MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA (JULY 19, 2018) – The Alabama Defense Lawyers
Association (ADLA) swears in a new slate of Officers and Directors at the close of the meeting held its Annual Meeting in Orange Beach, Ala., June 21-23, 2018.
DENNIS R. BAILEY was confirmed as the President of the Association. Bailey is a
shareholder with Rushton Stakely in Montgomery. He works closely with corporate
counsel and is therefore familiar with corporate litigation guidelines, reporting, and
budgeting requirements. He has managed and argued complex litigation for
corporate manufacturing, insurance, and financial services clients as pro hac vice
counsel in federal or state cases in Arizona, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi,
Louisiana, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma,
Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and California. He has served for years as general counsel
for the Alabama Press Association and other media clients, and now supervises a
statewide media hotline. He is a member of the Defense Research Institute.
CHRISTINA M. BOLIN assumes the position of President-Elect. Bolin is a founding
member of Alford Bolin, LLC in Mobile. She defends individuals, businesses and
insurers against lawsuits and liability claims, and assist clients in the development
of strategic solutions to legal disputes and litigation risks. Since 2001, Bolin has
defended property and casualty insurers in direct actions involving large property
losses, catastrophic casualty claims, complex insurance coverage questions, fraud
and bad faith. She is a member of the Defense Research Institute.
ANDREW J. RUTENS was elected as Secretary Treasurer. Rutens is the managing
partner for Galloway, Wettermark and Rutens in Mobile. Additionally, he serves as
the City Attorney for Saraland. His practice areas are employment and labor law,
government entity liability, law enforcement excessive force defense and general
defense litigation. Andy previously served a three-year term on the ADLA Board of
Directors and was serving his second term when he was elected to serve as an
officer.
SHARON D. STUART is immediate Past President. Stuart is a founding member of
Christian & Small and has been with the firm since 1993. She devotes her practice
to civil trial work and arbitration. She focuses on complex commercial and
insurance litigation, and she handles a variety of pharmaceutical and medical device
products liability litigation as national, regional or local counsel. Sharon is also a
member of the Defense Research Institute.
The ADLA welcomed the following new members of the Board of Directors to serve
a three-year term ending in 2021:
Ryan G. Brake, District 1, Carr Allison, Florence
Christie J. Estes, District 2, Quality Correctional Healthcare, Inc., Birmingham
Megan McCarthy, District 3, Holtsford Gilliland, PC, Montgomery
William J. Gamble, Jr., District 4, Phelps Dunbar, LLP, Mobile
William R. Lancaster, District 4, Armbrecht Jackson, LLP, Mobile, term ending 2020
(W. Lancaster will serve remaining term due to vacancy of A. Rutens)
About the ADLA: Alabama Defense Lawyers Association (ADLA) is a professional
organization of over 1, 000 attorneys dedicated to the defense of civil actions and
the promotion of fairness and integrity in the civil justice system. For more
information about the ADLA, please contact (334) 395-4455 or visit www.adla.com.