Defense Counsel Journal

Editor's Page - Volume 89, Number 3

July 10, 2022

Christopher B. Parkerson

Christopher B. Parkerson

Christopher is the Defense Counsel Journal Editor for 2020-2022. He is a Member of Campbell Conroy & O’Neil, P.C. and serves on its Board of Directors. Christopher has extensive trial experience representing national and international corporations in the defense of catastrophic product liability, commercial, intellectual property, professional liability, and negligence matters throughout the United States. Christopher’s jury trial experience, combined with his work ethic and approach to the lawyer-client relationship, has allowed him to successfully guide clients through all aspects of litigation from Lead Trial Counsel to guidance on such issues as pre-suit ADR, witness preparation, and mock trials.

It is hard to believe my two-year term as Editor-in-Chief of the Defense Counsel Journal (DCJ) has come to an end. It has been an honor serving the organization. I have been humbled by the opportunity to work with the many authors who have contributed time and effort to make the DCJ one of the premier legal journals in the world. The knowledge, experience, and analysis that our authors brought to the DCJ over the past two years is second to none and being part of the process has been a highlight for me. I am continually inspired by the hard work and dedication of Amy O’Maley McGuire to the DCJ.  The DCJ would not exist without her constant support and care. She spends countless hours working to make sure that the DCJ is delivered on time and is of the highest quality. Thank you, Amy. I also want to thank IADC Past President Craig Thompson for the invitation to serve in such an important role for the organization. I appreciate the trust that he and the other leaders of the organization put in me. It means a lot. 

The job of Editor is tough but rewarding. Providing work product each quarter that relies on volunteers is a tall order, but the knowledge that I have been able to contribute to the members of the IADC through this forum has made all of the stress and effort worth it. I appreciate all the emails, phone calls, and notes commenting on articles or podcasts. Each time someone reaches out means a lot. I always laugh to myself that I receive any credit at all given the enormous amount of work that goes in to each DCJ by others. 

The DCJ is now being placed in the incredibly qualified hands of Marsha Piccone. Marsha has worked hard the past two years as Editor-Elect and she is well prepared to carry on the tradition of insuring excellent research and writing related to relevant legal issues from around the world. It has been a pleasure getting to know and work with Marsha over the past two years, and I look forward to following her work as Editor. 

Last, but most important, I want to thank my wife Kimberly Parkerson for all the support during the past two years. She has reviewed all my notes, provided comments and ideas on how to address issues that arose during my time as Editor, and has been a constant source of support through it all. She is the Editor’s Editor and it means a lot. Thank you, Kimberly. I also want to thank my girls, Emily, Eleanor, and Evelyn for being assistant producers and technical support for the IADC Speaks podcasts I hosted featuring our journal authors. I could not have done it without their guidance, and I have a sneaking suspicion that many of the clicks on the podcasts are a result of them listening to see if I took their directions. Thank you, girls.

This edition of the DCJ contains three excellent articles. “Using Independent Taint Teams to Better Protect Attorney-Client Privilege” by Richard Gregorie, William Marquardt, and Joseph Spinelli is an outstanding analysis of the flaws and procedural weaknesses of government Taint Teams and argues for independent Taint Teams to help protect attorney-client privilege and provide support to defense counsel and the court. “The Historical Roots of Mediation in Mexico” by Manuel Moctezuma is a fascinating review of mediation in Mexico that provides well-researched insight for anyone who may confront issues from drafting mediation clauses and settlement agreements to the mediation process itself. I am particularly proud to include “Out of State Witnesses: Are Zoom Trial Appearances a New Normal?” by Alaina Devine. Alaina is my law partner and a good friend, and her contribution to my final journal as Editor means a lot. The article is a very interesting review of recent decisions related to Courts approach to Fed. R. Civ. P. 45 (c) in today’s age of Zoom appearances.

In addition to these articles, we recently posted a podcast interview of Craig T. Liljestrand about his article “PFAS Exposure: A Comprehensive Look at Emerging Facts and Studies, Risk and Liability Assessment, Litigation History, Evolving Regulations and Future Predictions.” Please give it a listen wherever you download podcasts if this is a topic that interests you, or listen on the IADC website.

Back