Mass Tort Defense : Mass Tort Defense Lawyer & Attorney : Sean P. Wajert : Dechert Law Firm : Products Liability, Class Actions, Pharmaceutical Litigation

I am pleased to announce that I will be speaking at the upcoming DRI Product Liability Conference taking place April 11-13, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

I’ll be speaking on Wednesday afternoon, April 11th, as part of the session of the Mass Torts & Class Actions subcommittee.  The topic is Medical Monitoring. 

The conference will include many distinguished speakers, preeminent attorneys, and in-house counsel, discussing the current state of products liability law.  As if the excellent educational programs weren’t enough, this Products Liability conference provides a fantastic opportunity to network with hundreds of colleagues from across the country, both during the scheduled receptions and at informal evening social venues.

Brochure attached here. Registration here.

I look forward to seeing many of my faithful readers in Las Vegas.
 

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We wanted to alert readers to the HarrisMartin’s Mass Tort Litigation Conference, chaired by Judge Marina Corodemus (Ret.). 

It is set for June 4, 2012 - in our home base of Philadelphia, PA, at the Ritz Carlton.

This year's focus is “A Post-Modernistic Deconstruction of a Mass Tort Medical Device Case.”  The agenda follows the anatomy of the mass tort, from shareholder suits, to government investigations; key science issues; MDL and class procedural questions; and a sprinkling of ethics and discovery, through to a panel on settlement.

The conference includes speakers from the judiciary, the government, industry, and the bar, including my partner Ezra Rosenberg.

More info here.

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Last week I spoke at a CLE seminar on "Chemical Products Liability & Environmental Litigation."  The seminar was ably co-chaired by Ted Ray from ExxonMobil and Eric Sarner from Praxair.

My topic was Medical Monitoring Class Actions, with an emphasis on the trend by plaintiffs to seek (b)(2) certification, describing the money damages they want defendants to pay for future medical testing as some sort of court-supervised program and thus injunctive/equitable in nature.

By popular demand (ok, a handful of requests), I am making some slides on the topic available here.  Hope readers of MassTortDefense find them a useful resource.

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A head's up for our readers about an upcoming seminar worth checking out. DRI’s Drug and Medical Device Committee will hold its 27th annual Seminar on May 5-6, 2011 at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Chicago, Illinois. 

The Seminar offers an outstanding program for practitioners and in-house counsel who practice pharmaceutical and medical device law.  The Seminar features nationally recognized attorneys, both in-house and outside counsel, who will speak on a variety of cutting edge topics relevant to the life sciences industry.  The program offers a variety of presentations including moderated panel discussions, individual presentations from leading practitioners and practical demonstrations of trial skills.  There is also a Young Lawyers Blockbuster session. 

In addition to the outstanding educational opportunities, the Seminar provides great networking opportunities to connect or reconnect with counsel and clients from around the country. Attendees may earn up to 12 hours of CLE, including 1 hour of ethics credit.

More information available here. 

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As you plan your CLE activities for 2011, consider DRI’s Product Liability Conference, to be held at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, April 6–8, 2011.

This conference promises to provide you with insight from in-house counsel, government attorneys, and experienced practitioners regarding national trends and important recent decisions in the products area. The presentations will also provide creative practice tips and invaluable information that may assist you and your clients. This conference offers unmatched opportunities to keep abreast of current issues, earn CLE credits, and network.

Scheduled speakers include Cheryl A. Falvey, General Counsel for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and Prof. Dane S. Ciolino, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.

The sub-committee or "Specialized Litigation Group" (SLG) sessions will offer detailed analysis in 18 different practice areas. Your humble blogger is Chair of the Mass Torts & Class Actions SLG.  Our scheduled topics for our session include:

• Update on Climate Change/Global Warming Litigation
• Medicare Reporting Requirements for Settling Defendants in Class Actions and Mass Torts
• Impact of Shady Grove on Class Actions and the Plaintiffs’ Bar Response

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DRI’s Drug and Medical Device Committee will hold its 26th annual Seminar on May 20-21, 2010, at the San Francisco Marriott, in San Francisco, California.

The Seminar is one of the best of its kind, highly useful to practitioners who represent pharmaceutical and/or medical device manufacturers. This year's Seminar will feature a number of nationally recognized attorneys, both in-house and outside counsel, who will address cutting-edge topics that are relevant to all who practice in this area, whether they are associates, lead trial counsel, or in-house counsel.

This year’s program will offer a mixture of presentations, such as trial skills demonstrations, panel discussions, and individual presentations from leaders in their practice areas. In addition to the outstanding program, there will be numerous networking opportunities, including the annual Young Lawyers Blockbuster.  And the cocktail reception co-hosted by your humble blogger's team at Dechert LLP.

See the Seminar Brochure to register or to learn additional information. The advanced registration deadline is April 30, 2010.
 

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Well, it may be too late to switch Northern Iowa for Kansas in your office pool (for amusement purposes only), but it is not too late to sign up to attend the 2010 DRI Product Liability Conference, "The Masters of Product Liability Litigation."

The conference will be held at the fabulous Venetian in Las Vegas on April 7-9, 2010. As always, this annual meeting offers premier educational and networking opportunities.

In addition to the general sessions, the various sub-committees, including the Mass Torts & Class Action group chaired by your humble blogger, will host breakout workshops focusing on topics particular to their practice areas.

Our breakout will include insights from two experienced in-house counsel, Matt Flesher, Assistant General Counsel of Cessna Aircraft Company, and Andy Rudd, General Counsel for the Home and Family Group of Newell Rubbermaid, a group that includes Graco Children’s Products, Calphalon Corporation, Goody Products, Levolor window coverings, and Rubbermaid consumer products. 

If interested, please check out the info here.

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We have posted before about the 2010 DRI Product Liability Conference in Las Vegas in April, as an event worth checking out.

Let me add that one of the attractive feature of the conference is that, in addition to the exceptional program put together for the main stage, there are many great Specialized Litigation Group (subcommittee) programs planned, including the highly-relevant-to-readers Mass Torts & Class Actions SLG.

At the Mass Torts & Class Actions SLG breakout session on Thursday, April 8th (likely to be more daring than Criss Angel, more talented than Terry Fator, more energetic than a Blue Man Group) includes:

Legislative and Regulatory Update: Impact of New Administration and New Statutes, Rollback on Preemption and Effort to Rollback Twombley
Jeffrey A. Holmstrand, McDermott & Bonenberger PLLC, Wheeling, West Virginia
Anthony Sammons, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, Lexington, Kentucky

Emerging Class Action Issues: Impact of the ALI Project on Aggregation and Update on Problematic Causes of Action (Public Nuisance, Consumer Fraud Act and Medical Monitoring)
Richard A. Oetheimer, Goodwin Procter LLP, Boston, Massachusetts
John Parker Sweeney, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice PLLC, Baltimore, Maryland

Emerging Mass Tort Issues: Examination of Daubert/ Frye Issues, Update on Green-Product Issues and Use of Risk Assessment Concepts
Robert C. James, TERRA Inc., Tallahassee, Florida
David C. Uitti, Dechert LLP, Princeton, New Jersey

Best Practices on Managing Mass Torts: Exploring the Virtual Law Firm, Cost Controls, Alternative Fee Arrangements and Early Case Dispositions
Moderator Kip T. Bollin, Thompson Hine LLP, Cleveland, Ohio
 

You can still register.

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This year’s DRI Product Liability Conference is worth checking out. It's entitled "The Masters of Products: The Stars Come Out to Shine."  The conference will take place April 7-9, 2010 at The Venetian in beautiful Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition to all that Vegas has to offer, the seminar promises a jackpot of 18.5 hours of outstanding CLE, including 2 hours of ethics credit.

The main program features presentations by judges, academics, and government officials, including Hon. Inez Moore Tenenbaum, Chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission; Prof. Steven Gensler, Professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Law; Honorable Lee H. Rosenthal, United States District Court, Southern District of Texas; in-house counsel experienced in managing global product liability litigation, the trial of difficult cases including wrongful death and class actions, the use of demonstrative evidence and other trial tactics in product liability litigation, the new CPSIA and the reporting database, and the art of storytelling as a trial lawyer.

Break-out sessions are held by each of the 18 Specialized Litigation Groups (SLGs), (your humble author is Chair of the Mass Tort and Class Action SLG), so you can hone your skills in specific areas. And of course, the program will be attended by in-house and outside counsel from around the country, with ample opportunities to meet, greet and network. You won't want what you learn in Vegas to stay in Vegas.

You can get more info here.

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Readers are invited to consider the upcoming webinar, "Daubert Standards for Expert Witness Testimony: Effective Strategies for Bringing and Defending Daubert Challenges."  Your humble blogger will be a co-presenter. 

This is a live 90-minute webinar program with interactive Q&A, set for Thursday, February 25, 2010, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time / 12:00 p.m. Central Time / 11:00 a.m. Mountain Time / and 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.  You can check it out or register.

Readers know that Daubert motions are one of the most critical pre-trial aspects of a case involving expert witness testimony because exclusion of a plaintiff's expert can effectively end a lawsuit. A  strong Daubert challenge can also have an impact on settlement. 

This seminar will discuss effective strategies for Daubert motions, and I will talk about when you might want to NOT file one.

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Early notice of a seminar that should be of great interest to many readers. 

DRI's Product Liability Conference will be held on April 7-9, 2010 at the Venetian, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The "Masters of Products" is the theme for the 2010 DRI Product Liability Conference. Product liability superstars will light up the main stage, while rising stars lead breakout sessions in 18 separate disciplines to span timely product liability topics from big-picture issues to the finer points of products practice.

Specialized Litigation Group (SLG) breakout sessions are spread over the three days, offering detailed analysis directly relevant to your product liability practice areas and interests. [Your humble blogger is Chair of the Mass Torts & Class Actions SL group.]

The brochure is here.

And you can register here.

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Next week, your faithful blogger will be on the road in San Diego for the annual conference of DRI's product liability committee.

It's not too late for you to sign up too.  The focus this year is on "green" issues. This program will highlight emerging issues in product liability law associated with increasing environmental awareness and health concerns. The "green" movement will impact a product liability practice and this seminar presents opportunities to learn to help clients navigate the new terrain. As environmental concerns mount and consumers and companies seek to minimize their impact on the planet, new opportunities and risks arise for product manufacturers. Manufacturers are inventing new products using cutting-edge technologies. Consumers are becoming nervous about the use of traditional chemicals in products, but also question newer approaches. The government is involving itself by threatening to more heavily regulate a variety of areas, including product labeling.

Details
Product Liability Conference
Hilton San Diego Bayfront One Park Blvd. San Diego, CA 92101
4/14/2009 - 4/17/2009

SIGN UP HERE

Topics include:
􀁴 Litigation arising from the use of phthalates and nano materials
􀁴 New claims emerging from the use of “green” building materials
􀁴 Preemption in the area of product liability
􀁴 How to meet new sustainability standards
􀁴 What new “green” regulatory standards are being considered in Europe and America
􀁴 New rules enacted by the Consumer Products Safety Commission

(Your MassTortDefense blogger is vice-chair of DRI's Mass Torts & Class Actions SLG)

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Your faithful blogger is in NY today speaking at the ACI Drug and Medical Device CLE Seminar.

On this topic of CLE seminars, however, a note that I will be co-presenter at the upcoming webinar, Defending Medical Monitoring Claims— Recent Developments and Best Practices. The webinar is presented by DRI’s Product Liability Committee and its Mass Torts & Class Actions Subcommittee. Co-presenter Jeff Holmstrand, Esquire.

This webinar is designed to help attorneys representing companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device, chemical, and consumer product industries understand what to expect when facing a claim for medical monitoring. In addition to a discussion of important developments and trends in medical monitoring law—including recent cases and an update on the ALI Restatement section related to monitoring—this course will explore some critical actions that clients and their counsel can take to maximize their chances of defeating class certification and prevailing on the merits of medical monitoring claims at trial.

DATE AND TIME

Tuesday, December 16, 2008
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern

Register.

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