Past Complex Litigation Conferences

2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016


2023 Conference

Co-Chairs:

  • Adam Hoeflich, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and BartlitBeck LLP
  • Professor Zachary Clopton, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

Agenda

March 8, 2023 8:45–9 a.m. - Welcome and Introduction

Speaker
Adam Hoeflich, Conference Co-Chair, Professor of Practice, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and BartlitBeck LLP, Chicago

9–10:15 a.m. - Litigation Issues that Keep In-House Counsel Up at Night

Session Chair
Rebecca Bacon, BartlitBeck LLP, Chicago

Panelists
Brooke Cucinella, Global Head of Litigation & Regulatory Inquiries, Citadel LLC, New York City
Courtney Enloe, Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Chief Antitrust EHS/Product Stewardship, Labor & Employment, Litigation, and Mergers & Acquisitions Counsel, 3M, St. Paul, MN
Michael Freeman, Vice President Head of Litigation, Employment, and Regulatory Law, Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., Deerfield, IL
Hal Merck, Associate General Counsel and Vice President of Global Litigation, McDonald's Corporation, Chicago
Brennan Torregrossa, Senior Vice President, Litigation, Employment, Digital, and Privacy, GSK plc, Philadelphia

10:30–11:45 a.m. - The Texas Two Step: Interaction of Bankruptcy and Mass Torts

Session Chair
Sergio Campos, Professor of Law and Co-Director, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Concentration, University of Miami School of Law, Miami

Panelists
Mark Cheffo, Dechert LLP, New York City 
Leigh O'Dell, Beasley Allen, Montgomery, AL 
Samir Parikh, Professor of Law, Lewis & Clark Law School, Portland, OR 
The Honorable Gene E.K. Pratter, United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 
The Honorable Brendan L. Shannon, United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware, Wilmington, DE

12–1:15 p.m. - Interview of Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan by Karen Dunn

Speaker
The Honorable Sri Srinivasan, Chief Judge, United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia, Washington, DC

Moderator
Karen Dunn, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Washington, DC

1:30–2:45 p.m. - Critical Legal Motions and Appeals

Session Chair
Archis Parasharami, Mayer Brown LLP, Washington, DC

Panelists
Elizabeth Cabraser, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, San Francisco
The Honorable Robert Dow Jr., United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois and Counselor to the Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., Chicago
Theodore Frank, Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute, Washington, DC
Joseph Petrosinelli, Williams & Connolly LLP, Washington, DC
The Honorable Amy St. Eve, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Chicago

3–4:15 p.m. - Current Issues and Best Practices for MDL and Complex Litigation Trials

Session Chair
Stacy Maione, BartlitBeck LLP, Chicago

Panelists
The Honorable Karen K. Caldwell, United States District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Christa Cottrell, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Chicago
Sean Gallagher, BartlitBeck LLP, Chicago
The Honorable Robin L. Rosenberg, United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, West Palm Beach, FL
Aimee Wagstaff, Andrus Wagstaff, Denver


2022 Conference

Co-Chairs:

  • Adam Hoeflich, Professor of Practice, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Partner, BartlitBeck LLP, Chicago
  • Professor Zachary Clopton, Professor of Law, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Chicago

Agenda

March 6, 2022 6–7:30 p.m. - Pre-Conference Presentation and Discussion

Hear from Elizabeth Chamblee Burch, Fuller E. Callaway Chair of Law, University of Georgia School of Law, Athens, GA and Margaret Williams, Senior Research Associate, Federal Judicial Center, Washington, DC as they discuss their research on perceptions of justice among plaintiffs in multidistrict litigation.

Moderated by
Adam Hoeflich

March 7, 2022 8:23–8:30 a.m. - Welcome and Introduction

Speakers
Adam Hoeflich
Zachary Clopton

8:30–10 a.m. - MDL Rules, Procedures, and Best Practices and Potential Revisions

Moderator
Abbe Gluck, Alfred M. Rankin Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy, Yale Law School; and Professor of Internal Medicine (General Medicine), Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT

Panelists
Sheila Birnbaum, Dechert LLP, New York City
Elizabeth Cabraser, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, San Francisco
The Honorable Karen Caldwell, United States District Judge, Eastern District of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
The Honorable Robert Dow Jr., United States District Judge, Northern District of Illinois, Chicago
The Honorable Matthew Kennelly, United States District Judge, Northern District of Illinois, Chicago

10–10:15 - Break

10:15–11:45 a.m. - Best Practices in Resolution and the Search for Closure

Moderator
Zachary Clopton

Panelists
Elizabeth Chamblee Burch, Fuller E. Callaway Chair of Law, University of Georgia School of Law, Athens, GA
Mark Cheffo, Dechert LLP, New York City
The Honorable Gene E.K. Pratter, United States District Judge, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Theodore Rave, Professor of Law, The University of Texas at Austin School of Law, Austin, TX
Christopher Seeger, Seeger Weiss LLP, Ridgefield Park, NJ

11:45 a.m.–12 p.m. - Break

12–1:15 p.m. - Lunch Keynote

An Interview with
The Honorable Amy St. Eve, United States Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Chicago

Moderated by
The Honorable Robert Dow Jr., United States District Judge, Northern District of Illinois, Chicago

1:15–1:30 p.m. - Break

1:30–2:45 p.m. - Current Legal Issues that Affect Complex Litigation

Moderator
Alexandra Lahav, Ellen Ash Peters Professor of Law, University of Connecticut School of Law, Hartford, CT

Panelists
The Honorable Gary Feinerman, United States District Judge, Northern District of Illinois, Chicago
Brian Fitzpatrick, Milton R. Underwood Chair in Free Enterprise, Vanderbilt Law School, Nashville
Samuel Issacharoff, Bonnie and Richard Reiss Professor of Constitutional Law, New York University School of
Law, New York City
Joseph Petrosinelli, Williams & Connolly LLP, Washington, DC
Alexandra Walsh, Walsh Law, Washington, DC

2:45–3 p.m. - Break

3–4:30 p.m. - Trial of Complex Cases During a Pandemic

Session Chair
Alison Frankel, Editor, On the Case at Thomson Reuters Legal, New York City

Panelists
Karen Dunn, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Washington, DC
Sean Gallagher, BartlitBeck LLP, Chicago
Mark Lanier, The Lanier Law Firm, Houston
The Honorable Gene E.K. Pratter, United States District Judge, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Beth Wilkinson, Wilkinson Stekloff, Washington DC

4:30 - Program Concludes


2019 Conference

Wednesday, October 16 and Thursday, October 17, 2019

This conference will focus on critical legal, ethical, financial, and political issues that affect high-profile litigation.

Location:
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
375 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois, 60611

Attendance at the conference is by invitation only. 

This program has been approved for 7.75 general CLE credits in the state of Illinois. Out-of-state participants may use their Illinois CLE certificate to self-apply for credit in their state.

Co-Chairs

  • Adam L. Hoeflich, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and BartlitBeck LLP
  • Abby M. Mollen, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and BartlitBeck LLP

Agenda

Wednesday, October 16

8:30-9:00am - Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00-10:30am - What Keeps In-House Lawyers Up at Night
Ann Cook, Ernst & Young LLP
Craig A. Knot, Holcim (US) Inc. and Aggregate Industries Management Inc.
Zeb Landsman, Becker, Glynn, Muffly, Chassin & Hosinski LLP
Lee Reichert, Molson Coors
Michelle Spak, Duke Energy Corporation

10:30-11:45am - A Debate on the Utility of Class Actions
Ted Frank, Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute
Alison Frankel, Thomson Reuters
Professor Brian T. Fitzpatrick, Vanderbilt Law School
Professor Martin H. Redish, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

12:00-1:30pm - Lunch Keynote
An interview of The Honorable Paul J. Watford, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, by Emily Bazelon

1:30 - 2:45pm - The Role of Critical Motions and Appeals in Complex Litigation
Bruce R. Braun, Sidley Austin LLP
Professor James E. Pfander, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
Honorable Manish S. Shah, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Honorable Amy J. St. Eve, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Alexandra Walsh, Wilkinson Walsh + Eskovitz

2:45 - 4:00pm - Reception

Thursday, October 17

8:30-9:00am - Continental Breakfast

9:00-10:15am - The Evolving Role of Trials in Multijurisdiction Litigation
Robert A. Clifford, Clifford Law Offices
Sean W. Gallagher, Bartlit Beck LLP
Travis Lenkner, Keller Lenkner LLC
Honorable Gene E.K. Pratter, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

10:15-10:30am - Break

10:30-11:45am - Best Practices in Multijurisdiction and other Complex Litigation
Professor Zachary Clopton, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
Perry Elizabeth Cooper, Bloomberg BNA
Chris Gramling, Eli Lilly and Company
Honorable Virginia M. Kendall, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Rebecca Weinstein Bacon, Bartlit Beck LLP

12:00-1:30pm - Lunch Keynote
An interview with The Honorable Joseph R. Slights III, Vice Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery, by Anitha Reddy, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

1:30-2:45pm - An Analysis of the Role of Daubert in Modern, Complex Litigation
Honorable Gary Feinerman, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
William Gage, Butler Snow LLP
Jason L. Lichtman, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
Jessica Miller, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP 


2018 Conference

Wednesday, November 28 and Thursday, November 29, 2018

This conference will focus on critical legal, ethical, financial, and political issues that affect high-profile litigation.

Location:
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
375 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois, 60611

Attendance at the conference is by invitation only.  

This program ihas been approved for 8.25 general CLE credit hours in the state of Illinois. Out-of-state participants may use their Illinois CLE certificate to self-apply for credit in their state.

Co-Chairs

  • Adam L. Hoeflich, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP
  • Abby M. Mollen, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Agenda

Wednesday, November 28

9:00 a.m. - Registration and Continental Breakfast

10:00 a.m. - Opening Remarks
Kimberly A. Yuracko, Dean and Judd and Mary Morris Leighton Professor of Law 

10:15 - 11:45 a.m. - Corporate Investigations in a Modern World
John R. Lausch Jr., Northern District of Illinois
Joel R. Levin, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
David T. Shapiro, Vail Resorts, Inc.
Honorable Amy J. St. Eve, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Jeffrey E. Stone, McDermott Will & Emery

12:00 - 1:30 p.m. - Lunch
Keynote: An interview of The Honorable Jeffrey S. Sutton, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, by Professor Neal K. Katyal, Georgetown University, Hogan Lovells

1:45 - 3:15 p.m. - Critical Legal Issues in Contemporary Litigation
Honorable Gary Feinerman, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Honorable David F. Hamilton, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Professor Abby M. Mollen, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP
Honorable Robert Dow, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Alexandra Walsh, Wilkinson Walsh + Eskovitz

3:15 p.m. - Break

3:30 - 4:45 p.m. – The Role of the Trial in Modern Complex Litigation
Philip S. Beck, Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP
Honorable Eldon E. Fallon, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
Faith Gay, Selendy & Gay
James K. Grasty, Merck & Co., Inc.
Christopher A. Seeger, Seeger Weiss LLP

5:00 p.m. - Reception

7:00 p.m. - Dinner at The Casino Club for Panelists

Thursday, November 29

9:00 - 10:15 a.m. – Current Issues in Multidistrict Litigation
Michael J. Freeman, Walgreens Co.
William M. Gage, Butler Snow LLP
Professor Samuel Issacharoff, New York University School of Law
Honorable Matthew F. Kennelly, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Dianne M. Nast, Nast Law LLC
Rebecca Weinstein Bacon, Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

10:15 a.m. - Break

10:30 - 11:45 a.m. – Issues that Keep General Counsel Awake
Brian Ellis , Danaher
Shawn Fagan, Citadel
Michael J. Harrington, Eli Lilly and Company
Ram Padmanabhan, Chicago Bulls
E. Lee Reichert, Molson Coors
Sarah R. Teachout, Trinity Industries, Inc.

12:00 p.m. - Lunch
A Lifetime of Achievement, An Interview with Elizabeth Cabraser, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, by Professor Erin F. Delaney, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

1:15 – 2:45 p.m. - The Current Role of Class Action in Complex Litigation
Perry Elizabeth Cooper, Bloomberg BNA
Travis Lenkner, Keller Lenkner LLC
Adam J. Levitt, DiCello Levitt & Casey LLC
Honorable Gene E.K. Pratter, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania 


2017 Conference

Wednesday, November 29 and Thursday, November 30, 2017

This conference will focus on critical legal, ethical, financial, and political issues that affect high-profile litigation.

Location:
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
Rubloff 150
375 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois, 60611


This program has been approved for a total of 8 general CLE credit hours in the state of Illinois.

Co-Chairs

  • Adam L. Hoeflich, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP
  • Abby M. Mollen, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

Agenda

Wednesday, November 29

9:00 a.m. - Registration and Continental Breakfast

10:00 a.m. - Opening Remarks
Professors Adam L. Hoeflich and Abby M. Mollen

10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. - Interplay Among Courts, the Parties, and Media During the Trump Presidency
Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Alison Frankel, Thomson Reuters
Josh Gerstein, POLITICO
Carrie Johnson, NPR
Andrew J. Pincus, Mayer Brown LLP
Dean Daniel B. Rodriguez, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

11:45 a.m. - Break

12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Lunch
An interview with Tom Sager, Retired General Counsel of DuPont and Partner, Ballard Spahr LLP, by Leslie T. Thornton, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary, WGL Holdings, Inc. and Washington Gas

1:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. - Critical Legal Issues in Contemporary Litigation
Linda T. Coberly, Winston & Strawn LLP
Honorable Gary Feinerman, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Professor Brian T. Fitzpatrick, Vanderbilt Law School
Professor Abby M. Mollen, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott, LLP

3:15 p.m. - Break

3:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. - Current Issues in Multijurisdiction Litigation
Professor Lynn A. Baker, University of Texas School of Law
Elizabeth J. Cabraser, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein
Honorable Matthew F. Kennelly, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Leslie M. Smith, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

4:45 p.m. - Reception

5:30 p.m. - Dinner at The Casino Club for panelists

Thursday, November 30

8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. - Breakfast

9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. - Current Issues in the Trial of Complex Matters
Honorable Amy J. St. Eve, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Christopher A. Seeger, Seeger Weiss LLP
Lisa Warren, Johnson & Johnson
Rebecca Weinstein Bacon, Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

10:15 a.m. - Break

10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. - The Interaction of Independent Investigations and Complex Litigation
Sean M. Berkowitz, Latham & Watkins LLP
Brian Ellis, Danaher
Mark Filip, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Daniel D. Rubinstein, Winston & Strawn LLP
Jonathan R. Streeter, Dechert LLP

12:00 p.m. - Lunch
Keynote: An Interview with The Honorable David S. Tatel, by Carter G. Phillips, Sidley Austin LLP

1:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. - Current Issues in Class Actions
Michael T. Brody , Jenner & Block
Perry Elizabeth Cooper, Bloomberg BNA
Catharine E. Gillespie, DuPont
Professor Samuel Issacharoff, New York University School of Law
Jonathan D. Selbin, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein 


2016 Conference

Wednesday, November 16 and Thursday, November 17, 2016

375 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60611

Schedule

Participants

Co-Chairs

  • Adam L. Hoeflich, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP
  • Abby M. Mollen, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

 Members of the Federal Judiciary

  • Honorable Diane P. Wood, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
  • Honorable Richard C. Tallman, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • Honorable Gary S. Feinerman, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • Honorable David R. Herndon, United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
  • Honorable John G. Koeltl, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • Honorable John Z. Lee, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • Honorable Gene E.K. Pratter, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • Honorable Amy J. St. Eve, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

 Members of the Academy

  • Professor Robert G. Bone, University of Texas School of Law
  • Director Jaime L. Dodge, Emory University School of Law
  • Professor Brian T. Fitzpatrick, Vanderbilt University Law School
  • Professor James E. Pfander, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
  • Professor Martin H. Redish, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

 Members of the Media

  • Alison Frankel, Thomson Reuters
  • Roger Parloff, Fortune Magazine

 Private Industry Participants

  • Allison K. Chock, Bentham IMF
  • Catharine E. Gillespie, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.
  • Travis D. Lenkner, Gerchen Keller Capital, LLC
  • Dan McGuire, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company
  • Lisbeth A. Warren, Johnson & Johnson

 Private Practice Lawyers

  • Philip S. Beck, Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP
  • Sheila L. Birnbaum, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
  • Elizabeth J. Cabraser, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
  • Robert A. Clifford, Clifford Law Offices PC
  • Linda T. Coberly, Winston & Strawn LLP
  • Catherine S. Duval, Zuckerman Spaeder LLP
  • Michael D. Fishbein, Levin, Fishbein, Sedran & Berman
  • Douglas R. Marvin, Williams & Connolly LLP
  • Dianne M. Nast, NastLaw LLC
  • Reed S. Oslan, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
  • Reid J. Schar, Jenner & Block
  • Christopher A. Seeger, Seeger Weiss LLP
  • Jonathan D. Selbin, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
  • Kannon K. Shanmugam, Williams & Connolly LLP

Schedule

Day 1: Wednesday, November 16, 2016

9:00 am - Registration opens and Continental Breakfast

10:00 am - Opening Remarks

10:15 am - "The Role and Importance of Proportionality in Complex Litigation"

This panel will discuss the recent amendments to the federal rules and how they apply in complex litigation, including how MDL courts should consider proportionality and cost-shifting.

  • Honorable John G. Koeltl, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • Professor Robert G. Bone, University of Texas School of Law
  • Elizabeth J. Cabraser, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
  • Catharine E. Gillespie, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
  • Abby M. Mollen, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law; Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch in the Atrium

1:15 pm - Keynote An Interview with Chief Judge Diane P. Wood

  • Interviewer: Linda T. Coberly, Winston & Strawn LLP

2:30 pm - "Emergence of Litigation Financing in Complex Litigation"

This panel will discuss the role of litigation financing (for both personal injury and commercial matters) in complex litigation and how it is affecting complex litigation in the United States.

  • Allison K. Chock, Bentham IMF
  • Michael D. Fishbein, Levin, Fishbein, Sedran & Berman
  • Professor Brian T. Fitzpatrick, Vanderbilt University Law School
  • Travis D. Lenkner, Gerchen Keller Capital, LLC
  • Reed S. Oslan, P.C., Kirkland & Ellis LLP

3:45 pm - Coffee & Tea Break

4:00 pm -"Critical Legal Issues in Contemporary Litigation"

This panel will discuss how current legal issues and the appointment of the next Supreme Court Justice affect the landscape of complex litigation.

  • Honorable Gary Feinerman, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • Honorable Richard Tallman, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • Professor Adam Hoeflich, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law; Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP
  • Professor James E. Pfander, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
  • Kannon K. Shanmugam, Williams & Connolly LLP

5:30 pm - Reception in Rubloff Atrium

7:00 pm - Dinner at The Casino Club for participants

Dinner Speaker - Jaime L. Dodge: "The Role of the Judiciary in Private and Public Settlements"

Day 2: Thursday, November 17, 2016

9:00 am - "Are Bellwethers an Effective Way of Resolving Group Litigation?"

This panel will discuss whether bellwethers remain an effective way of resolving group and multi-jurisdiction litigation, or whether i) skewed early trials or ii) seriatim dismissal of plaintiffs make it preferable to utilize other mechanisms. 

  • Honorable David R. Herndon, United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
  • Philip S. Beck, Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP
  • Douglas R. Marvin, Williams & Connolly LLP
  • Christopher A. Seeger, Seeger Weiss LLP
  • Lisbeth A. Warren, Johnson & Johnson

10:15 am - Coffee & Tea Break

10:30 am - "Interplay Among Courts, the Parties, Counsel, and Media in High Stakes Litigation"

This panel will discuss how media focus is affecting how parties, counsel, and the courts approach complex litigation. The panel will include members of the media in addition to a federal judge and practitioners.

  • Honorable Amy St. Eve, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • Robert A. Clifford, Clifford Law Offices PC
  • Alison Frankel, Thomson Reuters
  • Roger Parloff, Fortune Magazine
  • Reid Schar, Jenner & Block
  • Dan McGuire, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company

12:00 pm - Lunch in the Atrium

1:30 pm - "Current Ethical Issues in Complex Litigation"

This panel will focus on ethical issues that parties and the courts face in complex litigation, including how to obtain closure consistent with the ethical proscription against restrictions on practice.

  • Honorable Gene E.K. Pratter, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • Dianne M. Nast, NastLaw LLC
  • Christopher A. Seeger, Seeger Weiss LLP
  • Catherine S. Duval, Zuckerman Spaeder LLP

3:00 pm - "Current Issues in Class Actions"

This panel will discuss current issues in class actions, including the appropriate role of the ascertainability inquiry, Daubert proceedings and the role of motion in practice, manageability and the role of a trial plan, and the impact of recent Supreme Court rulings on how trial courts should manage class actions.

  • Honorable John Z. Lee, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • Professor Martin H. Redish, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
  • Sheila L. Birnbaum, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
  • Jonathan D. Selbin, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP

Attendance at the conference is by invitation only. This conference has been approved for a total of 10.5 CLE credit hours, including pending approval for 1.5 professional responsibility CLE credit hours, in the state of Illinois.