For The Defense, December 2011 - DRI Today

22 ■ For The Defense ■ December 2011
Conquering the
Generational Divide—
What Makes the
Generations Tick and
What Ticks Them Off!
Anna Liotta, President and CEO of Resultance Inc., reveals the
distinct generational differences that impact the practice of
law during a CLE session sponsored by the Diversity, Women
in the Law, and Young Lawyers Committees. During the Friday
morning program, Ms. Liotta offered suggestions for conquering
this great divide to improve communications and attract, retain,
and grow loyal clients and top talent from every generation.
Douglas K. Burrell of Drew Eckl & Farnham LLP served as the
program’s moderator.
goveRnMenTAl lIAbIlITy
The Perfect Storm—The True Story of How Inexcusable
Mistakes and Failures at All Levels of City Government
Led to the Payment of a Meritless Claim
Casey C. Stansbury of Fowler Measle & Bell PLLC spoke to attendees of the Friday Governmental Liability Committee
meeting about his experience defending a case involving whistleblower retaliation and ADEA violations and
how he was able to control damages, defend under a reservation of rights, negotiate a settlement less than the
plaintiff’s demand, and work with the city manager to put the city on a compliance path.
InsuRAnCe lAW
The History of Insurance Regulation—Applying a Century of
Knowledge to Emerging
Coverage Issues
J. Stephen Zielezienski, Senior Vice President
and General Counsel for the American
Insurance Association (left) and Craig A.
Berrington discuss the history of liability
coverage, including the McCarran-Ferguson
Act’s balance of regulatory and antitrust
policy, the Dodd-Frank Act and its impact on
state insurance regulation, and the current
arguments for and against federal regulation
of insurance, during the Friday meeting of the
Insurance Law Committee.
lAWyeRs’ pRoFessIonAlIsM AnD eThICs
Professionalism and Ethics from the
In-House Counsel Perspective
During the CLE portion of Friday morning’s meeting of the Lawyers’ Professionalism and Ethics Committee,
Victoria H. Roberts, Vice President and Corporate Counsel for Meadowbrook Insurance Group, and Clinton W. Thute,
Regional Claims Manager for IFG Companies, led a discussion of the ethics issues that have become increasingly
important to in-house counsel. Topics included the development of modern electronic technology, such as email,
texting, Facebook, cloud computing, and multijurisdictional practice, and the implications of these developments
on legal privileges, confidentiality, and conflicts of interest.
eMployMenT
AnD lAboR lAW
The ADA
Amendments
Act of 2008—
You Can Still
Win Your
Case Before
It Starts
Sidney R. Steinberg of Post &
Schell PC spoke during the CLE
portion of the Friday morning
meeting of the Employment
and Labor Law Committee.
His presentation addressed
how to continue to defend
disability claims successfully in
light of the 2008 amendments
to the ADA.
goveRnMenT
enFoRCeMenT
AnD CoRpoRATe
CoMplIAnCe
Health Care
Fraud and the
False Claims
Act in 2011
The Government Enforcement
and Corporate Compliance
Committee hosted a panel at
its Friday morning meeting
to discuss trends in health
care fraud prosecutions
under the False Claims Act,
including notable judgments
and settlements in 2011,
federal policies regarding both
criminal prosecutions and
civil enforcement, and tactics
that have proved successful in
defending and even avoiding
these claims. Moderated by
Jason L. Drori of K & L Gates
LLP, the panel included David
L. Douglass of Shook Hardy
& Bacon LLP, James W. Kraus
of Pietragallo Gordon Alfano
Bosick & Raspanti LLP, José P.
Sierra of Fish & Richardson PC,
and J. Kennedy Turner III of
Butler Snow O’Mara Stevens &
Cannada PLLC.