| Time (Eastern) | Session |
|---|
| 8:00 a.m. | Registration and Coffee Service |
| 8:00 a.m. | Corporate Coffee Meetup |
| 8:30 a.m. | Welcome and Introductions E. Ford Stephens, Christian & Barton, LLP, Richmond, VA
F. Todd Weston, Christian & Small, LLP, Birmingham, AL |
| 8:50 a.m. | What Would a World Without Insurance Look Like? How Insurance Holds Society Together Insurance does far more than pay claims. It promotes safety, encourages responsible risk management, and provides financial stability for individuals, businesses, and communities. This presentation will explore the often-overlooked role insurers play in preventing losses and supporting economic growth while addressing common misconceptions and anti-insurer bias in litigation. The presentation will discuss practical strategies for educating juries, courts, and clients about the value of insurance without losing credibility or running afoul of evidentiary limitations. Christopher S. Burnside, FBT Gibbons, Louisville, KY
Philip K. Anthony, The CoreGroup Trial Consulting, Los Angeles, CA
Stacey Gettings, EMC Insurance Companies, Summerville, SC |
| 9:50 a.m. | DRI Insights Quick Hit
The Matter as the Operating Environment: Where Litigation AI Is Actually Creating Value Litigation AI is consolidating fast. The first wave gave firms a collection of disconnected point tools -- one for review, one for summarization, one for drafting -- each with its own upload, its own context, and no memory of the matter. The value is shifting to a different model, where the litigation matter itself becomes the operating environment: the pleadings, the record, the depositions, the experts, and the deadlines all live in one place, and the AI works within that context rather than being handed fragments of it. In 15 minutes, we will cover how that shift changes the economics of defending a complex case, where the value is concentrating today, what it means for firms, and the diligence questions to ask any vendor on accuracy, privilege, and data security. Jay Sarmaz, Turbo Law, San Francisco, CA |
| 10:00 a.m. | DRI Insights Quick Hit
The Predictive Litigator: Data and Design for Better Coverage Outcomes Insurance companies use data to predict and manage risk. DRC brings that same data-driven approach to litigation. In this fast-paced session, we’ll show how data analytics, creative legal strategy, and strategic visual design can work together to give counsel an advantage throughout the life of a coverage dispute. See how data can help counsel assess risk, pressure-test case theories, evaluate exposure, and inform resolution strategy, and how visual design can turn complex policy language and claim histories into clear, persuasive narratives for mediation, motions, and trial. Through real-world examples and live demonstrations, we’ll show how data, strategy, and design can turn information into an advantage. Bill Wenzel, DRC, New York City, NY
James Haase, DRC, New York City, NY
Jaime Careathers, Esq., DRC, New York City, NY |
| 10:10 a.m. | DRI Insights Quick Hit
Artificial Intelligence and its Application to Trial Strategy and Tactics An overview of the newest AI platform available to assist trial teams, insurance carriers and claims managers, and in house legal departments with strategic planning for dispute resolution or trial by jury. Dr. Philip K. Anthony, WhiteStone.AI, Los Angeles, CA |
| 10:20 a.m. | Break |
| 10:40 a.m. | Bad Faith on Trial – Strategies from Voir Dire to Verdict Offering a strategic framework for trying bad faith cases, this program focuses on jury selection, addressing plaintiff “reptile” themes, presenting claims-handling evidence effectively, and preparing adjusters and experts for cross-examination. Attendees will gain actionable strategies for managing punitive damages exposure and presenting a persuasive case from opening statement through verdict. Shauncey Ridgeway, Christian & Small LLP, Jackson, MS
Robert J. Romero, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, San Francisco, CA |
| 11:40 a.m. | Reading the Forecast: What’s Next in First-Party Property Coverage Recent trends in first-party property litigation involving civil authority coverage have reshaped the landscape of property insurance coverage and continues to influence claims today. This presentation will examine key issues such as the meaning of "direct physical loss," the definition and calculation of actual cash value, and how courts determine whether property has sustained coverage damage triggering civil authority orders. The presentation will discuss significant developments in Florida and other jurisdictions, highlighting the lessons that continue to sharpen first-party property litigation and claims handling. Thomas Keller, Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig, LLC, Tampa, FL
Matthew Martin, Starr, Chicago, IL |
| 12:40 p.m. | Lunch (on your own) |
| 2:00 p.m. | Rideshare, Robots, and Risk – Future Trends in Auto Insurance Risk The auto industry continues to evolve as technology, consumer behavior, and mobility services reshape traditional coverage and liability issues. This presentation will explore emerging risks involving rideshare platforms, autonomous vehicles, app-based transportation, and evolving questions surrounding who qualifies as an insured and when coverage begins and ends. The presentation will further discuss how insurers are modernizing technology systems to respond to rapidly changing market conditions and examine the trends expected to shape auto insurance in the years ahead. John W. Danenberger, Reserv Claims Analytics, Chicago, IL
Curtis Scott, Vertex Risk LLC, Seattle, WA |
| 3:00 p.m. | The AI-Driven Claimant: Defending AI Enabled Insurance Claims and Litigation As generative artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into insurance litigation, claimants and Pro Se plaintiffs are using AI tools to prepare demands, pleadings, and discovery submissions, creating new evidentiary and burdensome procedural challenges. This demonstrative program examines the implications of defending against AI-generated content in insurance litigation, including hallucinated authority, fabricated evidence, and the attendant risks of bad-faith exposure. Discussions and demonstrations will address methods for identifying AI-assisted submissions and incorporating AI responsibly into claims investigation and litigation discovery practice and for identifying and defeating AI-assisted submissions. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the legal and strategic considerations arising from AI’s expanding role in litigation. Henry M. Sneath, Houston Harbaugh, Pittsburgh, PA
Meghan E. Ruesch, Travelers, Indianapolis, IN |
| 4:00 p.m. | The Next Frontier in Risk Transfer: AI Liability, Coverage, and Contractual Risk Allocation As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into business operations – insurers, policyholders, and defense counsel are confronting new questions regarding liability, insurance coverage, and contractual risk transfer. This presentation will examine how traditional risk transfer mechanisms such as indemnity agreements; additional insured provisions; and insurance procurement requirements; and how they intersect with emerging AI-related exposures across industries, while highlighting practical strategies for identifying and allocating risk in an evolving legal landscape. Ashlyn M. Capote, Goldberg Segalla LLP, Buffalo, NY
Shelly Ann Panton, Coaction Specialty Insurance Group, New York, NY |
| 5:00 p.m. | Adjourn |
| 5:00-5:30 p.m. | Committee Business Meeting (open to all) |
| 5:30-7:00 p.m. | Networking Reception at the Hotel
Sponsored by: Alston & Bird, DAC Beachcroft, Freeman Mathis & Gary, Hurwitz Fine P.C., McCloskey Waring & Drury, Sheppard Join fellow seminar attendees at our Networking Reception. |
| 8:00 p.m. | Dine-Arounds Join colleagues and friends at selected restaurants for dinner (on your own) |