Annual General Meeting Recap 2010
The thirtieth Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Attorneys’ Liability Assurance Society (Bermuda) Ltd. (ALAS Ltd.) and the Loss Prevention Program of Attorneys’ Liability Assurance Society, Inc. (ALAS, Inc.) took place at The Fairmont Southampton in Southampton, Bermuda, from June 16 through June 18, 2010.
After an opening reception on Wednesday evening, June 16, Thursday morning began with this year’s main program titled “Opportunities Lost: The Life Cycle of a Claim.” This program illustrated how an actual claim can unfold through a series of video vignettes, live closing arguments, and taped mock jury deliberations. Presenters included Randy J. Curato and Karen K. Phillips, Loss Prevention Counsel at ALAS, Inc., who identified missed loss prevention opportunities as the facts developed, and Jason A. Burlingame and Jeffrey P. DeJong, Senior Claims Counsel at ALAS, Inc., who focused on the impact of the lawyers’ conduct in analyzing the deliberations of four mock jury panels. Counsel for the parties in the case were Carol A. Hogan of Jones Day, representing the defendant law firm and its lawyers, and Richard M. Zielinski of Goulston & Storrs, representing the plaintiff.
Friday’s business meeting began with remarks by Thomas T. Terp, outgoing Chairman of the Boards of ALAS Ltd. and ALAS, Inc.; a financial report from Akhil Wagh, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of ALAS Ltd.; and the CEO report from Mark D. Nozette, Vice Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of ALAS, Inc. Following the conclusion of the business portion of the AGM, Daniel J. Donnelly and Mary Beth Robinson, Vice President—Senior Claims Counsel of ALAS, Inc., gave a report addressing claims developments during the past year. James Stephenson, incoming Chairman of the Boards of ALAS Ltd. and ALAS, Inc., concluded the morning with remarks on the importance of capital in maintaining the value that the ALAS organization provides to insured firms. Each presentation, with accompanying slides, may be accessed by clicking on the individual speaker’s name.
The first Friday afternoon program, titled “Opportunities Gained: How to Reverse Engineer a Claim,” built on the lessons learned from the main program on Thursday morning and discussed practical steps lawyers can take to prevent claims or mitigate their severity. Aaron E. Hoffman, ALAS, Inc. Senior Vice President—Loss Prevention, moderated this program. Panelists included the lawyers who represented the parties in the Thursday program, Carol Hogan of Jones Day and Richard Zielinski of Goulston & Storrs; the jury consultant for the Thursday program, R. Dennis Donoghue of Donoghue & Associates; and David L. Balser, general counsel of McKenna Long & Aldridge.
The second Friday afternoon program, “Perils of the Litigation Practice,” focused on exposure in the litigation practice. Using a series of video vignettes, the panel addressed how to identify ethics issues and reduce professional liability risks in litigation matters, particularly those involving alleged conflicts and e-discovery issues. Kenneth R. Landis, ALAS, Inc. Loss Prevention Counsel, moderated this discussion. Panelists included the Honorable Mark R. Kravitz of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut; Todd W. Ruskamp of Shook, Hardy & Bacon; and Wendy J. Thurm of Keker & Van Nest.
Click here to see the loss prevention materials. Please click here for a printer-friendly version of all speeches and all slides.
The 2011 Annual General Meeting and Loss Prevention Programs will be held in Ottawa, Canada, at The Westin Ottawa on June 22-24, 2011.