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

Readers recognize how the discovery landscape has changed, and not necessarily for the better, with the amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure regarding electronic discovery. We are also coming up on the two-year anniversary of Federal Rule of Evidence 502, intended to address concerns about the disclosure of information protected by the attorney-client privilege or work product doctrine, including inadvertent disclosures.

An interesting upcoming DRI webcast in June will discuss how Rule 502 has impacted discovery strategy, document review, and document disclosures, with a focus on the production of documents in the electronic age. The speakers will also discuss how courts have addressed the new rule, how those cases impact your mass tort and complex litigation practice, and how to advise your clients on these issues.

Check out the brochure.

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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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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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For those readers of MassTortDefense who confront issues of punitive damages in their practice, a recently released book is worth a look:  DRI's Punitive Damages: A State-by-State Compendium (2009).

The book is a new compendium of the law of all fifty states, the District of Columbia and all Canadian provinces regarding punitive damages. This publication also contains a number of articles focused on recent trends in this area of the law. The book outlines each state’s law and procedure regarding punitive damages. Topics include: Leading cases and statutes in each state; the level of conduct required to trigger an award of punitive damages; product liability causes of action for which punitive damages are recoverable; special rules applicable to particular types of products, classes of products, or defendants; pleading requirements; bifurcation/
phasing procedures; limits of permissible discovery; state-specific defenses; and post-trial procedures.

Your humble blogger served as Co-Managing Editor/Atlantic Region Editor (but no royalties are involved!)

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No substantive post today, as your faithful blogger is out of town for a DRI meeting, wearing another hat as the chair of the Mass Torts and Class Action group of DRI's Products Liability Committee.

DRI is the international organization of attorneys defending the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation. DRI provides numerous educational and informational resources to DRI members and offers many opportunities for liaison among defense trial lawyers. DRI's goals include: To teach and educate and to improve the skills of the defense law practitioner;  to strive for improvement in the civil justice system; to be a counterpoint to the plaintiff's bar and seek balance in the justice system in the minds of potential jurors and on all fields where disputes are resolved; and to assist members in dealing with the economic realities of the defense law practice, including the competitive legal marketplace.

Later this year DRI will hold its annual meeting in Chicago, October 7-11.  This Annual Meeting will celebrate DRI’s 50th anniversary and Lincoln’s 200th birthday.

You can join DRI  here, and register for the annual meeting conference 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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