TIPS Fall Leadership Meeting in Scottsdale
The TIPS Fall Leadership Meeting was held on October 14–18, 2015, at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona. Over 250 attendees experienced great weather and beautiful surroundings as they participated in more than 100 committee business meetings, TIPS Council meetings, orientation sessions, and social events.
A complimentary CLE program, “Lessons Learned in the Trenches of Litigation Management,” was presented by the Business Litigation, Commercial Transportation Litigation, Corporate Counsel, Products Liability, Staff Counsel, and Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committees. Led by moderator Roy Cohen, speakers included a litigation manager, a claims director, and corporate and general counsel from several national corporations.
Event highlights included presentation of the Kirsten Christophe Memorial Award for Excellence in Trial and Insurance Law to Maureen Mulligan. The award recognizes a TIPS member who demonstrates expertise in an area of trial practice or insurance law and personifies the exemplary attributes of its namesake, a former TIPS Council member who died in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and who excelled in balancing career, profession, and family in life and practice. Recognized as a leader by her peers in the legal and business communities, Maureen has held multiple leadership roles within TIPS, including former chair of the Section’s Corporate Governance Institute and the Professionals’, Officers’, and Directors’ Liability Committee. She currently serves as the Section’s liaison to the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession and holds an active role in TIPS’s Section Conference Task Force.
TIPS honored Judge Daniel Emerson Nastro (Ret.) of Maricopa County, Arizona, with the Section’s Pursuit of Justice Award, which recognizes lawyers and judges who have shown outstanding merit and who excel in providing access to justice for all.
The Law in Public Service Committee joined the HonorHealth Desert Mission Food Bank in Phoenix to provide warehouse assistance. Volunteers helped pack food bags for the Emergency Food Program, which provides monthly food packages for individuals and families in crisis. The Diversity in the Profession Committee partnered with the Law in Public Service and Staff Counsel Committees for their “A Day in the Life of an Attorney” program. Members visited the August Shaw Montessori Middle School in downtown Phoenix to discuss their professional experience in the legal industry and encourage students to explore the possibility of a law-related career.
Leading one of the TIPS general committees is a significant responsibility that is supported by extensive chair and chair-elect training at the Section’s fall and spring meetings. Training at the Scottsdale meeting extended over two days and covered a wealth of topics that included energizing your committee, social media, publications, committee newsletters, CLE opportunities, planning for your year as chair, and leaving a legacy.
TIPS CLE Programs
The TIPS Free Member Monday CLE program “The Secret to Your Success: Understanding the Scope and Limitation of Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product” was presented on October 5, 2015. Sponsored by the Trial Techniques Committee, the program provided an interactive review of confidentiality, attorney-client privilege, and effective communication.
The 2015 Aviation and Space Law Litigation Committee sponsored “Litigation Fundamentals in Modern Times—Aviation and Space Law” on October 22–23, 2015, at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C. The program included sessions on recent developments in aviation and space law, pilot medical conditions, and the regulation of unmanned aerial systems. Jeff Shane, general counsel of the International Air Transport Association was the luncheon speaker.
Over 200 participated in the 2015 TIPS Fidelity & Surety Law Committee program “Annotated Commercial Crime Insurance Policy (Third Edition): An Up To Date Look at Crime, Loss and Technology” on November 4–6 in Washington, D.C. Sessions topics included computer fraud and electronic coverage, commercial crime insurance, and remarks by Tom Finan, a representative of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security. n