Registration Information
Save up to $500 when you register on or before March 11, 2025!
Worry-free registration: Cancellations received thirty (30) days or more before an in-person seminar are entitled to a full refund.
Save Your Spot Today
|
Member Pricing |
Non-Member Pricing |
Non-Member Bundle ^ |
Regular Registration*
(Now thru Mar. 11) |
$1,595 |
$1,995 |
$1,915 |
| Onsite Registration* |
$1,695 |
$2,095 |
$2,015 |
Group Registration
(Non-Sponsored) |
Group registration is for registering four or more attendees. Members and non-members receive a 15% discount off the member and non-member rates respective to the time the group registration is initiated (i.e. Early Bird, Regular or On-Site registration periods). There is one free registration with every 10 paid registrations.
If you want to register for the group pricing, fill out the form here. Please note that online registration is not available for this offer. |
| Government |
Government members will receive the applicable government rate for the seminar upon login. If the government rate does not appear after logging in, please call DRI directly at (312) 795-1101 to receive the discounted rate. Invoices can be sent after purchase upon request. |
Not a DRI Member? Select the Non-Member Bundle and Save!
^ Not a DRI Member and new to DRI? Take advantage of the Non-Member / Trial Membership Bundle and receive up to 9 months of membership when you register for the seminar. You’ll be able to add this special offer to your cart at check out. Note: Trial membership processing can take up to 30 days from the date of purchase, please contact DRI Customer Service with any questions. Please note renewing members and members with recently lapsed memberships are not eligible for a Non-Member Bundle.
Learn more about membership at DRI and get started on your DRI journey today!
*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.
Networking Events
Premier Networking Event at the XXXXX
Sponsored by: ABC
Date: Wednesday, Month Day from 7:00–10:00 p.m.
Pricing: Free when you register for the seminar (guest tickets $100 each, available at check-out)
Location: XXXXX, Address, City, State
TBD.
Hotel Information
The seminar will take place at Loews Chicago Hotel, 455 North Park Drive, Chicago, Illinois, 60611.
To contact the hotel directly, call 312.840.6600.
A limited number of discounted hotel rooms have been made available at the Loews Chicago Hotel. Take advantage of the group rate of $199.00 (plus taxes and fees) Single/Double.
Reserve your Room Online
The hotel block is limited, and rooms and rates are available on a first-come, first-served basis. You must make reservations by February 11, 2025, to be eligible for the hotel's group rate. Requests for reservations made after February 11 are subject to room and rate availability.
Full Agenda
*Schedule and Speakers subject to change
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
| Time (Central) |
Session |
| 12:00 p.m. |
Registration |
| 3:00 p.m. |
A Preemptive Approach to Social Inflation and Nuclear Verdicts: Managing Claim Severity through Insurer Collaboration
Insurers are grappling with how to combat social inflation and nuclear verdicts. It would benefit the industry if insurers could find opportunities to work together to find holistic approaches to defending claims, and the speakers will discuss ways in which insurers can work together. This presentation will also discuss avoiding setting unwanted precedent in insurer v. insurer disputes, including concerns regarding priority of coverage and subrogation.
Moderator
William Clay, The Willis Law Group, Garland, TX
Jessica Foscolo, Travelers, Buffalo, NY
Todd McCormick, W.R. Berkley, New York, NY
Bari Sittenreich, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, New York, NY |
| 4:00 p.m. |
Strategies for Litigating Coverage: Intervention and Declaratory Judgment Actions, and Other Considerations
There are a variety of factors that can impact whether a coverage action will be successful, and these factors vary based on state and federal law. The presentation will discuss circumstances in which insurers should consider intervening in underlying disputes involving policyholders when state law allows for it. The presenter will also discuss jurisdictional and venue considerations.
Joseph P. Lang, Nicolaides Fink Thorpe Michaelides Sullivan LLP, Chicago, IL
|
| 6:00 p.m. |
Networking / Cocktail Hour
|
| 7:30 p.m. |
Dine-Arounds
Join colleagues and friends at selected restaurants for dinner (on your own). |
Thursday, March 13, 2025
| Time (Central) |
Session |
| 8:30 a.m. |
Registration & Coffee Service
Get to know the early risers in our group over a cup of coffee. |
| 9:00 a.m. |
Welcome and Introduction
June J. Essis, Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby LLP, Philadelphia, PA
Ashlyn M. Capote, Goldberg Segalla LLP, Buffalo, NY |
| 9:15 a.m. |
Litigating Mass Tort Sex Abuse Cases in the Post-Purdue World
This session will discuss updates in several of the high-profile mass tort cases involving sex abuse claimants and bankrupt insureds, especially in light of the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, L.P. The presentation will address the impact of states’ amendments of statutes of limitations related to sex abuse claims and strategies for litigating insurance coverage cases where the policies are decades old.
Miranda H. Turner, Plevin & Turner LLP, Washington D.C. |
| 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. |
DRI Cares – Blessings in a Backpack
Click here for details on this DRI Cares session.
|
| 10:15 a.m. |
Coffee Break |
| 10:30 a.m. |
Breakout Sessions |
|
Claims Against Multiple Insureds: When Being Right Might be Wrong
Lawsuits involving injured employees can include owners, tenants, and other contractors and involve contracts and leases. This seminar will provide an overview of potential claims and lawsuits after the employee’s workers compensation claim.
Elaine M. Pohl, Plunkett Cooney PC, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Kevin J. Willging, Travelers, Hunt Valley, MD |
|
Claims Against Employers for Workplace Injuries
Lawsuits involving injured employees can include owners, tenants, and other contractors and involve contracts and leases. This seminar will provide an overview of potential claims and lawsuits after the employee’s workers compensation claim.
Stu Harris, Nationwide, Columbus, OH
Marci Goldstein Kokalas, Goldberg Segalla, Newark, NJ |
| 11:30 a.m. |
Breakout Sessions |
|
Issues Confronting Excess and Surplus Lines Policies
This presentation will assess particular considerations related to the excess and surplus lines markets, including the interplay of the retail agents, brokers, and insureds, and the issues that are frequently litigated in coverage litigation. The speakers will address the issues that sometimes arise during the policy application process, such as those that can result from obtaining policies online as in the insur-tech and event policy arena.
Steven Martin, Ryan Specialty, Chicago, IL
Jason Schulze, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, Chicago, IL
Collin Hite, Markel, Glen Allen, VA |
|
I Know It When I See It – Determining When Claims Arise Out of Professional Services and When They are Related/Interrelated
This session will discuss what constitutes professional services in a professional liability policy and, similarly, what falls within a professional services exclusion in a general liability policy. The presentation will also discuss what constitutes inter-related claims and the impacts number of retentions and limits.
John Zulkey, Westfield Specialty Insurance, Chicago, IL |
| 12:30 p.m. |
DRI Networking Lunch |
| 2:00 p.m. |
Limiting Damages in Coverage Actions: Claims Handling to Guard Against Claims of Bad Faith
This presentation will address common claims handling actions that policyholders argue constitute bad faith claim handling and what methods and best practices carriers can adopt that might discourage a bad faith action. The speakers will also address whether a carrier's actions in coverage action can constitute bad faith.
Jeff Chen, Camden, NJ
Clay Crawford, Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC, Kansas City, MO |
| 2:00 p.m. |
Small Group Networking Events
See "Small Group Networking" tab below for list and details.
|
| 3:00 p.m. |
Adjusting and Litigating a Hurricane Claim
This presentation will address common claims handling actions that policyholders argue constitute bad faith claim handling and what methods and best practices carriers can adopt that might discourage a bad faith action. The speaker will also address whether a carrier's actions in coverage action can constitute bad faith.
T. Nicholas Goanos, Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP, Charlotte, NC
Matthew Kennedy, FM, Johnston, RI |
| 4:00 p.m. |
Adjourn
|
| 4:00 p.m. |
Insurance Law Committee Business Meeting (open to all)
|
| 6:00 p.m. |
Premier Networking Reception
Sponsored by: Chartwell Law, Skarzynski Marick & Black LLP
Join fellow seminar attendees at our Premier Networking Reception. More details to come.
|
| 8:00 p.m. |
Dine-Arounds
Join colleagues and friends at selected restaurants for dinner (on your own).
|
Friday, March 14, 2025
| Time (Central) |
Session |
| 8:30 a.m. |
Registration and Coffee Service |
| 9:00 a.m. |
Welcome and Announcements
Candace M. Deer, ProAssurance, Birmingham, AL
|
| 9:10 a.m. |
Passing the Buck: Additional Insured Coverage and Risk Transfer
The speakers will discuss the coverage considerations associated with minimizing the loss under a policy. The presentation will address common issues related to contractual indemnification and additional insured coverage, including anti-subrogation rules and priority of coverage.
Amy Frantz, Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP, Chicago, IL
Jennifer Turiello, Markel, Chicago, IL |
| 10:10 a.m. |
Coffee Break
|
| 10:25 a.m. |
Considerations for Drafting Reservation of Rights Letters
This session will evaluate various considerations for drafting coverage position letters, including specific language that has been deemed unacceptable by courts. The presentation will include information across various jurisdictions including how to avoid common coverage pitfalls such as waiver and estoppel.
Candace M. Deer, ProAssurance, Birmingham, AL
R. Brandon McCullough, Houston Harbaugh, P.C., Pittsburgh, PA |
| 11:25 a.m. |
Are the Robots Coming for My Job? Generative AI and how it can be Ethically Used in the Insurance Coverage Realm
This presentation will address attorneys ethics and the use of generative artificial intelligence (“GAI”) in the claims process including the production of coverage letters. The speaker will address the ABA guidance to lawyers and other state guidance around the use of GAI, the impact that GAI is having (and may in the future have) on coverage litigation, especially discovery in coverage litigation, where policyholder counsel may send discovery demands asking for information about how GAI was used in a coverage determination. The speaker will also discuss future applications for GAI, such as for legal and jury verdict research and the ethical concerns raised in relying on such research. Attendees will receive ethics credit.
Daniel E. Tranen, Wilson Elser, St. Louis, MO |
| 12:25 p.m. |
Adjourn |
Small Group Networking
Truffle Parisian Gnocchi Cooking Class
Date: Thursday, March 13 from 2:00–4:00 p.m.
Pricing: $150 per person
Location: Onsite at Loews Chicago Hotel
Join us for a delightful culinary twist with our "Truffle Parisian Gnocchi Cooking Class," exclusively designed for the discerning tastes of attorneys like you! Under the guidance of the esteemed Loews Chicago culinary experts, you'll delve into the art of crafting the perfect gnocchi, infused with the luxurious essence of truffles. Don't miss this chance to add a touch of Parisian elegance to your kitchen repertoire in a setting that's as friendly as a dinner party among colleagues. Purchase your spot today and prepare to be the talk of the office with your new gourmet skills! Space is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are non-refundable unless DRI cancels the event due to not meeting the minimum attendance requirement.
CLE Information
Earn up to TBD hours of continuing legal education hours (CLE) from this seminar.
View CLE Credit by State
In some states that charge late CLE submission fees, there will be a $100 late fee to report CLE credits submitted more than 30 days after a seminar/virtual event. Click here for details on CLE late fees.
DRI's Insurance Coverage and Claims Institute is proudly supported by:
If you would like to contact DRI about seminar sponsorship opportunities (including pricing) or to reserve a spot, please visit the sponsorship page.
DRI Cares
Blessings in a Backpack
Please join us in supporting Blessings in a Backpack, an organization that mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for school-aged children across America who might otherwise go hungry. Seminar attendees will have the opportunity to fill bags of food on Thursday morning. Feeding a child before you feed yourself is a wonderful way to support children and families in the Chicago community.
Donate to Blessings in a Backpack
Additional Resources
If you have any questions or concerns regarding DRI programs, please contact DRI Customer Service at 312.795.1101 or custservice@dri.org.