CHICAGO, April 20, 2022 — Insurance, defense, corporate and plaintiffs’ attorneys will share their experiences and discuss ethics in mediation, employment law issues for remote workers, trials in the age of COVID, cybersecurity, cannabis and handling business emergencies, among other issues, at the American Bar Association TIPS Section Conference April 27-30.
What:
TIPS Section Conference
Sponsored by the ABA
Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section
When:
Wednesday-Saturday, April 27-30
Where:
Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor
300 Light St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
Program highlights include:
“Handling the Business Emergency — Temporary Restraining Orders and Preliminary Injunctions” — Temporary restraining orders (TROs) and preliminary injunctions are sought during emergencies in cases as diverse as shareholder and LLC-member disputes; employment actions; trademark, copyright, and patent infringement cases; and business torts. A panel of experts will review best practices for seeking or defending against these emergency remedies. They also will discuss the elements required to obtain TROs and preliminary injunctions, effectively pursuing TROs and preliminary injunctions in arbitration, the importance of the bond requirement, drafting an appropriate order, how to appeal and damages for an improperly issued order.
Thursday, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
“Tulsa Race Massacre Fire Insurance Claims — A Mini Trial Experience” — On May 31 and June 1, 1921, mobs of white residents, many deputized and given weapons by city officials, attacked Black residents and destroyed homes and businesses in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, the “Black Wall Street.” Many Black people were killed and many more were left homeless as homes and businesses were looted and destroyed by fire. Many of the properties were insured under fire policies but were denied coverage because of riot exclusions. This program is a mini trial to try the issue of whether the riot exclusion should apply, considering rules for interpretation of insurance policies, analyzing remote, proximate, intervening and concurrent cause issues. The number of occurrences issue also will be explored. The program will look at how today, coverage provides for riot and civil commotion in most standard property forms, but there are some circumstances where coverage can be limited or excluded.
Thursday, 9:40-11:15 a.m.
“Cutting-Edge Issues in Medical and Adult Cannabis Creating Widespread Legal Implications” — This session will encompass several areas of law including cutting-edge regulatory issues, ethics, medical marijuana and the health care 4 Ps (provider, payer, patient, policymaker). A panel of experts will discuss how cutting-edge issues in cannabis can impact clients’ rights and responsibilities even for practitioners who do not practice cannabis law, and ethical issues and potential minefields that may arise when representing clients on ancillary matters will be addressed.
Thursday, 2-3 p.m.
“Recent Developments Concerning Molestation Claims” — With the allegations against Larry Nasser and USA Gymnastics and the activity sparked by the revival statutes for sexual assault claims enacted by several jurisdictions, the insurance industry will likely continue to grapple with molestation claims for years to come. These claims raise issues across nearly every aspect of the industry. A panel of experts will provide a background of the law regarding molestation claims and describe the types of claims being made; discuss the increase in claims and the types of insurance policies implicated; analyze select policy terms, number of occurrences and trigger; and discuss theories of liability. On the reinsurance side, they will discuss the insurer’s determination of the number of occurrences, notice issues, aggregation and allocation and “follow the fortunes”/“follow the settlements” provisions in reinsurance contracts.
Thursday, 2-3 p.m.
The complete agenda can be viewed online.
This event is free and open to members of the press. All meeting attendees are required to provide proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test within 72 hours of the start of the meeting. For media credentialing and to receive further COVID-related instructions, please contact Priscilla Totten at [email protected].
The ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section unites plaintiff, defense, insurance and corporate counsel to advance the civil justice system. TIPS is a national source of expertise in tort, trial and insurance practice and brings lawyers together to share information and speak out on issues of importance. The section has over 10,000 members and more than 30 general committees that focus on substantive and procedural matters in areas across the broad spectrum of civil law and practice. For more information about the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section visit the TIPS website, www.americanbar.org/tips.
The ABA is the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.