LCJ Spring 2025 Meeting Overview
Plan to join us for LCJ’s Spring Member Meeting at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington, DC on May 7-9. Meeting Co-Chairs Connie Matteo (Pfizer Inc.) and Tripp Haston (Bradley) are organizing an insightful and interactive program. We expect this meeting to sell out well in advance, so please register early.
LCJ continues to update the program and will issue a detailed agenda shortly. It is subject to change.
Wednesday, May 7th
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. LCJ Fellows Mixer
St. Regis Hotel Bar
Exclusive social for current and former LCJ Civil Justice Fellows.
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Spring Meeting Welcome Reception
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, Rooftop of 1900 K Street, NW
All attendees are welcome—separate registration required. The reception is walking distance from the St. Regis. Afterward, attendees dine on their own.
Thursday, May 8th
7:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Registration & Information
Astor Foyer, St. Regis Hotel
7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Buffet Breakfast for All Attendees
9:00 a.m. Welcome
Astor Ballroom, St. Regis Hotel
Our meeting co-chairs, Tripp Haston (Bradley Arant Boult Cummings) and Connie Matteo (Pfizer) kick off our LCJ Spring Meeting.
9:10 a.m. – 9:40 a.m. Rules of Engagement: How LCJ Members Can Engage in LCJ’s Advocacy Initiatives
LCJ’s top priorities provide meaningful opportunities for members to roll up their sleeves and collaborate on shaping the future of litigation. LCJ’s Alex Dahl leads a discussion on how to engage in LCJ’s “Ask About TPLF” initiative as well as LCJ’s advocacy for rule amendments governing: cost sharing in discovery, remote testimony, class actions, MDLs, Rule 45 subpoenas, expert evidence admissibility, and other topics.
9:40 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. The Supreme Court Term – Insiders Look at the Most Consequential Decisions
As the U.S. Supreme Court enters the final leg of its consequential term in this tumultuous time for the judiciary, two stars of the Supreme Court bar share their expert insights into the most noteworthy decisions to date as well as the soon-to-be-announced rulings that will impact businesses and civil litigation.
10:30 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. DISCUSSION BREAK
10:50 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. Careful What You Ask For? How Cost Sharing in Discovery Lowers Litigation Expenses
When requesting parties share the expense of their discovery requests, they focus on whether the discovery is “worth it.” This reduces discovery costs and reduces disputes over the scope of discovery. While LCJ continues to advocate cost-sharing rules, lawyers are achieving good outcomes for their clients by raising cost-sharing ideas and bringing motions for cost allocation. Our panel discusses LCJ’s initiative and how you can use cost-shifting ideas to achieve efficiency and fairness in your cases.
11:50 a.m. – 1:20 p.m. Attendees lunch on their own.
12:10 p.m. – 1:10 p.m. Board of Directors Meeting
AFTERNOON SESSION
1:20 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. Not Your Father’s PFAS: The Next Generation of PFAS Litigation Is Coming Soon
Although PFAS litigation began as suits against manufacturers of so-called “forever chemicals,” there’s a concerted campaign to impose liability on all kinds of companies that use, sell, market, or dispose of anything containing PFAS. If you think your company or clients aren’t in the bullseye, you’ll want to hear this panel of experts, including Joe Petrosinelli (Williams & Connolly) and Michael Olsen (Mayer Brown), discuss how the plaintiffs’ theories and targets are evolving to encompass just about everyone.
2:10 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. When Companies Take the Fight to their Foes
Increasingly, companies that are more accustomed to being defendants are instead taking the fight to the doorsteps of those who thwart lawful business activities. Our panelists, Justin Anderson (ExxonMobil), Aviva Wein (Johnson & Johnson), and Gregg Costa (Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher), join Chad Pekron (Walmart), to discuss recent lawsuits brought by companies against their adversaries.
3:00 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. NETWORKING AND DISCUSSION BREAK
3:20 p.m. – 4 p.m. The Next Step in MDL Reform: Applying the New FRCP 16.1
When we convene for LCJ’s Fall Meeting, a new rule will be added to the FRCP: Rule 16.1 for multidistrict litigation. LCJ led a multi-year effort to advocate for a rule providing judges and litigators with tools for better management of MDLs—particularly focused on avoiding the problems caused by unvetted claims. Will Rule 16.1 be such a rule? Our panel discusses how judges and lawyers will utilize the rule’s tools—perhaps even before it officially takes effect—to improve the “just, speedy, and inexpensive” determination of cases consolidated into MDLs.
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. General Counsel Roundtable: A Conversation about What’s New and What’s Next
General counsels of large companies frequently navigate novel legal questions and anticipate what might come next. What do they see changing in today’s litigation environment, and how are they preparing for what might be coming? Our panelists, including Jon Palmer (Microsoft) and Mathew Lepore (BASF), talk with Elizabeth Gibson (Toyota), about the state of civil litigation in America, their top concerns for the future, and the opportunities they see for reform.
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. LCJ Presidents’ Reception
Astor Terrace, St. Regis Hotel
LCJ’s past presidents host conversation and refreshments before dinner.
All meeting attendees are welcome to join us.
7:00 p.m. LCJ Annual Dinner
Astor Ballroom, St. Regis Hotel
Join the celebration as LCJ President Molly Craig (The Hood Law Firm) and President-Elect Scott Kreamer (Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice) lead our recognition of LCJ leaders, thank our Civil Justice Fellows, and present LCJ’s highest honor, the Founders Award.
All meeting attendees are welcome—separate registration required.
Friday, May 9th
7:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Registration & Information
Astor Foyer, St. Regis Hotel
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Corporate counsel breakfast meeting
George Washington, St. Regis Hotel
In-house lawyers discuss LCJ’s current and future initiatives and share ideas about emerging litigation issues. All corporate attendees are welcome.
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Law firm leaders breakfast meeting
Astor Ballroom, St. Regis Hotel
Law firm attendees discuss engagement in LCJ projects and share ideas for future initiatives. All law firm attendees are welcome.
9:00 a.m. Meeting Reconvenes
Astor Ballroom, St. Regis Hotel
9:05 a.m. – 9:40 a.m. Criminal Enforcement Policies in the Second Trump Administration
The DOJ’s corporate enforcement policies have fluctuated dramatically with changes of Administration. How will the new Trump Administration modify prior policies? No one knows more about the past, present, and future DOJ policies than our speaker, Brian Benczkowski (Kirkland & Ellis), who served as the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division in the first Trump Administration.
9:40 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. NETWORKING AND DISCUSSION BREAK
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Should the FRCP Require Disclosure of TPLF Agreements? An Open Discussion with the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules
Third-party litigation funding (TPLF) is ubiquitous, but whether the funder’s role is disclosed to the court and parties varies from court to court and case to case. The nonuniform handling of disclosure motions—exacerbated by ex parte practices—is generating compelling examples showing why courts and parties need to know who’s making litigation and resolution decisions so they can manage cases effectively.
Members of the federal Advisory Committee on Civil Rules will share what they are doing to understand what undisclosed TPLF means in practice and join us to hear your views on how the FRCP could provide guidance about TPLF disclosure. Members of the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules scheduled to attend include Judge Robin Rosenberg, Chair of the Advisory Committee, and Judge R. David Proctor, TPLF Subcommittee Chair.
11:30 a.m. Wrap Up
SAVE THE DATE!
LCJ Fall Meeting, December 3-5: Westin New York, Times Square, New York City