30(b)(6) Depositions: Practical and Legal Considerations from All Angles (Presented by the Federal Bar Association’s Corporate and Association Counsel Division and Judiciary Division)

Hope T. Cannon has served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida since 2019. Prior to her judicial appointment, she was a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, where she practiced for nearly two decades and handled complex commercial litigation, products liability matters, and appeals across the country. Since joining the federal bench, Judge Cannon has presided over a variety of complex matters, including serving as the assigned magistrate judge in multiple high-profile cases and multidistrict litigations.

Donna Phillips Currault serves as a United States Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Appointed to the federal bench in June 2020, Judge Currault brings decades of experience in complex commercial and employment litigation. Prior to her judicial service, she was a member of Gordon Arata LLC, where she represented clients in class and collective actions, business disputes, business tort litigation, and a broad range of labor and employment matters. Her practice included advising employers on compliance with federal and state employment laws, drafting employment agreements and workplace policies, and conducting employment-related training programs. In addition to her judicial responsibilities, Judge Currault has maintained a longstanding commitment to professional leadership, legal education, and bar service at both the state and national levels.

Alexander Fischer is a founding partner of Sanchez Fischer Levine, LLP and leads the firm’s Broward office. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and appeals, with a particular emphasis on business disputes, fraud litigation, and class action defense. Alex represents a diverse range of clients, including publicly traded companies, large corporate entities, small and mid-sized businesses, private individuals, and corporate shareholders involved in internal business disputes. Drawing on his background as a former prosecutor and experienced trial lawyer, he has handled more than 40 jury trials through verdict and brings extensive courtroom experience to high-stakes civil and commercial matters.

William G. Whitman serves as in-house counsel for Federal Express Corporation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he is Lead Counsel in the company’s Litigation Department. In this role, he regularly represents the company in arbitrations and in both federal and state courts, often serving as trial counsel in complex litigation matters. Before joining FedEx, William practiced as a commercial litigator with Bass, Berry & Sims PLC in Memphis, Tennessee. His legal career also includes service as a federal judicial law clerk, providing him with valuable insight into litigation and judicial processes from multiple perspectives.