Newsletter

Liability Attorney Summit Held in September

By Paul Zeglovitch, Liability Program Manager

The California JPIA held its annual Liability Attorney Summit on September 20, 2023, at the Authority campus in La Palma. Forty-seven participants attended the summit, including representatives from Carl Warren & Company, the Authority’s liability third-party claims administrator, defense panel firms, business partners, and Authority staff.

Paul Zeglovitch, the California JPIA’s liability program manager, welcomed attendees and started the meeting with an opening presentation on the state of the Authority’s liability program. Paul discussed the slow but steady growth of the organization as it relates to members and staff. He also celebrated the cooperative, collaborative culture amongst panel members and Carl Warren staff.

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The opening session was an open forum for all counsel in attendance to share their experiences over the past year, which led to an active discussion.

David Ferrante Allan shared knowledge and tips from his decades of practice and countless design immunity motions for summary judgments. He also addressed the importance of design immunity for public entities facing dangerous road condition cases.

The summit also featured a lively roundtable where trial attorneys Michael Nebenzahl, Michael Gibbs, and Mitch Dean discussed depositions, witness preparation, pre-trial motions, and trial execution.

Appellate Specialist Dan Barer provided an update on critical cases involving employment liability, scooter liability, and bystander emotional distress. These cases are essential to our evolving defense of our members.

The event concluded with a presentation from Ed Richards of Kutak Rock on a case that may alter exposure for members.

The Liability Summit is an annual event where the Authority’s defense counsel can gather and discuss emerging case law, litigation strategies, and liability claims trends. For more information about the Liability Summit or the Authority’s liability protection programs, contact Paul Zeglovitch.

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