About
Be a part of the automotive industry’s premier product liability litigation defense forum and ensure that you are prepared to cost-effectively defend against plaintiffs’ claims involving the most complicated issues
At a time when most companies are striving to reduce costs and trim staff, defending and managing complex product liability litigation can be an overwhelming task. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the automotive industry. Corporate attorneys and outside counsel for auto manufacturers and component part suppliers must find ways to reduce the costs of litigation while simultaneously dealing with the challenges of juror bias, sympathetic plaintiffs, and negative press. Add to this the new NHTSA roof crush standard and the impact that it is going to have on current and future litigation as well as the questions surrounding product liability claims against automotive companies that have emerged from bankruptcy. Defense counsel face a distinctly uphill battle in litigating and managing these claims and there is no room for error.
American Conference Institute’s 2nd Annual Forum on Defending and Managing Automotive Product Liability Litigation offers defense counsel the opportunity to obtain the strategies and insights needed to confront and overcome these challenges. Our faculty of expert in-house counsel from Ford, Takata, Key Safety Systems, Bosch, Kawasaki, and Continental Tire, as well as leading outside counsel and distinguished jurists will provide you with the knowledge necessary to:
- Manage the exorbitant cost of defending cases and evaluate which cases to settle and which to prepare for trial
- Defend against novel claims arising from the new NHTSA roof crush standard
- Ensure that the burdens of e-discovery do not undermine the defense’s case on the merits
- Manage complex litigation while operating with a smaller legal department and under tighter budget constraints
Contents & Contributors
In-House Roundtable: Corporate Counsel Insights for Managing Litigation, Improving Communication with Outside Counsel, and Reducing Legal Costs
Don A. Schiemann, Managing Counsel, TK Holdings Inc. (Takata) (Auburn Hills, MI)
Preparing for the Impact of the New NHTSA Roof Crush Standard on Current and Future Litigation
Erika Z. Jones, Partner, Mayer Brown LLP (Washington, DC)
James A. Edwards, Attorney, Hewitt Wolensky LLP (Maitland, FL)
Litigating Claims Involving Component Part Suppliers
Don A. Schiemann, Managing Counsel,
TK Holdings Inc. (Takata) (Auburn Hills, MI)
Edward C. Stewart, Partner,
Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell LLP (Denver, CO)
Impact of Venue on Defense Strategies: Determining How to Litigate Your Case in Both the Best and the Worst Jurisdictions for the Defense
Barry W. Ford, Shareholder, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC (Jackson, MS)
Stephen A. Marcum, Shareholder, Stansberry, Petroff, Marcum & Blakley, P.C. (Huntsville, TN)
Basil J. Musnuff, Partner, Roetzel & Andress (Akron, OH)
Preparing and Defending Daubert/Frye Challenges and Finding Qualified and Reliable Biomechanical and Accident Reconstruction Witnesses
Philippa V. Ellis, Partner, Owen, Gleaton, Egan, Jones & Sweeney, LLP (Atlanta, GA)
Joseph J. Ortego, Partner, Practice Group Leader, Products Group, Nixon Peabody LLP (New York, NY)
Michelle I. Schaffer, Shareholder, Campbell Campbell Edwards & Conroy (Boston, MA)
A View From the Bench: U.S. District Court Judges’ Views on Effective Theories/Defenses, Daubert and Evidentiary Approaches, and Deciding Cases Early
The Honorable Richard Mills, United States District Judge, U.S. Dist. Court, Central District of Illinois
Crashworthiness: Defending Against Plaintiff Claims Relating to Automotive Design
Gerard Cedrone, Shareholder, Lavin, O’Neil, Ricci, Cedrone & DiSipio (Philadelphia, PA)
Larry D. Grayson, Partner, Hartline, Dacus, Barger, Dreyer & Kern, L.L.P. (Dallas, TX)
Brian T. Smith, Member, Dykema Gossett PLLC (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
Amir Nassihi, Attorney, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. (San Francisco, CA)
Defending Against Automotive Product Liability Claims in a Tumultuous Market: Impact of Bankruptcy on Plaintiffs, Manufacturers, Suppliers, and Dealerships
Jerry L. Johnson, Assistant General Counsel, Robert Bosch LLC (Farmington Hills, MI)
Raphael (“Rafe”) C. Taylor, Partner, Johnson, Spalding, Doyle, West & Trent, L.L.P. (Houston, TX)
J. Tracy Walker, IV, Partner, McGuireWoods LLP (Richmond, VA)
Defending Against Claims Involving Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
Emily Frascaroli, Attorney, Ford Motor Company (Dearborn, MI)
John A. Krivicich, Partner, Donohue Brown Mathewson & Smyth LLC (Chicago, IL)
Publication Details