Cedar Abadie

Cedar has forged a national footprint in the trucking litigation world by prioritizing respectful & productive relationships with individual plaintiffs and their counsel, as well as trucking industry peers, defense counsel, and insurers. Over the last decade, she has risen to the top of two trucking companies’ claims structures by challenging old paradigms and reaching across divides. Now, she turns that same relentless attention and innovation to a national mediation practice focused on (but not limited to) trucking cases. As personal injury litigation becomes more complex and the values skyrocket, a new level of proactive support by a neutral is increasingly required. Most recently, Cedar served as Vice President of Claims & Litigation for Knight-Swift and its affiliated motor carriers, the nation’s largest for-hire motor carrier conglomerate. She personally handled the organization’s most serious cases, resolving hundreds of catastrophic claims via ADR from coast to coast and marshalled defense teams through trials and appeals of the rest. She managed a large SIR and excess insurance tower, while directing and evaluating cases in all 48 states and overseeing personnel handling claims at every level. Prior to Knight-Swift, Cedar served as general counsel for a smaller regional carrier. This environment provided an immersive introduction to the trucking industry, imparting a tremendous education in the nuts and bolts of trucking beyond the claims-specific silo. Along the way, Cedar obtained her CDL permit & did on-road training behind the wheel of a sleeper with a 53′ trailer. Before finding her niche in trucking, Cedar was a solo practitioner for 5 years, practicing general commercial litigation and corporate governance on both the plaintiff and defense sides. Between 2003 and 2009, Cedar practiced with several national firms in their products liability defense groups. During this time, she completed the 40-hour facilitative neutral training and performed hundreds of pro bono mediations in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Throughout college and law school, Cedar worked for plaintiffs’ firms in Florida and the Minneapolis/St. Paul market, initiating relationships built on mutual admiration that continue today. Cedar is currently admitted to active practice in Minnesota. She lives in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area with her fiancé and several very spoiled dogs.