Schedule/Sessions
Welcome Dinner
Located at:
Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse
33 West Kinzie Street
Course 1: Client Relations, Expectations and Confidentiality
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, the participant will:
Understand the roles and responsibilities that each member of the team (counsel, insured, carrier) plays in the claim litigation process.
Know how developing effective communication strategies favorably affects results.
Appreciate resolution strategy development and its import
Back to topCourse 2: Coverage Perspectives and Fundamentals of Risk Transfer
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:
Understand the most common ethical and strategic considerations in defending insurance litigation.
Identify opportunities for risk transfer through contractual indemnification, additional insured provisions, and other insurance-related mechanisms.
Recognize key coverage issues, including reservation of rights, coverage disputes, and conflicts of interest, that may arise during the life of a claim.
Evaluate contracts, policies, and endorsements to identify potential sources of defense and indemnity.
Apply coverage and risk transfer principles to improve claim outcomes, reduce exposure, and support effective litigation management.Back to top
Course 3: Litigation Metrics
- Speakers:
JD Keister, McAngus Goudelock & Courie, LLC (MGC)
Taylor Smith, Suite 200 Solutions
Daniel Winkler, Westfield Insurance
Course Objective: Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:
Understand the importance of access to metrics and data for claims executives.
Course 4: Legal Budgeting and Fee Considerations/AFA's
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:
Educate law firm users and claims professionals about the benefits of budgets and different budget models available.
Educate law firm users and claims professionals on how to better manage litigation through budgeting data mining and AFA’s
Course 5: Emerging Technology in Claims and Litigation Management
- Speakers:
Christopher Butler, Bowhead Specialty Underwriters, Inc.
Dan Costello, Costello Ginex & Wideikis, P.C.
Cathleen Kelly Rebar, Rebar Kelly
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
Identify emerging technologies that are transforming claims handling and litigation management, including artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and automation tools.
Describe how technology is being used throughout the claim lifecycle to support investigation, evaluation, litigation strategy, budgeting, and resolution.
Recognize the benefits and challenges associated with technology adoption, including efficiency gains, data security considerations, and ethical responsibilities.
Evaluate the role of digital evidence, data analytics, and technology-assisted decision-making in modern claims and litigation management.
Discuss future trends and innovations that may influence the delivery of claims and legal services.
Course 6: Evaluation & Assessment: Impact Reporting and Reserving
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, the participant will:
Have explored the broader definition of a “successful resolution” by exposing defense counsel to client considerations beyond the merits of any individual case.
Be able to assess and evaluate an entire case and plot a resolution strategy from receipt of the complaint through appeal.
Be able to create strategies that minimize litigation costs by maximizing the impact of efforts to reach the case- specific resolution.
Understand the concept of “impact reporting” and how that qualitatively differs from routine or periodic case reporting.
Have explored the concept of client reserves, including case specific reserves, contingent reserves, reserves for incurred but not reported claims (IBNR) and bulk reserves, and explore how client reserves are affected by, but different from, defense counsel's case assessment and evaluation.
Course 7: Resolution Options
- Speakers:
Miles Henderson, Berkley Construction Solutions
Amy Jenkins, McAngus Goudelock & Courie, LLC (MGC)
Daniel Wolfe, Magna Legal Services, LLC
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, the participant will:
Understand how to strategically identify the best resolution option.
Understand how to create opportunities for early resolution considerations.
Identify cost-effective resolution strategies.
Understand the psychology behind resolutions strategies.
Understand technologies that can be used to achieve resolution.
Back to topCourse 8: Reserving and Data Management from an Actuarial Perspective
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, the participant will:
Understand various reserve philosophies and types of reserves maintained by insurance companies.
Understand how actions from claims and litigation managers can significantly impact the liability portion of an insurance company's balance sheet.
Understand how actions from actuaries, underwriters, data managers and claim managers affect a company’s view of the financial risks associated with claims.
Understand the benefits of working with actuaries.
Back to topCourse 9: Generative AI and Usage in Litigation Management
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, the participant will:
Explain the fundamentals of Generative AI and its emerging role in litigation management and insurance claims handling.
Identify practical applications of Generative AI throughout the lifecycle of a claim and lawsuit, including case evaluation, discovery review, legal drafting, and trial preparation.
Evaluate the potential benefits and limitations of AI tools in improving efficiency, decision-making, and operational performance within legal and claims organizations.
Recognize key ethical, security, confidentiality, and professional responsibility considerations associated with the use of Generative AI in legal and insurance settings.
Discuss how Generative AI may impact future litigation management practices, staffing models, and the delivery of legal services.
Course 10: Legal System Abuse
- Speakers:
Christopher Butler, Bowhead Specialty Underwriters, Inc.
Dan Costello, Costello Ginex & Wideikis, P.C.
Cathleen Kelly Rebar, Rebar Kelly
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
Identify emerging litigation trends and strategies that may contribute to increased claim severity, litigation costs, and settlement pressures.
Describe common plaintiff litigation tactics, including social inflation themes, reptile theory concepts, litigation financing, and venue-related considerations.
Recognize factors that may influence juror perceptions, case evaluations, and settlement negotiations in complex claims.
Apply early case assessment and litigation management strategies to identify and address potential litigation risks.
Discuss practical approaches for collaboration between claims professionals and defense counsel to improve claim outcomes and manage litigation exposure.
Course 11: Practical Aspects of Litigation Management - Strategic Implementation
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, the participant will:
Learn the roles of the three parties: insured, insurer and defense counsel in the litigation process.
Know what is important to the client when soliciting their business.
Learn how to marry case evaluations with resolution strategies using agreed-upon plans and budgets.
Be able to create a budget that fully describes the activities necessary to achieve the desired outcome while utilizing the most cost-efficient approach.
Understand the importance of a detailed, easily understood litigation plan.
Acquire anunderstanding as to why there are instructions contained in the client’s litigation retention letter.
Know how to view a litigation plan from the macro and micro levels.
No Learning Objectives Available
