Registration Information
EARLY REGISTRATION*
DRI Member Pricing: $995
Non-Member Pricing: $1,295
REGULAR REGISTRATION*
DRI Member Pricing: $1,295
Non-Member Pricing: $1,595
GOVERNMENT MEMBER
Early Bird Pricing: $695
Regular Pricing: $995
Register by March 14, 2022 to receive the early registration rate.
*If your membership recently lapsed, please renew your membership prior to registering to ensure you receive your discounted member rate. If you would like to join DRI to receive the member pricing and see the benefits of becoming a member, click here to go to the Application page.
GROUP REGISTRATION (Non-Sponsor)**
Pricing: $895 per person
**Group registration is for registering 5 or more attendees, members and non-members. There is one free registration with every 10 registrations. You must lock in the rate three weeks prior to the seminar. If you want to register for the group pricing, please send an email to rstiner@dri.org (online registration is not available for this offering).
Agenda with Speakers
*Schedule and Speakers subject to change
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
| Time (Central) |
Session Description |
| 1:00 p.m. |
Registration |
| 3:00 p.m. |
Young Lawyers Get Together
Join fellow young lawyers and Trucking Law attendees at Azul. No reservation needed! A meet up for those not attending Panel Counsel meetings and a way to meet fellow attendees before the evening’s networking reception back at the hotel. |
| 6:00 p.m. |
Networking Reception |
| 7:30 p.m. |
Dine-Arounds
Join your friends and colleagues to enjoy local Dine-Arounds and everything Austin has to offer! View local cuisine and sign-up here. |
Thursday, April 28, 2022
| Time (Central) |
Session Description |
| 7:00 a.m. |
Registration and Continental Breakfast |
| 8:00 a.m. |
Welcome and Introduction
Christopher T. Sheean, Swanson Martin & Bell, LLP, Chicago, IL
Bradford G. Hughes, Clark Hill PLC, Los Angeles, CA
|
| 8:15 a.m. |
Tomorrow’s Trucking Landscape
See what tomorrow has in store for the trucking industry with a dynamic presentation on new and emerging trucking technology. Hear from leaders in the industry about collision avoidance systems, interactive smart drive technology, and other automated systems that are changing the landscape of the trucking industry, and the cases we face.
Jeffrey S. Hickman, Ph.D., Applied Safety and Ergonomics, Christiansburg, VA
Jim Mullen, TuSimple, Omaha, NE |
| 9:15 a.m. |
When your Trucking Case Turns into a Products Case
With an increasing dependence on technology aimed at improving safety on the roadway, more and more we are seeing product liability issues seeping into trucking cases. Learn what you need to know from attorneys, experts and claims professionals grappling with these issues so you will know what to do when your trucking case turns into a product liability case.
Shawn F. Harrington, B.S.E.S.M, ACTAR, Forensic Rock, Philadelphia, PA
Mitzi Hartman, McLeod Express, LLC, Decatur, IL
Matthew Hefflefinger, Heyl Royster, Peoria, IL
Dirk Wohltmann, WABCO Group International, Auburn Hills, MI |
| 10:15 a.m. |
Refreshment Break |
| 10:45 a.m. |
The Future of Medicine: Standard of Care or Junk Science
What do you need to know to draw the distinction between what is “new medicine” and what is “junk science”? Hear about diagnostic techniques and treatment methods being used by some doctors to support million dollar claims, and how you can weed through what is truly up-and-coming and what is just “junk.”
Melody Kiella, Drew Eckl & Farnham, LLP, Atlanta, GA
David M. Wilson, Gaines Gault Hendrix, PC, Birmingham, AL |
| 11:45 a.m. |
Lunch (On your Own) |
| 1:30 p.m. |
Same Dog and Pony, New Show: Innovative Strategies to Succeed at Mediation
Get a “behind the scenes” perspective of mediation from a mediator discussing what they do to resolve claims, what information they are and are not conveying, and how you can help them effectively settle cases in a fair and equitable manner.
Mike H. Bassett, The Bassett Firm, Dallas, TX
Jennifer Eubanks, Canal Insurance Company, Greenville, SC
Darrell Flesner, Vanliner Insurance Company, St. Louis, MO |
| 2:30 p.m. |
Better Than Testimony: Trying the Trucking Case with Digital and Other Objective Evidence to Tell Your Best Story
Hear from a panel of seasoned litigators what you can do to “win” at trial, when winning may be avoiding a nuclear verdict and obtaining an equitable result.
MaryJane Dobbs, Bressler Amery & Ross, P.C., Florham Park, NJ
June Essis, Weber Gallagher, Philadelphia, PA
Robert Lynch, P.E., DJS Associates, Philadelphia, PA |
| 3:30 p.m. |
Refreshment Break |
| 4:00 p.m. |
Breakouts |
|
The Price is Wrong: How to Identify and Fight Medical Overbilling
Medical overbilling is driving verdicts and settlements higher and turning run-of-the-mill wrecks into bigger windfalls than rolling “$1.00” on the big wheel. Hear from our experienced attorney contestants on how to take control of the gamesmanship utilized by treating physicians, medical funding companies, and plaintiffs’ attorneys and ensure the price is right when it comes time for the “final showcase” at mediation or trial.
Whitney Lay Greene, Drew Eckl & Farnham, LLP, Atlanta, GA
Larry S. Hall, Heyl Royster, St. Louis, MO
Jana Schieber, Examworks, Dallas, TX |
|
The Building Blocks for Better Client Relationships: A Recipe for Young Lawyers
Building client relationships is more important than ever before. Hear from a seasoned attorney and industry professional about how to strengthen your relationships and build your book of business and engage in interactive discussion with other attorneys about what works in your practice.
Rocky Coe, McLane Company, Inc., Temple, TX
John Nunnally, Ragsdale Liggett, PLLC, Raleigh, NC |
|
Industry/Insurance-“Unforeseen Risks of Automation In the Trucking Industry”
Industry and claims professionals will meet to learn about potential pitfalls of automation in the trucking industry and how bad actors can use this technology to their advantage and to the detriment of the trucking industry.
Erich Jackson, Lead Information Security Analyst, Louisville, KY
Gene F. Zipperle, Jr., Ward Hocker & Thornton PLLC, Louisville, KY |
| 5:00 p.m. |
Trucking Law Committee Business Meeting (open to all)
|
| 6:00 p.m. |
Networking Reception |
| 7:00 p.m. |
Dinner (On your Own)
|
| 9:00 p.m. |
Premier Networking Event: Speakeasy Austin
Join fellow attendees for this premier networking event at Speakeasy Austin, sponsored by Clark Hill PLC, Cox PLLC, Gaines Gault Hendrix LLC, Hartline Barger LLP and Heyl Royster Voelker & Allen PC. Take in the downtown skyline from the rooftop, where we'll be entertained by one of the best DJ's in Austin. Engage in friendly competition games (darts, shuffleboard, pool table and bowling), soak up the roaring 20’s vibe, relax with a cocktail and mingle with friends and colleagues. Could there be a better way to expand your network and build your book of business? We don’t think so. There is a maximum of 2 tickets per person.
Registration for this event will be on the DRI seminar registration page. You will need to scroll down after the Questions to purchase a ticket. You must purchase your ticket by April 28, 2022.
*The cost is $100 per ticket and ticket is non-refundable. |
Friday, April 29, 2022
| Time (Central) |
Session Description |
| 7:00 a.m. |
Registration and Continental Breakfast |
| 8:00 a.m. |
Welcome and Introductions
Sarah E. Hansen, Burden, Hafner & Hansen, LLC, Buffalo, NY |
| 8:15 a.m. |
Major Advances in Trucking Tort Reform
Hear from those at the forefront of emerging tort reform efforts about legislation aimed to level the playing field for the trucking industry and what we can do to support these efforts. Learn how tort reform has been successfully passed in the state of Texas and how the defense bar can further reform efforts in other jurisdictions.
Sergio E. Chavez, Rincon Law Group, P.C., El Paso, TX
E. Lee Parsley, Texans for Lawsuit Reform, Austin, TX
Richard Pianka, American Trucking Associations, Arlington, VA |
| 9:15 a.m. |
Reimagining the Adjuster/Attorney Relationship
An important panel discussion about what we can do to reimagine the adjuster/attorney relationship in a manner that improves communication and a team approach for the betterment of all of our clients. Hear about how smarter case evaluation can reduce risk to our clients and mitigate large verdicts.
Jeff F. Chen, Swiss Re, New York, NY
Kristi Montoya, UPS, Atlanta, GA
Brett Ross, Carr Allison, Birmingham, AL |
| 10:15 a.m. |
Refreshment Break |
| 10:45 a.m. |
Experts, Experts Everywhere: An Update on Human Factors, Bio-Mechanics, and Trucking Experts
Experienced litigators will discuss experts at the center of many trucking cases; Human Factors experts, biomechanical engineers and trucking experts. Learn when to retain experts to support your defenses and how to address experts brought in by the plaintiff’s bar to comment on trucking safety and practices.
Nancy Grugle, Ph.D., CHFP, Exigent, Harleysville, PA
Renea E. Hooper, Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary, P.C., Indianapolis, IN
Eric Miersma, Balestreri Potocki & Holmes, San Diego, CA |
| 11:45 a.m. |
Think Before You Speak: Ethical Considerations in Emergency Response
In an emergency response scenario, considerations and questions regarding ethical issues present as rapidly as you can respond to the accident. These issues often involve conflicts of interest between dual representation of the driver and trucking company, how attorneys hold themselves out to the police and media at the time of the accident and access to relevant evidence. Hear from attorneys with countless hours of emergency response experience on these ethical issues and how to address them.
Pamela Springrose Hallford, Carr Allison, Dothan, AL
Nathan Shelby, Rainey Kizer Reviere & Bell PLLC, Nashville, TN |
| 12:45 p.m. |
Adjourn |
On-Demand
NEW in 2022 – 4 Additional On-Demand Programs Included With Every Seminar!
CLE Credit will be sought from every state requiring CLE hours in elimination of bias/diversity and inclusion, ethics, substance abuse/mental health and law practice management. The CLE grid will provide updated information concerning which courses have been approved by which states and for which credits. For states not requiring these special credits, general education credits will be sought.
Diversity/Elimination of Bias in the Profession
Batson v. Kentucky and its progeny were meant to eliminate bias in jury selection. But has that happened? This program will address that question and discuss issues of bias in the courtroom more broadly and will challenge viewers to recognize their own biases and to learn how those biases could affect their assessment of potential jurors, witnesses, judges, and adversaries. The program also will provide viewers with skills on how to identify the biases of potential jurors and how those biases could come into play during deliberations.
Stacy Douglas, Everett Dorey LLP, Irvine, CA
Gary Howard, Bradley, Birmingham, AL
Ethics
Investigating claims and lawsuits often requires interviews with employees. Corporate in-house attorneys and their outside counsel need to be able to identify potential conflicts of interest and confidentiality issues with employees who may leave their employment and become opposing counsel’s best witness.
Kristie S. Crawford, Brown & James, Springfield, MO
Lauren Buford, Walgreen Co., Deerfield, Illinois 60015.
Mental Health & Attorney Wellness
Study after study suggests that lawyers aren’t happy. Continued unhappiness impacts performance, relationships, and physical health. That’s the bad news. The good news is that research proven interventions exist that increase happiness without requiring a radical change in circumstances. Even a slight increase in happiness has a lasting impact on both your current performance and resilience, not to mention, happier just feels better. This program will quickly, efficiently, and practically explain why happiness matters and offer tools you can use today to work, lead, and live happier.
Rebecca Morrison, Aldie VA
Law Practice Management
Law firms must operate more efficiently to ensure they can deliver high-quality services, handle more volume and maintain a profit margin in today’s climate of rate pressure and rising costs. Understanding Key Performance Indicators and law firm analytics concerning financial, operational and client service data are key to mastering law firm performance management. This presentation will address methods to collect information necessary for evaluating key areas of performance, identify tools and techniques to analyze data and generate action items and more.
Brian Kennel, PerformLaw, New Orleans, LA
Jan Sander, PerformLaw, New Orleans, LA
Sean Kennel, PerformLaw, New Orleans, LA
Hotel and Travel Information
A limited number of discounted hotel rooms have been made available at the Austin Marriott Downtown, 304 East Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, TX 78701. Take advantage of the group rate of $299.00 Single/Double in one of two ways:
The hotel block is limited and rooms and rates are available on a first-come, first-served basis. You must make reservations by March 29, 2022 to be eligible for the hotel’s group rate. Requests for reservations made after that date are subject to room and rate availability. A small portion of your room rate offsets the costs of the seminar.
Travel Discounts: DRI is pleased to announce that discounted air fares are available on various major air carriers for DRI seminar attendees. To receive these discounts, please contact Direct Travel Ltd., DRI’s official travel provider, at 800.840.0908. If you would like to have access to the DRI online travel booking tool, you must complete a Business Travel Profile form at www.dt.com. Within 24 business hours, you will receive information on accessing the system.
CLE Information
Earn up to 10 hours of continuing legal education hours, including 1 hour of ethics credit from this seminar.
Trucking Law CLE Grid (PDF)
DRI's Trucking Law Seminar is proudly sponsored by:
If you would like to contact DRI about seminar sponsorship opportunities, including pricing, or to reserve a spot, please go to Advertising and Sponsorship.
DRI Cares
The DRI Trucking Law Committee is proud to focus its philanthropy on Make-A-Wish®. Make-A-Wish is the largest wish-granting organization in the country and has granted over 330,000 wishes to children in the U.S. and its territories since 1980. Granting a child’s wish can have a lifelong impact on the child and their family. Research shows a wish can give kids the strength to fight against and even overcome a critical illness.
All donations will support wishes across the country. Help the DRI Trucking Law Committee change the lives of children with critical illnesses by donating here.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding DRI programs, please contact DRI Customer Service at 312.795.1101 or custservice@dri.org.