2026 Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium

December 2–4, 2026
New York Marriott Marquis | New York, New York

Aerial view of Lower Manhattan New York at sunset

The Complete Picture of Insurance Coverage and Practice! 

Save up to $700 when you register on or before October 19!

Save Your Spot Today

Join leading insurance coverage practitioners, claims professionals, and counsel at the 2026 Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium, hosted by DRI's Insurance Law Committee in New York City. Over two and a half days, attendees will examine key developments shaping insurance litigation and coverage practice. Sessions will cover insurers' role in promoting safety and stability, strategies for trying bad faith cases, and the challenges posed by AI-powered claimants using generative tools in litigation. Other topics include emerging coverage issues in social media, influencer marketing, digital platforms, rideshare, autonomous vehicles, and mobility trends; how artificial intelligence is reshaping risk transfer, indemnity, and contractual risk allocation; ethical obligations within the tripartite relationship; defenses to collusive judgments and manufactured liability; and recent developments in first-party property coverage. Attendees will leave with practical, actionable insights and expanded professional connections through networking events and committee activities.

What You Will Learn:

  • Practical strategies for trying bad faith cases from jury selection through closing arguments.
  • How to detect and counter AI-generated claims, pleadings, and fabricated evidence.
  • Emerging coverage issues arising from social media, influencer marketing, and digital platforms.
  • Key trends and risks reshaping auto insurance, including rideshare and autonomous vehicles.
  • The ethical duties owed by insurer-retained counsel within the tripartite relationship.
  • Developments in first-party property coverage, including civil authority and actual cash value disputes.

Expand Your Network By:

  • Connecting with insurance coverage attorneys, claims executives, and industry leaders from across the country.
  • Building relationships with fellow DRI Insurance Law Committee members and program faculty.
  • Enjoying dedicated networking receptions, dine-arounds, and cocktail hours throughout the symposium.
  • Engaging directly with speakers and panelists during interactive sessions and breaks.

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 in-house counsel and claims executives:

  • TBD

*Subject to change

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Thank You to DRI's Insurance Law Committee Leadership

F. Todd Weston
F. Todd Weston
Program Chair
Matthew J. Lavisky
Matt Lavisky
Program Vice Chair
Joanna M. Roberto
Joanna Roberto
Committee Chair
R. Brandon McCullough
R. Brandon McCullough
Committee Vice Chair
E. Ford Stephens
E. Ford Stephens
Law Institute

Discover the opportunities available through the Insurance Law committee and and learn how you can get involved.
Join today and make a difference

Registration Information

Worry-Free Registration: Cancellations received thirty (30) days or more before an in-person seminar are entitled to a full refund.

In registering for this seminar, I attest that I devote a substantial portion of my professional time to defending the interests of individuals, business, associations, or governmental entities in civil litigation. I understand that DRI reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel my registration, without a refund, if I do not meet the criteria described above.

Save up to $700 when you register on or before October 19, 2026!

Register for the Seminar

 Member PricingNon-Member PricingNon-Member Bundle ^
Early Bird Registration *
(Now thru. Oct. 19)
$1,395$1,795$1,715
Regular Registration *
(Oct. 20–Dec. 1)
$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.
Corporate/GovernmentEffective November 1, 2025, DRI is expanding the Corporate Membership category to include attorneys working for a government entity. Corporate Membership includes complimentary registration for DRI seminars.
  • If you are not already a DRI member, join as a Corporate Member before registering to take advantage of this benefit.
  • If you are a current Government Member, please contact DRI Membership at membership@dri.org and the team can assist in converting your membership, which will allow you to take advantage of the complimentary registration.
Non-Member Bundle ^If you're new to DRI and not a DRI member, 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 checkout.
Discover the benefits of DRI membership.
Note: Trial membership processing can take up to 30 days from the date of purchase. Renewing members and members with recently lapsed memberships are not eligible for a Non-Member Bundle.

*If your membership has recently lapsed, please renew it before registering to ensure you receive the discounted member rate. If you are interested in joining DRI to receive the member pricing, click here to visit the Application page.

Hotel Information

The seminar will be held at the New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, New York, NY 10036.

Due to exceptionally high demand for hotel rooms in New York during the week of our seminar, hotel reservations will be available only to registered attendees upon registration in the confirmation email.

Hotel reservation information, including the group rate and booking link, will be provided in the registration confirmation email. Attendees are encouraged to book flights as early as possible. Hotel reservations that cannot be matched to a registered attendee may be subject to cancellation.

Room availability and rates are offered on a first-come, first-served basis by November 4, 2026.

Networking Events

Annual Insurance Law Women’s Dinner | Sicily Osteria

Date: Wednesday, December 2 from 7:30–10:30 p.m.
Pricing: $115 per person
Location: Sicily Osteria, 328 W. 46th St, New York, NY 10036

Join us for an evening of great food, meaningful connections, and engaging conversation with colleagues and friends at Sicily Osteria. This special gathering offers a relaxed setting to network, share experiences, and strengthen relationships within the insurance community.

Space is limited, so be sure to RSVP early to reserve your seat for this memorable evening! This dinner is payable via Venmo, Zelle, or check.

Sign up for the Dinner

Full Agenda

*Schedule and speakers are subject to change

Wednesday, December 2, 2026

Time (Eastern)Session
12:00 p.m.Registration
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)

7:30-10:30 p.m.

Annual Insurance Law Women's Dinner | Sicily Osteria

Click here for details on the dinner

Thursday, December 3, 2026

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

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.

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.

10:00 a.m.DRI Insights Quick Hit #2
10:10 a.m.DRI Insights Quick Hit #3
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.

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.

12:40 p.m.

DRI Networking 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.

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.

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.

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: Freeman Mathis & Gary, 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)

Friday, December 4, 2026

Time (Eastern)Session
8:00 a.m.Registration & Coffee Service
8:10 a.m.

Welcome and Announcements

8:15 a.m.

Going Viral, Going to Court – Social Media’s Coverage A/B Fallout

The rapid growth of social media, influencer marketing, and digital platforms has created new and evolving coverage issues under Coverage A and Coverage B. Recent product liability claims have alleged that social media, gaming, gambling, and AI chatbot platforms were intentionally designed to encourage addictive user behavior, resulting in significant verdicts and high-profile settlements. This presentation will examine these emerging theories of liability, discuss their impact on insurance coverage, and explore how insurers and counsel can evaluate and respond to these evolving risks.

9:15 a.m.

Drilling Down on Policy Conditions

Satisfying the conditions in a liability policy is an important predicate for coverage, as a breach of a condition will bar coverage, in whole or in part. And some conditions are more recognizable in a claim context than others. This presentation will drill down on the nuances of each condition and the differences in how each condition is applied in key jurisdictions.

10:15 a.m.Break
10:30 a.m.

Consent Judgments and Other Collusive Agreements: What Can an Insurer Do?

Consent judgments or other agreements or “friendly trials” intended to shift liability to insurers, or to set up bad faith claims, or to influence coverage decisions, continue to present significant challenges to insurers. This presentation will offer practical strategies for challenging collusive or manufactured liabilities, being mindful of the policy conditions that may apply and the bad faith implications that may arise.

11:30 a.m.

Three’s Company and Counsel Caught in the Middle – Ethics in the Tripartite Relationship

The tripartite relationship in insurance defense presents a complex and recurring set of professional responsibility issues, arising from the intertwined interests of the insured, the insurer, and defense counsel. This program examines the doctrinal foundations of counsel’s duties of loyalty, communication, confidentiality, and conflict management within that structure, with particular attention to the way courts and ethics authorities have defined and constrained those obligations. The discussion will also consider jurisdictional variations and the implications of those differences for counsel practicing in the insurance defense context.

12:30 p.m.Adjourn

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.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

DRI's Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium is proudly supported by:

Premier Sponsors

DRC Litigation Strategies logo LawyerGuard A Ryan Financial Lines Product TurboLaw (Turbo Law) logo

Signature Sponsors

FMG Law Freeman Mathis & Gary LLP MWD McCloskey Waring & Drury LLP logo Sheppard logo

Seminar Sponsors

Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig Houston Harbaugh Attorneys at Law MGC Insurance Defense Plunkett Cooney Stites & Harbison Attorneys

If you would like to learn about seminar sponsorship opportunities, including pricing, or to reserve your spot, please fill out the form to get started.

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 that are not addressed on our website, please contact DRI Customer Service at 312.795.1101 or custservice@dri.org.