DTCI Annual Meeting of the Membership & Conference 2024

AGENDA

 

Wednesday, November 20^th

4:00 – 5:30 PM

Board of Directors Meeting and Annual Meeting of the Membership – McKenna Hall Room 205

Morris Inn – Smith Ballroom & Private Dining Room

Thursday, November 21^st    6.0 CLE

10:00 – 11:30 – 1.5 CLE

Heath Care – Panel Discussion (90 Min)

Issues pertaining to evaluating and determining medical causation.  Followed by Q & A.  Medical Expert, Dr. Robert Gregori (30 min)

Judges panel (45 min) Discussion topics related to medical malpractice litigation, presentation of medical evidence in trial, testimony from treating/expert physicians, etc.  Judge Clymer, Judge Scheele, Judge Sedia and Judge Adat-Lopez.

Fund issues  (15 min) (i.e., number of Petitions filed, trends they have seen developing, procedure updates, etc.).  Ed Fujawa from the Patients’ Compensation Fund

 

Employment Law (60 min)

A discussion regarding discrimination using a person’s preferred pronouns.  In 2020 the Supreme Court made a landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County regarding termination for sexual orientation.  Since then, the EEOC ruled that repeatedly misgendering an employee or denying access to a bathroom consistent with their gender identity amounts to workplace harassment.  After the EEOC ruling Indiana AG Todd Rokita came out with a statement that:  “neither state nor federal law requires a coworker to use the preferred pronouns and names of fellow employees.”  So where does that leave employers who want to create policies, document harassment, and/or may be in litigation for something like this.  Laureen White, HeplerBroom

11:30 – 11:40 BREAK

11:40 – 12:40 – 1.0 CLE

Construction Law – Dennis McCann was the lead structural expert on the investigation team that was retained by attorneys representing the families of the 98 victims of the tragic Surfside, Florida collapse. This case was unique in scale and speed to settlement.  Mr. McCann’s discussion will focus on some of the challenges in responding to a large-scale collapse, working with multiple parties and experts as well as federal officials, to develop agreeable protocols for investigation, complex aspects of the failure investigation, etc.  Dennis McCann, CTL Group

 

Business Litigation – Preparation for a Successful Mediation: When is the right time for mediation?

Managing client goals and expectations, Pre-mediation communications with mediator and opposing party, Perspective from top mediators, Settlement agreement preparation. Anne Cowgur, Paganelli Law Group

12:45 – 2:15  LUNCH – 1.0 CLE

Artificial Intelligence – Bloody Mary / Mimosa Bar

Artificial intelligence has become an increasingly utilized tool in not only a broad range of industries, but also in our personal lives. The uses of AI are wide and varied—and this presents some unique risks and questions for the insurance industry.  With the good of AI also comes the potential for the bad—but what do these risks really look like, and how can insurance carriers and their defense and coverage attorneys prepare to address these challenges?  This presentation will consider some of the unique ways in which the use of electronic data and artificial intelligence may impact insureds, the insurance industry and the legal practice more generally.  Meghan Ruesch, Lewis Wagner (60 min)

2:20 – 3:20 – 1.0 CLE

Product Liability – Recent Amendments to FRE 702 and Its Impact on the Use of Experts at Trial. Stacey Everton, Kopka Pinkus & Dolin

Insurance Law – Navigating the Tripartite Relationship / Time Sensitive Demands (1.0 ethics)

This discussion will take a deep dive into the relationship between: 1) the liability insurance carrier; 2) the defense counsel appointed by the liability insurance carrier; and, 3) the insured/client – otherwise known as the tripartite relationship.  This relationship can be delicate at times and is fraught with ethical perils for defense counsel.  The presentation will also discuss the recent case of Baldwin v. Std. Fire Ins. Co., 238 N.E.3d 655 (Ind.Ct.App. 2024) and its impact on interpleader actions and time sensitive demands. Presenters: Jerry Huelat, Huelat & Mack, Jim Strenski, Drewry Simmons Vornehm, and John Trimble, Lewis Wagner.

3:20 – 3:30     BREAK

3:30 5:00 – 1.5 CLE

Trial Tactics – Stopping Nuclear Verdicts®

Nuclear Verdicts® are exploding across the country, with damages awards now reaching into the BILLIONS! What’s driving these massive verdicts? ANGER! Who’s making juries angry? Plaintiffs’ counsel!  Learn how to beat plaintiffs’ counsel at their own game and prevent Nuclear Verdicts®! Attendees will leave armed with the four Nuclear Verdicts® defense strategies and ready take back justice –  for ALL!  Presenter: Scott Ruksakiati, Chicago Managing Partner at Tyson & Mendes

5:00-6:00pm Young Lawyer Breakout (invitation only)     

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22^nd  6.0 CLE – 12.0 TOTAL

7:45 – 8:45am            Women in the Law Breakfast (ticketed event)

They Need You (and We Need Each Other)

Trends and issues impacting women defense attorneys and the mentoring needs of women entering the legal profession. Professor Kristina Swanson, Notre Dame Law School

9:00 – 11:00am           Anatomy of a Trial                                                                2.0 CLE

A simple hypothetical automobile accident case will be presented which contains both liability and damages issues.  There will be a discussion regarding opening statement, direct examination, cross examination, and closing argument with DTCI members giving short examples of each followed by a short discussion of each presentation. Opening statement – John Trimble, Lewis Wagner; Cross examination of Jane Jetson – Kayla Goodfellow, the Cincinnati Insurance Company; Direct examination of Betty Rubble – Angela Rinehart, Ice Miller; Closing argument – Norris Cunningham, Stoll Keenon Ogden; Jane Jetson – Germaine Willett, Ice Miller; Betty Rubble – Beverly Mack, Huelat & Mack

11:00 – 11:15am        BREAK

11:15 – 12:15pm        Leadership Lessons from Ted Lasso                                1.0 CLE

                                    DRI Guests Speakers, Liz Brotten, Foley Mansfield & Carolyn Riggs, Ice Miller

12:20 – 1:30pm           LUNCH – The Lawyer Shortage in Indiana (ZOOM)          1.0 CLE

                                    Angela Jones, Law Offices of Angela Jones, Justin Forkner, Chief Administrative Officer of the Indiana Supreme Court, Co-Chair Commission On Indiana’s Legal Future.

1:30 – 2:30pm            Appeals on Wheels                                                              1.0 CLE

City of South Bend, Indiana v. Victor C. Cao, et al., 23A-PL-2819

After a warehouse fire in South Bend, Victor C. Cao and several of his companies sued the City of South Bend for breach of contract, alleging that the City agreed but failed to provide water for Cao’s fire-suppression system. The trial court denied the City’s motion for summary judgment, and the City appeals. The City contends that it didn’t breach any contractual duty to Cao and that, in any event, it is immune from liability under the common law and under its own rules and regulations for utility service.

Judge May, Judge Vaidik, and Judge DeBoer

2:30 – 3:30pm            Ethical Considerations at Trial                                           1.0 CLE  Ethics   

                                    Judge Melissa May & Panel