Page 47 - FDCC_February2026_Flyer

FDCC PILLARS
Shelly Masters
•
•
•
•
Welcome to the FDCC
You’re Not Just In.. You Belong
by Shelly Masters
Hello, my name is Shelly Masters, a lawyer. I am on the Board of the Federation of Defense &
Corporate Counsel, and I now serve as Chair of the Membership Development Committee (the
“MDC,” for those of you who love acronyms).
In normal life, I’m a construction litigator. In FDCC life, I am your concierge / wingman / mentor
/ cruise director / camp counselor / professional instigator of “let’s grab coffee.” If you are new
to the FDCC — or if you joined a while ago but haven’t quite found your rhythm yet — I am your
person with a whole committee ready to welcome you.
You can call me, text me, or email
me right now with anything:
What section should I join?
How do I get on a program?
Can I publish something?
How do I get appointed to a
committee?
Am I allowed to bring my kids
to the summer meeting?
What on earth is “theme night”
and do people really dress up? I
I understand...at first it can
sometimes feel like a maze. I’ve
got you.
Access
Expertise
Cell: 512-507-4984
Email: smasters@cokinoslaw.com
Please use me.
That’s literally my job.
How to Get Involved
and Why It’s Worth It
Membership in the FDCC opens
doors. Let me be very direct about
what that means.
You instantly gain an international
network of top-tier litigators,
in-house counsel, risk leaders,
experts, and problem-solvers you
can actually call. These are people
who get hired on the most serious
matters and trusted with the truly
ugly problems. This is not a passive
directory. This is “I know someone
and I’ll connect you today.” The
FDCC Roster (the “Blue Book”) is
magical in this way.
You have access to 24 substantive
law sections. That’s where we trade
strategies, surface new issues before
they become tomorrow’s lawsuit,
and build collaboration — with
thought leaders ranging from
old-school trial tacticians who’ve
tried everything in front of a jury
to newly anointed AI strategists
who are reshaping how we prepare
cases, manage discovery, and
communicate with clients. It’s also
where you can raise your hand to
write, present, or lead.
•
•
•
www.thefederation.org
February 2026 | federation flyer
43