AI Or Die: The Future of Personal Injury Practice 

Tara Williams, Maestro Strategic Partners

Tara Williams is an attorney with over 30 years of experience in the areas of both intellectual property and personal injury law. As a seasoned legal professional, her experience extends to law firm management, legal operations and executive leadership. In leadership roles at prominent law firms, Tara demonstrated exceptional skills in developing and executing strategic plans, streamlining operations and fostering high-performing teams. As CEO and VP of a legal software company, she combined legal expertise with technological insight to drive innovation, improve efficiency, and increase profitability for legal organizations.

As a fractional COO, Tara provides actionable insights and hands-on leadership to help firms address operational bottlenecks, refine their business models, and implement sustainable growth strategies. She excels in aligning day-to-day operations with overarching business goals, managing change, and fostering cultures of accountability and innovation.

Tara is known for her ability to navigate complex challenges with a practical, results-driven approach. With a commitment to helping firms achieve peak performance, she leverages decades of experience to deliver measurable impact as a trusted advisor and operational partner. With a proven ability to deliver strategic and operational excellence, Tara serves as a consultant and fractional COO for firms, offering tailored solutions to enhance organizational performance, optimize processes, and achieve long-term growth. She is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of legal and business leaders. Tara holds a J.D. degree from the University of North Carolina and B.S. in Chemistry from Auburn University.

Ken Levinson, Levinson and Stefani

Ken Levinson is the founding partner of Levinson and Stefani, a Chicago law firm concentrating in representing families in wrongful death and serious injury matters arising out of truck and auto crashes. Ken co-authored the current edition of Litigating Major Automobile Injury and Death Cases, published by AAJ Press/Thomson-Reuters. Ken is the current Co-Chair of Jury Bias Group, Chair of AAJ's Bus Litigation Group, past Chair of the AAJ Truck Litigation Group, and past Chair of the Motor Vehicle Section. He also serves on Melvin Belli Society’s Executive Committee.

Ken was named by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine as one of the top attorneys in Illinois for 2010 –2025 and made the list of the Super Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers in Illinois from 2020 to 2025.  Ken currently serves on the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Board of Managers and is an Illinois Board of Governors representative to AAJ and is an invited speaker and faculty member at various trial lawyer programs throughout the country. Ken has worked on cases resulting in over $875M in jury verdicts.

When Ken is not working, he spends time with his wife and three boys. Ken has also been known to enjoy a nice meal with friends.

Fun Fact: Ken travels the county most of the year watching his favorite college athlete, his youngest son, Sam, who is an All-American volleyball player. 

Keynote: Michael Mertz, President Elect, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association

Since graduating from De Paul University College of Law in 1997, Michael T. Mertz has practiced with Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C.. In 2004, he became a partner. Mr. Mertz exclusively represents injured persons and their families in all types of cases, including medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, product liability, construction accidents, automobile collisions, and premises liability cases.

Throughout his tenure he has served his clients well, achieving significant verdicts and obtaining record-setting settlements. To date, Mr. Mertz has recovered more than $150 Million for his clients. Mr. Mertz has successfully resolved cases in Illinois, Alabama, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Tennessee, Nevada, Indiana and Oklahoma.

Phoebe Millsap, Supio

Phoebe Elise Millsap is a California-barred attorney turned Customer Success Manager and Solutions Consultant at Supio, where she serves as a strategic bridge between legal practice and cutting-edge AI solutions. As a graduate of Seattle University School of Law (J.D., 2020), her career began in traditional legal practice representing clients in family law matters before transitioning into a multifaceted role at Ubiquitous, where she excelled as In-House Legal counsel, Account Executive, and Campaign Strategist.

Currently at Supio, Phoebe leverages her comprehensive legal background to serve as the primary liaison for law firms adopting AI solutions collaborating cross-functionally with Product, Sales, Customer Success, and Marketing teams while representing Supio at legal and tech conferences. Her approach is rooted in empathy and genuine connection, believing that by addressing systemic inefficiencies within legal practices through technology, attorneys can focus more on client relationships and less on administrative burdens, ultimately reducing burnout and improving client outcomes.