2025 DRI North America

August 20–21, 2025
Ontario Bar Association Conference Centre | Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto downtown skyline sunset

Navigate the New USMCA with Confidence!

This event has been canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience. Check out other in-person and virtual programming offers at DRI through our Education/CLE page.

Recent evolving trade policies within North America will have significant legal and financial implications. Join DRI and the Canadian Defence Lawyers (CDL) for a discussion about the renegotiated United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and its broader implications for the legal and business communities. Hear from legal experts in Canada, Mexico and the United States who will prepare you and your clients for the new normal under a renegotiated USMCA Trade Agreement.

What You Will Learn:

  • The history and importance of North American trade agreements.
  • How to help clients navigate international trade in an era of rapidly changing tariffs and regulations.
  • The regulatory and business environment in which multi-national clients are operating. Want to gain a new client? Know their business.
  • How to advise clients on matters relating to international arbitration and alternative dispute resolution.

Expand Your Network By:

  • Meeting and networking with lawyers from Canada, Mexico and the United States at: Dine-Arounds, Roundtable Discussions, and Opening Reception
  • Engaging with in-house counsel from multi-national companies.
  • Exchanging ideas in roundtable discussions with peers about challenging issues in international trade.
  • Developing relationships with members of the Canadian Defence Lawyers joining us for this event.

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

  • TBD

*Subject to change

Representatives from These Companies Will Be in Attendance
Engage with claims professionals who either hire or supervise outside counsel:

  • TBD

*Subject to change

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Thank You to Center's Climate Change and Sustainability Task Force Leadership

Steve Siros headshot
Steve Siros
Task Force Chair
Holly J. Stanford headshot
Holly J. Stanford
Task Force Vice Chair

Learn More About This Task Force

Registration Information

This event has been canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience. Click here to see cancellation and refund policy.

Hotel Information

This event has been canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience. For questions, contact custservice@dri.org.

Full Agenda

Presented by DRI in collaboration with Canadian Defence Lawyers.

*Schedule and Speakers subject to change

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Time (Eastern) Session
5:00 p.m. Networking Reception

Start the seminar off with a reception at the newly renovated Ontario Bar Association Conference Centre with great views of downtown Toronto.
6:30 p.m. Dine-Arounds

Join colleagues and friends at selected restaurants for dinner! We’ll book the reservations at some great local restaurants. All you have to do is sign up and get ready for a great meal and even better networking and conversations. Dinner not included in the cost of registration.

Thursday, August 21, 2025

Time (Eastern) Session
8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast and Networking
9:00 a.m. Welcome and Introductions

Dean Martinez (CEO), DRI, Inc., Chicago, IL
Danielle Russell, CAE, C.Dir (Executive Director), Canadian Defence Lawyers, Markham, Ontario, Canada
9:10 a.m. The Implications of a Renegotiated USMCA for Attorneys that Represent Business
José María San Juan Orozco (Co-Founder), Expand 2 Mexico (E2M), Mexico City, Mexico
Dean Martinez (CEO), DRI, Inc., Chicago, IL
10:10 a.m. The Past is Prologue: The History of NAFTA → USMCA

Juan Morado, Benesch, Chicago, IL
Martha Harrison, McCarthy Tetrault, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Jorge de Hoyos, De Hoyos Y Aviles SC, Mexico City, Mexico
11:10 a.m. Break
11:30 a.m. Dispute Resolution in Uncertain Times: Navigating Legal Challenges in a Shifting Landscape

As the USMCA reshapes regional trade frameworks, looming tariffs strain international commerce, and Mexico undertakes transformative reforms to its judicial appointment system, businesses face a rapidly evolving dispute resolution environment. This panel will explore how legal practitioners are advising clients amidst these uncertainties, focusing on strategic risk assessment, the use of treaty-based protections, and agile approaches to arbitration and litigation. Panelists will share insights on staying ahead of legal disruptions while preserving clients’ commercial interests across borders.

Ann Ryan Robertson, C.Arb FCIArb, Independent Arbitrator, Houston, TX
Cecilia Flores Rueda, FloresRueda Abogados, Mexico City, Mexico
Sonia Bjorkquist, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
12:30 p.m. Networking Lunch
1:30 p.m. International Tariffs – Next Steps for Businesses and Their Counsel

Nicolas Guzman, Faegre Drinker, Chicago, IL
Sabrina A. Bandali, Bennett Jones, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Roberto Sarralde Rodriguez, Garrigues, Monterrey, Mexico
2:30 p.m. Break
3:00 p.m. International Roundtable

Our speakers have done most of the talking, but now it’s your turn! We will open the floor for a lively discussion about the issues of the day and how best to tackle the current legal and administrative environment while zealously representing your clients.
4:00 p.m. Adjourn

CLE Information

Earn up to 4.00 hours of continuing legal education hours (CLE) from this conference. CLE is also being sought from Canadian provinces.

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.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

DRI North American Seminar 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

Blessings in a Backpack Who Will Feed the Kids this Weekend?

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 the way to the joint networking lunch on XXXXX. Feeding a child before you feed yourself is a wonderful way to support children and families in the XXXXX 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.