PLENARY SPEAKERS
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jason A. Robertson
Judge Jason A. Robertson serves as a U.S. magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. An Oklahoma native and former trial attorney, he brings more than 25 years of criminal and civil trial experience to the federal bench.
Appointed in 2022, Judge Robertson presides over one of the largest civil consent dockets in the country and, following the Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma, one of the most active criminal dockets as well. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the T.U. College of Law and frequently speaks on legal ethics, courtroom practice and the evolving role of technology in the legal profession.
Judge Robertson’s work reflects a career devoted to trial advocacy, constitutional discipline and the enduring responsibility of the American courtroom.
Herb Rubenstein
Herb Rubenstein is an attorney and the author of numerous books on the legal profession, leadership and business. He has taught courses on AI, negotiation, ethics, change management and leadership at several universities and online for organizations including Thomson Reuters, the OBA, the Virginia Law Foundation and others. He has been an AI, ethics and organizational strategy consultant to law firms, nonprofit organizations, educational organizations, government agencies and companies.
He is a graduate of Washington and Lee University, a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar at the University of Bristol in Bristol, England where he received a graduate diploma in Social Sciences. He received his Master of Public Affairs degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and received his law degree from Georgetown University. He is an active member of the D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Supreme Court bars.
In 1985 when he started his law firm, every staff member, lawyer and every undergraduate clerk had a computer on their desks. He became a professional golfer at the age of 65 and was elected to the PGA when he was 67.
Learn more at www.herbrubenstein.com, www.leadershipforattorneys.com and www.leadershipforeducators.com.
SESSION SPEAKERS
Angie Barker
Angie Barker is a licensed attorney, accessibility consultant and adjunct professor based in Oklahoma City with more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of affordable housing, accessibility law and federal regulatory compliance.
Ms. Barker specializes in ADA, Fair Housing and LIHTC compliance for housing authorities, lenders and property management companies. She develops multi-year strategic roadmaps and capital plans for barrier removal and accessibility improvements, guiding clients through complex mitigation processes with precision and clarity.
Her affordable housing work encompasses capital needs assessments and compliance consulting across a broad range of HUD programs, including Section 8, Public Housing, RAD, LIHTC, HOME and CDBG.
A published author and emerging policy voice, Ms. Barker authored "Is Your Law Firm Compliant with Title III of the ADA?" for the September 2025 issue of the Oklahoma Bar Journal and is currently serving as a legislation consultant on Oklahoma's Land Bank Act (SB 1478). She sits on the board of the Oklahoma Disability Law Center and teaches real estate and property law in the paralegal program at Rose State College.
Ms. Barker earned a Bachelor of Science from Mississippi State University and a J.D. from the OCU School of Law. She holds industry certifications through the National Affordable Housing Management Association, the Building Performance Institute and InterNachi.
Julie A. Bays
Julie Bays is the director of the OBA Management Assistance Program and provides assistance to attorneys using technology and other tools to efficiently manage their offices.
Previously, Ms. Bays worked for the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office where she was responsible for prosecuting antitrust and consumer protection cases. Ms. Bays served on various task forces and committees, including the Oklahoma Bar Association Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, the Federal Trade Commission Southwest Netforce and the National Attorneys General Association Antitrust Policy Task Force. She taught various continuing legal education classes for the state of Oklahoma. Ms. Bays also traveled the state educating consumers regarding identity theft and other types of consumer and internet fraud. In January 2013, she was appointed chief, assistant attorney general of the Consumer Protection Unit.
In November 2018, Ms. Bays joined the Oklahoma Bar Association as their practice management advisor and became director of the Management Assistance Program in 2025. Ms. Bays is also involved with the Access to Justice initiatives of the OBA, such as Oklahoma Free Legal Answers. She actively contributes to the Law Practice Division of the American Bar Association, where she serves on multiple committees and regularly authors articles for the Law Practice Magazine's "Product Watch" column. She was co-chair of the Planning Board for the ABA TECHSHOW 2025 and served as a board member for TECHSHOW 2026.
Michael Brewer
Mr. Brewer is a founding member of the law firm of Hiltgen & Brewer, practicing in the areas of business litigation, personal injury, product liability, transportation, bad faith, coverage and insurance defense. He is the Author of "Workers' Compensation: Erosion of the Exclusive Remedy Provisions," Oklahoma Law Review. Mr. Brewer is also a contributor and speaker at locally and nationally sponsored seminars. He has served in various roles in multiple organizations including as 2019-2020 president of the Oklahoma County Bar Association. He graduated from the OU College of Law in 1986.
Kenton Brice
Information coming soon.
Jim Calloway
Jim Calloway retired as the director of the Oklahoma Bar Association Management Assistance Program in 2025 after 28 years of service. He remains active in the American Bar Association Law Practice Division, where he serves on the Law Practice Magazine editorial board and was awarded the LP Division’s Award for Best Column in Division Publications for his "Practice Management Advice" column in the magazine. He currently serves on the board of the Oklahoma Access to Justice Foundation.
In November 2018, he was awarded the William G. Paul Oklahoma Justice Award from Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma Inc. for his work on access to justice projects, including limited scope legal services. The 2025 American Legal Technology Awards also honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award at their annual gala in Boston.
Mr. Calloway is a former chair of ABA TECHSHOW (2005) and was a speaker at ABA TECHSHOW 2026. He has been inducted as a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management. He received his J.D. from the OU College of Law.
Mr. Calloway irregularly posts to his law blog, Jim Calloway’s Law Practice Tips (http://www.lawpracticetipsblog.com) and on LinkedIn.
Katie Crane
Katie Crane is a trial lawyer and former federal law clerk whose commercial litigation practice encompasses complex business disputes, class actions, securities litigations, internal and government investigations and products liability actions. Prior to joining McAfee & Taft, Ms. Crane practiced in the New York offices of Levine Lee LLP and Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, where she assisted clients in internal investigations, enforcement actions, white collar criminal investigations and criminal jury trials. She also clerked for the Honorable Vincent L. Briccetti of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
J. Renley Dennis
J. Renley Dennis is the founder of Dennis Law, where he focuses his practice on representing plaintiffs in complex civil litigation, particularly in the area of insurance bad faith.
He began his legal career at Whitten Burrage, where he gained extensive experience handling high-exposure litigation. He now devotes his practice to advocating for policyholders and holding insurers accountable for bad faith conduct, including improper claim denials and unfair claims handling practices. His broader practice includes personal injury, breach of contract and wrongful death cases.
In addition to his litigation work, he has substantial experience advising tribal governments, including the Choctaw Nation, Chickasaw Nation and Quapaw Nation. He has served as parliamentarian for the Choctaw Nation Tribal Council since 2018.
Katie Dilks
Katie Dilks is the executive director of the Oklahoma Access to Justice Foundation, where she works to collaboratively identify and strengthen statewide solutions to increase meaningful participation in a fair and accessible civil justice system for all Oklahomans. She brings over 15 years of experience in access to justice work to her role with the foundation, including nine years counseling law students in pursuing nonprofit and government careers and developing two nonprofits focused on providing affordable legal services in Washington, D.C. Ms. Dilks has written and presented on access to justice topics, including the need for affordable legal services, eviction prevention and legislative reform, the impact and importance of pro bono, plain language court forms, career pathways in government and nonprofit law and more. As a relatively new Oklahoman, she is excited to bring a national perspective to the challenges and opportunities in Oklahoma’s justice system while building on the unique strengths our state offers. She earned her J.D. and master’s in public policy from Georgetown University and her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Kansas. She is a member of the bar in the District of Columbia.
Kraettli Q. Epperson
Kraettli Q. Epperson received his bachelor's degree from OU in 1971, his master's degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his J.D. from OCU in 1978. He is currently of counsel with Nash Cohenour & Giessmann PC in Oklahoma City, and he focuses on mineral and surface title litigation as a consulting and testifying expert.
Mr. Epperson taught Oklahoma land titles at the OCU School of Law from 1982 to 2018, and was the OBA Title Examination Standards Committee chair from 1988 to 2020. He is the general editor and a contributing author for West’s Vernons 2d: Oklahoma Real Estate Forms. He has presented and published numerous article on real property title related topics. Learn more about him and read his articles at www.EppersonLaw.com.
Jacob L. Fanning
Jacob L. Fanning is an associate in the Oklahoma City law firm of Hartzog Conger Cason LLP, focusing on real estate transactions and finance, business and entity formation and governance, and mergers and acquisitions. He graduated summa cume laude from OSU in 2018 with a B.S. in agribusiness and summa cume laude from the OCU School of Law in 2021 with his J.D.
Gina Hendryx
Gina Hendryx is the OBA General Counsel. A licensed attorney for more than 30 years, Ms. Hendryx received her J.D. from OCU School of Law. As General Counsel she is the chief disciplinary counsel, supervising a staff of 15 and serves as the association’s counsel on other legal matters. Ms. Hendryx works with the Professional Responsibility Commission and serves as a liasion to the OBA Board of Governors, OBA committees, the courts, and other local and national entities concerning lawyer ethics issues. Hendryx is a frequent lecturer in the areas of professional responsibility and compliance with ethical standards. She has spoken to numerous private, public and governmental sector groups including state and county bar associations, legal services groups, and Judge Advocate General training programs. She writes a regular column for the Oklahoma Bar Journal on current issues in the area of professional accountability. She is also an avid scuba diver with over 1000 logged dives and hold instructor level ratings with several scuba certification agencies.
Jeri D. Holmes
Jeri Holmes received her Bachelor of Science from OSU in 1986 and her J.D. from the OU College of Law in 1995. After practicing for several years outside the nonprofit realm, her volunteer work led her to the discovery that the unique nature of tax-exempt organizations called for a specialized legal advisor; but, due to the small nature of many nonprofit organizations, they could not afford to keep an attorney on staff. In 2004, Jeri founded Nonprofit Solutions Law PC as an answer to this need and has remained a legal advisor to tax-exempt entities ever since.
As a lawyer for tax-exempt organizations and government entities, Ms. Holmes helps create a foundation for future growth by ensuring legal compliance and strong governance. She also facilitates board trainings, staff trainings and legal responsibility classes to ensure that those governing policies are understood and implemented, as well as making boards aware of their legal duties and best practices. She also aids organizations in modifying gift agreements or charitable trusts under UPMIFA.
She has also taught the law and nonprofit organizations class for the Master of Arts in Nonprofit Leadership program at OCU for more than ten years. She is a member of the 29th Leadership Oklahoma Class and the 40th Leadership Oklahoma City Class. Currently, Ms. Holmes volunteers on the board of the Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation and is a member of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits’ Education, Policy and Advocacy Committee.
Andrew Johansen
Andrew Johansen is President of Forward in Technology (FIT), an Oklahoma‑based managed services provider focused on delivering secure, reliable, and relationship‑driven IT support for professional organizations, including law firms and financial institutions. He has been with FIT since 2012 and has worked in the legal technology space for more than 25 years.
Mr. Johansen began his IT career in 1999 providing application support for law firms, working hands‑on with legal‑specific platforms such as Amicus Attorney and early integrations of Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Since then, his career has been closely aligned with the legal and financial sectors, supporting firms through changes in practice management software, infrastructure, security requirements and managed IT services models.
Throughout his career, he has been directly involved in evaluating, transitioning and rebuilding IT services from numerous managed service providers to FIT.
Mr. Johansen's leadership philosophy centers on integrity, personal responsibility and service‑based leadership. He believes effective IT partnerships are built on trust, clear expectations and a shared commitment to protecting client data while improving productivity. His work is driven by a desire to help small and mid‑sized organizations strengthen their technology foundations and support long‑term business and community growth.
Justin Lollman
Justin A. Lollman is an appellate attorney and partner at Hofland/Lollman in Tulsa. His practice focuses on appeals, original proceedings and critical motions in state and federal courts across the country, with an emphasis on the 10th Circuit and Oklahoma appellate courts. He has handled appeals across a broad range of subject areas, from commercial litigation and employment law to constitutional disputes, tort actions, and criminal cases. Before entering private practice, Mr. Lollman served as a law clerk for the Honorable Kenneth F. Ripple of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit and the Honorable Gregory K. Frizzell of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Allison K. Lubbers
Allison Lubbers is an associate attorney at The Rudnicki Firm, where she focuses her practice on commercial litigation and personal injury defense. Prior to joining The Rudnicki Firm, Ms. Lubbers worked at an Oklahoma City law firm where she gained extensive experience in all areas of litigation, particularly oil and gas and commercial disputes, and represented and advised clients in a range of industries.
She earned her B.A. in philosophy, with a minor in business, from the University of Kansas in 2019, and her J.D. from the OU College of Law in 2022. She is licensed in Oklahoma and Texas.
David M. Postic
David M. Postic is a shareholder at Postic & Bates PC and focuses his practice on estate planning, probate and trust administration and real estate transactions. He is also an adjunct professor at the OU College of Law, where he has taught wills and trusts and estate planning since 2021.
Mark Robertson
Mark A. Robertson is a partner in the law firm of Robertson & Williams in Oklahoma City. His practice is concentrated in corporate, securities, estate and asset planning and mergers and acquisitions. He received a B.A. with honors from DePauw University and a J.D. from the OU College of Law. He also attended the University of Edinburgh where he studied international law.
Mr. Robertson is a member of the Oklahoma and American Bar Associations. He is a past chair of the American Bar Association Law Practice Division and has served on a variety of committees for that division. Mr. Robertson is the recipient of the division's Samuel S. Smith award for lifetime achievement. He is also a Fellow of The College of Law Practice Management.
Mr. Robertson is the co-author with James A. Calloway of the book Winning Alternatives to the Billable Hour: Strategies that Work, both second and third editions, co-author with J. Harris Morgan of How to Draft Bills Clients Rush to Pay, third edition and is the author of Alternative Fee Arrangements for Business Lawyers and Their Clients. Mr. Robertson is a frequent lecturer on family business transition, estate planning and capital formation issues and is a contributing author on a variety of topics to various national, state and local bar association and business publications.
Mr. Robertson has served in several roles on a number of nonprofit boards including the Kirkpatrick Foundation, the Metropolitan Library Endowment Board, the Lyric Theatre Board, Gladney Fund, the Areawide Aging Agency, Science Museum Oklahoma and Creative Oklahoma. Mr. Robertson was the Western Oklahoma Chapter Chairman of Young Presidents Organization and a Founding Member of the Oklahoma City Chapter of the World Presidents Organization. He has been married to Susan Jennings Robertson (his better half) for over 48 wonderful years. They have two adult children - Matthew and David - who are both great young adults.
Darbi Robertson
Darbi Robertson serves as an assistant district attorney in Garfield County, where she represents the state in matters of significant legal and community consequence.
She earned her J.D. with distinction from the OU College of Law, where she served as the business development editor of the American Indian Law Review, a member of NALSA’s executive board, a licensed legal intern in the criminal defense clinic, and as a dean’s leadership fellow. During law school, she further developed her legal training through internships with the Whitten Burrage law firm, the Austin-based law firm Nix Patterson, and the office of U.S. Senator James Lankford.
Ms. Robertson’s progression from student leadership to public prosecution reflects a deep commitment to the rule of law and to the responsibilities entrusted to those who serve in the courtroom.
Leah T. Rudnicki
Licensed in Oklahoma and Texas, Leah T. Rudnicki brings a distinctive perspective shaped by her experience as in-house counsel, a corporate officer in the oil and gas industry and a trial lawyer in private practice. Ms. Rudnicki has represented and counseled a wide range of clients, from small independent businesses to Fortune 100 companies, across industries including oil and gas service, petrochemical, exploration and production, retail, technology, financial services, logistics, gig economy and waste management. She founded The Rudnicki Firm in 2017, and her practice focuses on civil litigation, energy disputes, complex commercial litigation and survivor/victim rights advocacy.
In 2021, she was inducted into The Journal Record’s Circle of Excellence for Women of the Year and received the Oklahoma County Bar Association’s Leadership in Law Award. She was chosen as 2023 Attorney of the Year by the Central Oklahoma Association of Legal Assistants and was a co-recipient of the OBA President’s Award for her leadership as co-chair of the Bench and Bar Committee. She also has been recognized by 405 Magazine as a Top Attorney in 2026.
Kate Sullivan
Kate Sullivan is a Tulsa-based intellectual property attorney and founder of Black Dog Law. She advises entrepreneurs, startups and growing businesses on patents, trademarks, copyrights and broader IP strategy, with a practical focus on helping clients protect and grow their businesses. Ms. Sullivan is also deeply engaged in Oklahoma’s business community as a program partner at Gradient, where she leads educational workshops and office hours for founders and small businesses. She will be presenting on intellectual property considerations for businesses at the Oklahoma Bar Association Midyear Conference.
Sharon Thomas
Sharon Thomas began practicing law in 1981 at Watson & McKenzie in Oklahoma City, where she was an attorney and shareholder for 11 years. Following this, she spent over 24 years as an attorney and shareholder at Hall Estill in Oklahoma City before joining The Rudnicki Firm upon its inception in 2017 as appellate counsel.
While Ms. Thomas has experience in a vast array of litigation, she has focused her career on appellate practice, oil and gas and energy law. She has served as counsel of record on over 50 published decisions from the Tenth Circuit and Oklahoma appellate courts.
She graduated from the OU College of Law in 1981, where she was a note editor on the Oklahoma Law Review and a recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Labor Law. She is licensed to practice in Oklahoma and before the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Oklahoma, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.
In 2024, she received the OU College of Law’s Eugene Kuntz Award as an outstanding individual in the field of oil, gas and natural energy law. She received the Journal Record Leadership in Law Award.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, she has been married to her husband, Kyle Thomas, an oil and gas title attorney, for 39 years and has two adult children, a daughter in law, son in law, and the sweetest granddaughter. She has lived in Oklahoma for 50 years, and her early life was spent in California, Oregon and Japan. She enjoys traveling and is an avid reader.
Rhiannon Thoreson
Rhiannon Thoreson is a civil litigator whose practice focuses on defending complex tort, employment, constitutional (42 U.S.C. § 1983) and Title IX claims. She represents businesses, individuals and public entities – including municipalities, public trusts, public school districts and state institutions – in trial, administrative and appellate matters.
After serving four years as a federal law clerk, Ms. Thoreson developed a strong foundation in legal research, analysis and judicial decision-making. Her practice today regularly involves supervising junior attorneys and collaborating with teams on high-stakes litigation.
She is actively involved in the Oklahoma Bar Association and legal community. She is the past chair of the OBA Women in Law Section and currently serves as president of the Board of Directors for Tulsa Lawyers for Children.
She earned her J.D. with highest honors from the TU College of Law.
Molly E. Tipton
Molly E. Tipton is the founder of Tipton Law Firm, where she focuses her practice on family law, including divorce and custody matters. She is known for her client-centered approach, guiding individuals through difficult transitions with clarity and strategic support. Molly earned her B.S. in finance with honors from OSU and her J.D. from the OU College of Law and has been admitted to practice in Oklahoma since 2013. She was recognized by Best of 405 in 2024 and 2025.
Jeff Trevillion Jr.
Jeff Trevillion Jr. is a director at Crowe & Dunlevy PC. He chairs the firm’s white collar, compliance and investigations practice group and is a member of the taxation practice group. As a trial lawyer and certified public accountant, Mr. Trevillion develops comprehensive strategies for clients facing civil and criminal tax controversies, litigation and federal criminal investigations. He received his J.D. and Master of Business Administration degree from OU and is licensed in Oklahoma and Texas. He is currently a member of the OBA Board of Governors.
Jordan Turk
Jordan Turk is a practicing attorney in Texas and is also the legal technology advisor at Smokeball. Her family law expertise includes appeals, pre and postnuptial agreements, as well as complex property division and highly contentious custody cases. In addition, Ms. Turk has given CLEs across the country on topics ranging from client relationships to proper trust account management. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in classics, history and religious studies. She then went on to attend the University of Arkansas School of Law to earn her J.D. After almost four years of practice with a high-asset family law firm in Houston, Ms. Turk discovered the world of legal technology, which ultimately brought her to Smokeball.
Collin Walke
Collin Walke leads Hall Estill’s Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Practice Group. He is a graduate of Harvard’s business analytics program, where he was nominated for distinction in programming and data systems. He is also a certified AI auditor and served six years in the Oklahoma Legislature.
Lance Watson
Lance Watson is the chief operating officer at Avansic. He is responsible for oversight of all pending and current cases at Avansic and consults with the project managers and the laboratory to ensure clients’ specific needs are addressed. Mr. Watson is also involved in Avansic’s intern research program, where he assists with the development of new technologies and solutions to the most pertinent problems in the e-discovery and digital forensics fields.
He received his M.S. in computer science from TU, where he focused on computer and network security research. He has earned five certifications through the of the Federal Committee on National Security Systems and the National Security Telecommunications and Information Systems Security Committee Information Assurance and keeps up-to-date on the latest developments in the technology field.
Mr. Watson worked for eight years at Boston Communications Group, where he helped develop and implement innovative software technologies for voicemail systems. He also assisted with the deployment of a broad range of prepaid wireless network services in North and South America and the Caribbean.
CLE events during the 2026 Oklahoma Bar Association Midyear Conference will be held at the OKANA Resort: 639 First Americans Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73129.
All conference-related events will be held at OKANA and nearby venues in the Oklahoma City Horizons District.