This event offers you the profession's best programming on legal malpractice issues, developments and trending topics. We also have unparalleled networking opportunities with legal practitioners from across the United States. Event attendees are expected to earn you 6.00 CLE credit hours (including 1.0 diversity hour) in 60-minute states, and 7.2 credit hours (including 1.2 ethics hours) in 50-minute states.
National Legal Malpractice Conference
Program
NOTE: All Times CT
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Young Professionals Virtual “Happy Hour”
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Trivia Night
Thursday, September 24, 2020
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Virtual Yoga Session
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Open 12-Step Virtual Support Group Meeting
9:45 – 10:00 a.m.
Introduction and Program Overview
10:00 – 11:15 a.m.
Keynote Plenary
LPL and COVID-19 (Session details to follow)
11:15 – 11:30 a.m. Break
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Hot off the Press! The Profile of Legal Malpractice Claims: 2016-2019
The ABA is releasing its highly anticipated quadrennial Claims Study covering 2016-2019, which includes updated information and statistics regarding legal malpractice claims. This unique national study, containing responses from many legal malpractice insurers, provides a snapshot of the legal malpractice claims environment and data changes from previous studies. Panelists will address the data, including what it means beyond the numbers, what impact firm size seems to have had on potential claims, and whether there really are “risky” practice areas. Join this panel for an in-depth conversation on recent trends and takeaways.
Susan J. Forray, Principal and Consulting Actuary, Milliman, Milwaukee, WI
Jessica Rudin MacGregor, Partner, Long & Levit, San Francisco, CA
Jane Broadwater Long, Vice President-Claims Counsel, Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company of Kentucky, Louisville, KY (moderator)
12:30 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch Break
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
The Legal Ethics of Diversity and Inclusion: What the Rules Say and What Law Firms are Doing (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Credit)
Details to follow.
Charles C. Lemley, Partner, Wiley LLP, Washington, DC
Joseph K. West, Partner and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Duane Morris LLP, Washington, DC
Additional Panelists Pending
2:00 – 2:15 pm Break
2:15 – 3:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
National Case Law Download
Legal Malpractice Law is constantly evolving. Using several cases from across the nation, this panel will discuss key trends and new developments that you should know about. This interactive panel will include a lively discussion between the panelists to get their varying perspectives on the new cases, including that of a plaintiff’s attorney.
David Anderson, Shareholder, Collins Einhorn Farrell PC, Southfield, MI
Beverly Aloisio DeLaune, Partner, Deutsch Kerrigan LLP, New Orleans, LA
Tales from the Crypt: True Stories of Cybersecurity Horrors and What Law Firms Can Do to Protect Themselves and Their Clients
With cybercrimes growing and the “dark web” looming, law firms face unprecedented threats to their clients’ information, money, computer hardware and software, and confidential strategies. Law firms must close cybersecurity gaps and develop strong risk management protocols in order to avoid cyber perils. This session will outline some of the effective long-term strategies for protecting firm data, while providing some creepy true stories of cybercrime and its effect on the industry.
Elizabeth Dill, Partner, Lewis Brisbois, Philadelphia, PA
Leah Peckerman-Haimo, Complex Claims Specialist, Ironshore, New York, NY
Kurt Suhs, Founder and Managing Director, Cyber Special Ops LLC, Atlanta, GA
3:15 – 3:30 pm Break
3:30 – 4:30 pm
The Evolution of U.S. Law Firms and Risk Management
The world of business is changing in metropolitan centers and small towns in the U.S. and across the globe. And while attorneys and law firms are viewed as being averse to change, client demands, a changing labor market and changing law firm economics are causing the opposite to be true: law firms are now embracing new technologies to keep pace with client demands, re-imagining work spaces to better manage real estate costs and respond to shifts in the size of technological and administrative staffs. As trends begin to take root risk management is also evolving to face the change, ensuring that firms implement policies that reflect greater reliance on cloud-based software applications and a workforce that more frequently works remotely. We have an impressive panel of experts from a cross-section of disciplines to explore this brave new world.
Martha Knudson, Executive Director, Utah State Bar Well-Being Committee for the Legal Profession, Salt Lake City, UT
Colleen Nihill, Chief Knowledge Manager & Practical Services Officer, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Philadelphia, PA
Jennifer Paradise, General Counsel, White & Case LLP, New York, NY