2022 DRI Drug and Medical Device Seminar

September 7–9, 2022 | Nashville, Tennessee

Drug and Medical Device DMD

Live from Music City: New Releases from the Drug and Medical Device Committee!

Join us in Nashville for the 2022 Drug and Medical Device Seminar! The seminar will provide countless opportunities to network with clients, potential referral sources, and colleagues from across the country who are in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry. You will hear from a panel of judges about their approaches to key MDL and mass-tort litigation issues, and you do not want to miss presentations about better company witnesses and juror perceptions of drug and medical device companies. Gain insight from in-house lawyers, outside counsel, and judges about diversity and inclusion in the legal industry. This seminar continues to be the "go-to" event year after year for in-house and outside counsel to the pharmaceutical and medical device industry.

View registration information here.

What You Will Learn:

  • How juror perceptions have changed post-pandemic
  • Judicial perspectives on MDL and mass-tort litigation
  • How to recruit and retain diverse legal talent
  • Leadership & advocacy skills in dealing with co-defendant groups

Expand Your Network By:

  • Pulling on your cowboy boots and enjoy an evening of music and moonshine cocktails at Ole Smoky Distillery
  • Participating in the Drug and Medical Device Committee’s business meeting and join a specialized litigation group to address particular issues facing our industry
  • Corporate counsel gather to discuss issues unique to them at the Corporate Counsel Breakout
  • Signing up for a dine around for lunch or dinner with colleagues at Nashville’s amazing restaurants
  • Joining colleagues in serving the community by painting butterfly houses in support of Alive Hospice

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Thank You to DRI's Drug and Medical Device Committee Leadership

Jennifer Snyder Heis
Jennifer Snyder Heis
Program Chair
Archibald T. Reeves
Archibald T. Reeves, IV
Program Vice Chair
Sheila S. Boston
Sheila S. Boston
Committee Chair
Erik W. Snapp
Erik W. Snapp
Committee Vice Chair
Ted J. McDonald
Ted J. McDonald
Law Institute

Join the Drug and Medical Device Committee

Registration Information

EARLY REGISTRATION*
DRI Member Pricing: $1,095
Non-Member Pricing: $1,395

REGULAR REGISTRATION*
DRI Member Pricing: $1,395
Non-Member Pricing: $1,695

GOVERNMENT MEMBER
Early Bird Pricing: $695
Regular Pricing: $995

Register by July 25, 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: $995 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).

Networking Events

Premier Networking Event at Ole Smoky

Sponsored by: Dechert LLP, Greenberg Traurig LLP, Hall Booth Smith, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP, Tucker Ellis LLP, Ulmer & Berne LLP, Venable LLP

Date: Thursday, September 8 from 6:30–9:00 p.m.
Pricing: Free when you register for the seminar (guest tickets available at check-out)
Location: Ole Smoky, 423 6th Avenue S, Nashville, TN

Join both the Drug and Medical Device and Senior Living & Long-Term Care Seminars to reconnect with your DRI friends Thursday evening for a networking event that will be held at Ole Smoky. Food and adult beverages will be served and is only a four-minute walk from the hotel!

Private Tour of Ryman Auditorium (SOLD OUT)

Date: Thursday, September 8 from 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Pricing: $32 per person
Location: Ryman Auditorium, 116 5th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37219

Join us for a guided tour of the Ryman Auditorium - the historical home of the Grand Ole Opry. The auditorium is the most famous music venue in Nashville and only a short walk from the hotel. When you enter the historic Ryman Auditorium, one thing becomes clear right away: this isn’t just another nightly music venue, and it’s so much more than a daytime tourist stop. This place is hallowed ground. Visit the exact spot where bluegrass was born—where Johnny Cash met June Carter, where souls were saved and a slice of history was nearly lost. Experience the place that country music found an audience beyond its own back porch, and countless careers took off as deals were signed on napkins and paper scraps backstage. Come discover why this is a building where anything is possible: a soul can find redemption, a crumbling building can find salvation, and an unknown kid with a guitar can find his or her name in lights.

Agenda with Speakers

*Schedule and Speakers subject to change

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Time (Central) Session Description
1:45 p.m. Registration for In-House Breakout Session Attendees
2:00 p.m. In-House Breakout*

Join your in-house peers for a unique opportunity to discuss topics of importance to in-house counsel. Exchange ideas while networking with colleagues in a forum designed for in-house counsel by in-house counsel.

For more information, email Jeni Heis or Archie Reeves.

*Seminar registration required; attendance strictly limited to pharmaceutical/medical device company in-house counsel. No CLE available for this session.
5:00 p.m. Registration
5:30 p.m. First-Time Attendees Reception
6:00 p.m. Networking Reception

Joint reception with the DRI Cannabis Law Seminar.
6:30 p.m. Dine-Arounds (On your own)

Join your colleagues to enjoy local cuisine and grow your network at local Dine-Arounds and enjoy everything Nashville has to offer. Space is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Join your colleagues and sign-up here!

Thursday, September 8, 2022

Time (Central) Session Description
6:30 a.m. DRI for Life

Jump start your morning with Erik Snapp, as he takes you on a run through Music Row.
7:00 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Welcome and Introduction

Ted McDonald, McDonald Veon PA, Overland Park, KS
Jennifer Snyder Heis, Ulmer & Berne, Cincinnati, OH
8:10 a.m. Jambalaya: Hot Topics in Drug and Medical Device Law

Learn about the latest issues, cases and trends in drug and device litigation. Topics discussed will include judicial disclosures required for third-party funding and the potential impacts of the proposed amendments to Federal Rule of Evidence 702.

Heather Howard, King & Spalding, Atlanta, GA
Jessica Laguerre, Arnold & Porter, New York, NY
Rachel Farnsworth, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrence Township, NJ
9:10 a.m. On the Road Again: Juror Perceptions and Lessons Learned from Seven Trials to Verdict in 2021

In the wake of the remand of over 800 cases from an MDL regarding Inferior Vena Cava Filters, Becton Dickinson faced dozens of trial settings throughout the country in 2021. Seven cases were tried to verdict in vastly different jurisdictions, including three cases that were tried concurrently. Lead trial counsel and the in-house manager of the litigation will discuss the unique challenges of trying multiple cases, including managing an ever-changing trial docket, presenting witnesses remotely, and managing demands on company and expert witnesses. The panel will also discuss the impact of the pandemic on jurors, including juror attitudes on science, the medical device industry and FDA, and what to make of jurors’ vaccine status.

Jim Rogers, Nelson Mullins, Columbia, SC
Candace Camarata, Becton Dickinson
Richard North, Nelson Mullins, Atlanta, GA
Sean Jessee, Greenberg Traurig, Atlanta, GA
10:10 a.m. Refreshment Break
10:30 a.m. Quick Hits: Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal Profession

Kat Gallagher, Rodman & Rodman, Denver, CO
10:45 a.m. An Expert Take on Expert Witnesses: Putting Plaintiff’s Expert in the Ring of Fire

Witness top trial lawyers conduct live cross-examination of an experienced expert. This panel will focus on the skills necessary to successfully depose your opponent’s expert witnesses. It will tie in recent decisions regarding Rule 702 and state equivalents, and will demonstrate techniques to combat plaintiffs’ reptile theory tactics.

Hope Freiwald, Dechert, Philadelphia, PA
Stephen J. McConnell, Reed Smith, Philadelphia, PA
Kevin Ong, Exponent, Philadelphia, PA
12:15 p.m. Lunch (On your own)

Join your colleagues to enjoy local cuisine and grow your network at local Dine-Arounds and enjoy everything Nashville has to offer. Space is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Join your colleagues and sign-up here!
12:30 p.m. Private Tour of Ryman Auditorium (SOLD OUT)

Click here for more details.
2:00 p.m. Young Lawyers Blockbuster

For more details, click on the "Young Lawyers Blockbuster Thursday" tab.
2:00 p.m. Quick Hits: Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal Profession

Hon. Jane T. Milazzo, United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
2:15 p.m. "Act Naturally" with Genetics and Genomics: New Answers in Drug and Medical Device Litigation

The Human Genome Project laid the foundation for new discoveries and technologies previously unknown. As genetics and genomics continue to evolve, new and better answers to scientific questions will impact drug and device litigation. Learn how genetics and genomics will change our approach to liability and causation.

Paige Sensenbrenner, Adams and Reese, New Orleans, LA
Len Van Zyl, ArrayXpress Inc., Raleigh-Durham, NC
3:15 p.m. Quick Hits: Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal Profession

Laura Proctor, Numotion, Nashville, TN
3:30 p.m. Refreshment Break
4:00 p.m. Recruiting & Retaining Diverse Talent: I Like It, I Love It, I Want Some More of It

Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts continue to be a challenge in our profession. Join us for a panel discussion focused on developing best practices for recruiting and retaining diverse talent. Gain tangible insight on how in-house and outside counsel can continue working together to successfully attract and keep diverse talent in our practices, including objective data from diverse lawyers regarding their motivations for employment decisions. Engage in a candid conversation with clients assessing how outside counsel are doing and how we both can continue to do better moving forward.

Ashley Garry, Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN
Veronica Lei, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN
Nichole Velasquez, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Baltimore, MD
5:00 p.m. Adjourn

Committee Business Meeting (Open to All)
5:20 p.m. Meetings of Specialized Litigation Groups (open to all)

1. Class Action/Multi-party Litigation
2. Complex Medicine/Experts
3. Defense of Government Actions
5:30 p.m. Networking Reception
6:30 p.m. Premier Networking Event at Ole Smoky
Sponsored by: Dechert LLP, Greenberg Traurig LLP, Hall Booth Smith, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Nutter McLennen & Fish PA, Tucker Ellis LLP, Ulmer & Berne LLP, Venable LLP

Click here for more details.

Friday, September 9, 2022

Time (Central) Session Description
6:30 a.m. DRI for Life Yoga Event (On-Site at the Omni)

Instructor/owner Linda Fenelon of NuPower Yoga & Barre in Nashville will lead the group through a 45-minute flow to kickstart the day. Cost is $20 (price includes mat rental). A portion of the proceeds from the class fee benefits BeWell in School which teaches mindfulness and yoga to children in the school setting.

Register for DRI for Life Yoga Event
7:15 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:15 a.m. Welcome and Announcements

Erik W. Snapp, Dechert, Chicago, IL
Archie Reeves, McDowell Knight, Mobile, AL
8:20 a.m. Working 9 to 5: Changing Hearts and Minds with Better Company Witnesses

Winning at trial involves telling a compelling company story, especially through company witnesses. This presentation will address best practices for dealing with company witnesses from beginning to end, including witness preparation, deciding when to ask questions of your witness at deposition, and managing deposition designations for use at trial.

Douglas Moore, Irwin Fritchie, New Orleans, LA
Christina Marinakis, J.D., Psy.D., Litigation Insights, Baltimore, MD
Lora Spencer, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN
9:20 a.m. Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys: Judges’ Perspectives on Managing MDL and Mass Tort Proceedings

As MDL and coordinated mass tort cases increasingly fill court dockets, judges and defense counsel continue to adapt their practices. Hear federal and state court judges discuss how they manage MDLs and coordinated proceedings, what they expect from lawyers appearing before them, and where they see room for improvement in practice.

Moderator
Amir Nassihi, Shook Hardy & Bacon, San Francisco, CA

Hon. William F. Highberger, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Los Angeles, CA
Hon. Jane T. Milazzo, Eastern District of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Hon. Stephen Bough, Western District of Missouri, Kansas City, MO
10:20 a.m. Refreshment Break
10:50 a.m. Quick Hits: Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal Profession

Sheila Boston, Arnold & Porter, New York, NY
11:05 a.m. United We Stand: How to Stay Hinged at the Hip Ethically and Collegially in Defense Groups

Conventional wisdom tells us co-defendants are stronger when they are united. But inside defense groups in large litigations, interests commonly diverge. This topic will discuss both our ethical duties in such situations and our biases in approaching others in a setting that can be both collaborative and, at times, adversarial in nature, to reveal best practices in representing your client when dealing with those on the same side of the v.

Lana Varney, King & Spalding, Austin, TX
12:00 p.m. Adjourn

After lunch, please return to the hotel for the DRI Cares project.
2:00 p.m. DRI Cares: DRI Community Service Project Benefiting Alive Hospice

Click here for more details about Alive Hospice.

Young Lawyers Blockbuster (Thursday 2:00–5:00 p.m.)

Time (Central) Session Description
2:00 p.m. Opening Remarks and Introductions

Carolyn Riggs, Ice Miller, Indianapolis, IN
Jay Mattappally, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, New Orleans, LA
2:10 p.m. The Associate’s Role at Trial: What to Expect and How to Succeed

Brian Cadigan, Reed Smith LLP, Los Angeles, CA
Jamie Lanphear, Reed Smith LLP, Washington, D.C.
Allison Ng, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Atlanta, GA
2:30 p.m. "The Surgeon Put a Left in a Right?" – Defending Claims Involving Medical Device Sales Representatives

Gabe Winsberg, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore LLC, New Orleans, LA
Ritika Bhakri, Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP
Keegan Madden, Swanson Martin & Bell LLP, Chicago, IL
2:50 p.m. Zoomed Discovery – Presenting and Examining Drug and Device Witnesses and Experts in a Virtual Setting

Madeline Dennis, Tucker Ellis LLP, Cleveland, OH
Tom Wyatt, Quattlebaum, Grooms, & Tull PLLC, Little Rock, AR
3:10 p.m. MDLs for Young Lawyers: Early Days, Discovery, and Bellwether Selection

Sean Gugerty, Goodell, Devries, Leech & Dann, Baltimore, MD
Caroline Power, Dechert LLP, Philadelphia, PA
Julia Zousmer, King & Spalding LLP, Chicago, IL
3:30 p.m. Refreshment Break
4:00 p.m. In-House Counsel Roundtable

Moderator
Jay Mattappally, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart & Moore, LLC, New Orleans, LA

Daniella Silva, TherapeuticsMD, Boca Raton, FL
Kelly Clay, GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC
Teri H. Peeples, Organon LLC, Jersey City, NJ
Jason Maxwell, Enovis, Dallas, TX
5:00 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 Omni Nashville Hotel, 250 5th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203. Take advantage of the group rate of $278.00 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 August 4, 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 10.50 hours of continuing legal education hours, including 1 hour of ethics credit from this seminar.

Drug and Medical Device CLE Grid (PDF)

Sponsors

DRI's Drug and Medical Device 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

Painting Butterfly Houses for Alive Hospice (At the Hotel) and Donations

AliveDRI is honored to partner with Alive Hospice, the only nonprofit hospice in Middle Tennessee which was founded in 1975 as the third hospice in the country. Thanks to donor support, Alive Hospice goes above and beyond standard hospice care with offerings that include caregiver support, counseling, end-of-life care education, community building, and remembrance events.

If you are able to stick around, please join us on Friday, September 9 at 2:00 p.m. (at the conclusion of the seminar) for a DRI Cares: DRI Community Service Project on site at the hotel. Along with attendees from the Senior Living and Long-Term Care Litigation Seminar, we will be painting pre-built butterfly houses for our DRI Cares partner, Alive Hospice. These butterfly houses provide fundraising for Alive Hospice and are used in honor of lost loved ones. No need to be an artist! Please sign up by noon on September 8, 2022. Drop-ins are welcome!

Sign Up

If you can’t attend, donations are also available. To donate, click the "Donate" button below and use the same login that you registered for this seminar. Select from one of the gift amounts or other to set your own amount, then choose “Drug and Medical Device – Nashville Service Project” from the My SLC/Region dropdown box.

Donate

Event Terms

Read the Event Terms including DRI’s Cancellation and Refund Policy

In-House Counsel and Claims Executives Initiatives

Read the In-House Counsel and Claims Executives Initiatives for DRI Seminars

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns regarding DRI programs, please contact DRI Customer Service at 312.795.1101 or custservice@dri.org.