Turning the Legal Department into a Profit Center

Linda Miller has served as the Global Chief Litigation & Product Safety Counsel for GE Transportation since February 2014. In her litigator role, she is responsible for managing GET’s global litigation portfolio, including conducting early case assessments, negotiating settlements, and developing trial and alternative dispute resolution strategies. She also works closely with the safety engineering team on product liability-related issues to conduct investigations, enhance product safety, and minimize risks.

In addition, she counsels the commercial teams on a variety of legal issues ranging from contract interpretation to contract enforcement. She also partners with the Compliance, Regulatory, and Government Relations teams on a wide range of issues confronting the business. Prior to joining GET, Linda served as Litigation & Legal Policy Counsel for GE Capital for eight years, and in that role she developed and implemented the strategies to defend the significant litigation of all the GE Capital business units. In addition, she conducted investigations, and counseled the business units regarding how to minimize risks. She also worked with the Compliance group to develop and implement legal policy, and with the Government Relations team to develop legislative solutions to problems facing the businesses.

Prior to joining GE, Linda was a partner in the Chicago office of Katten Muchin Rosenman. During her thirteen years with that firm, Ms. Miller focused her practice on complex commercial litigation, and represented clients in a wide variety of industries across the country. She tried cases before judges and juries, and arbitrated a number of disputes.

She received her undergraduate degree with honors from the University of Michigan, and her JD from Loyola University of Chicago, where she was a member of the Law Review.

Stephen Weisbrod is a founding partner of Weisbrod Matteis & Copley PLLC. The firm is one of only ten firms in the United States named by The National Law Journal to its 2014 Litigation Boutiques Hot List.

Mr. Weisbrod is an experienced trial lawyer who represents clients in financial and commercial disputes, corporate bankruptcy and insolvency matters, and criminal investigations and trials. Most of his clients are businesses and individuals seeking payment from insurers, banks, investment managers, professionals, suppliers, or other parties liable for breach of contract, fraud, or some other kind of misconduct or breach of duty. He has represented companies, creditors’ committees, post-bankruptcy litigation trusts, individual directors and officers, and other individuals and entities in insurance, banking, securities and other types of litigation.

Mr. Weisbrod has tried more than 25 cases in six states and the District of Columbia. His clients at trial have included a defendant accused of the shooting of a rival gang member and attempting to kill a police officer (the defendant was acquitted), as well as an asset manager seeking to recover more than $57 million that it lost when a highly rated Canadian insurance company defaulted on its commercial paper (the case settled before closing arguments). He also has represented many individuals and companies in grand jury and regulatory investigations.

Mr. Weisbrod has written and lectured extensively on insurance and financial litigation. He has been invited to speak at the American Bankruptcy Institute, the American Bar Association Business Law Section, the American Conference Institute, the Consumer Rights Litigation Conference of the National Consumer Law Center, the District of Columbia Bar, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, HB Litigation Conferences, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the New York City Bar Association, and elsewhere.

He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Harvard Law School.