Trust the Process, Trust the Neutral: Ethical Judgment and Professional Responsibility (Presented by the Federal Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Section Co-sponsored by the American Inns of Court)

Lieutenant General Joe Berger (Ret.) is the Executive Director of the American Inns of Court, a national organization dedicated to promoting professionalism, civility, ethics, and excellence in the legal profession. Before assuming this role, he served as the 42nd Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Army, the Army’s senior legal officer, where he led nearly 10,000 legal professionals and served as the principal legal advisor to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Army. Over a distinguished career spanning more than three decades, General Berger counseled clients across the full spectrum of legal issues in both domestic and international contexts.

Brent Clinkscale is an independent arbitrator, mediator, facilitator, and litigation consultant concentrating in complex business disputes, including domestic and international arbitrations. He serves on the American Arbitration Association (AAA) Domestic Panel of Commercial, Consumer, and Complex Case Arbitrators and the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) International Panel of Commercial and Complex Case Arbitrators. Mr. Clinkscale is Chair of the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) Southeastern Arbitration Subcommittee, a Delegate to the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, and Co-Chair of the 2026 ABA Dispute Resolution Section Virtual Arbitration Institute.

Patricia H. Thompson, Esq., FCIArb, CollArb is a full-time JAMS arbitrator and mediator with over 15 years of experience guiding efficient and fair alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes. She regularly presents and publishes on arbitration and mediation best practices, including ethical conduct, procedural improvements, and effective advocacy before tribunals. Her thought leadership is reflected in her active roles with the ABA and the Florida Bar, as well as her CLE presentations and publications addressing arbitration appeals, ethical issues, and professional standards in ADR.

Marieke Witkamp, FCIArb is a full-time arbitrator based in Houston, qualified to practice in both Texas and the Netherlands. She previously served as a commercial and maritime judge at the Court of Rotterdam and has practiced internationally as an arbitration attorney with K&L Gates in Qatar, as foreign counsel in Houston, and as in-house counsel in the Dutch energy sector and the Qatari sports industry. She is a member of Arbitra International and is listed on arbitration rosters worldwide.

Jo Colbert Stanley, Esq., FCIArb is an independent arbitrator, mediator, and Special Magistrate based in Florida. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, she serves on national and international arbitration panels and concentrates her practice on complex commercial and maritime disputes. She is a Past Chair of the Federal Bar Association’s ADR Section and serves as moderator for this program.