Leon Ashford has been a trial lawyer for over 40 years. Throughout the course of his career, Mr. Ashford has a proven record of consistently obtaining multi-million dollar jury verdicts and settlements for his clients, their families, and their small businesses. Though he has always focused his practice on complex litigation involving catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful death, he has recently been called upon to represent family-owned and closely held businesses in litigation which threatened generations of success. He earned his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1973. Honored by his peers as a trial lawyer, Mr. Ashford is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and the Alabama Law Foundation.

Clint Mountain is the managing partner with the law firm of Mountain & Mountain in Tuscaloosa. Raised in Montgomery, Alabama, he obtained his undergraduate degree in business management from the University of Alabama in 2000 and his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2003. Clint has been named Business Alabama Magazines Top Young Lawyers, Alabama Super Lawyers Top 40 under 40, served as past chair of the AAJ’s Emerging Leaders Caucus and as Junior Board President of the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation. Clint has previously served on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation and T-Town Paws. 

Ryan Duplechin, a principal at Beasley Allen since 2023, focuses on complex product liability cases involving medical devices and pharmaceuticals, including key roles in MDLs for Ozempic/GLP-1 drugs and acetaminophen. Recognized with the Alabama State Bar President’s Award and named to Birmingham Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 for 2025, he has contributed significantly to the legal field through his litigation work, legal scholarship, and leadership. Ryan leads Beasley Allen’s Summer Associate Program and serves as President of the Alabama State Bar’s Young Lawyers Section. He’s active in numerous professional organizations and task forces and has authored pioneering work on self-driving car hacking and liability. Originally from Birmingham, Ryan enjoys traveling, golf, tennis, and college football with his wife and two Bernedoodles, and he volunteers with youth programs through the YMCA.

Toby Brown is a partner with the firm of Cunningham Bounds. For more than twenty-five years he has represented plaintiffs in a wide variety of cases. Mr. Brown is certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, is a Fellow with the International Society of Barristers, and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is listed annually in The Best Lawyers in America® and in Super Lawyers. Mr. Brown is a Past President of the Alabama Association for Justice. He is actively involved in many professional and community organizations, and currently serves as Managing Partner for Cunningham Bounds. Born and raised in Mobile, he received his law degree from the University of Alabama.

Gibson Vance received his undergraduate degree from Troy University in 1987 and his law degree from Faulkner University’s Thomas Goode Jones School of Law in Montgomery. Mr. Vance, is a shareholder in Beasley Allen, and practices in the firm’s Personal Injury and Consumer Fraud sections, concentrating in actions against those who negligently or intentionally harm others. Mr. Vance served as President of the Montgomery County Bar Association, President of the Montgomery County Trial Lawyers Association, President of the Alabama Association for Justice, and President of the American Association for Justice. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Trustees at Troy University and serves as a University Foundation Board Member

Jeff Rickard is a partner in the law firm of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. in Birmingham. He graduated from Auburn University in 1985 and Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law in 1989. In Jeff ’s 30-year law career he has primarily focused on complex personal injury and wrongful death matters. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and a Fellow in the Alabama Law Foundation. Jeff has been routinely listed in The Best Lawyers in America® and twice chosen by it as a “Lawyer of the Year.” Jeff has routinely been named in Super Lawyers and has received the highest possible ratings by Martindale-Hubbell™. Jeff is a past President of the Alabama Association for Justice and the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation.

Rebekah McKinney earned a B.S. from Vanderbilt University in 1991. She received her law degree from the University of Alabama School Of Law in 1995, where she was a member of the Bench and Bar Legal Honor Society. Ms. McKinney practices in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, tractor - trailer accidents, motorcycle accidents, nursing home negligence, civil rights, wage and hour, complex litigation/class actions, divorce, family law and custody. She is a member of the Alabama State Bar Association, the Huntsville-Madison County Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, and the Alabama Association for Justice. She was the first female President of the Alabama Association for Justice and the first female TRIAL Trustee.

Ken Riley is a partner of Farris, Riley and Pitt, LLP. After obtaining his business degree at the University of Alabama, he went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. For over eighteen years, Ken has dedicated his law practice to helping injured victims obtain fair and just settlements and verdicts. Ken is actively involved in the community and serves in various positions with the Birmingham Bar Association and the Alabama State Bar. He has served in various officer roles as a member of the Alabama Association for Justice and served as the Organization’s President from 2016-2017. Ken also served as President (2015-2016) of the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation and served on its Board of Directors for eight years.

Josh has dedicated his career to tackling some of the most pressing social challenges of our time. Appointed as a Deputy Attorney General by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall on two separate litigations, he played a pivotal role in the state’s efforts to address the opioid crisis and the devastating impact of overprescription, oversupply and illegal distribution on local communities. He is currently serving as co-lead counsel in Alabama’s case against TikTok and related entities for their false and deceptive trade practices. Josh has also been at the forefront of high-stakes litigation targeting pornography companies to prevent them from profiting from sex trafficking and child exploitation. Through his work, Josh is committed to safeguarding Alabama’s future and advocating on behalf of those affected by these crises.