Bridgette Blitch founded Blitch Westley Barrette with a passion to serve those in the supply chain. Since founding the firm, Bridgette has been a monthly speaker on the Dave Nemo Show with her feature – Protecting Your Livelihood, where she discusses current legal events and best practices to confront risk in the transportation industry. As part of her practice, Bridgette regularly counsels motor carriers, shippers, brokers, warehouses, insurance agents, freight-forwarders, ocean transportation intermediaries, and insurance providers in matters related to the execution of transportation contracts, corporate matters, regulatory compliance issues, management-side employment law, coverage issues and insurance defense. Past experience includes representation of clients before the state and federal courts of Florida, Wisconsin, as well as before various administrative agencies. Bridgette has represented both buyers and sellers in multi-million dollar mergers and acquisitions, and counseled clients on corporate restructure plans to mitigate risk exposures in the midst of rising nuclear verdicts. Bridgette routinely drafts and negotiates shipper, broker and carrier contracts. Bridgette has represented numerous logistics providers in the drafting and implementation of numerous corporate due diligence documents, including employment policies, supervisor’s policies, driver’s manuals, code of conduct and record retention policies. Bridgette’s practice includes handling the defense and prosecution of high dollar cargo claims, insurance coverage claims, and business law disputes. Bridgette has successfully prosecuted and recovered freight charges for her trucking clients against property owners, insurers, and general contractors. Bridgette has also successfully defended and negotiated favorable settlements for motor carriers in connection with safety enforcement actions brought by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Bridgette is an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and Transportation Lawyers Association and serves as mediator for transportation parties in commercial and business disputes.
Associations
- Conference of Freight Counsel, Member
- Transportation Lawyers Association (TLA), Member
-
- Representative at Large (2016-2018, 2020)
- Co-Chair (Motor Carrier Committee) (2015-2018, 2021-Present)
- Co-Chair (Young Lawyers Committee) (2018-2021)
- Chair (Student Fellowship Program) (2017-Present)
-
- Truckload Carriers Association, Member
- Women in Trucking, Member
- Florida Trucking Association, Member
- Wisconsin Motor Carrier Association, Member
- Colorado, Florida and Wisconsin Bar Associations, Member
Recognitions
- Transportation Lawyers Association, Distinguished Service Award, 2019
- Women in Trucking, recognized as a Top Woman to Watch, 2018
- Women in Trucking, recognized as one of the Distinguished Women in Logistics, 2017
Radio Broadcasts
- Protecting Your Livelihood, Channel 146, Dave Nemo Show, airs 9:00 AM EST first Wednesday of the month
Arbitrator Training*
- Arbitration Fundamentals and Best Practices for New AAA Arbitrators and Award Writing (ACE001)
*Ms. Blitch is a trained transportation arbitrator, and has been admitted to the roster of arbitrators with the American Arbitration Association and Transportation Lawyers Association.
Education
- University of Colorado, B.A., magna cum laude, 2004
- University of Denver Sturm College of Law, J.D., Editor in Chief, Transportation Law Journal
- Best orator, Barrister’s Cup Appellate Advocacy, 2008
Admissions to Practice
- The Colorado Bar, 2008 to Present
- The Florida Bar, 2009 to Present
- The Wisconsin Bar, 2017 to Present
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois