Alabama

Brian J. McKeen

Detroit, MI

Brian McKeen began practicing law in 1982. During his career, he has become a powerful advocate for his clients and one of the foremost medical malpractice attorneys in Michigan. He has tried cases throughout the United States. He currently sits on the executive boards of the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ) and the American Association for Justice (AAJ). Mr. McKeen formerly served as chair of the AAJ Professional Negligence Section, Medical Negligence Exchange Group and Birth Trauma Litigation Group (BTLG). Since 2001, McKeen & Associates has generated the year's top verdict in Michigan four times, including securing the state's largest medical malpractice verdict on record in 2001, when a jury rendered a verdict award of $55 million in the case of Hall v Henry Ford Health System. McKeen & Associates also topped all Michigan verdict awards in 2002, with an award of $22.5 million in the case of Blazo v McLaren Regional Medical Center, et al; in 2006 with an award of $16 million in the case of Lowe v Henry Ford Health System; and in 2007, with an award of $35 million in the case of Oppenheim v Aeneas C. Guiney. Mr. McKeen was recently inducted to The Inner Circle of Advocates and named Top Attorneys in Michigan as published by The New York Times in September 2012.

Ken Riley

Birmingham, AL

Ken Riley was born and raised in Alexander City, Alabama. After obtaining his business degree at the University of Alabama, Mr. Riley went on to complete his legal studies at Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. For over eighteen years, Mr. Riley has dedicated his law practice to helping injured victims obtain fair and just settlements and verdicts. Mr. Riley tailors his practice to not only focus on people involved in catastrophic accidents, but also those injured by defective medical devices, child-related accidents, as well as victims of nursing home abuse. Mr. Riley is perennially recognized as a Super Lawyer Honoree for 11 years, a national peer-nominated publication that names the best attorneys across all 50 states, in the area of Personal Injury Litigation. In 2017, he was included in Super Lawyers’ top 50 Alabama attorneys list. He has achieved an AV Preeminent rating, the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards by his peers. He is also recognized by Birmingham Magazine as one of Birmingham’s “Top Attorneys,” and has received multiple multi-million dollar settlements for his clients.

Alexander Shunnarah, co-founder of Schuerger Shunnarah, built his firm from humble beginnings, driven by his father's emphasis on education and his own strong work ethic. He started his legal career after working through college and law school, initially questioning his ability to be the best attorney for his clients. This self-reflection led him to continuously improve his firm by hiring top trial lawyers, support staff, and utilizing advanced technology. He has amassed significant financial resources to fight for his clients, with over $50 million dedicated to their cases. Shunnarah is known for his aggressive approach against insurance companies, aiming for substantial trial verdicts rather than small settlements, and is committed to securing maximum compensation for his clients.

Bruce A. Hagen

Decatur, GA

Bruce A. Hagen decided very early on that he was going to devote his entire career to helping injured people. After graduating from George Washington University Law School in 1986, Bruce spent the early years of his practice training under incredible mentors before launching his own law firm in 1992 in Atlanta. He took on auto accidents, truck wrecks, slip and fall cases, and listened to every victim that came his way to learn everything he could about personal injury law. Practice makes better - with more than 200 civil trials under his belt, Bruce built a name for himself in Georgia courtrooms and amongst his peers as The People’s Lawyer. The verdicts he won and settlements he obtained, have changed the lives of his clients for the better. In return, his clients kept coming back with more cases and Bruce built his practice the old school way - through word of mouth and personal referrals from satisfied customers. As his law practice grew, Bruce pursued a long-time passion and began representing injured cyclists and doing advocacy work on behalf of the cycling community in Georgia. Through Bike Law Georgia, Bruce spends a substantial part of his time hosting educational programs for bicyclists, drivers, and law enforcement officers to help ensure that people are aware of both their rights and responsibilities, as well as to help promote safety for all road users. Bruce is also heavily involved in working with both State legislators and Municipal leadership in crafting laws intended to help protect bicyclists and pedestrians. Throughout his legal career, Bruce Hagen has appeared on television and radio to discuss personal injury law and to provide a legal opinion on current situations on the news. He is a frequent guest on 680 The Fan and his weekly podcast “Where Sports Meets The Law” is a listeners favorite. Bruce Hagen co-authored the book Litigating Minor Impact Soft Tissue Cases Vol. 1, 2 & 3 with trial lawyer Karen K. Koehler and Dr. Michael D. Freeman. By sharing his knowledge and experience in this book, Bruce hopes to shape the next generation of personal injury lawyers. First published in 2015, it has been updated annually and has become a tool for plaintiff’s attorneys nationwide. Bruce Hagen has been recognized as a Georgia Super Lawyer for twenty consecutive years. In 2016, his son Matt Hagen joined him in his law practice as an attorney and has been recognized as a Georgia Rising Star for eight consecutive years. Community has always been at the heart of Bruce’s career. His law firm and legal team are involved in a variety of community outreach activities ranging from sponsoring various bike events, to collecting used bikes for kids, and teaching bike safety lessons at a local middle school. As the founding partner of Hagen Rosskopf LLC, Bruce Hagen is no stranger to the challenges of being a small business owner and running a successful law firm. One of his best accomplishments is the team at Hagen Rosskopf, many of whom have been with the firm for decades and who consider each other family. Although Bruce Hagen already has an impressive legal career to boast about, he remains focused on the needs of his clients and the rapidly changing legal landscape for injured people in Georgia.

Carl L. Solomon

Columbia, SC

Carl L. Solomon is the Founder and Managing Attorney of Solomon Law Group, LLC, established in 2010. A native of Columbia, South Carolina, he holds a B.S. in Economics from Florida State University (1991) and a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law (1994). He specializes in complex litigation, including catastrophic injury, pharmaceutical litigation, product liability, wrongful death, and mass torts. Carl served as President of the South Carolina Bar (2010-2011) and as a City of Columbia Municipal Judge (2011-2015). He is recognized with numerous awards including Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers In America, Martindale Hubbell (AV Rated), Million and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and is a Fellow of the National College of Advocacy. He has extensive experience in mass tort and class action cases, including AFFF, JUUL, and Opioid litigations, and has presented nationally on trial advocacy.

Matthew L. Bretz

Hutchinson, KS

Matthew L. Bretz is a trial lawyer whose life's mission was shaped by the tragic loss of his sister. He grew up with a single mother and three sisters, earning the rank of Eagle Scout and graduating college by 20. He attended Pepperdine University School of Law and worked at Engstrom Lipscomb & Lack, learning trial law. The death of his sister in 1992 profoundly influenced his dedication to helping seriously injured individuals and families who have lost loved ones. He is a faculty member of the Keenan Trial College, teaching other lawyers, and serves on the MADD National Board. He also volunteers with United Way, Red Cross, Interfaith Housing, ABATE, and the Training and Evaluation Center of Hutchinson. He handles motor vehicle, premises liability, dangerous and defective products, and nursing home cases. He has an 'AV' rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible for professional ability and ethics, and has won over 98% of his cases since 1991, recovering over $300 million for clients.