Honors, Memberships and Affiliations
American Bar Association
Member (1983 - present)
ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession
- Member, by presidential appointment (2021 - present)
ABA Center for Racial & Ethnic Diversity
- Member, by presidential appointment (2016 - 2017)
ABA Day Planning Committee
- Member, by presidential appointment (2012 - present)
ABA Practice Forward Coordinating Committee (Steering Committee)
- Member, by presidential appointment (2020 - 2022)
ABA State Membership Chair
- By presidential appointment (2022 - present)
House of Delegates
- State Delegate (2015 - present)
- State Bar Delegate (2006 - 2015)
- Vice Chair, Technology and Communications Committee (2022 - present)
- Vice Chair, Steering Committee of the Nominating Committee (2021 - 2022)
- Member, Steering Committee of the Nominating Committee (2020 - 2021)
- Member, Rules and Calendar Committee (2018 - 2020)
- Member, Resolution and Impact Review Committee (2016 - 2018)
- Member, House Committee on Delegate Involvement (2010 - 2012)
Judicial Division
- Appellate Judges Conference
- State Chair, Council of Appellate Lawyers (2020 - present)
- Lawyers Conference
- Member (2016 - present)
- Member, Special Master Committee (2016 - present)
- Member, Black Letter Working Group (2017 - 2018)
- Chair, Policy Subgroup (2017 - 2018)
- Chair, Ethics Subcommittee (2018 - present)
Section of Business Law
- Past Chair (2017 - present)
- Immediate Past Chair (2017 - 2019)
- Chair (2016 - 2017)
- Chair-Elect (2015 - 2016)
- Vice Chair (2014 - present)
- Secretary (2013 - 2014)
Advance IV - Membership Team
- Member (2012 - 2013)
Audit Response Committee
- Member (2011 - present)
Business and Corporate Litigation Committee
- Co-Chair, Wellness, Life Balance, and Time Management Subcommittee (2019 - 2021)
- Chair (2010 - 2013)
- Co-Vice Chair (2008 - 2010)
- Co-Chair, Programs Subcommittee (2005 - 2007)
- Chair, Indemnification and Insurance Subcommittee (1997 - 2005)
- Vice Chair, Indemnification and Insurance Subcommittee (1995 -1996)
Corporate Documents and Process Committee
- Member (2008 - present)
Corporate Governance Committee
- Member (2011 - present)
Corporate Laws Committee
- Member (2017 - present)(by invitation)
- Co-Chair, Derivative Proceedings and Litigation Task Force (2019 - present)
Director and Officer Liability Committee
- Member (2007 - present)
- Chair, Indemnification Subcommittee (2011 - 2013)
- Member, Model Indemnification Agreement Working Group (2007 - 2012)
Dispute Resolution Committee
- Member (2011 - present)
Federal Regulation of Securities Committee
- Member (2011 - present)
Mergers and Acquisition Committee
- Member (2011 - present)
Publications Board
- Vice-Chair (2012 - 2013)
- Member (2008 - 2013)
Section Nominations
- For Appointment to the ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession (2021, 2022)
- For Appointment to the ABA Standing Committee on Membership (2019 - 2020)
- For Appointment to the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary (2012)
- For Appointment to the ABA Standing Committee on Publishing Oversight (2009)
- For Appointment to the ABA Standing Committee on Professionalism(2004)
Working Group Regarding Proposed Changes to the ABA Model Code of Judicial Conduct
- Chair (2005 - 2007)
Working Group for the Preparation of ABA Model Business and Supplier Policies on Labor Trafficking and Child Labor
- Co-Chair (2012 - 2015)
Section of Litigation
- Corporate Counsel Committee (2006 - present)
Section Officers Conference
- Liaison to the ABA Day Planning committee (2018 - 2019)
Standing Committee on Membership
- Special Advisor (2018 - 2020)
Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fundraising Committee
- Member, by presidential appointment (2014 - 2017)
American Bar Foundation
- Fellow (2009 - present, currently Patron Fellow)
- State Chair (2011 - 2015)
American College of Business Court Judges
- Honorary Member (2012 - present)
American Counsel Association
- Member (2010 - present)
- Past President (2020 – present)
- Immediate Past President (2020 – 2021)
- President (2019 – 2020)
- President-Elect (2018 – 2019)
- Vice President (2017 – 2018)
- Director (2012 - present)
American Inns of Court
- Member, Richard S. Rodney Inn of Court (2002 - 2018; 2022 - present)
- Member, Executive Committee (2006 - 2008, 2010 - 2017)
- Group Leader (2004 - 2008)
American Judicature Society
- Member (1983 - present)
- Advisory Member, Board of Directors (2019 - present)
- Past President (2012 - present)
- Immediate Past President (2011 - 2012)
- President (2010 - 2011)
- President-Elect (2009 - 2010)
- Director (2003 - 2012)
- Treasurer (2008 - 2009)
- Vice President (2006 - 2008)
- Chair, National Advisory Council (2005 - 2007)
- Chair, Strategic Planning and Implementation Committee (2005 - 2010)
- Chair, Advisory Committee to the Elmo B. Hunter Citizens Center for Judicial Selection (2003 - 2005)
- Member, Amicus Committee (2003 - 2005)
- Member, Finance Committee (2008 - present)
- Member, National Jury Center Advisory Committee (2003 - 2005)
- Member, Substantive Programming Committee (2003 - 2010)
- Member, Team Representing Delaware at National Conference on Pro Se Litigation (Scottsdale, AZ Nov. 18-21, 1999)
Delaware Law Related Education Center, Inc.
- Director (2006 - 2011)
Delaware State Bar Association
- Member (1982 - present)
- State Bar Delegate to the American Bar Association (2006 - 2015)
- Co-chair, Committee on Consumer Debt Actions in the Court of Common Pleas (2011 - present)
- Past Chair, ADR Section (2021 - present)
- Immediate Past Chair, ADR Section (2021 - 2022)
- Chair, ADR Section (2018 - 2021)
- Vice-Chair, ADR Section (2015 - 2016)
- Member, Judicial Appointments Committee (2000 - present)
- Member, Corporation Law Section (1983 - present)
- Member, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (2010 - present)
- Member, Council of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (2013 - present)
- Immediate Past President (2002 - 2003)
- President (2001 - 2002)
- President-Elect (2000 - 2001)
- Vice President At Large (1999 - 2000)
- Vice President, New Castle County (1997 - 1999)
- Secretary (1996 - 1997)
- Member, Executive Committee (2 years appointed, 8 years as an officer of the Association)
- Assistant Secretary (1995 - 1996)
- Member, Council of the Corporate Counsel Section (1995 - 2010)
- Member, Corporation Law Section (1983 - present)
- Member, Special Committee of the Corporation Law Section (2003 - 2007)
- Chair, Pro Se Litigation Assistance Committee (1996 - 2000; 2003 - 2007)
- Member, Diversity Committee (1995 - 2007)
- Chair, Program Committee (1989 - 1993)
- Member of the Editorial Board, The Delaware Bar In The Twentieth Century (1994)
- Member of the Editorial Board, The Delaware Constitution of 1897 -- The First 100 Years (1997)
- Member of the Editorial Board, Delaware Supreme Court Golden Anniversary (2001)
- Vice Chair, Committee on the Provision of Legal Services to Low Income People of Delaware (1994 - 1995)
- Member, Redding Fellows Subcommittee of the Diversity Committee (1994 - 1996)
Delaware Supreme Court
- Member, Board of Bar Examiners (2006 - 2012)
- Member, Delivery of Criminal Justice Policy Committee (2001 - 2002)
- Member, Rules Advisory Committee (1984 - 1987)
- Member, Delaware Appellate Handbook Subcommittee of the Rules Advisory Committee (1983 - 1990)
Delaware Volunteer Legal Services, Inc.
- Volunteer pro bono attorney (2009 - present)
- Volunteer mediator, Delaware Superior Court residential mortgage foreclosure program (2013 to present)
High School Mock Trial Competition
- Presiding Judge and Scoring Judge, Delaware Competition (2006 - 2015)
- Co-author, “case” for 2008 National Competition (hosted by Delaware)
Federal Bar Association (Delaware Chapter)
- Member (2007 - 2008, 2019 - 2021)
International Bar Association
- Member (1991 - 1996)
Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity
- Member (1980 - present)
OTHER DIRECTOR/TRUSTEE/OFFICER POSITIONS
Peninsula United Methodist Homes, Inc.
- Director (2006 - 2010)
Trustees of Color, Inc.
- Board of Advisors (2006 - 2011)
The Pilot School, Inc.
- Trustee (1992 - 2008)
- Treasurer (1995 - 2008)
- Member, Executive Committee (1995 - 2008)
HLR Holdings, Inc.
- Director (1990 - 1996)
- Assistant Secretary (1990 - 1996)
Roche Pharma, Inc.
- Assistant Secretary (1990 - 1998)
University & Whist Club of Wilmington
- Director (1989 - 1993)
Sigma Chi Fraternity
- President, Sigma Chi of Colgate, Inc. (alumni corporation) (1985 - 1989)
BIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES
- Martindale-Hubbell “AV” Rating
- The Best Lawyers in America® (Corporate Law, since 2007)
- Law Dragon 500 Leading Litigators in America (Commercial Litigation, esp. Chancery) (2022 - present)
- Delaware Super Lawyers®
- Top Attorneys in Delaware (Philadelphia Magazine)
- Who's Who in America
- Who’s Who in American Law
- Who’s Who of Emerging Leaders in America
HONORS
- "Daniel L. Herrmann Professional Conduct Award," Delaware State Bar Association (2021)
- Profiled in Delaware Beach Life (October 2012), "Making a Case for the Greater Good"
- “Community Service Award,” Delaware State Bar Association (2007)
- “President’s Citation,” Delaware State Bar Association (1996)
- “Certificate of Appreciation,” 1996 Louis L. Redding Fellows (1996)
- “Leadership Award,” Delaware State Human Relations Commission (1996)
- “Helping Hand – Diversity in the Legal Community,” Delaware State Conference of The NAACP (1995)
- “President’s Citation,” Delaware State Bar Association (1993)
- “President’s Citation,” Delaware State Bar Association (1991)
- “Grand Consul’s Citation,” Sigma Chi Fraternity (1989)
MEMBERSHIPS
- Wilmington Country Club
- Cripple Creek Golf and Country Club
- Lincoln Club of Delaware
- University & Whist Club
ACTIVITIES
Aldersgate United Methodist Church
- Member, Chancel Choir (1970 - 2000)
- Member, Worship Commission (2010 - 2011)
- Lay Delegate, Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference (2006 - 2009)
- Co-chair, Worship Commission (2006 - 2008)
- Lay Leader (2005 -2006)
- Associate Lay Leader (2003 -2004)
- Member, Administrative Board (2003 - present)
- Member, Staff-Parish Relations Committee (1996 - 1998)
- Chair, Religion & Race Commission (1986 - 1989)
- Past Member, Administrative Board, Lay Leadership (formerly Nominating) Committee and other committees of the Church
Bayard Middle School
- Mentor (2013 - 2016)
Boy Scouts of America
- Eagle Scout
- Chair, Troop 67 Troop Committee (1982 - 1985)
- Member, Executive Board, Del-Mar-Va Council B.S.A. (2017 - 2020)
Bethany Beach Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
- Moderator (2022 - present)
- Interim Vice Moderator (2021)
- Associate Member (2016 - present)
- Worship Leader (2017 - present)
- Trustee (2018 - 2020)
Colgate University
- Class Agent (1992 - 1995)
Delaware State Human Relations Commission
- Commissioner, by gubernatorial appointments (1987 - 2011)
- Member, Executive Committee
- Member, Legislative Committee (1994 - present)
- Past Acting Chair and Past Acting Vice Chair
- Chair, Regulations Committee (1994 - 1996)
- Chair, Legislative Committee (1994 -1996)
- Chair, Community Response Committee (1992 - 1994)
Rotary Club of Wilmington
- Member (1994 - 2014)
- Co-Parliamentarian (2006 - 2014)
- Member, Chaplains Committee (2006 - 2007)
- Chair, Rotary Foundation Committee (2005 - 2006)
- Vice Chair, Rotary Foundation Committee (2004 - 2005)
- Chair, Vocational Service Committee (2003 - 2004)
- Director (2000 - 2002)
- Vice Chair, Vocational Service Committee (1999 - 2000; 2002 - 2003)
- Chair, Scholarship Committee (1998 - 1999)
- Chair, Fellowship Committee (1997 - 1998)
Street Law Workshops for Students of Howard High School of Technology (Wilmington, DE) –
a partnership between Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP and the Legal Department of the DuPont Company
- Co-coordinator and presenter (2006 - 2014)
Stubbs Elementary School, Wilmington, Delaware
- Mentor (2010 - 2013)
United Way of Delaware
- Chair, Tocqueville Society (2011 - 2013)
- Chair, Legal Sector (2010 - 2011)
Washington and Lee University School of Law
- Class Agent (2013 - present)
Wilmington Ethics Commission
- Immediate Past Chair (2022 - present)
- Chair (2017 - 2022)
Wilmington Friends School, Wilmington, Delaware
- Member, “Friends Forward” Capital Campaign Committee (2003 - 2005)
- Member, “250th Celebration” Capital Campaign Committee (1998 - 1999)