Press Release

Bradley is pleased to announce that three of the firm’s Birmingham attorneys have been appointed to leadership roles on each of the DRI’s affinity committees. Gary L. Howard has assumed the role of chair of the DRI Diversity and Inclusion Committee, C. Meade Hartfield is serving her second term as vice chair of the DRI Women in the Law Committee, and Emily M. Ruzic is chair of the DRI Young Lawyers Committee.

“We are exceptionally proud of the leadership and commitment to diversity and inclusion these attorneys bring to such a prestigious organization and congratulate them on their roles and the trust the DRI membership has placed in them,” said Bradley Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner Jonathan M. Skeeters.

Mr. Howard is a partner in Bradley’s Commercial Litigation Group and serves as the Insurance team leader. He has more than 25 years of experience representing corporations in class actions; complex litigation; fraud and bad-faith actions; contract, business and lost-profits disputes; mass torts actions; and life, health, disability and long-term care insurance cases. Mr. Howard is passionate about promoting diversity and inclusion and serves on Bradley’s Diversity Task Force. He is an active member of the DRI and has served on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee since 2016 and served as the Diversity Expo Chair in 2018.

Ms. Hartfield is a partner in the firm’s Banking & Financial Services Group and represents clients nationwide in a variety of industries, including mortgage servicing, auto finance, farm credit, automotive, insurance, and construction. She is an advocate for women in the legal profession and previously served as the seminar chair for the DRI’s Women in Law Committee. Ms. Hartfield also serves as the Women in the Law Liaison to the International Law Committee. She additionally served as the inaugural chair of the Women in Law Committee for the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association.

Ms. Ruzic is an associate in Bradley’s Litigation Practice Group where she handles complex business litigation matters, including non-compete and breach-of-contract cases; trade secret, trademark, and copyright infringement litigation; and Federal Trade Commission investigations. She previously served a one-year term as vice chair of the DRI Young Lawyers Committee, which is comprised of lawyers within 10 years of bar admission who are practicing across every substantive area within the defense bar.

The DRI is the largest international membership organization of attorneys defending the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation. Membership in DRI provides access to resources and tools for attorneys who strive to provide high-quality, balanced, and excellent service to their clients and corporations.