Registration
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Dentons LLP
223 South Wacker (Willis Tower) 59th Fl.
Chicago, IL
Plenary 1
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
Professional Responsibility Implications of Evolving Technology and Other Emerging Trends
On one hand, lawyers are ethically obligated to learn about new technology and to understand its potential impact on the practice of law. On the other, use of technology such as social media and artificial intelligence presents many professional responsibility risks. This presentation will discuss maintaining the delicate balance between attorney ethical legal requirements and risks associated with the use of this technology, along with a primer on new legal technology.
Steve Puisziz, Hinshaw & Culbertson, Chicago, IL
Sari Montgomery, Robinson, Stewart, Montgomery & Doppke LLC, Chicago, IL
Scott Malouf, Law Office of Scott L. Malouf, New York, NY (Moderator)
Keynote Speaker
2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Ethics in America: A Talk with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Proper contemplation and consideration of ethics includes knowing and respecting your state bar's ethical requirements. However, the significance of ethical conduct and standards extends beyond this realm, to matters of substantive law as well. Senator Gillibrand will discuss recent legislative efforts aimed at implementing and effecting more ethical treatment of issues ranging from student loans and improving a better work/life balance. The discussion will touch upon matters of interest for young professionals and the importance of remaining cognizant of ethical issues with respect to professional life.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, New York, NY
Break 2
3:30 - 3:45 p.m.
Breakout Sessions
3:45 - 4:45 p.m.
Breakout 1
Emerging Claim: Failure to Notify
An emerging claim on the rise is an attorney's failure to notify the client’s insurance carrier about certain costs (defense costs, potential awards) that would otherwise have been covered under the client's insurance policy. From experience, unless it is documented, jurors will typically assume it is the attorney's responsibility to address coverage. We will look at the types of cases in which this most frequently comes up. We will also discuss who is responsible for notifying the insurance carrier, the client or lawyer? And finally, we will explore best practices for preventing this type of claim.
Kerry Nelson, Goldberg Kohn, Chicago, IL
Eleni Kastrenakes Howard, Akerman, West Palm Beach, FL
John Sullivan, Long & Levit, San Francisco, CA
Darren Goodson, ALAS, Chicago, IL (Moderator)
Breakout 2
A Crash Course Probate and Estate Planning Legal Malpractice Claims
The field of estate planning remains a hotbed for potential claims against practitioners. An estate planning attorney may face exposure related to contested dispositions, estate administration, and tax planning, from clients and non-clients alike. Attorneys defending attorneys, then, should aim to have a grasp on the nature of the underlying estate planning matters at issue to fully defend a client. This program will discuss some of the basics of estate planning practice, and touch upon some of the claims against lawyers that arise from estate planning. This session will equip attendees with an understanding of the terminology and concepts at issue in an estate planning matter and how they may arise in a malpractice matter.
EJ Cox, Gunster, West Palm Beach, FL
Martha Amrine, ALPS, Missoula, MT
Laura Mills, AmTrust, Chicago, IL
Networking Reception
4:45 - 5:30 p.m.
Dentons LLP
223 South Wacker (Willis Tower) 59th Fl.
Chicago, IL