<strong>DRI</strong> Services 55 West Monroe Street Suite 2000 Chicago, Illinois 60603 Phone (312) 795-1101 Fax (312) 795-0747 Internet www.dri.org E-mail dri@dri.org Hours 8:30-4:30 CST Monday-Friday <strong>DRI</strong> Staff Contacts (direct-dial numbers in area code 312). ■ Membership Services ■ Change of Address ■ Group Life Insurance ■ Disability and Major Medical ■ Accidental Death and Dismembermemt ■ Professional Liability Insurance ■ <strong>DRI</strong> Credit Card Program e-Mail: membership@dri.org Cheryl Palombizio, 698-6207 Ashley Chase, 698-6250 Marge Motluck, 698-6237 Sarah M. Vlcek, 698-6258 ■ <strong>DRI</strong> Committees e-Mail: committees@dri.org Lynn Conneen, 698-6221 Char Graczyk, 698-6243 ■ Meeting Services Lisa M. Sykes, 698-6233 Beth DeMars, 698-6234 Sandra Galindo, 698-6254 ■ Annual Meeting e-Mail: annualmeeting@dri.org ■ Advertising/Marketing/ Sponsorship e-Mail: marketing@dri.org Katie Malinich, 698-6256 Laurie P. Mokry, 698-6259 Megan O’Neil, 698-6244 ■ Expert Witness Database ■ <strong>DRI</strong> Online ■ Website Content Mgmt e-Mail: ewd@dri.org John Hovis, 698-6218 ■ <strong>For</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Defense</strong> e-Mail: ftd@dri.org ■ In-House <strong>Defense</strong> Quarterly e-Mail: idq@dri.org Jay Ludlam, 698-6210 ■ <strong>The</strong> Voice e-Mail: thevoice@dri.org Barb Lowery, 698-6219 ■ Legislation e-Mail: legislation@dri.org ■ Publication Orders e-Mail: publ-orders@dri.org ■ Seminars e-Mail: seminars@dri.org Jennifer Cout, 698-6205 Stefanie R. Favia, 698-6241 ■ Webconferences/CLE Jamie Rocks, 698-6212 ■ Customer Service e-Mail: custservice@dri.org Tiffany Caldwell, 698-6230 Angelique Diaz-Rodriguez, 698-6257 Shnese Ingram, 698-6255 ■ Website ■ Discussion Lists e-Mail: webmaster@dri.org dRI news 4 ■ <strong>For</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Defense</strong> ■ <strong>December</strong> <strong>2011</strong> Members on the Move West agreed to provide attendees with relevant sec- Daniel T. Rabbitt, Jr., of St. Louis, a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and listed in the Best Lawyers in America under the Personal Injury <strong>Defense</strong> Category for the last 23 years, started the Rabbitt Law Firm LLC earlier this year and recently moved to permanent space. Duane Morris partner Demetrious C. (Jim) Batsides will be installed as the new president of the Trial Attorneys of New Jersey at the organization’s 44th Annual Trial Bar Banquet. Mr. Batsides is a trial attorney in Duane Morris’s Newark, New Jersey, and New York City offices. His practice focuses on the defense and counseling of health care companies; clinical and genetics laboratories; pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers; medical and laboratory professionals; and product distributors, retailers, and manufacturers. He has extensive experience in cases involving complex liability and medical causation issues and has represented clients in cases involving claims for significant personal injuries and economic damages from catastrophic neurological injury wrongful death, wrongful birth, loss of fertility, toxic exposure, and failure to diagnose cancer. Mr. Batsides also routinely counsels health care clients and products manufacturers on risk management best practices and regulatory compliance issues. Marie Milie Jones has been awarded the St. Thomas More Award, the highest honor given by the St. Thomas More Society for Catholic lawyers. Following the annual Red Mass on October 11, <strong>2011</strong>, Ms. Jones was presented this honor at a dinner held at Duquesne University. This award coincides annually with the Red Mass, wherein guidance and blessings are sought for the bench and bar. Ms. Jones currently serves as chair of the board of directors of Duquesne University and is a member of the board of regents of St. Vincent Seminary. She practices law in the recently formed boutique litigation firm of JonesPassodelis, P.L.L.C. On Friday, October 21, <strong>2011</strong>, Dennis Wall of Winter Springs and Orlando, Florida, co- presented a West Legal Education Webinar, “Disasters in Insurance.” tions from one of Mr. Wall’s book, CATClaims: Insurance Coverage for Natural and Man-Made Disasters, as well as PowerPoint slides drafted especially for the webinar. Robert J. Sniffen and Michael P. Spellman, the two principals of Sniffen & Spellman, P.A., have again been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2012 edition of Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of employment law management, labor law management and litigation labor and employment. Selection to Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive and rigorous peer- review survey (comprising more that 3.9 million confidential evaluations by fellow top attorneys). Williams Venker & Sanders has been included in U.S. News & World Report’s <strong>2011</strong> Best Law Firms listing for the St. Louis metropolitan area. <strong>The</strong> firm was given the highest ranking of “Tier 1” for its work in medical malpractice defense, personal injury defense, and product liability defense. This is the second consecutive year that Williams Venker & Sanders has received the Tier 1 ranking in these three practice areas. Williams Venker & Sanders partners and <strong>DRI</strong> members <strong>The</strong>odore J. Williams, Jr., and Paul N. Venker have been included in the Best Lawyers in America rankings for many years. Reminger Co. LPA is proud to announce that two of their partners, Kenneth P. Abbarno and Mario C. Ciano have been honored as 2012 Best Lawyers in America “Lawyers of the Year” for Cleveland. Mr. Abbarno received the recognition in the area of transportation law, and Mr. Ciano in personal injury litigation defense. Honorees are selected by conducting peer- review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their peers. <strong>The</strong> lawyers honored as “Lawyers of the Year” have received particularly high ratings in these surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their professionalism, ability, and integrity. Marge Motluck Diversity and Inclusion in <strong>DRI</strong>: A Statement of Principle <strong>DRI</strong> is the largest international membership organization of attorneys defending the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation. Diversity is a core value at <strong>DRI</strong>. Indeed, diversity is fundamental to the success of the organization, and we seek out and embrace the innumerable benefits and contributions that the perspectives, backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences a diverse membership provides. Inclusiveness is the chief means to increase the diversity of <strong>DRI</strong>’s membership and leadership positions. <strong>DRI</strong>’s members and potential leaders are often also members and leaders of other defense organizations. Accordingly, <strong>DRI</strong> encourages all national, state, and local defense organizations to promote diversity and inclusion in their membership and leadership.
Calendar Upcoming events of interest to <strong>DRI</strong> members and other defense lawyers <strong>For</strong> more information about any of these events, call <strong>DRI</strong> Customer Service at (312) 795-1101, or visit our website at www.dri.org. DRi Calend
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