Agenda Overview | Group Meet-up | Workshops | Day 1 | Day 2


Pre-Conference Ethics Workshop:
Practical and Ethical Tools for Successful Mass Tort Litigation


Monday, December 5, 2011 | 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
(Registration and Continental Breakfast at 9:00 am)

 

John C. Garde
Partner
McCarter & English LLP (Newark, NJ)

This unique session is designed to hone the advocacy skills of up and coming drug and device litigators. Seasoned practitioners will share their winning strategies for success in high-profi lelitigation, and offer advanced guidance on how judges and juries interpret and analyze relevant evidence and arguments.

Attendees will be able to take their practice to the next level by adding to their mastery of:

  • Current and emerging theories of liability being pursued against drug and device companies
  • Forming the best initial defense strategies for your drug or device client

Stephanie E. Niehaus
Attorney
Squire Sanders (Cleveland, OH)

  • Setting and coordinating priorities as part of a litigation team with effective designation of roles
  • Communicating your position persuasively on causation and scientific data
  • Avoiding risks including ethical breaches and privacy violations in interactions with plaintiffs, physicians and witnesses
  • Tactics for effective treatment of FDA/regulatory experts
  • Presenting trial themes including using novel trial strategies
  • Navigating the settlement process and negotiating terms that comply with ethics standards

 

 

Post-Conference Business Development Master Class:In-House Perspectives on Selection and Evaluation of Outside Counsel

Wednesday, December 7, 2011 | 3:15 pm – 5:30 pm

 

Brian J. Leddin
Associate General Counsel, Litigation & Compliance
C.R. Bard, Inc. (Murray Hill, NJ)		 Monique Hunt McWilliams
Assistant General Counsel
Eli Lilly and Company (Indianapolis, IN)
Barbara Ashley
Principal Litigation Counsel
Medtronic, Inc. (Fridley, MN)		 Donald Bunnin
Litigation Counsel
Allergan, Inc. (Irvine, CA)
Nicole Maddox
Senior Associate Director, Senior Litigation Counsel
Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Ridgefi eld, CT)		  

  • Is the client choosing the partner or the firm? Underlying partner relationships and engagement of outside counsel
  • The things that clients really want to know before engaging outside counsel
  • Demystifying the fi rm selection process
    • referral resources and decision-making
    • how important are fi rm rankings and surveys that rate fi rms?
    • use of preferred provider lists
  • Best practice for communications and candor with clients
  • Developing relationships while putting a focus on knowledge and quality
  • Pet peeves: “worst practices” that outside counsel should avoid committing
  • Taking an updated look at the “virtual law fi rm” model and whether it has proven satisfactory to clients
    • evaluating the model from costs and results perspectives
  • Expectations relating to litigation budgets
  • In-house counsel views towards the handling of document production
    • are some fi rms utilizing unique methods that resulted in lower costs?
  • Factoring how legal fees are being structured into law fi rm selection and evaluation
    • in-house views on trends and innovations in alternative fee arrangements
  • How do the selection processes differ for high-stakes work?