Speakers - Friday, September 19, 2025

08:15 am – 08:55 am 

                       "Tariffpalooza and the State of the Flat-Rolled Steel Industry.” 

Michael Cowden, Managing Editor of Steel Market Update

Michael Cowden is managing editor for Steel Market Update. Cowden has covered the steel industry since 2007. He specializes in flat-rolled steel but has also reported on steel long products, steel pipe and tube, and aluminum. Before joining SMU, Cowden held reporting jobs at Fastmarkets AMM in Chicago, the Associated Press in Pittsburgh, and the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. He has also worked as a copy editor and in marketing at the University of Chicago Press. Cowden has a BA in English from the University of Chicago and an MSJ journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

09:00 am – 09:40 am

                 "Are You OSHA Ready? What You Need to Know."

Bobby Lewis's background is in pharmaceutical and medical equipment account management, sales, and product marketing. This is a field requiring the ability to quickly understand customer needs, connect them with precise solutions, stay current on market requirements, and re-connect when technology emerges that will provide clients with a competitive advantage.

During his 12-year tenure in the Healthcare and Life Sciences industry, Bobby developed strategic partnerships with key customer clinical opinion leaders and multimillion-dollar supplier partners who called on him to help identify strategic opportunities that positioned them for growth.

Prior to joining H&A, Bobby was an Account and Product Marketing Manager for the largest Emergency Medical Services (EMS) product supply company in the United States. He worked alongside physicians, nurses, paramedics, contracting professionals, and standardization committees to identify and implement new product solutions that increased patient survival rates and EMS care.

This spirit of forming partnerships with clients has made Bobby a natural fit at Hellman & Associates. Clients look to him to help them identify how H&A’s risk assessment and outsourced safety management services can help them protect their assets, save money, and become more competitive in the marketplace.

Bobby’s dedication to customer success has helped H&A grow its customer base—but even more importantly, retain our client partners. As a client advocate, Bobby works closely with his EHS counterparts on the H&A Leadership Team to provide ongoing value and responsive service that result in lasting partnerships.

09:45 am – 10:45 am

                                     "A Frank Discussion About Tariffs"

Luke A. Meisner, Partner at Schagrin Associates

Luke A. Meisner has over two decades of experience advising clients in international trade litigation and policy, and his clients include many companies and workers that are part of the steel pipe industry.

As part of his work, Mr. Meisner has litigated numerous complex antidumping and countervailing duty cases in proceedings before the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the Court of International Trade, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. This includes cases involving standard pipe, line pipe, oil country tubular goods, steel conduit, heavy-walled and light-walled rectangular pipe, and pipe fittings. He has also worked with U.S. Customs and Border Protection on trade enforcement matters, including investigations of evasion under the Enforce and Protect Act.

Mr. Meisner regularly provides advice and policy recommendations on international trade developments in Congress and the executive branch, including the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. He has advised and advocated for his clients’ interests in section 201 safeguards proceedings, section 232 national security investigations, section 301 proceedings, and ongoing dispute settlement proceedings at the World Trade Organization.

Mr. Meisner also works with clients in transactional and compliance matters involving U.S. export controls and U.S. customs laws and regulations.

Mr. Meisner has published articles in scholarly journals including the Georgetown Journal of International Law and the Tulane Journal of International Law. He also is dedicated to pro bono work and is the recipient of the D.C. Legal Aid Society’s Klepper Prize for Volunteer Excellence and the Tahirih Justice Center’s Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award.

Prior to joining Schagrin Associates, Mr. Meisner was a member of the international trade group of a large law firm in Washington D.C. He clerked for the Hon. Eduardo C. Robreno in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

                                     Lewis Leibowitz, Principal, The Law Office of Lewis Leibowitz

Lewis Leibowitz practices international trade and Customs law. He has worked for international and domestic clients for more than 40 years, handling international trade matters involving US and international proceedings.  In addition to handling disputes and trade litigation, Lewis advises foreign and domestic companies on trade opportunities and challenges in the United States and around the world.  He speaks frequently on international trade legal and policy issues and writes extensively on legal and policy issues. 

Lewis handles trade issues involving the steel and automotive industries, textiles, energy, technology and among other areas. The advent of a new trade order in 2025 has sharpened his focus on trade restrictions and ways that businesses can lawfully cope with them. 

He provides strategic advice on political and legal issues involving trade. He has assisted clients affected, both favorably and unfavorably, by tariffs, quotas, international trade negotiations and agreements. He has handled many international disputes under WTO, USMCA and other bilateral and regional trade agreements.

Dan Brown, COO of Big River Steel

Dan Brown was named Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Big River Steel ("BRS") in July 2021 and advanced to Senior Vice President of Advanced Technology Steelmaking in February 2022. In addition to Big River Steel operations, Dan has responsibility over the new mill, BR2, set to begin operations in July of 2024. Dan has over 28 years of service with U. S. Steel, joining the Company in 1994 as a Management Associate for the Cold Rolling Division at the Irvin Plant, Mon Valley Works. In 1996, he was transferred to Edgar Thomson (Primary Operations), Mon Valley Works and advanced through several increasingly responsible positions in steelmaking and secondary metallurgy. In 2003, Dan relocated to U.S. Steel Serbias Plant Manager– Primary Operations for two years and then Plant Manager– Finishing and Tin Operations for two years. Dan returned to the U.S. in 2006 as Plant Manager– Finishing Operations at Fairfield Works. In 2007, he became Plant Manager– Primary Operations at Fairfield Works. In 2008, Dan was named Division Manager– Ironmaking at Gary Works, Indiana and then later as Division Manager of Steelmaking and Casting at Gary Works. He was promoted to Plant Manager–Primary Operations at Gary Works in 2018. In April 2019, Dan was named General Manager- Automotive Operations (Great Lakes Works/Midwest Sheet) with responsibilities for the Great Lakes Plant, Desco Coating, and the Midwest Sheet facilities. Dan earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Logistics from Pennsylvania State University. He also earned his Master of Business Administration (Finance) from Duquesne University.