2025 Agenda

Introductory Remarks

Judge Karen Caldwell, JPML Chair, USDC Eastern District of Kentucky
Judge Robert Dow, Jr., Counselor to Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr.; USDC Northern District of Illinois
Judge Royal Furgeson (Ret.), Former JPML Panel Member
Mark Lanier, The Lanier Law Firm
Richard Arsenault, Neblett, Beard & Arsenault

Litigation Funding and Fee Sharing: Who’s in Control? The Role of Litigants and Judiciary Along with the Associated Ethical Obligations.
The Status of Bankruptcy in Mass Tort Resolution.
Managing Mass Litigation: A Corporate Perspective.
The Future of Mass Litigation. Proposed Changes to MDL Procedures, including Rule 16.1.
Non-Lawyers Practicing Law? Non-Lawyers with Equity Positions in Law Firms?
Daubert and the Impact of Rule 702 Amendments. Clarification to Promote Uniformity vs a Substantive Change in the Way Expert Testimony is Evaluated.
Artificial Intelligence: Assessing the Risk/Benefit Profile and Navigating the Ethical Obligations.
The JPML Decision Making Process.
Manual for Complex Litigation; Testing Concepts and Proposed Revisions.
Bellwether Trial Options and the Impact of Collateral Offensive Estoppel.

Federal Preemption; Guardrails vs Roadblocks.
Managing Mega-MDLS; Organization, Innovation, and Chemistry.
Judicial Intimidation: Recognizing, Addressing, and Responding. Recusals, Motions to Disqualify, Mandamus, Impeachment, Social Media.
Mass Tort Claim Integrity: How, When, and What to Screen. Factsheets? Census? Lone Pine?
The Common Benefit Doctrine; Its Impact on Litigation, Resolution, and Fed/State Coordination. A Percentage of What, to Service What, and Paid to Whom? And What About Common Detriment?
The Weakest Link? Data Breaches/Cybersecurity. Exposure, Risk, and Mitigation Strategies.
Creative Resolution Strategies from Inception to the Inevitable “Tail.” And Navigating the Critical Parallel Issues (DOJ, AGs, Protecting the Brand, Funding Mechanisms, Media, and Bankruptcy).