rassini.
His practice has been recognized by international publications and rankings such as Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, Latin Lawyer 250, IFLR1000, Leaders League, and Best Lawyers.

Bernardo holds a law degree from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, as well as an LLM from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and a Certificate in Business (WBLC) by The Wharton School, both in Philadelphia, PA. He also worked as an international associate in the New York office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP from 2014-2016.

As an international consulting senior manager, Julio Cesar Valdez primarily works with companies engaged in international transactions. He specializes in advising executives about Mexico and U.S. cross-border relations to help them navigate the implications, risks, and nuances of conducting global business. Julio supports clients with strategies for global expansion, investment structuring, incorporation, and operational startup support as well as financial and Mexican tax due diligence. He also assists with tax consulting, IMMEX, and customs matters, as well as analyze Mexican tax compliance and tax reform, including how federal, local, and custom taxes apply to business operations in Mexico.

Julio has extensive experience working with manufacturing companies, large-scale assembly plants, and service companies, including ERP developers and financial service providers. Working with the global services team helps him understand his clients’ needs from a broad perspective. From simple to complex Mexican tax questions, Julio is always willing to provide exceptional client service any way he can. This willingness to help them in any capacity — along with his deep background in international business — allows Julio to develop sincere relationships with his clients.

Julio speaks regularly at events and seminars related to expanding globally and other consulting and Mexican tax matters. He has spoken at Praxity conferences and meetings at the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce Detroit chapter on various international business topics.

Alicia Masse is a Senior Managing Director in the Detroit office. Prior to joining B. Riley Advisory Services [formerly GlassRatner] in 2020, Alicia was a Managing Director and Founder of Alderney Advisors [“Alderney”], a business advisory firm providing financial and strategic solutions for stakeholders in high-risk, high-stakes challenging situations, primarily in the automotive industry.

Having led over 100 distressed engagements, Ms. Masse has a proven track record for leadership in global, multi-cultural, diverse environments creating opportunities for stakeholders to achieve optimal solutions to difficult and complex situations. While Ms. Masse’s focus has been on restructuring in the automotive sector, she also has experience in the following industries: Logistics – Trucking; Commercial Vehicles and financing companies.

Prior to founding Alderney, Ms. Masse served as the Midwest Restructuring Leader and Global Automotive Supplier Risk Network Leader for EY. She created a robust global restructuring network of EY practitioners allowing response to global clients with global supply risk issues within 2L-I hours of engagement, spanning the US, China, Europe and Canada.

Her early career began in audit at Arthur Andersen, with significant experience at Ford Motor Company Finance and BBK, a boutique restructuring firm serving the automotive industry.

She serves on two non-profit boards in Detroit – Belle Isle Conservancy, Detroit Institute of Arts Auxiliary Board and the Friends of Asian Arts and Culture. Alicia received the Top U.S.A Women Dealmakers Award from the Global M&A Network in 2021 and was recognized as one of the Top Women in Asset Based Lending by the ABL Journal in 2022. She was also appointed to the Board of Directors of Haynes International, Inc., a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of technologically advanced high-performance alloys in 2023.

Mr. Masse graduated from the University of Michigan, where she earned an MBA in finance and strategy.

Bruce Denby is Managing Director and Head of Secured Lending at CIBC. He is responsible for the overall performance of the Asset-Based Lending and Equipment Finance Groups including strategy and collaboration with the commercial and specialty teams.

Previous Experience

Denby has 40 years of experience in asset-based lending. He previously served as the Senior Vice President and ABL Division Executive for the Business Finance Group of Bank of America. Prior to this, he was a Group Senior Vice President at LaSalle Bank and was responsible for the National Sales and Underwriting functions.

Denby joined the Exchange National Bank in 1984, which LaSalle acquired in 1990.

Memberships/Affiliations

Commercial Finance Association

Turnaround Management Association

Panelist for the CFA and TMA on a national and regional basis

Education

MBA, DePaul University, Chicago, IL

BS, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL

Kevin Riddell is the Senior Manager of Americas Powertrain Forecasting at GlobalData. He has been studying the auto industry for over 20 years, assessing developments in traditional internal combustion and the emergence of e-mobility. In addition to his normal responsibilities forecasting the light-vehicle powertrain evolution in the Americas, Kevin contributes to ad-hoc consultancy projects, speaks at industry events and to the media about powertrain trends, technologies and outlooks.

A licensed professional engineer, President & CEO Mandy K. Bishop leads Forward Momentum, a firm focused on delivering solutions that empower people. As a globally recognized leader in development, transportation, and transportation technology, Mandy brings an unwavering commitment to developing solutions that make people’s lives better.

Mandy led the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Smart City Challenge and has served in leadership positions both in the public and private sector. The USDOT Smart City Challenge focused on mobility solutions and technology implementation in a mid-sized city. As the Program Manager, Mandy deployed autonomous vehicles, connected vehicle technology, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and smart mobility hubs as well as “apps and maps” to connect residents and visitors to new mobility solutions.

Prior to forming Forward Momentum, Mandy served as Deputy Director of Public Service for the City of Columbus, a Senior Project Manager with GPD Group managing public improvements for the Bridge Street District in the City of Dublin. Additionally, Mandy served as the staff lead for the Governor’s 21st Century Priorities Task Force and later as Deputy Director of Planning for Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).

Mandy holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from THE Ohio State University (OSU) and in addition to her professional engineer’s license, holds a Surveyor Intern certification. Mandy is an Engineers Without Borders – USA board director, OSU Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering Alumni Advisory Board member, ITSA America, WTS International, and ASHE member.

As the Lobbying & Public Policy practice group leader, Trey Grayson is known as a problem solver and collaborative leader who works with his clients at the local, state, and national levels to successfully navigate their government, legal, political, and regulatory challenges.

Trey served two terms as Kentucky’s Secretary of State from 2004-11. The youngest secretary of state in the country at the time of his election in 2003, he served as President of the National Association of Secretaries of State and the Chair of the Republican Secretaries of State Association.

After leaving the Secretary of State’s office, Trey served as the Director of Harvard University’s Institute of Politics from 2011-2014. While at Harvard, President Obama appointed him to serve on the Bipartisan Presidential Commission on Election Administration.

Before joining FBT, Trey was president and CEO of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce for three years. At the Chamber, he was a recognized leader in workforce and regional collaboration.

In Kentucky and nationally, Trey is well-regarded for his objective and informed political and policy acumen. He regularly appears on Kentucky Education Television, including serving as an in-studio analyst for KET’s election night coverage. He also frequently authors opinion pieces for publication in Kentucky, as well as for national outlets such as the Economist and New York Times.

Trey has strong ties to the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati region and is very active in civic and charitable organizations. Trey and his wife, Nancy, reside in Boone County, Kentucky, and have two daughters, Alex and Kate.

Chassen has a with a wealth of experience in driving economic and community development. A collaborative leader dedicated to fostering growth and making a positive impact, Chassen has proven expertise in government and community relations, coupled with a strategic mindset.

Steve Horaney is the senior vice president, Membership and Sales at MEMA Original Equipment Suppliers. Steve is responsible for driving membership for both the light vehicle and commercial vehicle market segments and plays a critical role in building OEM relationships. Horaney also coordinates the signature OEM Town Hall meetings.

Before joining MEMA in 2014, Steve Horaney worked for companies such as Guardian Automotive, AGC Automotive Americas, and Key Manufacturing Group. Steve earned his bachelor’ BA in Management and Marketing from Central University and an MBA from Eastern Michigan University.

Mark Johnson serves as the Vice President, Government Affairs for Toyota managing a team of five Federal lobbyists in Washington, D.C. Prior to coming to Toyota, Mark served as Chief of Staff for Representative Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). As Chief of Staff, he managed Representative Capito’s three Congressional offices and served as her chief legislative and political advisor.

Before joining Representative Capito’s office, Mark served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Representative Ed Bryant (R-TN) and as a Legislative Assistant for Representative Don Sundquist (R-TN), who later went on to become the Governor of the state.

Mark also spent a brief period of time as Director of Government Affairs for Fluor Corporation, a major construction and engineering company headquartered in Texas. Mark was responsible for legislative issues related to product liability, tax policy, health care and trade.

Before beginning his career in government service, Mark taught Latin and U.S. Government at Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Virginia.

Mark is active in his community serving on the Board of Directors for the Congressional Sports for Charity, the House Chiefs of Staff Alumni Association and the Augustana College President’s Board of Advisors and the vestry for St. Peter’s in the Woods Episcopal Church. Mark currently resides in Fairfax Station, Virginia with his wife Lisa and has two children, Grant age 24 and Hannah age 22.

Mark graduated from Augustana College in 1991.

Steve has been handling mass tort, fire and explosion, toxic exposure, and premises and product liability lawsuits in both state and federal courts across the United States since 1993. He has represented product manufacturers, distributors, service providers, and property owners in incidents and exposures involving industrial facilities, distribution centers, and other commercial and residential properties.

Steve is also involved in national litigation management, participates in crisis response teams, and analyzes safety systems and procedures across a variety of business sectors.

Steve’s comprehensive understanding of the construction industry contributes to his legal expertise as a first chair lawyer in the fields of industrial processes, electrical, structural, chemical, and mechanical engineering, metallurgy, fire cause and origin, and failure analysis. Steve also utilizes the knowledge gained from almost 3 decades of litigation experience as a basis to provide advice on product warnings, product testing, fire suppression equipment, and compliance with industry and regulatory standards.

Kyle understands the problems that face management. Whether it’s a problematic employee, a problematic union, a problematic government agency or a problematic lawsuit, Kyle stands ready to provide timely and efficient solutions to these types of labor and employment issues.

Employers turn to Kyle when they are confronted with these types of problems because he gives prompt attention to all of his clients regardless of how simple or complex the legal issue. Kyle strives to understand his clients’ business needs so that he can provide workable solutions for any employment situation.

Dr. Tim Myers applies chemical engineering principles to analyze industrial processes and to prevent and investigate incidents involving chemical releases, fires, and explosions. His work includes chemical, agricultural and industrial facilities, the warehousing and transport of hazardous chemicals, commercial and residential structures, vehicles, batteries and energy storage systems, consumer products, and burn injuries.

Dr. Myers is a member of several NFPA technical committees responsible for standards related to the prevention and mitigation of fires and explosions. He performs dust hazard analyses (DHAs), risk analyses and assists clients in developing mitigation methods. Dr. Myers evaluates the design and efficacy of fire and explosion protection systems including foams (AFFF), inerting, venting, suppression, isolation, and flame arrestors. He is a member of the ASTM committee responsible for the development of standards to determine the ignition and flammability properties of gases, vapors, and dusts clouds and oversees testing in Exponent’s Combustible Dust Testing Laboratory.

Dr. Myers has investigated fires and explosions on multiple continents. His work in these investigations has included determining origin and cause, experimentally measuring properties of materials, numerical modeling, and evaluation of products and facilities with current and historical regulations, codes, and guidelines. He has testified as an expert witness in state and federal courts.

Randy Reavis is Senior Products Counsel for Volvo Trucks and Mack Trucks. He manages a team of lawyers and engineers that is responsible for all legal issues arising from the sale of the companies’ products throughout North America. He is responsible for managing product liability and warranty claims and litigation and also supports the engineering, warranty, marketing, and other departments on legal, compliance and safety issues related to the companies’ existing and future products, including battery electric vehicles and autonomous solutions.

Prior to joining Volvo Trucks and Mack Trucks, Randy was in private practice for over twenty years, first at a national law firm and then at a large regional firm. In addition to defending product manufacturers in lawsuits across the United States, he represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of civil and commercial litigation with an emphasis on construction contracts and disputes.

Randy is a certified mediator and regularly mediates significant tort and contract claims across the United States. A graduate of Catawba College and the University of North Carolina School of Law, Randy has been selected to Best Lawyers in America and has an AV Preeminent rating.

Outside work, Randy is an avid car nut and an aspiring beach bum. He enjoys restoring, repairing, and driving cars, and is a high-performance driving instructor with several organizations. When he doesn’t have a wrench or steering wheel in his hands, he is content to sit on a beach holding a cold drink and a good book.

Jami Statham serves as Deputy General Counsel of Nexteer Automotive Corporation, a global Tier 1 supplier of safety critical steering and driveline products. In this role, she is responsible for all legal matters in North America and Nexteer’s global compliance program, among other responsibilities. She has nearly two decades of corporate legal and compliance experience, with a deep specialization in Tier 1 automotive suppliers.

Throughout the course of her career, Jami has helped clients navigate numerous crises including significant supply disruptions, the global semiconductor shortage, warranty and recall events, and various plant catastrophes. She’s also led investigations and defended litigation related to these matters. Prior to becoming an in-house attorney, Jami spent six years with an AM Law 200 law firm as a member of the Corporate Restructuring and Bankruptcy, Corporate, and multidisciplinary Automotive practice groups.

Jami holds a BA and a JD from Wayne State University and recently earned a certificate in Corporate Governance from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Executive Education. Jami has been named to various industry “best of” lists including Michigan Super Lawyers (2012,2013) and DBusiness’s Top Corporate Counsel (2017,2022-2024).

Gene has substantial real-world experience in cybersecurity and data management. A member of Frost Brown Todd’s Data Security and Privacy team, his practice includes helping clients cope with their cyber risks. This includes incident response planning and management, supply-chain concerns, and assessments of strategic data governance, privacy-focused frameworks, and business continuity development. He also works with clients on cybersecurity audits and certifications.

Gene also represents clients regarding a variety of maritime matters, recently retired from the U.S. Navy as a Rear Admiral after 36 years of service, Gene served as Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence, Commander of Naval Information Forces Reserve, and Director of the National Maritime Intelligence Integration Office. He also served as Deputy Commander of Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. Tenth Fleet, where he supported U.S. Cyber Command, the National Security Agency, and U.S. global cyber interests. He returned to fulltime work as a civilian in October 2022.

Mr. Crawford is seasoned professional with a robust background in cybersecurity strategy and an in-depth technical knowledge of complex issues with a deep understanding of tools, techniques, procedures, and attack vectors used by cyber adversaries. Experienced in providing strategy, collaboration and engineering support to a multitude of organizations ranging from State and Local Governments, Education, Intelligence, and the Department of Defense in support of their Cyber Security mission.

Artie’s career spans roles at Microsoft, FireEye, MITRE, LMCO, and SAIC, where he developed Techniques, Tools, and Procedures (TTPs) for Joint Service Components, and the National Security Agency. Notable achievements include establishing the Joint Cyber Center for US Central Command and implementing Active Defense concepts for real-world operations with United States Central Command. A 27-year Marine Corps veteran, Artie retired in 2011 as the Cyber Security Chief of the Marine Corps, serving as the Senior technical advisor to the CIO and Director of C4.

Artie holds a Graduate Degree in Computer Engineering with a focus on Cyber Security from the Air Institute of Technology. He is actively pursuing a Ph.D. and has published works on topics such as “Total Cost of Ownership for Software Protection” and participated in conference hearings on “Cyber Warfare Defensive Operations,” “Return on Investment for Building Secure Software,” and “Building the Cyber Security Workforce.”

Todd Wagner is currently the Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at Bridgestone Americas. He has been in Cybersecurity for over 25 years in both the public and private sector. In his role at Bridgestone, Todd has helped transform cybersecurity into a risk based, business enabling function with special focus on Incident Response.

Todd started his career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Special Agent focused on investigating cybercrimes and terrorism with a specialization in computer forensics. While with the FBI, Todd led many high-profile cases – most notably, cases related to the 9-11 attacks on the United States and intellectual property theft.

After an exciting career with the FBI, Todd joined Caterpillar Inc., where he held several leadership roles within Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, Data Governance, and Digital Compliance. Todd was instrumental in transforming and maturing the Cybersecurity culture, Incident Response capabilities, and building the Global Data Privacy and Digital Compliance Programs at Caterpillar. Todd left Caterpillar as the CISO for the Energy & Transportation Segment where his true understanding that “Security Must Enable the Business” helped him establish key relationships and partnerships within “The Business.”

Todd has been awarded several US patents for his work in Cybersecurity and received several security and data privacy certifications, specifically the ISC² Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP); the International Association of Privacy Professionals Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM); and the ISACA, Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE).

Matt serves clients of all sizes, from individual inventors to international conglomerates, and has reached the data, AI, software, electrical, mechanical, semiconductor, cryptography, security, and electromagnetic technology areas in fields from computer security to automotive, blockchain, telematics, packaging, and retail. He brings his educational and Department of Defense work background in intellectual property, computer engineering, cryptography, and security to bear on clients’ management of data systems and policies, vendor agreements, pursuit of patent rights, development of trademark rights, engagement in technology transactions, and licensing of a vast array of IP and technology.

Matt is currently the chair of the Intellectual Property Committee of IEEE-USA and serves weekly as a lay counselor/coach at the Grace Care Center in Noblesville, Indiana. He is admitted to practice as a patent attorney before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.