Cambridge Forums Antitrust Litigation Dinner Keynote Speaker _{May 20, 2026}

Layn R. Phillips is a former U.S. Attorney and U.S. District Judge who has become one of the world’s leading mediators of complex, high-stakes disputes. Nominated to the federal bench at just 34, he presided over more than 140 trials and also served by designation on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. After a distinguished judicial career and over two decades handling complex litigation at a top tier law firm, Irell & Manella LLP, he founded Phillips ADR Enterprises (PADRE).

Over the past decade, Phillips has mediated some of the most significant cases in the United States—spanning securities, antitrust, mergers, acquisitions, mass torts, sports law, bankruptcy and institutional crises—facilitating settlements totaling several billion dollars annually. His portfolio includes landmark matters such as the NFL Concussion Litigation, the Purdue bankruptcy, the Petrobras Securities Litigation, the Norfolk Southern Ohio train wreck litigation, the “Forever Chemicals” pollution cases, the Oregon Wildfire Litigation, and major cases involving corporations like Apple, Bank of America, Walmart, Exxon and Wells Fargo. He has also handled a number of sensitive institutional cases such as the USC and Ohio State and Michigan State University sexual abuse matters.  

Widely recognized for his excellence, Phillips has been named one of the top mediators in the United States by Chambers and Partners, and uniquely honored by LawDragon simultaneously as both a leading judge and a leading litigation attorney. His career reflects a rare combination of judicial authority, litigation expertise, and unparalleled success in resolving some of the most complex disputes in modern legal history.