People Moves: Lewis Brisbois Expands Midwest Products Liability Capabilities; Alera Group Promotes Floyd to SVP

Lewis Brisbois Expands Products Liability Capabilities in Midwest with Experienced Litigation Team in St. Louis

Lewis Brisbois is pleased to welcome Rick Mueller and Heather F. Counts to its St. Louis, Missouri office as partners in the firm’s products liability and toxic tort & environmental litigation practices. Mueller and Counts both join Lewis Brisbois from Thompson Coburn LLP, where they practiced in the products liability arena for 41 years and 20 years, respectively.

Mueller has taken more than 100 jury trials to verdict across the country. He focuses his practice on products liability matters and also represents clients in dealings with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. At his previous firm, Mueller served many years on the management committee and as chair of the products liability department.

Counts has extensive experience defending clients against consumer products claims and serving as national counsel for manufacturers in state and federal courts. She has managed litigation and obtained defense verdicts in courts throughout the country. At her previous firm, Counts was a long-time member of the Tobacco Group, defending many mass tort cases. She also has extensive appellate experience.

Alera Group Promotes Floyd to SVP of Sales Development & Operations

Alera Group has appointed Whitney Floyd as senior vice president of sales development & operations. In her new role, Floyd leads national sales operations and development teams working cross-functionally and regionally and on sales talent engagement, recruitment and retention. Alera Group headquarters is located in Deerfield, Illinois.

Floyd has over 20 years of sales leadership experience and previously served as Alera Group’s vice president of sales and development operations in the Northeast region. Before joining Alera Group, she held regional vice president of sales roles at alphabroder and national sales manager roles at Trion Group, a Marsh & McLennan agency.