2024 DRI Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium

Name: 2024 Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium | DRI
Start: 2024-12-04T12:00
End: 2024-12-06T12:55
Location: Sheraton New York Times Square

December 4–6, 2024
Sheraton New York Times Square | New York City, New York

Build Your Network and Learn About the Latest Industry Trends!

Register by October 21, 2024 to save up to $300!
View registration information here.

Join us at DRI’s Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium, the premier event for insurance executives, claims professionals, and outside counsel specializing in insurance coverage. This year’s symposium promises unparalleled engagement with top insurance industry leaders and coverage lawyers, focusing on emerging and cutting-edge issues. Don’t miss out on exceptional networking events and the chance to build valuable relationships with like-minded professionals.

What You Will Learn:

Master best practices to protect the attorney-client privilege for your company’s in-house counsel.
Learn effective strategies to avoid bad faith pitfalls during the appraisal of first-party property claims.
Stay ahead of the curve with insights into legislative trends and developments impacting the insurance industry nationwide.

Expand Your Network By:

Engaging in networking receptions and counsel meetings.
Enjoying dine-arounds with fellow professionals.
Participating actively in Insurance Law Committee meeting opportunities.

Counsel Meetings with Major Companies
Take advantage of the opportunity to engage with key industry companies* including:

AIG
The Hartford
Sompo International
Travelers

*Subject to change

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Thank You to DRI's Committee Leadership
Registration & Networking Information
Financial Aid Policy
Agenda with Speakers
Headquarters Hotel Information
CLE Information
Sponsors
Other Information

Thank You to DRI's Insurance Law Committee Leadership

Ilana B. Olman — **Ilana Olman**
Program Chair

**Courtney C. Britt**
Program Vice Chair

Jonathan Schwartz — **Jonathan L. Schwartz**
Committee Chair

**Joanna M. Roberto**
Committee Vice Chair

Join the Insurance Law Committee

Registration Information

Save up to $300 when you register on or before October 21!

	Member Pricing	Non-Member Pricing	Non-Member Bundle ^
Early Bird Registration* (Now thru Oct. 21)	$1,395	$1,795	$1,715
Regular Registration* (Oct. 22–Dec. 2)	$1,595	$1,995	$1,915
Onsite Registration	$1,695	$2,095	$2,015
Group Registration (Non-Sponsored)**	$1,095 per person	$1,095 per person	$1,095 per person
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 want to save on your registration? Take advantage of the Non-Member / Trial Membership Bundle when you register for the DRI Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium. Select the bundle and get up to 9 months of membership with the membership add-on when you 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.

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.

**Group registration is for registering four 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, fill out the form here (online registration is not available for this offering).

Financial Aid Policy

Individuals who demonstrate need may receive limited financial aid to attend DRI CLE programs.

Review the Policy (PDF)

Agenda with Speakers

*More session details to come. Schedule and Speakers subject to change.

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Time (Eastern)	Program
12:00 p.m.	Registration Opens
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, December 5, 2024

Time (Eastern)	Program
8:30 a.m.	Registration & Coffee Service
9:00 a.m.	Welcome and Introductions Daniel W. Gerber, Gerber Ciano Kelly, Buffalo, NY Ilana B. Olman, Segal McCambridge, Fort Lauderdale, FL
9:15 a.m.	Winning the Institutional Bad Faith Battle The theory of institutional bad faith allows a plaintiff to expand a dispute over a single loss into a widespread attack on an insurance company’s practices and procedures. Plaintiffs’ fundamental allegation in institutional bad faith cases is that insurers’ policies and procedures related to claim evaluation and resolution, claim adjustment protocols and associated software, and performance and compensation criteria for claims personnel, are either individually or collectively intended to unfairly shrink indemnity payments to claimants or deprive insureds of policy benefits to which they are entitled. Allegations of institutional misconduct may relate to an insurer’s common law bad faith liability, support the expansion of a single-plaintiff bad faith case into a class action, be said to constitute unfair claims settlement practices under related statutes, or be urged as evidence of reprehensible conduct justifying punitive damages. Insurers need to anticipate these allegations and be prepared to combat them. Doug Richmond, Lockton Companies, LLC, Kansas City, MO
10:15 a.m.	Coffee Break
10:30 a.m.	The Use of Novel Theories of Products Liability and Negligence in the Context of Social Media Litigation and other Emerging Fields This segment will explore a more recent push by the Plaintiffs' Bar to rely on theories of products liability and negligence, particularly in the context of claims against social media companies and other areas of litigation to create liability and coverage where it did not previously exist. This topic will further explore the implications of these novel theories from a claims and coverage perspective. Rachel H. Kim, Sompo, New York, NY Kristen Perkins, Esq., Kennedys, Fort Lauderdale, FL
11:30 a.m.	Practice Tips to Avoid a Nuclear Outcome in All Phases of Litigation There has been lots of discussion about social inflation and nuclear verdicts generally. This topic will explore examples of how insurers are fighting back to mitigate that risk in all phases of litigation (pre-suit, mediation, trial). Robert T. Horst, Esq., Horst Krekstein Runyon, Philadelphia, PA Kenneth P. Williams, Esq., Segal McCambridge, Detroit, MI
12:30 p.m.	Lunch (on your own)
2:00 p.m.	Insuring Contractors: Trending Coverage Issues and Considerations in Construction Defect Litigation Insured are hitting their aggregate limits more and more often – how are insurers dealing with this issue, communicating with insureds and addressing reserves. This topic will also explore recent trends of insurers seeking to recoup defense costs from other insurers who refused to share in the defense, and related practical considerations. Julie Demaree (Complex Casualty Claims Director), Fortitude Re, Jersey City, NJ Daniel Strong, Esq., Teague Campbell Dennis & Gorham LLP, Raleigh, NC
3:00 p.m.	The Intersection Between Coverage and AI This topic will address the intersection between coverage, cyber/privacy and artificial intelligence, with the Blue Shield California Class Action case as a model/case study. Barry M. Miller, Esq., Freeman Mathis & Gary, Lexington, KY Sarah M. Abrams, Baleen Specialty/Bowhead Specialty, Chicago, IL
4:00 p.m.	Judicial Interpretation of Statutes and Insurance Contracts Statutes and contracts are at the heart of coverage and bad faith litigation. Many of the highest courts throughout the country emphasize the "supremacy-of-text principle" when interpreting statutes. This topic will discuss methods of statutory interpretation, as well as insurance contract interpretation in the context of civil litigation, with a focus on insurance coverage litigation. Judge J. Logan Murphy, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Tampa, FL
5:00 p.m.	Insurance Law Committee Business Meeting (open to all)
6:00 p.m.	Premier Networking Reception Join fellow seminar attendees at our Premier Networking Reception.
8:00 p.m.	Dine-Arounds Join colleagues and friends at selected restaurants for dinner (on your own).

Friday, December 6, 2024

Time (Eastern)	Program
8:00 a.m.	Registration & Coffee Service
8:30 a.m.	Welcome and Announcements Ilana B. Olman, Segal McCambridge, Fort Lauderdale, FL Courtney C. Britt, Teague Campbell Dennis & Gorham LLP, Raleigh, NC
8:40 a.m.	Weaponization of Discovery in Coverage Cases This topic will explore the weaponization of discovery by the policyholder bar and how to combat it. Essentially where the case becomes not about the coverage decision but about efforts to (1) increase the costs of litigation exponentially through burdensome discovery responses and make it so costly we want to settle, and (2) trip up carriers into a discovery sanction. Alison A. Grounds, Esq., Troutman Pepper, Atlanta, GA
9:40 a.m.	Do you See What I See? Privacy Claims and Their Evolving Coverage Issues This topic will explore coverage issues from perspective of both commercial general liability (CGL) Coverage B and Cyber. Daniel I. Graham, Jr., Esq., Nicolaides Fink, Chicago, IL Rich Gatz, Esq. (VP of Cyber Claims), Arch, Columbus, OH
10:40 a.m.	Coffee Break
10:55 a.m.	Coverage Trends Related to Emerging Public Nuisance Claims We all know about opioids claims/coverage litigation, involving “no occurrence” and “no damages because of bodily injury” issues. But those same issues are now at the forefront of other coverage disputes related to public nuisance claims filed by public entities, including those relating to climate change and ghost guns. This topic will explore the various coverage challenges that have been raised in these recent cases. Nathalie Dean (Associate General Counsel, Litigation), AIG, New York, NY Christopher St. Jeanos, Esq., Willkie, New York, NY
11:55 a.m.	Ethics Topic: Lawyer Misuse of Information/Documents available in Metadata Artificial Intelligence is affecting the practice of law at an incredible pace. This topic will explore issues surrounding the use of AI in the legal industry, its intersection with a lawyer’s obligations including potential consequences and practical considerations. Sean C. Griffin, Esq., Robinson & Cole, Washington, DC
12:55 p.m.	Adjourn

Headquarters Hotel Information

The seminar will take place at Sheraton New York Times Square, 811 7^th Ave, New York, NY 10019.
To contact the hotel directly, call 212.581.1000.

A limited number of discounted hotel rooms have been made available at the Sheraton New York Times Square. Take advantage of the group rate of $419.00 Single/Double in one of two ways:

Reserve your Room Online
Contact the hotel directly and mention DRI Seminars.

The hotel block is limited, and rooms and rates are available on a first-come, first-served basis. You must make reservations by November 4, 2024, to be eligible for the hotel's group rate. Requests for reservations made after November 4 are subject to room and rate availability.

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 the button below for more details.

CLE Late Fees